Affordable flagship had so much success that now, in 2019, every respected smartphone manufacturer releases at least one device of this kind per year: even Apple. And there is more: in terms of sales, iPhone XR had even more success than iPhone Xs and Xs Max which are the top-tier Apple flagships of this year. For the first time in a long time, even Samsung released a more affordable variant of the S line-up: Galaxy S10e. Huawei which detains the second place in the global smartphones market has its own sub-brand which recently launched a new affordable flagship: the Honor 20 Pro. Given that you can currently find these three affordable flagships from the three best brands in similar price ranges, we decided to compare their specifications as there is a lot of confusion around them. You can let us know if we did well by using the comment box below the article.
Huawei Honor 20 Pro vs Apple iPhone XR vs Samsung Galaxy S10e
| Honor 20 Pro | Apple iPhone XR | Samsung Galaxy S10e | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 154.6 x 74 x 8.4 mm, 182 g | 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm, 194 g | 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm , 150 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.26 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), IPS LCD | 6.1 inches, 828 x 1792p (HD+), IPS LCD | 5.8 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), Dynamic AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz | Apple A12 Bionic, hexa-core 2.5 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz or Samsung Exynos 9820 octa-core 2.7 GHz |
| MEMORY | 8 GB RAM, 256 GB | 3 GB RAM, 128 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – 3 GB RAM, 256 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | iOS 12 | 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, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Quad 48 + 16 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.4, f/2.2 and f/2.4 and f/2.4 32 MP f/2.0 front camera |
12 MP, f/1.8 7 MP f/2.2 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 22.5W | 2942 mAh, fast charging 15W | 3100 mAh, fast charging, 15W wireless charging, 15W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot, water resistant IP67 | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging, waterproof IP68 |
Design
It is very hard to establish which of these devices has the best aesthetics as they are all made with great materials and they sport an amazing form factor and nice color variants. I personally prefer the Samsung Galaxy S10e because it is a more compact design. Further, the Canary Yellow color variant makes me crazy. It is also a waterproof device, meaning you can put it underwater for up to 30 minutes at 1.5 meters deep. Even iPhone XR is a water resistant device, but unlike the Galaxy S10e, it does not have the IP68 certification but it is only IP67.
Display
While Honor 20 Pro has a classic midrange-class IPS panel, both Samsung Galaxy S10e and iPhone XR come with a high-end display. The former has a Dynamic AMOLED panel with the HDR10+ standard and very rich colors. The latter sports an IPS panel, but IPS panels do not always mean a lower-end display. Indeed, the iPhone XR is one of the few smartphones to sport a 120 Hz refresh ratio as well as a very wide color gamut and the True Tone technology. So which one to choose depends on whether you like to have more brilliant colors or a higher refresh ratio. What is your preference?
Hardware/Software
On the paper, Samsung Galaxy S10e is equipped with a more powerful hardware department, but the iPhone XR has a more advanced software optimization thanks to iOS 12, so it is a more stable handset. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S10e remains a very fast and smooth device, and it features expandable internal storage, unlike the iPhone XR. Note that with the Galaxy S10e you get a different chipset depending on the market in which you buy it (Samsung Exynos 9820 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855).
Camera
Samsung Galaxy S10e undoubtedly shots better photos. It is equipped with a dual camera sporting a variable aperture which adapts better to dark light conditions, as well as a useful ultrawide secondary sensor. Samsung Galaxy S10e is amazing even when it comes to selfies and videos with the front camera, as it comes with a 10 MP snapper able to record videos up to 4K resolution. However, iPhone XR is all but a bad camera phone. Honor 20 Pro has the most versatile camera, but we still have to test it in order to give a definitive verdict.
Battery
Both iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10e have a small battery, but it is greatly optimized in both cases. We noticed that Samsung Galaxy S10e is able to last a bit more with more usage patterns. Further, unlike the iPhone XR, it supports reverse wireless charging and it can be used as a power bank. But Honor 10 Pro wins the comparison thanks to its much bigger 4000 mAh battery.
Price
The starting price of the Honor 20 Pro is €600/$670, iPhone XR starts from €850 and Samsung Galaxy S10e costs €560/$625 in its base variant. At the end of the day, I would choose the Samsung Galaxy S10e for its great performances, amazing display, and reverse wireless charging. But it lacks a big battery and it has a compact display, so it is not for everyone.
Huawei Honor 20 Pro vs Apple iPhone XR vs Samsung Galaxy S10e: PRO and CONS
Honor 20 Pro
PROS
- Amazing quad cameras
- Punch-hole display
- Big battery
- Affordable price
CONS
- Average IPS display
Samsung Galaxy S10e
PROS
- Best display
- Compact design
- Reverse wireless charging
- Expandable storage
- Waterproof
CONS
- Not amazing battery life
Apple iPhone XR
PROS
- Great design
- iOS
- Good build quality
- Water resistant
CONS
- Costlier
