We’re just two months in on 2020 and we’ve already seen a lot of new smartphones. From low-end to high-end ones.
But as you know, midrange handsets are still the most popular in the Philippines. So in today’s specs comparison, we’ll be comparing two new smartphones in this category to anticipate their arrival in the country.
The first one is the Huawei Nova 7i, coming from a line of mid-range smartphone that has been so popular in the Philippines thanks to the incredible value they were able to offer for the price.
On the right corner, we have the newly-released Samsung Galaxy M31. The Samsung M-series’ value-oriented nature separates itself from other Galaxy devices. Something that the company really needs to impress the emerging markets.
With that, here in our Samsung Galaxy M31 versus Huawei Nova 7i specifications and features comparison, we’ll see which between these two devices is worth your time and money. Let’s begin.
| Huawei Nova 7i | Samsung Galaxy M31 | |
| Operating System | Android 10 EMUI 10.0.1 (No GMS) | Android 10 OneUI 2.0 |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby (Hybrid) | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 6.4-inch FHD+ LCD 2310 x 1080 pixel resolution ~398ppi | 6.4-inch FHD+ sAMOLED 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~411 Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | 2.27GHz Kirin 810 octa-core | 2.3GHz Exynos 9611 octa-core |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MP6 | Mali-G72 MP3 |
| Storage | 128GB expandable via NM card up to 256GB | 64GB/128GB expandable via microSD up to 512GB |
| Front Camera | 16-megapixel | 32-megapixel |
| Rear Camera | 48-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra wide) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash AI Scene Detection | 64-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide) 5-megapixel (macro) 5-megapixel (depth sensor) LED flash AI Scene Detection |
| Audio | Headphone jack Single loudspeaker | Headphone jack Single loudspeaker |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, VoLTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, Galileo USB Type-C | 4G LTE, VoLTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, Galileo USB Type-C |
| Dimensions | 159.2 x 76.3 x 8.7mm | TBA |
| Weight | 183g | TBA |
| Colors | Sakura Pink Crush Green Midnight Black | Ocean Blue Space Black |
| Battery | 4,200mAh 40W Huawei SuperCharge | 6,000mAh 15W Fast-charging |
| Price | MYR1,099 (~Php13,400) | 4GB/64GB: INR14,999 (~Php10,700) 6GB/128GB: INR15,999 (~Php11,400) |
By looking at their price differences, the Samsung Galaxy M31 is easily the underdog on this one. The Huawei Nova 7i has a more premium SRP that’s around Php3,000 more than the former.
But as you just saw, Samsung’s sub-Php10k device has a few better features than Huawei’s sub-Php13k midrange device.
One of its biggest wins is in the camera department. Samsung’s bet comes with a 64-megapixel primary sensor. That should offer better image quality than the 48-megapixel shooter on the Nova 7i.
Both devices share the same 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensors. But the Galaxy M31 gets the one-up with its 5-megapixel (versus 2-megapixel) macro and depth sensors, as well as the 32-megapixel (versus 16-megapixel selfie camera.
Samsung’s handset also has a 6,000mAh battery. That easily towers the 4,200mAh battery on the former.
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But to Huawei’s credit, the Nova 7i does come with other features that may justify the price mark up.
For one, it has a Kirin 810 processor. As per a lot of benchmarks and performance reviews, it offers faster horsepower than the Exynos 9811 of the Galaxy M31.
That’s coupled with 8GB of RAM — 2GB more than the 6GB of memory that the competition has.
It may have a smaller battery, but the Nova 7i does come with a 40W Huawei SuperCharge technology. This easily puts the standard 15W charger of the Galaxy M31 to shame.
But at the end of the day, we think that most people will still prefer a cheaper device that has a bigger battery and better cameras such as the Samsung Galaxy M31. Oh, and of course, there’s the issue of Google Mobile Services not being supported on the Nova 7i.
But if you want the best possible performance for the price, between the two, you’re better off with the Huawei Nova 7i.
Both the pricing and availability devices of both devices in the Philippines are yet to be announced, so stay tuned for that.