Why Samsung is better than Huawei

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated December 20, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Huawei Watch Ultimate vs Samsung Galaxy Watch

The size of the screen (measured diagonally).

The type of technology used in the display.

The device is dustproof and water-resistant. Water-resistant devices can resist the penetration of water, such as powerful water jets, but not being submerged into water.

The ATM rating indicates how much water pressure a device can withstand. 3 ATM is one of the lowest ratings and means that the device can only withstand splashes of water, whereas 20 ATM is one of the highest ratings and means that the device can be used for snorkeling and water sports.

The first number of the IP rating refers to protection against dust, while the second number refers to protection against liquid. E.g. a first number of 6 denotes that it is completely dustproof, and a second number of 7 denotes that the device can withstand full immersion in water.

Damage-resistant glass (such as Corning Gorilla Glass or Asahi Dragontrail Glass) is thin, lightweight, and can withstand high levels of force.

Gorilla Glass version

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Not applicable

Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (Samsung Galaxy Watch)

Gorilla Glass is one of the most popular brands of chemically strengthened glass, manufactured by Corning. Several versions have been developed, the newer ones being more durable and providing better damage resistance.

Pixel density is a measurement of a screen's resolution, expressed as the number of pixels per inch (PPI) on the screen. A higher pixel density translates into more clarity and sharpness for the images rendered on the screen, thus improving the quality of the viewing experience.

Resistance to sweat makes it ideal for use while doing sports.

Huawei P60 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which phone is right for you?

Huawei recently launched two new handsets in China, the Huawei P60 and the Huawei P60 Pro.

Huawei has moved on from its P50 line of smartphones and has now announced three new handsets in the P60 range, including the Huawei P60, the P60 Pro and the P60 Art. These phones were officially unveiled in China and even though we havent heard much about a UK release yet, we still want to take a closer look at how these devices stack up.

Weve already taken a look at how the Huawei P60 and Huawei P60 Pro compare, but now we want to see how they weigh up to other manufacturers on the market. Were going to be breaking down how the flagship P60 smartphone differs from the well-received Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in this guide, so read on to find out more.

The Huawei P60 Pro is cheaper although it may not come to the UK

Its important to note that we dont yet have confirmation that the P60 Pro will be launched outside of China. So while we dont have the UK or American pricing yet, we do know what they will cost in China. The P60 Pro starts at CNY6,988, which gives us an estimated price of around 826/$1014 in other regions.

Samsungs Galaxy S23 Ultra is available to buy in both the UK and America, with a starting price of 1249/$1119. Until we get concrete details on the launch of the P60 Pro we cant be sure that itll be the most affordable option, but the pricing in China makes it look like it will be the cheaper alternative.

Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a massive 200MP main camera

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra packs an impressive camera setup; there is a 200-megapixel main camera, 12MP ultrawide sensor as well as a dual 10MP telephoto lens with 3x and 10x optical zooms.

We thought that the 200MP snapper performed very well in well-lit and low-light conditions, with great amounts of detail and light being brought in no matter the environment.

The P60 Pro opted for a large 48MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide sensor and a 48MP Ultra Lighting telephoto sensor. These Ultra Lighting sensors should allow for full-path light capturing capabilities, with the company claiming that it is capable of pristine detail and focus in almost all environments.

P60 Pro charges up a lot faster

One of the biggest features of the P60 Pro is the large 4,815mAh battery and 88W charging speeds. Until we get this model in for a review we cant make claims about how fast this phone will charge up, but Huawei claims it can reach 50% in 10 minutes.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a larger 5,000mAh battery, but we found the charging speeds to be quite slow. It has a charging speed of 45W, with our review noting that it took 28 minutes to reach the 50% mark.

Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with more storage and RAM

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and can be paired with either 8GB or 12GB RAM and either 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.

The P60 Pro, on the other hand, is more limited in terms of storage and can be found in either an 8GB/256GB or 12GB/512GB configuration. It has been kitted out with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G mobile platform with an octa-core processor as well as an Adreno GPU.

Huawei Nova Y70 vs Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

Battery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. More battery power can be an indication of longer battery life.

It supports a wireless charging standard such as Qi. To charge the device, you simply put it down on a compatible charging pad.

Fast charging technologies, like Qualcomms Quick Charge or MediaTeks Pump Express, are used to reduce the time it takes to charge a device. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in just 30 minutes.

Charging speeds are expressed in watts (W), a measure of electrical power. A higher wattage results in a faster charging speed. In order to achieve the advertised charging speed, it is important to use a compatible charger.

wireless charging speed

Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (Huawei Nova Y70)

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G: Not applicable

The device can be used as a wireless charging station to power other gadgets.

Charging speeds are expressed in watts (W), a measure of electrical power. A higher wattage results in a faster charging speed.

The battery is removable and can be replaced by the user if broken.

The ultra power-saving mode, also called low power mode, is an effective way to extend the battery life of the device. Usually, it involves limiting screen brightness and contrast, disabling location services, restricting connectivity, and turning off nonessential apps.

Pocket-lint

Huawei took a similar approach to Samsung in its flagship phone series for 2020. That meant three models. There's the regular and plus-sized phones as usual, but then another super ultra model.

We might be into the next generation already, but as we've seen for the past couple of years, buying a one year-old flagship phone usually means getting a great phone for less money.

For this comparison we're taking a look atthe P40 Pro, which is to Huawei's P40 series what the Galaxy S20+ is to Samsung's S20 series of smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S20+ 128GB (5G)

Amazon

Design

Both IP68 water/dust resistant
Glass and aluminium build
Huawei: double camera cutout on front
Samsung: single camera cutout

Samsung and Huawei take very similar approaches to design and build when it comes to smartphones, so it's no surprise here that the two are similar again. In short: it's glass and metal sandwiches all round.

While there are subtle differences, the approach to the phone appearance is much the same. That's to say that the glass on the front and the back curves towards the edges slightly, helping the front and back surface blend into the edges, making them more ergonomic than if they were just flat edges.

There's a subtle difference in size and dimensions, but not a huge amount. At least, not enough to make it a key buying decision maker.

Both devices are tested and certified to the same levels of water and dust resistance too, complying with IP68 certification. In real every day use, that essentially means it'll survive most of the usual contacts with water: rain, spills, accidental drops. Just don't try taking them scuba diving.

AS for finishes or colours, there's yet again a similar approach. You'll get differing shades and finishes of white, black, blue and pink from both manufacturers, with Huawei offering frosted glass finishes in a couple of variants too.

On the front, both phones have skinny bezels and hole-punch cutouts for selfie cameras, but the approach is subtly different. Huawei's bezel appears to be slimmer, but the hole punch camera is more of an obstruction in the top corner than the slinky single cutout on Samsung's phone.

Display

S20+: 6.7-inch AMOLED panel
P40 Pro: 6.58-inch OLED panel
S20+: QuadHD+ 1440 x 3200 resolution
P40 Pro: 1200 x 2640 resolution
S20+: 120Hz refresh rate (at 1080p)
P40 Pro: 90Hz refresh rate

There are similarites between the two phones when it comes to display size and resolution, which isn't surprising given the similarities in phone size. Samsung has a screen measuring 6.7-inches diagonally, where Huawei has gone with a 6.58-inch panel. That means, realistically there's not a lot of difference in screen real estate.

There is some difference in maximum resolution from the displays, but in daily life it's unlikely you'll be able to tell much of a difference. Samsung went with the standard QuadHD+, which means 1440 pixels across and - due to its length - 3200 pixels vertically. Huawei has 1200 x 2640, but that still means it's very sharp. It's over 400 pixels per inch in terms of density.

Another thing to consider is that Samsung - at time of writing - makes you choose betwen having this full resolution or having its 120Hz refresh rate. If you want faster, smoother animations, you have to choose the fullHD resolution which is obviously less than Huawei's standard resolution, which can display at 90Hz.

Again, for the average user, we don't think you'd notice a tonne of difference between 120Hz and 90Hz refresh, not unless your a gamer with a keen eye for smoothness.

Camera

S20+: 12MP primary, 64MP 3x telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide
P40 Pro: 50MP primary, 40MP 5x telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide

As is seemingly customary for 2020, the two phones both have three main cameras, each offering a different focal length. There's a regular wide camera, ultra wide and telephoto, but there are significant differences in sensor makeup and capability. From the looks of things, there's one winner here: Huawei.

A big plus for Huawei is its primary sensor which is a 50-megapixels. The important thing here is the size, it's much larger than Samsung's. At 1/1.28 inches it's one of the largest sensors ever put in a smartphone, and dwarfs the 1/1.76-inch sensor on the Samsung. The size means it's got the capability to bring in more light, offer better colour reproduction and dynamic range.

By default it uses pixel pinding to combine four pixels into one and create a 12.5-megapixel image, which is similar to the 12-megapixel size of the Samsung image.

The telephoto camera also appears to be more impressive than Samsung's, and can apparently offer 5x optical zoom effect, compared to the 3x optical offered by Samsung. Both will zoom further digitally. Ultra-wide cameras are pretty much the same on both.

Hardware and performance

S20+: Exynos 990 or Snapdragon 865
P40 Pro: Kirin 990
Both 5G as standard
S20+: 4,500mAh battery
P40 Pro: 4,200mAh battery
S20+: 12GB RAM
P40 Pro: 8GB RAM

It's safe to say that both of these phones offer top performance when it comes to every day speed and power. Huawei, as always, has its own custom processor which has eight cores and 5G modem incorporated.

It's similar in the most essential ways to the Samsung processor, whether you get the Exynos or Snapdragon powered version. Where you'll see difference is in RAM and storage availability.

As for battery power, we're looking at a 4,500mAh battery on the Samsung versus a 4,200mAh battery on the Huawei. So again, not tonnes of difference in the numbers here. At least not enough to make a radical difference.

Samsung also puts more RAM into its phones, offering 12GB on the S20+, versus the 8GB on Huawei's.

What tends to make a big difference to battery and performance is usually software and optimisations done there, and Huawei has long been the champion of efficiency. We suspect it'll be a similar case here.

When they run flat, there's only one winner in terms of refilling speeds: Huawei. It has both 40W wired and 40W wireless charging, which will likely fill the entire battery within around an hour. Samsung ships the phone with a 25W adapter, which is obviously slower than the Huawei, and the wireless charging maxes out at 15W.

Price

While the two phones are similar in a lot of departments, the Galaxy S20+ is the more expensive of the two. In truth, both are pretty pricey. Samsung's is available with prices starting from 999, which gets you the 128GB model.

Huawei has opted to charge 899 for its P40 Pro, which is 100 less than the S20+. It's available from 7 April.

Conclusion

When it comes to pure hardware and performance each phone has its plusses here. Samsung has the sharper display, and bigger battery, but Huawei has much faster charging and more impressive camera capabilities. Samsung has the higher resolution screen, and it also has arguably the ultimate trump card: proper Android.

Huawei is still in a position where it has to develop software that doesn't include Play Services like the Play Store, Google Maps and Google Pay. However, it's been working hard on its own alternatives, and is starting to turn things around. It has Petal Maps for maps, apps being added to the AppGallery every day and strong partners like BBC and Unity for its media and games services.

Even installing apps using downloadable APKs is easier now thanks to the existence of Petal Search, although for those apps you still can't have automatic updates.