Honor is becoming one of the fastest emerging smartphone brands in the industry today. Their latest blockbuster releases are giving them enough steam to reach the top, making them a threat to some of the prominent companies in the market.
One of their current releases, the Honor 10 Lite, impressed a lot of smartphone fans here in the Philippines. The device packed a lot of features that we never thought we’d see in sub-Php10k smartphones.
However, not everyone is happy about Honor’s emergence. As stated earlier, bigger brands are starting to get hurt, especially Samsung.
In the past few months, Samsung has posted a decline in smartphone shipments. Although they are still occupying the top spot, people’s focus is starting to shift to brands that offer smartphones that provides better value for the money.
That’s the reason why they introduced the Galaxy M-series. A line-up of smartphones that aims to change how we look at Samsung.
To counter competitors like the Honor 10 Lite, the South Korean giant is offering the Samsung Galaxy M20 — a new midrange device that will also try to impress people looking for a smartphone that’s worth every penny that they’ll spend on it.
But is this attempt from Samsung good enough? We’ll learn about that in our Honor 10 Lite versus Samsung Galaxy M20 specifications and features comparison.
| Samsung Galaxy M20 | Honor 10 Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo Samsung Experience v9.5 | Android 9.0 Pie EMUI 9.0.1 |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby Hybrid |
| Display | 6.3-inch FHD+ IPS display 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~409ppi 90% screen-to-body ratio 19:9 aspect ratio | 6.21-inch FHD+ IPS display 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~415ppi 90% screen-to-body ratio 19:9 aspect ratio |
| Processor | 1.8GHz Exynos 7904 octa-core | 2.2GHz HiSilicon Kirin 710 octa-core |
| RAM | 3GB/4GB | 3GB/4GB/6GB |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP2 | Mali-G51 MPU GPU Turbo 2.0 |
| Storage | 32GB/64GB expandable via microSD up to 512GB | 32GB/64GB/128GB expandable via microSD up to 512GB |
| Front camera | 8-megapixel Selfie Focus | 24-megapixel f/2.0 AR Lens |
| Rear Camera | 13-megapixel 5-megapixel (120-degree wide-angle) PDAF f/19 LED flash | 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel f/1.8 PDAF AI scene detection LED flash |
| Audio | Single loudspeaker Headphone jack Dolby Atmos Widevine L1 | Single loudspeaker Headphone Jack |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Connectivity | HSPA+, LTE, VoLTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.0 GPS FM Radio USB Type-C | HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS FM Radio microUSB |
| Dimensions | 156.4 x 74.5 x 8.8mm | 154.8 x 73.64 x 7.95mm |
| Weight | 189g | 162g |
| Colors | Ocean Blue Charcoal Blue | Midnight Black Lily White, Gradient Red Gradient Blue |
| Battery | 5,000mAh non-removable 15W fast charger | 3,400mAh non-removable |
| Price | 3GB/32GB: INR10,990 (~Php8,100) 4GB/64GB: INR12,990 (~Php9,600) | 3GB/32GB: Php9,990 3GB/64GB: Php10,990 |
Samsung clearly nailed their first attempt in creating a value-oriented smartphone. Sure, a lot of their previous releases made an impact, but none of them are like this one.
The Samsung Galaxy M20 did so well on this specs fight that it was able to match some of the features of the Honor 10 Lite. However, it feels like Samsung’s efforts were not enough to completely overthrow Honor’s offering.
See also: Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: Specs Comparison
To start, Samsung used their latest Exynos 7904 processor. It aims to bring high-end performance on a midrange device such as this. The problem is, the Kirin 710 chipset on the Honor 10 Lite still feels more equipped.
The Galaxy M20 also utilizes a capable Mali-G71 MP2 graphics, but the Mali-G51 and GPU Turbo Technology 2.0 combo on the Honor 10 Lite shall provide even better gaming performance.
The Honor 10 Lite also runs on a newer Android 9 Pie OS, although we expect Samsung to deliver the same update on the Galaxy M20 soon.
Both devices have a 13-megapixel primary camera. But as a major bonus, Samsung included a 5-megapixel 120-degree wide-angle lens on the back, rather than just having a 2-megapixel depth-sensor that the Honor 10 Lite has.
But then, Honor’s bet steals back the show with its whopping 24-megapixel selfie camera. This easily towers the 8-megapixel front-facing shooter that the Galaxy M20 has.
But to give the Samsung Galaxy M20 some credit, it does have a much bigger 5,000mAh battery, Dolby Atmos sound technology, and a more modern USB Type-C connectivity.
Samsung is clearly stepping in the right direction when it announced the Galaxy M series. However, it’s still enough to completely dethrone the brands that have been in this kind of business for so long.
Clearly, the Honor 10 Lite is the better smartphone between the two — at least on paper. And if you’re planning on getting one, you can purchase it at Honor’s online shops and multi-brand stores nationwide for a starting price of Php9,990 for the 32GB variant and Php10,990 for the 64GB model.
But if still want to pursue the Samsung Galaxy M20, then you might want to wait for a while as it’s only currently available in India. It retails for a price of INR10,990 (~Php8,100) for the 3GB/32GB configuration, while the 4GB/64GB version costs INR12,990 (~Php9,600).