Huawei P20 Pro Vs Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Vs iPhone X Comparison

Huawei has unveiled their latest flagship smartphone and the P20 Pro is definitely a conversation starter so much so, we're wondering if it could actually persuade Samsung and Apple users to consider a switch (controversial, we know).

As it wasn't long ago that the Samsung released the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and Apple introduced the iPhone X, we're going to sit them side-by-side so we can compare the specs, size, price and other qualities each smartphone has to find out, on paper, which comes out on top.

Let's begin with a quick comparison of the key specs side-by-side (you can see the full list of specs compared in the table at the bottom of the article but please note, some figures for the P20 Pro are currently missing until we complete our full test of the smartphone). 

The Camera 

Huawei P20 Pro

All three smartphones are advertised as devices photographers should be interested in with the Huawei CEO even going as far as calling the P20 Pro a professional photography tool. 

Starting with the Apple iPhone X, it builds on the dual camera of the iPhone 7 Plus, but features updated cameras, with both the wide-angle (28mm equivalent) and telephoto (56mm equivalent) lenses now featuring Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), a brighter aperture for the telephoto lens (f/2.4 instead of f/2.8), and a larger sensor. Both dual cameras feature 12-megapixels, same as the iPhone 8 Plus, and the wide-angle lens features an f/1.8 aperture which along with the brighter aperture for the telephoto lens should improve low light performance, something previous iPhones have struggled with. 

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus also features a dual camera which has a wide-angle and telephoto lens but what stands out about the S9 Plus is that the wide-angle lens features a variable aperture so you can choose between f/1.5 or f/2.4. This means it's not only the first camera phone with a variable aperture but also the brightest lens available in any smartphone camera to date! The S9 Plus also features a second telephoto camera (f/2.4, 52mm equiv), and both cameras feature optical image stabilisation.

Apple iPhone X
 

So, we've gone from dual cameras to dual cameras with a variable aperture and now, in steps Huawei with its triple lenses on the P20 Pro's rear camera. The main f/1.8, 27mm equiv lens sports a huge 40MP, then there's an 8MP, 80mm equiv, f/2.4 telephoto lens and finally, a 20MP, f/1.6, 27mm equiv lens that features a monochrome sensor which should improve low light performance as well as create better monochrome shots. 

As for the front cameras, the P20 Pro packs more megapixels in offering a 24MP (f/2) selfie camera that also has various beauty functions built in, including 3D portrait lighting that's very similar to the effects you find on the iPhone X. Even though it shares similar portrait functions, the front camera on the iPhone X only has 7MP (f/2.2) and the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is somewhat lagging behind the P20 Pro, too, with only 8MP (f/1.7) built-in. Although, the f/1.7 aperture on the Samsung's front-facing camera should mean it performs better in low light than the P20 Pro does.  

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus - Lens Close Up

Thanks to all three smartphones having multiple rear lenses built in, they are all, also, capable of blurring backgrounds to create a bokeh-like effect so portraits look more professional. 

Capturing Photos, Video & The Native Camera App 

Apple is the brand that lags behind with the native camera app built into their smartphones as when you compare it with the camera app built into Samsung and Huawei devices, it's incredibly basic. Both Huawei and Samsung smartphones give you access to manual controls, and loads of other options, without having to download a third-party app. For example, when in Pro mode on the Samsung Galaxy S9 Pro, you can manually change the ISO speed (from 50 to 800), or leave it on auto and it can go up to ISO1250 in dark lighting. You can adjust the shutter speed, aperture (f/1.5 or f/2.4), colour, focus, white balance, exposure compensation, metering, AF area, and flash. 

All three smartphones have various shooting modes available, including panorama, as well as digital filters but the Huawei P20 Pro has the advantage of a black and white sensor built in which, if past Huawei phones are anything to go by, produces monochrome images which are rich and detailed. The monochrome sensor, in conjunction with the 40MP sensor, also means that the P20 Pro can capture long exposures (of up to 6 seconds) hand-held which is impressive and it should be able to handle low-light better, something the Apple phones still struggle with. 

The zoom all three devices offer is pretty decent but the P20 Pro takes the lead with its 5x hybrid zoom over the S9 Plus and iPhone X both of which just offer 2x optical zoom. As with all cameras, we do recommend you stay clear of digital zoom when you can. 

All three smartphones capture 4K video (when told to) with stabilisation and stereo sound. Slo-mo video is also available on all three devices.

Smartphone Design 

Size wise, all three phones are pretty similar with only a couple of millimetres difference but, if you're not used to using 'plus size' phones, you may find the handling a little weird to start. Those who have used larger phones for a while will find the shape and feel of all three smartphones very familiar and no one can really argue that they don't look the business with their glass designs. All three smartphones are also water resistant and both Android devices feature memory card slots should you need to add more storage space but with such huge phone capacities available, you probably won't need to. 

Display 

'Less bezel, more screen' is the theme with all modern smartphones and it's something Samsung, Huawei and Apple have worked hard at. On all three smartphones, the bezel is much smaller so the phones can feature a larger screen while still remaining compact, giving you a better viewing experience without taking out even more room in your bag (or pocket if you have deep ones).

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus actually offers the biggest screen size at 6.2", followed by the Huawei P20 Pro with a 6.1" screen size and the iPhone X takes the third spot with a 5.8" screen. The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus also offers the highest screen resolution at 2960x1440 pixels but the iPhone and Huawei switch places in this particular race with the iPhone X featuring 2436x1125 pixels and the P20 Pro having 2240x1080 pixels built in. 

Huawei P20 Pro

Battery 

The battery built into the Huawei P20 Pro is pretty impressive at 4000mAh which is bigger than the battery that's found in the Samsung Galaxy S9 (3500mAh) and iPhone X (2716mAh). Thanks to the glass construction, wireless charging is supported on all three devices and you will, without doubt, need to charge all three smartphones after a day's use. 

Price 

New smartphones are not inexpensive with prices starting at £739 for the 64GB Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (£869 for the larger 128GB capacity) and rising to £1149 for the 256GB iPhone X (£999 for the 64GB version). The Huawei P20 Pro sits in the middle at £849 which gives you 128GB of storage.
 

We'll be adding a photo comparison of all three smartphones to the site as soon as we've completed our full review of the Huawei P20 Pro so keep an eye out for that. 

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review.
Read our full Apple iPhone X review.