A lot of people are usually focused on the Pro variants of top-tier flagships, but with the vanilla version, you can save a lot of money while still getting a flagship. This comparison is dedicated to the standard version of the latest flagship lineups by Apple, Huawei, and Samsung. We decided to compare the iPhone 12, the Huawei Mate 40, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 for obvious reasons: they are the base variants of the flagship lineups from the main smartphone manufacturers and they offer a high value for money. Let’s discover together which one is worth buying with their prices and specifications.
Apple iPhone 12 vs Huawei Mate 40 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20
| Apple iPhone 12 | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 | Huawei Mate 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm, 164 g | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm, 192 g | 158.6 x 72.5 x 8.8 mm, 188 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.1 inches, 1170 x 2532p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.7 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED Plus | 6.5 inches, 1080 x 2376p (Full HD+), OLED |
| PROCESSOR | Apple A14 Bionic, hexa-core | Samsung Exynos 990, octa-core 2.73 GHz or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, octa-core 3.1 GHz |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 9000E 5G, octa-core 3.13 GHz |
| MEMORY | 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 4 GB RAM, 256 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB | 8 GB RAM, 256 GB | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – nano memory card slot |
| SOFTWARE | iOS 14 | Android 10, One UI | Android 10, EMUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.4 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2 front camera |
Triple 12 + 64 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.0 + f/2.2 10 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Triple 50 + 8 + 16 MP, f/1.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 Single 13 MP f/2.4 front camera |
| BATTERY | 2815 mAh, fast charging 20W, fast wireless charging 15W | 4300 mAh, fast charging 25W, Fast wireless charging 15W | 4200 mAh, fast charging 40W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | 5G, Dual SIM slot, IP68 waterproof, eSIM | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging 4.5W, waterproof IP68, 5G, eSIM | Dual SIM slot, 5G, IP68 waterproof |
Design
Which device is the most beautiful of the trio? It mostly depends on your tastes. They all come with premium designs including a glass back and an aluminum frame. The iPhone 12 is the most compact but it has a big notch on the front panel, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is the biggest one, so not exactly the best for one-handed use and mobility. Another advantage of the iPhone 12 is the fact that it is thinner and lighter than its opponents. Further, it has better water resistance as it is waterproof up to 6 meters deep instead of 1.5 meters. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 supports the S Pen making it better for productivity users.
Display
The most advanced display belongs to the iPhone 12 showing very realistic colors and sporting a very high brightness, as well as the HDR10 certification and Dolby Vision. The Huawei Mate 40 offers a smoother viewing experience thanks to its 90 Hz refresh rate, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 supports HDR10+ for great image quality on streaming services. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Huawei Mate 40 are equipped with in-display fingerprint readers (the fingerprint reader is ultrasonic on the Note 20, so better than the optical one found on the Huawei Mate 40), while the iPhone 12 relies on Face ID (3D facial recognition) for authentication.
Hardware and Software
The Huawei Mate 40 and the iPhone 12 are actually more advanced in terms of hardware because they are powered with mobile platforms built at 5 nm: Apple A14 Bionic and Kirin 9000E. But the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is still an amazing flagship as it is fueled by the Snapdragon 865+ chipset in the U.S. market and Exynos 990 in the EU. With the Huawei Mate 40, you do not get Google Mobile services in the global market due to the U.S. ban. Instead, you get Huawei Mobile Sevices to replace them.
Camera
Unfortunately, despite the Huawei Mate 40 comes with great cameras, it lacks OIS for the main sensor and it is inferior when it comes to stabilization. The iPhone 12 lacks a telephoto sensor and it only comes with a dual camera including an ultrawide sensor. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 has both OIS and a telephoto sensor as it sports a triple rear camera.
Battery
You should not get big differences between these devices when it comes to battery life. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Huawei Mate 40 come with similar battery capacities, so their battery life should not be so different. The iPhone 12 is expected to be more disappointing, but it will still provide a good battery life. Note that Huawei Mate 40 lacks wireless charging.
Price
Huawei Mate 40 will be priced at €900/$1055, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 starts from €650/$762, and iPhone 12 costs €939/$900. At the end of the day, each phone has its pro and cons. The Huawei Mate 40 offers a 90 Hz display but inferior cameras: I would not go for it. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is the best for productivity as it supports the S Pen, and it also comes with great cameras. The iPhone 12 has an amazing display and great performances. Which would your choice be?
Apple iPhone 12 vs Huawei Mate 40 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20: PRO and CONS
Samsung Galaxy Note 20
PROS
- S Pen
- Widest display
- Reverse wireless charging
- Ultrasonic fingerprint reader
CONS
- Dimensions
Huawei Mate 40
PROS
- 90 Hz display
- Fastest charging
- Very good hardware
CONS
- No Google services
- No OIS
Apple iPhone 12
PROS
- Better water resistance
- MagSafe connectors
- Good cameras
- Great performance
CONS
- Smaller battery
