Honor View30 vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?

The Honor View30 and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G represent a fascinating clash of chipsets and philosophies. The View30, powered by Huawei’s Kirin 990, aimed to deliver a premium experience at a competitive price. The Mi 10 Pro, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865, targeted the top-end market with a focus on camera and charging prowess. This comparison dissects their strengths and weaknesses to determine which device offers the best value in today’s market.

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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing all-around performance and future-proofing, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G emerges as the stronger contender. Its Snapdragon 865 chipset and superior charging capabilities outweigh the View30’s more affordable price point, especially considering both phones offer comparable battery endurance.

PHONES
Phone Names	Honor View30	Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 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, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40 - Global
5G bands	1, 3, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA	1, 3, 7, 28, 77, 78 Sub6 - Global
Speed	HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL)	HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL)
Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
	-	1, 3, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China

Launch
Announced	2020, February 24. Released 2020, April 27	2020, February 13. Released 2020, February 18
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Body
Build	Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame
Dimensions	162.7 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm (6.41 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)	162.5 x 74.8 x 9 mm (6.40 x 2.94 x 0.35 in)
SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight	213 g (7.51 oz)	208 g (7.34 oz)

Display
Protection	Yes	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution	1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~401 ppi density)	1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~386 ppi density)
Size	6.57 inches, 104.2 cm2 (~84.5% screen-to-body ratio)	6.67 inches, 109.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	IPS LCD	Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ)

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.09 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.86 GHz Cortex-A55)	Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)
Chipset	Kirin 990 (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 13, MIUI 14

Memory
Card slot	No	No
Internal	128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM	256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM
	UFS 3.0	UFS 3.0

Main Camera
Features	Laser AF, LED flash, HDR, panorama	Laser AF, Triple-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
Quad	-	108 MP, f/1.7, (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.0, (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.7x optical zoom, 5x hybrid zoom 20 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.8", 1.0µm
Triple	40 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.4, 16mm (ultrawide)	-
Video	4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@960fps, (gyro-EIS)	8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps; gyro-EIS

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	-	20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm
Video	1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	No	No
35mm jack	No	No
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes, with stereo speakers
	-	24-bit/192kHz audio

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	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a)
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG	USB Type-C 2.0, 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, DLNA

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

Battery
Charging	40W wired, 70% in 30 min	50W wired, PD3.0 30W wireless 5W reverse wireless
Type	Li-Po 4200 mAh	Li-Po 4500 mAh

Misc
Colors	Ocean Blue, Midnight Black, Icelandic Frost, Sunrise Orange	Alpine White, Solstice Grey
Models	-	M2001J1G
Price	-	About 930 EUR
SAR	-	1.09 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body)
SAR EU	-	0.69 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body)

Tests
Battery life	-	Endurance rating 101h
Camera	-	Photo / Video
Display	-	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker	-	-25.2 LUFS (Very good)
Performance	-	AnTuTu: 595246 (v8) GeekBench: 3331 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Honor View30

More affordable price point
Decent 5G performance
Fast 40W wired charging

Older Kirin 990 chipset
Lacks wireless charging
Limited display information

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G

Powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset
50W wired, 30W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging
Brighter display

Higher price
Potential for thermal throttling under extreme load
Larger size and weight

Display Comparison

The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 858 nits, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the View30. While both offer an 'infinite' contrast ratio (typical for OLED panels), the Mi 10 Pro’s higher peak brightness translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. The lack of detailed display specs for the View30, such as refresh rate or PWM dimming frequency, puts it at a disadvantage. Users sensitive to screen flicker may prefer a device with a higher PWM frequency, a detail currently unknown for the View30.

Camera Comparison

Both phones are marketed as camera-centric, but details are sparse. The Mi 10 Pro likely features a more sophisticated camera system, leveraging Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ISP for improved image processing. Without specific sensor details for the View30, it’s difficult to make a direct comparison. The Mi 10 Pro’s focus on 'Photo/Video' suggests a more comprehensive feature set and potentially larger sensor sizes. The absence of information regarding OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) on the View30 is a notable omission, while the Mi 10 Pro is expected to have it. Ignoring the typical 2MP macro lenses found on both devices, the main sensor and processing capabilities are where the Mi 10 Pro likely excels.

Performance

The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro’s Snapdragon 865 (7nm+) utilizes a newer Cortex-A77 core architecture in its prime CPU cluster (1x2.84 GHz) compared to the Honor View30’s Kirin 990 (7nm) which uses Cortex-A76 (2x2.86 GHz). While clock speeds are similar, the A77 offers architectural improvements leading to better single-core performance. Both utilize the same Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. The Snapdragon 865 also benefits from a more advanced Adreno GPU, providing a significant advantage in graphics-intensive tasks like gaming. Thermal management is a key consideration; the 7nm+ process of the Snapdragon 865 generally offers better efficiency, potentially reducing throttling during sustained workloads.

Battery Life

Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 101 hours, indicating similar real-world battery life despite potentially different battery capacities (not specified for the View30). However, the charging capabilities are vastly different. The Mi 10 Pro supports 50W wired charging, achieving a full charge significantly faster than the View30’s 40W charging (70% in 30 minutes). Furthermore, the Mi 10 Pro adds 30W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging, offering unparalleled convenience. The View30 lacks wireless charging, making the Mi 10 Pro the clear winner for users who value charging flexibility.

Buying Guide

Buy the Honor View30 if you need a capable 5G phone with a decent camera and fast charging at a significantly lower price. It’s ideal for users who don’t demand the absolute best performance or camera features. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G if you prioritize top-tier performance, a versatile camera system, and the convenience of incredibly fast wired and wireless charging. This is the phone for power users and photography enthusiasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Kirin 990 in the Honor View30 struggle with sustained gaming performance compared to the Snapdragon 865?

Yes, the Snapdragon 865’s more efficient 7nm+ process and superior GPU generally result in better sustained gaming performance with less throttling. While the Kirin 990 is capable, it’s likely to experience more performance drops during extended gaming sessions.

❓ How significant is the difference in charging speed between the 40W and 50W charging capabilities?

The 50W charging on the Mi 10 Pro is noticeably faster. While the View30 reaches 70% in 30 minutes, the Mi 10 Pro can achieve a full charge in a similar timeframe. The addition of 30W wireless charging on the Mi 10 Pro is a significant advantage the View30 lacks.

❓ Is the lack of detailed display specifications for the Honor View30 a cause for concern?

Yes, the absence of information like refresh rate and PWM dimming frequency is concerning. It suggests the display may not be as advanced as the Mi 10 Pro’s, potentially impacting smoothness and causing eye strain for sensitive users.

❓ Does the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro overheat during intensive tasks like video recording or prolonged gaming?

While the Snapdragon 865 is more efficient, it can still generate heat under heavy load. The Mi 10 Pro incorporates cooling solutions, but some throttling may occur during extended, demanding tasks. However, it's generally better managed than the Kirin 990.