Smartphone showdown: Huawei's latest vs Apple and Samsung

The new Mate 20 Pro is worthy competition to Apple’s iPhone XS Max and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9

The Huawei Mate 20 smartphone is seen on display at a launch event in London, Britain, October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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In less than three months, there have been three major smartphone launches, giving the mobile-wielding world (some 2.1 billion people strong) a lot to consider.

Latest entrant is Huawei’s Mate 20 Series, unveiled Tuesday in London. The flagship device is Mate 20 Pro, considered a strong contender against Apple’s iPhone XS Max and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9.

The National dove into the nitty-gritty of the current top smartphone options to provide a quick comparison of the competition.

How big is the camera?

Huawei has surpassed both Apple and Samsung when it comes to camera size. The Mate 20 Pro has three rear-facing cameras; a master lens with 40-megapixel resolution for everyday shooting, an ultra-wide lens with 20 megapixels for landscapes and a telephoto option for crisp photos taken from a distance.

By comparison, both iPhone XS Max and Note 9 come with only dual camera lenses on the rear, one for wide-angle shot and the other for telephoto.

Who added the most juice?

Mate 20 Pro features ground-breaking improvement on battery life. It houses a large, high-density 4200-mAh battery, and supports 40W SuperCharge technology, which gives the device 70 per cent charge in 30 minutes. The bigger battery offers more capacity, with rapid charging and longer duration. The Note 9 comes with 4,000-mAh and the iPhone XS Max comes with 3,174-mAh battery.

What’s new?

Screen-wise, the Mate 20 Pro is similar to its rivals. It comes with a 6.5-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display like the iPhone XS Max. The Note 9 has a 6.4-inch Amoled OLED display. An OLED display ensures each pixel provides its own illumination, resulting in a much sharper and brighter display.

Both the Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS have a ‘notch’ on the top of the screen which the Note 9 has managed to avoid. A notch is a small cut on the screen that houses the front camera and sensors, considered a design flaw to some who crave a smooth screen.

How much does it cost?

Targeting high-end consumers, Huawei has kept pricing close to iPhone XS Max and Note 9. The Mate 20 Pro (6GB + 128GB configuration) is available for Dh4,406. Samsung’s Note 9 with 128GB of memory, is priced lower at Dh3,699. Famously pricey Apple offers the iPhone XS Max, starting at 64GB of capacity at Dh4,649.

When is the Mate20 Pro available in the UAE?

Pre-order is expected to start on October 25 with devices in-hand by November 8.

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