Samsung Galaxy S10+ versus Huawei Mate 20 Pro: Which is better?

If you are into Android phones, by now you would have most probably read about the new Samsung Galaxy S10 that has just been launched on 20 Feb in San Francisco, U.S. The Galaxy S10 has officially cemented the Korean manufacturer’s flagship series as one of the most pricey smartphone series in the market.

The entry-level S10e starts from S$1,078 while the entry price for the Galaxy S10 is S$1,298. The prices for the Galaxy S10+ ranges from S$1,298 to S$2,198. So, the question now is – is Samsung making the same mistake as Apple did with its new iPhones by hiking up the prices?

Meanwhile, Samsung has also unveiled its version of the foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, which will hit the stores on 26 April with an eye-watering price tag of more than US$1,980 — essentially a price point that is inaccessible to most people.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has met with lacklustre sales, partly due to the S9 range having no note-worthy product differentiation with its highly successful Galaxy S8 range. The company wishes to attract more buyers with the Samsung Galaxy S10 offering new features such as the triple cameras, ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensors, storage up to one terabyte, and a new curved, quad HD+ AMOLED display.

So does the Samsung latest flagship series offer compelling enough upgrades for you to make a beeline for the store?

We make a comparison of the main specs and features of the Samsung Galaxy S10+ with the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, including the camera features, battery life and charging technology, as well as its dual-sim capability. Here’s what we found.

Camera: Ultra-wide-angle Lens a Must-Have Feature for Flagship Phones

Samsung has given its camera features significant upgrades with the triple-rear-camera system, offering greater photography features such as enhanced zooming and low-light performance.

Without the actual phone for comparison, we could only rely on the camera specs for the moment. Considering the specs advantage of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro has over the Samsung S10+ (Huawei’s 40MP+20MP+8MP against Samsung’s 12MP+16MP+12MP), Samsung has its work cut out to overtake the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which occupies the top spot of DxOMark Mobile alongside its sister product, the P20 Pro.

Huawei is the first mobile manufacturer to introduce the world’s first Leica triple camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens. The main 40MP RGB camera, coupled with other lenses, offers impressive night photography with a good lighting configuration.

The ultra-wide-angle 20MP camera of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro also brings in a broader and spacious perspective of multiple sceneries with a 0.6x zoom. It supports macro photography that could focus on an object as close as 2.5cm. The Galaxy S10+ has followed suit by incorporating a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens.

Battery and Charging Technology

The 4,100 mAh battery life has been hailed as a significant upgrade on S10+, although it is worth pondering why Samsung’s flagship phone failed to match the Mate 20 Pro’s gigantic 4,200 mAh battery capacity. Huawei’s 40W SuperCharge technology allows for 70% battery power charged within a mere 30mins. It has long set the Mate 20 Pro apart from its competitors. This technology also comes with a German TÜV Rheinland certificate that guarantees its safety standard.

Samsung has introduced the Wireless PowerShare on S10 and S10+, albeit hardly a wow factor, because after all the Huawei Mate 20 Pro has been the pioneer in introducing the reverse wireless charging technology to the market.

Gaming Experience in a Dual-SIM World

According to its official site and the first look media session, Samsung S10+ supports the Dual SIM model (Hybrid SIM slot). It is a feature supported by most Android phones. While both the SIMs are active, if you are using a particular SIM, incoming callers from another SIM will not be able to reach you at all.

However, the Mate 20 Pro has offered the dual-VoLTE technology along with a dual-SIM feature. It allows you to pick up calls from one SIM when still actively using another SIM to play games or take calls. It means you don’t need to ignore your girlfriend’s call while playing PUBG with your friends.

Gradient Design

Galaxy S10+ (128GB) comes with the colours Prism White, Prism Green, Prism Black while the higher capacity models (512GB and 1TB) will only come in Ceramic White and Ceramic Black. But it is likely to make little difference to users, as the first thing they do is to buy a phone cover that hides away any outer appearance.

There is a reason why the transparent cover is trending, particularly for smartphones users eager to show off the beautiful phone designs of its smartphones as part of their accessories. It includes the Mate 20 Pro with its sleek design complemented by the popular classic gradient colour Twilight.

With smartphones becoming increasingly similar to each other, one glance at the distinguished rectangular arrangement of Mate 20 Pro will set it apart from other smartphones.

Still doesn’t answer your question? Have a look at this table of comparison.

Specifics Comparison of S10+ with Mate 20 pro

Model	Galaxy S10+	Mate 20 Pro
Screen	6.4″ Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED	6.39″ 2K+ Flexible AMOLED
Rear Camera	16MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide lens 12MP, f/2.4 wide-angle lens 12MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens	40MP, f/1.8 wide-angle lens 20MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens 8MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens
	Triple camera 2x optical zoom	Leica Triple camera 3x optical zoom 0.6x zoom for ultra-wide-angle capture Top spot in DxOMark Mobile (DxO 109)
Front Camera	8MP, 10MP RGB depth camera	24MP
Battery	4,100mAh	4,200 mAh
Charging	Wireless Charging 2.0 Reverse charge(Wireless PowerShare)	15W Wireless Charge 40W SuperCharge (70%in 30 mins) First to offer reverse wireless charging
Waterproof	IP68	IP68
Colors	Prism White, Prism Green, Prism Black, Prism Blue and Canary Yellow	Gradient colour of Emerald Green, Midnight Blue, Twilight, Pink Gold, Black
Storage	8GB +256GB 12GB +512GB 12GB +1TB	6GB +128GB 8GB +128G 8GB +256GB
Chipset	Snapdragon 855	Kirin 980
Price	S$1,398/S$1,798/S$2,198	S$1,348

Huawei is gearing up for the highly anticipated launch of its latest P30 series on 26 March in Paris, France. The P20 series has already set itself apart as one of the most advanced smartphone cameras in the market, with the P20 Pro occupying the first spot of DxO Mark Mobile, only to have to share the spot with the Mate 20 Pro months later. The P30 series looks set to be another game-changer; it is said to rival the DSLR camera with its ever enhancing photography features, thanks to the incorporation of AI functions.

The Galaxy S10 range is important for Samsung in its competition against Apple while fighting to defend its market share from strong Android competitors the likes of Huawei. In the war of Android flagship series between Samsung and Huawei, the Galaxy S10 series has been the first to be introduced to the public, but it seems the battle between the two smartphone rivals is going to be a long one.

We can’t wait for next month to arrive.