The Samsung Galaxy S9 easily became one of the best Android smartphones around when it launched. But now, it has a new competition.
The new contender is from China — the new Huawei P20 — one of the highly anticipated smartphones of the year.
Both of these devices promise good camera performance, AI capabilities, and of course, reliable performance. But which between the two is the better option? This specs comparison table of the Huawei P20 and Galaxy S9 aims to help you answer that question.
| Huawei P20 | Samsung Galaxy S9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo EMUI 8.1 | Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience 9 |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 5.84-inch FHD IPS 2244 x 1080 resolution ~432ppi 16:9 aspect ratio | 5.8-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED 2960 x 1440 resolution, ~568ppi 18:9 aspect ratio |
| Processor | 2.36GHz Kirin 970 octa-core | 2.9GHz Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB | 64GB |
| Front Camera | 24-megapixel 3D Portrait Lighting | 8-megapixel AR Emoji |
| Rear Camera | 20-megapixel (Monochrome) + 12-megapixel (RGB) Leica optics 5x hybrid zoom 960fps slow-mo PDAF dual-LED flash | 12-megapixel Dual pixel sensor f/1.5-f/2.4 OIS 2x optical zoom 960fps slow-mo PDAF dual-LED flash |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner Facial recognition | Fingerprint scanner Iris scanner |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 ac, WiFi hotspot Bluetooth 4.2 NFC GPS, A-GPS microUSB 2.0 | 4G LTE, Cat. 18, up to 1.28Gbps WiFi 802.11 ac, Hotspot Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX NFC GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou USB Type-C |
| Audio | Dual speakers Dolby Atmos | Dual AKG speakers Dolby Atmos |
| Others | IP53 certification Not waterproof | IP68 water and dust resistance Bixby 2.0 |
| Dimensions | 149.1 x 70.8 x 7.65mm | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm |
| Weight | 165g | 168g |
| Colors | Black Midnight Blue Twilight Pink Gold Champagne Gold | Midnight Black Lilac Purple Coral Blue |
| Battery | 3,400mAh Non-removable Huawei SuperCharge | 3000mah Li-Po non-removable battery Fast charge, Wireless charging |
| Price | EUR649 (~Php42,300) | Php45,990 |
Comparing raw numbers, it looks like the Huawei P20 was able to beat the Samsung Galaxy S9 in most aspects. However, do note that this comparison is only on paper and doesn’t reflect real-world performance. This means that while the P20 managed to get the win in different departments, testing both phones in extensively may or may not yield the same result.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus vs Galaxy Note 8: Specs Comparison
Right at first glance, it seems like the Huawei P20 offers more than the Galaxy S9. This newcomer runs on a newer version of Android, a more spacious storage capacity, bigger battery, and is available in more color options.
Also, its camera features look more appealing than the Galaxy S9. It has two cameras on the back, which is quite appealing when compared against the single sensor found on the Galaxy S9. It also has a sharper 24-megapixel front camera for those who love taking selfies.
However, let’s give credit to Samsung for having a sharper display with its high-resolution panel. Its 2.9GHz Exynos processor also looks faster than the 2.3GHz Kirin chipset found on the P20 according to early tests. We’ll check it out ourselves and update this article once we get benchmark test results.
What’s most interesting about this comparison is that the Huawei P20 is several thousand cheaper than the Php45,990 Galaxy S9. However, that’s for the European pricing converted directly to Philippine peso. But as of the moment, we can never know for sure until Huawei Philippines officially reveals its local pricing here in the country.