Here is why I always keep this old Android 10 phone in my back pocket

I have felt nostalgic enough lately, especially for the old cameras. Last month, I praised the Nokia 9 Pureview for its unique camera configuration which makes each photo an adventure. I also revisited the LG G4, a phone that sparked my love for photography. However, there is another older Android camera phone that I always wear as much as possible.

At its peak, the Huawei P30 Pro was the best Android phone could buy. Of course, that’s just my opinion, but many evidence supports it. It was durable and relatively compact compared to today’s phones. He had a simple but attractive style, fast performance and excellent battery life.

After five years as my faithful daily driver, his age began to show. Battery health has decreased and I received its last update in mid-2013. It is still stuck on Android 10, and there is no hope for new software versions or new security upgrades.

I had to upgrade, although contrary. The phone to fill this vacuum was the Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe. Our 2024 fans’ phone exam was positive, and my experience was just as solid. Despite the poor battery life, the poor display and the heavy imprint, it is a capable upgrade which will be taken care of for years. I also have a Pixel 8, which I like for its small size and its quick operation.

Above all, the two devices are pocket cameras capable in its own right. I had an end to ending to capture street scenes and landscapes with the Pixel 8, while the Galaxy excels like a pointed portrait camera for family and friends. However, the two phones are lagging behind the P30 Pro in an important appearance: zoom.

It can be half a decennia more than the Samsung and Google phones with which I replaced it, but the Huawei always surpasses both, grabbing objects much further and bringing them even more closer to me. On paper, the 8MP 5X 5X and 50x digital periscope lens seems modest and obsolete, but I miss it a lot when the phone is not at hand.

This feeling was particularly obvious during a recent road trip. I usually throw a few phones in my bag before leaving for adventures, and this time I brought the galaxy, the pixel and pureview. After a large part of the visit spent capturing subjects on the ground level, I turned my point of view at the top of a building where a raptor was perched. I caught the Samsung – the only phone with a dedicated zoom lens – and I zoomed out. Despite its 3x and 30x digital optical zoom, the phone could not get close to me enough from my avian subject. He quickly flew and I regretted leaving the P30 Pro at home.

Spend less time with the P30 Pro made me realize how vital perisope capacities are on a smartphone, and not only for photography. Capture more stringent photos of a distant and inaccessible fauna or flora increases the probability of obtaining a specific blow in an identification application for birds or plants. The use of the lens or the circle to search to identify other elements is also easier when used via Google Photos on my main phone. The longer zoom offers more utility, which is essential for my habits of phone use.

I have since learned my lesson. I keep the P30 pro with me in case I need it. Despite his age, he still works very well as a rescue phone, despite his growing problems. I have not reset it, so all of my applications and files are still stored safely on it. Its 256 GB storage bank is also useful for storage of offline files.

However, my recent experiences without the phone taught me two precious lessons. First of all, I cannot imagine buying a phone in the future without a capable zoom goal. Of course, I could and should probably use my 70-300 mm zoom lens on my D3400 more often, but I don’t always have the relatively large digital reflex camera with me. Convenience has a price.

Second, older equipment often exceeds modern innovation. The P30 Pro is proof of this. I would not have considered the upgrade if the phone still received regular updates. Now that this is no longer my daily pilot, I don’t care about the execution of an old version of Android. But, thanks to its stellar range, it earns more than its place among my current devices.