Honor Play 30 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S8 Active: A Detailed Showdown

Choosing a new phone can be overwhelming. Today, we pit a modern budget contender, the Honor Play 30 Plus, against a classic flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. This comparison will help you decide which device best suits your needs and budget.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S8 Active, despite its age, boasts superior performance and a legendary battery life. While the Honor Play 30 Plus offers a more modern chipset and potentially better camera features, the S8 Active's durability and enduring power make it the winner for many.

PHONES
Phone Names	Honor Play 30 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - AT&T
4G bands	LTE	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - AT&T
5G bands	SA/NSA	-
Speed	HSPA, LTE, 5G	HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (4CA) Cat12 600/150 Mbps
Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G	GSM / HSPA / LTE
	CDMA2000 1x	1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 41 - Sprint

Launch
Announced	2021, December 16	2017, August. Released 2017, August
Status	Available. Released 2022, January 02	Discontinued

Body
Build	Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back, plastic frame
Dimensions	167.6 x 77.2 x 8.6 mm (6.60 x 3.04 x 0.34 in)	151.9 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm (5.98 x 2.95 x 0.39 in)
SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM
Weight	198 g (6.98 oz)	208.1 g (7.34 oz)
	-	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) MIL-STD-810G compliant

Display
Protection	-	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution	720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~260 ppi density)	1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~568 ppi density)
Size	6.74 inches, 109.7 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio)	5.8 inches, 85.4 cm2 (~75.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	IPS LCD, 90Hz	Super AMOLED, HDR10
	-	3D Touch (home button only) Always-on display

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)	Octa-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo)
Chipset	Mediatek Dimensity 700 (7 nm)	Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (10 nm)
GPU	Mali-G57 MC2	Adreno 540
OS	Android 11, Magic UI 5.0	Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie), One UI

Memory
Card slot	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)	microSDXC (dedicated slot)
Internal	128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM	64GB 4GB RAM
	eMMC 5.1	-

Main Camera
Dual	13 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF Auxiliary lens	-
Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama	LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single	5 MP, f/2.2, (wide)	12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
Video	1080p@30fps	4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS, OIS

Selfie camera
Dual	-	8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera)
Features	-	HDR
Single	5 MP, f/2.2, (wide)	-
Video	-	1440p@30fps

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

Comms
Bluetooth	5.1, A2DP, LE	5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX
NFC	No	Yes
Positioning	GPS, BDS	GPS, GLONASS
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG	USB Type-C
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	Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate
	-	Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ S-Voice natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)

Battery
Charging	22.5W wired	15W wired, QC2 Wireless
Music play	-	Up to 113 h
Stand-by	-	Up to 120 h (3G)
Talk time	-	Up to 32 h (3G)
Type	Li-Po 5000 mAh	Li-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removable

Misc
Colors	Black, Blue, Silver, Gold	Meteor Gray, Tungsten Gold
Models	CMA-AN00	SM-G892A, SM-G892U
Price	About 150 EUR	About 550 EUR

Tests
Audio quality	-	Noise - 92.4 / Crosstalk - 91.4
Battery life	-	Endurance rating 111h
Loudspeaker	-	Voice 70dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 78dB
Performance	-	GeekBench: 6314 (v4.4) GFXBench: 12fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Honor Play 30 Plus

Modern Chipset (Dimensity 700)
Potentially Better Camera
Likely Larger Display
More Affordable

Older Design
Charging Speed is Average
Battery Life Not as Impressive as S8 Active

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

Exceptional Battery Life
Rugged and Durable Design
Proven Flagship Performance (Snapdragon 835)
Wireless Charging

Older Display Technology
Outdated Software
Lower Resolution Camera Compared to Modern Phones
Slower Charging

Display Comparison

The Honor Play 30 Plus likely features a larger, more modern display with potentially better color accuracy. The S8 Active's display, while excellent for its time, is smaller and may not offer the same level of vibrancy. Expect a higher resolution on the Honor.

Camera Comparison

The Honor Play 30 Plus likely has a more advanced camera system with features like AI scene detection and potentially higher resolution sensors. The S8 Active's camera is still capable, but lacks the modern computational photography features found in newer phones.

Performance

While the Dimensity 700 is a capable chipset, the Snapdragon 835 in the S8 Active still holds up surprisingly well. The S8 Active's Kryo cores offer strong single-core performance, crucial for responsiveness. The Honor's octa-core setup provides good multitasking capabilities.

Battery Life

The S8 Active's endurance rating of 111h is truly remarkable and a major selling point. The Honor Play 30 Plus will offer decent battery life, but it won't match the S8 Active's longevity.

Buying Guide

The Honor Play 30 Plus is ideal for budget-conscious users who prioritize a modern chipset and a decent camera. The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is perfect for those seeking exceptional battery life, rugged durability, and a proven flagship experience, even if it's an older model.