Asus ROG Phone 3 vs. Honor 30 Pro: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Everyday Performance
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a balanced experience, the Honor 30 Pro offers a compelling package with its capable Kirin 990 5G chipset and versatile camera system. However, the Asus ROG Phone 3 unequivocally wins for dedicated gamers, thanks to its superior Snapdragon 865+ performance and gaming-centric features.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor 30 Pro | Asus ROG Phone 3 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 - A version |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 - A version |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - A version |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G 4.4 Gbps DL |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, April 15. Released 2020, April 21 | 2020, July 22. Released 2020, July 23 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 160.3 x 73.6 x 8.4 mm (6.31 x 2.90 x 0.33 in) | 171 x 78 x 9.9 mm (6.73 x 3.07 x 0.39 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 186 g (6.56 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP54, dust and water resistant | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~392 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~391 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.57 inches, 106.0 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.59 inches, 106.6 cm2 (~79.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 650 nits (typ) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.10 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Kirin 990 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP16 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 10, Magic UI 3, no Google Play Services | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12, ROG UI |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 40 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (Periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 18mm (ultrawide) Auxiliary lens | - |
| Triple | - | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 1080p@1920fps; gyro-EIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) | - |
| Features | HDR | Panorama, HDR |
| Single | - | 24 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm |
| Video | 4K, 1080p; gyro-EIS | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers) |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired 5W reverse wired | 30W wired, PD3.0, QC4 10W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh | Li-Po 6000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Titanium silver, Emerald Green, Midnight Black, Icelandic Frost, Neon purple | Black Glare |
| Models | EBG-AN00 | ASUS_I003D, ZS661KS, I003DD, I003D |
| Price | About 670 EUR | About 650 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.50 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 120h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -23.1 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 621932 (v8) GeekBench: 13306 (v4.4), 3386 (v5.1) GFXBench: 48fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor 30 Pro
- Faster wired charging (40W)
- Potentially superior camera image processing
- More mainstream and refined design
- Less powerful chipset compared to Snapdragon 865+
- Likely less effective thermal management for sustained gaming
Asus ROG Phone 3
- Significantly more powerful Snapdragon 865+ chipset
- Superior gaming performance and cooling
- Longer battery life during gaming
- Slower wired charging (30W)
- Larger and more aggressive gaming-focused design
- Potentially less refined camera image processing
Display Comparison
The Asus ROG Phone 3 boasts a significantly brighter display at 719 nits, offering better visibility in direct sunlight compared to the Honor 30 Pro (brightness not specified). While both utilize 7nm+ fabrication, the ROG Phone 3’s larger screen size and focus on gaming benefit from this increased brightness. The ROG Phone 3’s infinite contrast ratio (nominal) suggests a true OLED panel, providing deeper blacks and more vibrant colors, while the Honor 30 Pro’s panel type isn’t specified, potentially impacting color accuracy and contrast. The ROG Phone 3’s higher refresh rate (likely 120Hz, based on market segment) would provide smoother scrolling and gaming, a feature absent from the Honor 30 Pro’s specifications.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking for both. The ROG Phone 3, while gaming-focused, typically includes a competent camera system for its price point. The Honor 30 Pro, leveraging Huawei’s camera expertise, likely delivers superior image processing and potentially better low-light performance, assuming it incorporates a larger main sensor. Without specific sensor size or aperture data, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but the Honor 30 Pro’s brand reputation suggests a stronger emphasis on photographic quality.
Performance
The Asus ROG Phone 3’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G+ chipset, with its Cortex-A77 prime core clocked at 3.10 GHz, demonstrably outperforms the Honor 30 Pro’s Kirin 990 5G. The Snapdragon 865+ benefits from architectural improvements over the Kirin 990, resulting in higher sustained performance and better thermal management during demanding tasks. While both chipsets are fabricated on a 7nm+ process, the Snapdragon 865+’s Adreno 650 GPU provides a significant advantage in graphics-intensive gaming. The ROG Phone 3’s superior cooling system, a hallmark of the ROG line, further enhances its ability to maintain peak performance for extended periods, mitigating throttling that the Kirin 990 might experience.
Battery Life
Both the Honor 30 Pro and Asus ROG Phone 3 achieve an endurance rating of 120 hours, indicating comparable overall battery life. However, the ROG Phone 3’s larger battery capacity (not specified, but typical for ROG phones) combined with the Snapdragon 865+’s efficiency gains during gaming, provides a distinct advantage for prolonged gaming sessions. The Honor 30 Pro offers 40W wired charging, potentially providing faster top-ups than the ROG Phone 3’s 30W wired charging, despite the ROG Phone 3 supporting PD3.0 and QC4 standards. The ROG Phone 3 also offers 10W reverse wired charging, while the Honor 30 Pro provides 5W, making the ROG Phone 3 more useful for topping up accessories.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor 30 Pro if you need a versatile flagship with strong 5G capabilities, a capable camera for everyday photography, and a more refined, mainstream design. Buy the Asus ROG Phone 3 if you prioritize uncompromising gaming performance, extended battery life during intense sessions, and are willing to accept a larger, more aggressive aesthetic with gaming-specific features.