The smartphone market is brimming with options, making it tough to choose. Today, we pit the Honor X30 Max, a budget-friendly contender, against the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, a flagship from a few years back. Let's dive into a comprehensive comparison to see which phone emerges victorious.
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro still holds its own thanks to its superior charging speeds, impressive display contrast, and excellent battery life. While the Honor X30 Max offers a newer chipset, the Mate 20 Pro's overall package remains compelling, especially considering its age and potential price drop.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | LTE | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40 |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | - |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat21 1400/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| | CDMA2000 1x | - |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2021, October 28 | 2018, October 16. Released 2018, October 31 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, November 02 | Discontinued |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 174.4 x 84.9 x 8.3 mm (6.87 x 3.34 x 0.33 in) | 157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6 mm (6.21 x 2.85 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 228 g (8.04 oz) | 189 g (6.67 oz) |
| | - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 mins) |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~356 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~538 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.09 inches, 125.5 cm2 (~84.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.39 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~87.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, HDR10 | OLED, HDR10 |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x1.92 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 900 (6 nm) | Kirin 980 (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G68 MC4 | Mali-G76 MP10 |
| OS | Android 11, Magic UI 5.0 | Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9.1 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | No | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| | - | UFS 2.1 |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Dual | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), PDAF
Auxiliary lens | - |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0 | - |
| 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
20 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.7", PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0 | 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with dual speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio
|
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, 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, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | 22.5W wired | 40W wired, 70% in 30 min
15W wireless
2.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Black, Blue, Silver/Violet | Emerald Green, Midnight Blue, Twilight, Pink Gold, Black |
| Models | KKG-AN70 | LYA-L09, LYA-L29, LYA-AL00, LYA-AL10, LYA-TL00, LYA-L0C |
| Price | About 320 EUR | About 800 EUR |
| Tests |
|---|
| Audio quality | - |
Noise -87.7dB / Crosstalk -87.8dB |
| Battery life | - |
Endurance rating 85h
|
| Camera | - |
Photo / Video |
| Display | - |
Contrast ratio: 254000:1 (nominal), 4.965 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - |
-28.9 LUFS (Average)
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 273913 (v7), 391046 (v8)
GeekBench: 9712 (v4.4)
GFXBench: 17fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor X30 Max
- Modern Chipset (Dimensity 900)
- Large Display
- Potentially more affordable
- Slower Charging
- Unspecified Display Quality
- Camera likely inferior to Mate 20 Pro
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
- Exceptional Display Contrast
- Excellent Battery Life
- Fast Charging (Wired & Wireless)
- Proven Camera System
- Reverse Wireless Charging
- Older Chipset (Kirin 980)
- Software Support Concerns (Huawei)
- Potentially Higher Price (depending on condition)
Display Comparison
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro boasts an exceptional display with a staggering 254,000:1 contrast ratio and impressive sunlight readability (4.965). While the Honor X30 Max has a large display, details on its contrast ratio are scarce, suggesting it likely doesn't match the Mate 20 Pro's visual fidelity. The Mate 20 Pro's OLED technology also provides richer colors and deeper blacks.
Camera Comparison
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro's camera system is renowned for its image quality, particularly in low-light conditions. It features a versatile triple-lens setup that delivers excellent photos and videos. While the Honor X30 Max has a capable camera, it likely doesn't match the Mate 20 Pro's overall photographic prowess, especially in challenging lighting scenarios.
Performance
The Honor X30 Max's Dimensity 900 chipset is newer than the Mate 20 Pro's Kirin 980, offering a potential edge in raw processing power and efficiency. However, the Kirin 980 was a flagship chip in its time and still provides smooth performance for everyday tasks and moderate gaming. Real-world performance will depend on software optimization and usage patterns.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro shines in this category, boasting an impressive endurance rating of 85 hours. It also features 40W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 2.5W reverse wireless charging – a significant advantage over the Honor X30 Max's 22.5W wired charging.
Buying Guide
The Honor X30 Max is ideal for budget-conscious users who prioritize a modern chipset and large display. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is a great choice for those seeking a premium experience with fast charging, a stunning display, and a proven camera system, particularly if found at a discounted price.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Huawei Mate 20 Pro still worth buying in 2024?
Yes, if you can find it at a good price. Its display, battery life, and camera are still competitive, but be mindful of potential software update limitations.
❓ Which phone is better for gaming?
The Honor X30 Max likely has a slight edge due to its newer chipset, but both phones should handle most games reasonably well.
