During the first two months of 2019, several affordable flagships were released by mainstream manufacturers. For the first time since the Galaxy S5 series, Samsung unveiled a more affordable variant of the Galaxy S line-up: the Galaxy S10e. Huawei launched a new variant of the Honor Magic 2 with a 3D camera which still carries a modest price, while ZTE announced its first 5G-enabled phone: the Axon 10 Pro. In this article, we compared these three devices in order to let you know which of these three companies came up with the best and most interesting affordable flagship.
ZTE Axon 10 Pro vs Honor Magic 2 3D vs Samsung Galaxy S10e
| ZTE Axon 10 Pro | Huawei Honor Magic 2 3D | Nokia 9 PureView | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 159.2 x 73.4 x 7.9 mm | 157.3 x 75.1 x 8.3 mm, 206 g | 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm, 150 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.47 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), AMOLED | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), AMOLED | 5.8 inches, 1080 x 2880p (Full HD+), Dynamic AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz or Samsung Exynos 9820, octa-core 2.7 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie, Magic UI | Android 9 Pie, One UI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 48 + 20 + 8 MP, f/1.8 20 MP front camera |
Triple 16 + 16 + 24 MP, f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/1.8 Triple 16 + 2 MP + TOF sensor f/2.0 and f/2.4 front camera |
Dual 12 + 16 MP f/1.5-2.4 and f/2.2 10 MP f/1.9 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4000 mAh, fast charging with Quick Charge 4+, wireless charging | 3500 mAh, fast charging | 3100 mAh, fast charging 15W, wireless charging |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot, water resistant (IP68), reverse wireless charging |
Design
In our opinion there is no challenge: Honor Magic 2 3D comes with the most innovative and attractive design. It is a slider phone with minimal bezels, no holes and no notches on the front side, and it looks very clean and futuristic. However, some may like the Samsung Galaxy S10e because even though it does not have a slider design, it has an in-display camera allowing to minimize bezels without the need for a notch. Further, the Canary Yellow color variant is unique. ZTE Axon 10 Pro has not a so original design, it comes with a standard form factor with a waterdrop notch on the display, nothing so special.
Display
Unfortunately, ZTE Axon 10 Pro is still not on the shelves and it will not arrive soon, so we do not know how its display performs. Judging from the specs on the paper, Samsung Galaxy S10e should have the most convincing panel. It comes with the new Dynamic AMOLED technology, as well as the advanced HDR10+ technology, which improves the color reproduction. Note that Honor Magic 2 3D and ZTE Axon 10 Pro are equipped with an in-display fingerprint reader, while Samsung Galaxy S10e has a less innovative side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Hardware/Software
Thanks to the best chipset in the Android world (the Snapdragon 855 which powers the U.S. version of the phone) and up to 8 GB of RAM, Samsung Galaxy S10e should be the best performing handset, but we still have to test the software optimization of each phone in order to give a definitive verdict. An important advantage of the Honor Magic 2 is its internal storage which goes up to 512 GB, but it does not have an expansion slot, unlike its rivals. Note that ZTE Axon 10 Pro is the only one which supports the 5G connectivity, so, in my opinion, it wins the hardware comparison.
Camera
It is a hard fight and it is hard to make a prediction without testing all the camera departments of these devices, but on the paper, Samsung Galaxy S10e seems more interesting. It has a variable focal aperture that allows capturing more light and a higher level of detail in every light condition, and it also features an ultrawide lens and OIS. But ZTE Axon 10 Pro should be at a similar level thanks to its optically-stabilized triple camera including an ultrawide sensor, a 48 MP main sensor and a telephoto lens with OIS. Honor Magic 2 3D may be more interesting only when it comes to selfies, thanks to its front triple camera including a depth sensor and a 3D TOF sensor.
Battery
The biggest battery belongs to the ZTE Axon 10 Pro, and it is way bigger than its opponents. So, it will most likely last a lot more on a single charge. And it will also charge very faster thanks to the Quick Charge 4 technology. Samsung Galaxy S10e is the most disappointing one with just 3100 mAh, but it is the only with the reverse wireless charging which allows using it as a power bank.
Price
ZTE Axon 10 Pro is the most interesting phone of this comparison thanks to the 5G support, its wide display, bigger battery, and good camera department, but we still do not know its price. Samsung Galaxy S10e costs €780/$880 in the global market, while Honor Magic 2 3D carries a €500/$560 price tag in China.
ZTE Axon 10 Pro vs Honor Magic 2 3D vs Samsung Galaxy S10e: PRO and CONS
Huawei Honor Magic 2 3D
PROS
- Efficient cooling system
- Great selfie cameras
- Slider design
- Up to 512 GB
CONS
- Limited availability
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
PROS
- 5G support
- Stereo speakers
- Big battery
- Waterproof
CONS
- Uglier design
Samsung Galaxy S10e
PROS
- More compact
- Reverse wireless charging
- Great design
- Good display
- Water resistant
CONS
- Smaller battery
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