Honor Play 30 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy A42 5G: Budget Battle!

The budget smartphone market is fiercely competitive, offering incredible value for your money. Today, we're pitting two contenders against each other: the Honor Play 30 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. Let's dive into a detailed comparison to see which phone reigns supreme.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A42 5G edges out the Honor Play 30 Plus thanks to its superior display brightness, 5G connectivity, and slightly better overall camera performance. While the Honor offers a more modern chipset, the A42's longevity and Samsung's brand recognition give it the advantage.

PHONES
Phone Names	Honor Play 30 Plus	Samsung Galaxy A42 5G

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	LTE	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41 - Europe
5G bands	SA/NSA	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe
Speed	HSPA, LTE, 5G	HSPA, LTE, 5G
Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
	CDMA2000 1x	-

Launch
Announced	2021, December 16	2020, September 02
Status	Available. Released 2022, January 02	Available. Released 2020, November 11

Body
Build	Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame	-
Dimensions	167.6 x 77.2 x 8.6 mm (6.60 x 3.04 x 0.34 in)	164.4 x 75.9 x 8.6 mm (6.47 x 2.99 x 0.34 in)
SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight	198 g (6.98 oz)	193 g (6.81 oz)

Display
Resolution	720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~260 ppi density)	720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~266 ppi density)
Size	6.74 inches, 109.7 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio)	6.6 inches, 105.2 cm2 (~84.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	IPS LCD, 90Hz	Super AMOLED

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)	Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 570 & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 570)
Chipset	Mediatek Dimensity 700 (7 nm)	Qualcomm SM7225 Snapdragon 750 5G (8 nm)
GPU	Mali-G57 MC2	Adreno 619
OS	Android 11, Magic UI 5.0	Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5

Memory
Card slot	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal	128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM	128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM
	eMMC 5.1	-

Main Camera
Dual	13 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF Auxiliary lens	-
Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama	LED flash, panorama, HDR
Quad	-	48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.94", 0.8µm 5 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens
Single	5 MP, f/2.2, (wide)	-
Video	1080p@30fps	4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@480fps

Selfie camera
Features	-	HDR
Single	5 MP, f/2.2, (wide)	20 MP, f/2.2, 25mm (wide), 1/2.78", 1.0µm
Video	-	1080p@30fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	Yes	Yes
35mm jack	Yes	Yes
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes

Comms
Bluetooth	5.1, A2DP, LE	5.0, A2DP, LE
NFC	No	Yes
Positioning	GPS, BDS	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
Radio	No	FM radio
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG	USB Type-C 2.0
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Battery
Charging	22.5W wired	15W wired
Type	Li-Po 5000 mAh	Li-Po 5000 mAh

Misc
Colors	Black, Blue, Silver, Gold	Prism Dot Black, Prism Dot White, Prism Dot Gray
Models	CMA-AN00	SM-A426B, SM-A426B/DS, SM-A4260, SM-A426U, SM-A426U1, SM-A426N
Price	About 150 EUR	€ 279.99 / £ 139.10
SAR EU	-	1.15 W/kg (head) 1.33 W/kg (body)

Tests
Battery life	-	Endurance rating 144h
Camera	-	Photo / Video
Display	-	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker	-	-30.1 LUFS (Below average)
Performance	-	AnTuTu: 324686 (v8) GeekBench: 1910 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Honor Play 30 Plus

Modern Dimensity 700 chipset
Faster 22.5W charging
Potentially better efficiency

Lower display brightness
No 5G connectivity
Less established brand reputation

Samsung Galaxy A42 5G

Brighter display (570 nits)
5G connectivity
Excellent battery life (144h endurance)
Samsung brand reliability

Slower 15W charging
Older chipset
Potentially less efficient

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy A42 5G boasts a measured peak brightness of 570 nits, significantly brighter than the Honor Play 30 Plus, making it easier to view in sunlight. While the A42's contrast ratio is nominally infinite, real-world viewing experience benefits from the higher brightness. Both phones likely feature similar LCD panel technology, but Samsung's brightness advantage is key.

Camera Comparison

While both phones are marketed as having 'Photo / Video' capabilities, the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G generally benefits from Samsung's image processing expertise. Expect slightly more vibrant and detailed photos from the A42, particularly in well-lit conditions. Low-light performance is likely comparable, but the A42 might have a slight edge due to software optimization.

Performance

The Honor Play 30 Plus's Dimensity 700 chipset is a newer architecture (7nm) compared to the Galaxy A42 5G's Snapdragon 750 5G (8nm). This *could* translate to slightly better efficiency and potentially smoother performance in some tasks. However, the Snapdragon 750 5G is a capable performer and offers 5G connectivity, a feature absent in the Honor.

Battery Life

The Galaxy A42 5G shines in this category, boasting an impressive endurance rating of 144 hours. This is significantly better than what we'd expect from the Honor Play 30 Plus, although specific battery capacity figures are needed for a precise comparison. The A42's slower 15W charging is a drawback, however.

Buying Guide

The Honor Play 30 Plus is ideal for users prioritizing a modern chipset and fast charging on a tight budget. The Samsung Galaxy A42 5G is a better choice for those needing 5G connectivity, a brighter display for outdoor use, and the reliability of the Samsung brand, even with slightly slower charging.