Honor V30 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G: A Detailed Comparison of Flagship Power
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing fast charging and a vibrant display, the Honor V30 Pro is the better value. However, the Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G offers broader 5G band support, particularly in the US, and a more refined software ecosystem, making it the preferred choice for those heavily invested in the Samsung ecosystem.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor V30 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-G986B |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G986B |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, November. Released 2019, December | 2020, February 11 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, March 06 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.7 x 75.8 x 8.8 mm (6.41 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) | 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm (6.37 x 2.90 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 206 g (7.27 oz) | 188 g (6.63 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Yes | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.57 inches, 104.7 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.0 cm2 (~90.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA |
| Chipset | Kirin 990 5G (7 nm+) | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - USA |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP16 | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA |
| OS | Android 10, Magic UI 3, no Google Play Services | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 40 MP, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1.4µm, AF | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@960fps, (gyro-EIS) | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm 8 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide) | - |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | - | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired, 70% in 30 min 27W wireless Reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4100 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ocean Blue, Galaxy Black, Icelandic frost | Cosmic Black, Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud White, Aura Red, Aura Blue |
| Models | OXF-AN10 | SM-G986, SM-G986F, SM-G986F/DS, SM-G986U, SM-G986U1, SM-G9860, SM-G986B/DS, SM-G986N, SM-G986B, SM-G986W, SCG02 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | $ 174.17 / C$ 684.99 / € 299.97 |
| SAR | - | 1.08 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.57 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 381241 (v7), 500571 (v8) GeekBench: 12824 (v4.4), 3204 (v5.1) GFXBench: 35fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
Honor V30 Pro
- Significantly faster 40W wired charging
- Faster 27W wireless charging
- More affordable price point
- Potentially limited 5G band support
- Less refined software experience
Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
- Broader 5G band support (especially in the US)
- More polished software and guaranteed updates
- Potentially superior camera system
- Slower charging speeds (25W wired, 15W wireless)
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The Honor V30 Pro boasts a display capable of 534 nits of peak brightness, providing good visibility outdoors, and a 1230:1 contrast ratio for vibrant colors. While the S20+ 5G’s display specs aren’t provided, Samsung’s flagship displays are typically brighter and more color accurate. The V30 Pro’s display is a solid performer, but Samsung’s expertise in display technology likely gives the S20+ an edge in overall visual quality, particularly in color calibration and viewing angles. The lack of refresh rate information for the V30 Pro is a notable omission, while the S20+ typically featured a 120Hz option.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is missing. However, given Samsung’s camera prowess, the S20+ 5G likely features a more sophisticated camera system with better image processing. The S20+ 5G typically includes features like Single Take and Director’s View, enhancing the creative possibilities. While the V30 Pro likely delivers respectable image quality, the S20+ 5G’s superior software and potentially larger sensors (based on Samsung’s flagship history) give it an edge in overall camera performance. The absence of details on the V30 Pro’s camera system makes a precise comparison difficult.
Performance
Both phones utilize 7nm+ fabrication processes, but the chipsets differ significantly. The Honor V30 Pro’s Kirin 990 5G features a tri-cluster CPU configuration (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76, 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76, 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55), while the S20+ 5G comes in two variants: the Exynos 990 (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5, 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76, 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) globally, and the Snapdragon 865 (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77, 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77, 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) in the US. The Snapdragon 865, with its newer Cortex-A77 cores, generally outperforms the Exynos 990 and Kirin 990 in sustained performance and efficiency. The Exynos 990 has been known to exhibit thermal throttling under heavy load, a potential concern for gamers. The V30 Pro’s Kirin 990 offers competitive performance, but the US-market S20+ with the Snapdragon 865 holds a clear advantage.
Battery Life
The Honor V30 Pro shines with its 40W wired charging, capable of reaching 70% charge in just 30 minutes, and 27W wireless charging. The S20+ 5G offers 25W wired charging with PD3.0 and 15W wireless charging (Qi). The V30 Pro’s charging speed is significantly faster, a major convenience factor. While battery capacity isn’t specified for either device, the faster charging of the V30 Pro effectively mitigates any potential capacity disadvantage. The V30 Pro also includes reverse wireless charging, a feature present but at a slower 4.5W on the S20+ 5G.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor V30 Pro if you need exceptionally fast 40W wired and 27W wireless charging, and a bright, punchy display for media consumption. It’s ideal for users who prioritize value and don’t require the widest 5G compatibility. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G if you prefer a more polished software experience, guaranteed software updates, and broader 5G band support, especially if you're in the US and rely on 5G connectivity. It’s the better choice for users deeply integrated into the Samsung ecosystem.