Xiaomi Mi A2 and Huawei Honor Play are among the most atypical smartphones from Xiaomi and Huawei. The first belongs to the only line-up of Mi smartphones without MIUI out of the box, while the second is a unique device which does not belong to any existing Huawei series. Even though there are consistent differences between their hardware sides, they can both be bought at similar prices.
But which one is worth buying? This Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Honor Play comparison will try to shed some light for you.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Huawei Honor Play
| Xiaomi Mi A2 | Huawei Honor Play | |
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 158.7 x 75.4 x 7.3 mm, 166 grams | 157.9 x 74.3 x 7.5 mm, 176 grams |
| DISPLAY | 5,99 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 18:9 ratio, LTPS IPS LCD | 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 409 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 970, octa-core 2.4 GHz |
| MEMORY | 4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 8.1 Oreo, Android One | Android 8.1 Oreo, EMUI 8.1 |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 12 and 20 MP, f/1.8 20 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Dual 16 and 2 MP, f/2.2 + f/2.4 16 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3000 mAh | 3750 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Honor Play: Design
If the design is important for you, then you should definitely evaluate other choices. Xiaomi Mi A2 and Huawei Honor Play do not have the best aesthetics out there. They are classic metal unibody devices just like most of the mid-rangers released in the last couple of years. But the notch of the Honor Play is an added value making its bezels very narrow and its front panel beautiful. Huawei Honor Play has a definitely more interesting design thanks to its notch and, even though it has a bigger display, it features smaller dimensions.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Honor Play: Display
Honor Play has a wider display, so if you are an advanced user who plans to read much, play games and browse your documents through your smartphone, then you should go for it. But thanks to its LTPS technology, Xiaomi Mi A2 should provide a better viewing quality and a better visibility in most of the scenarios. Note that Honor Play has a notch while its opponent has not, but in this case, it is up to your taste to decide, and we will not pick a winner. Do you prefer a wider but notched display with a higher screen-to-body ratio or a smaller but notchless one with a potentially better viewing quality?
Hardware & Software
When it comes to hardware there is an important gap between these two phones. Huawei Honor Play has been projected with performance in mind and it is a flagship phone. It has the best hardware ever implemented by Huawei on a smartphone, including the octa-core Kirin 970 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. And it is also very optimized in the software as it boasts the new GPU Turbo technology able to increase graphics performance by up to 60% while reducing energy consumption by up to 30%. So, this is also an awesome phone for gaming (that is why it is called Honor Play). Xiaomi Mi A2 is just an upper-midrange handset with Snapdragon 660, but even this phone can reach high-end performance thanks to the powerful SoC paired with the stock and lightweight Android One. Note that the Mi A2 will surely win in terms of updates as it is supported directly by Google with fast and constant long-term updates. But Honor Play is the winner in terms of sheer hardware and performance.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Honor Play: Camera
While Honor Play provides better hardware performance, Xiaomi Mi A2 is a way superior phone when it comes to photo quality. It has a 12 + 20 MP dual camera with a very bright f/1.8 aperture. It is one of the best camera phones in the mid-range sector and it can shoot photos with a low level of noise even in dark environments. The selfie camera is impressive as well with a huge 20 MP resolution. Honor Play is a good camera phone, but it has an average camera performance when it comes to the dual rear setup. The selfie camera is above-average and more or less at the same level as its opponent, but it is not enough to beat it.
Battery
At last, there is battery life. Huawei Honor Play dominates under this aspect as it features a way bigger battery with a capacity of 3750 mAh. Also, its GPU Turbo technology is able to lower energy consumption by up to 30 percent in the most advanced uses, and it allows the battery to last much more while playing games and using heavy apps which require graphics. Xiaomi Mi A2 charges faster thanks to its Quick Charge 3.0 technology and its lower capacity, but Honor Play is definitely a better battery phone.
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Honor Play: Price
Xiaomi Mi A2 is a bit more affordable than the Huawei Honor Play. It costs €249/$291 in the most entry-level variant, while Honor Play is priced €266/$312. Given that there is not a noticeable difference in prices, due to its impressive specs, we find Honor Play as the winner of the comparison but note that Mi A2 is a better camera phone.
So which one would you pick among these two?
Xiaomi Mi A2 vs Huawei Honor Play: PROs and CONS
Xiaomi Mi A2
PROs
- Stock Android experience
- Better camera side
- Better Bluetooth connectivity
- Better software support
- More affordable price
CONs
- Average battery
Huawei Honor Play
PROs
- Wider display
- Longer battery life
- GPU Turbo for better performance
- Flagship-level hardware
CONs
- Worse cameras
