Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) vs LG V50 ThinQ 5G: A Deep Dive into 5G Flagship Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing sustained performance and faster charging, the Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) emerges as the better choice. Its Kirin 980, while not leading-edge today, offers competitive performance, and the 40W charging significantly outperforms the LG V50’s 18W solution. However, the LG V50’s excellent battery endurance is a strong counterpoint.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) | LG V50 ThinQ 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 - USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA |
| 5G bands | 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 41, 260, 261 NSA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat21 1400/200 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/75 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, May. Released 2019, July | 2019, February 24. Released 2019, April 19 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 174.6 x 85.4 x 8.4 mm (6.87 x 3.36 x 0.33 in) | 159.2 x 76.1 x 8.3 mm (6.27 x 3.00 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 233 g (8.22 oz) | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| IP53, dust and splash resistant Stylus support | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) MIL-STD-810G compliant* *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass (unspecified version) | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2244 pixels, 18.7:9 ratio (~346 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~538 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.2 inches, 130.7 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~82.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10 | P-OLED, HDR10 |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x1.92 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) |
| Chipset | Kirin 980 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP10 | Adreno 640 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9.1 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 11 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 40 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 20 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.7", AF | 12 MP, 27mm (wide), f/1.5, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3-axis OIS 12 MP, 52mm (telephoto), f/2.4, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, 2x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS 16 MP, 16mm (ultrawide), f/1.9, 1/3.1", 1.0µm, no AF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec., HDR10 video, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 5 MP, 21mm (wide), f/2.2, 1/5.0", 1.12µm |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm | - |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@60fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 32-bit/192kHz audio 24-bit/192kHz audio recording Tuned with Meridian Audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired | 18W wired, PD2.0, QC3, 50% in 36 min 10W wireless (Qi) |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Emerald Green | New Aurora Black |
| Models | EVR-N29, EVR-AN00 | LM-V500, LM-V500N, LM-V500EM, LM-V500XM, LM-V450PM, LM-V450 |
| Price | About 760 EUR | About 550 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -92.5dB / Crosstalk -92.6dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 96h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: 194000:1 (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 343758 (v7), 421934 (v8) GeekBench: 10928 (v4.4), 2672 (v5.1) GFXBench: 22fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei Mate 20 X (5G)
- 40W SuperCharge for rapid refueling
- Competitive Kirin 980 performance
- Potentially superior image processing (Huawei's strength)
- Battery endurance likely lower than LG V50
- Display specs less detailed than LG V50
LG V50 ThinQ 5G
- Exceptional 96-hour battery endurance
- High contrast ratio display (194000:1)
- 533 nits peak brightness
- Slower 18W charging
- Snapdragon 855 may throttle under sustained load
Display Comparison
The LG V50 ThinQ 5G boasts a measured peak brightness of 533 nits, a respectable figure, and a stunning 194000:1 contrast ratio. While the Mate 20 X (5G)’s display specs aren’t explicitly stated, Huawei typically prioritizes color accuracy. The LG’s higher contrast ratio will deliver more vibrant visuals, particularly in HDR content. However, without knowing the Mate 20 X’s PWM dimming rate, it’s difficult to assess potential eye strain for sensitive users. The LG V50’s panel is likely to offer a more visually striking experience, but the Mate 20 X may be more comfortable for prolonged use.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking. Without specifics on sensor size, aperture, or image stabilization, a direct comparison is challenging. However, given Huawei’s historical emphasis on camera technology, the Mate 20 X (5G) likely benefits from more sophisticated image processing algorithms. The LG V50’s camera system is competent, but Huawei often prioritizes computational photography to enhance image quality, particularly in low-light conditions. The absence of detailed camera specs makes it difficult to declare a clear winner.
Performance
Both phones utilize 7nm process nodes, but the chipsets differ significantly. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 features a Kryo 485 core configuration with a peak clock speed of 2.84 GHz. The Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) employs the Kirin 980, utilizing a tri-cluster architecture with Cortex-A76 and A55 cores, peaking at 2.6 GHz. While the Snapdragon 855 generally benchmarks higher in raw CPU performance, the Kirin 980’s architecture is optimized for AI tasks. In real-world usage, the difference will be subtle for most users, but the Snapdragon 855 will likely exhibit a slight edge in graphically intensive applications. The LG V50’s Adreno 640 GPU is also a step up from the Kirin 980’s GPU.
Battery Life
The LG V50 ThinQ 5G shines in battery endurance, achieving a remarkable 96-hour rating. While the Mate 20 X (5G)’s battery capacity isn’t specified, the LG’s endurance suggests a highly optimized power management system. However, the Mate 20 X (5G) compensates with significantly faster 40W wired charging, capable of quickly replenishing the battery. The LG V50’s 18W charging, while supporting PD2.0 and QC3, is considerably slower, taking 36 minutes to reach 50%. The Mate 20 X (5G) offers a trade-off: potentially less overall runtime, but much faster top-ups.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) if you need a phone that charges quickly and can handle demanding tasks without significant throttling. Its larger charging wattage and efficient chipset make it ideal for power users. Buy the LG V50 ThinQ 5G if you prioritize maximizing battery life above all else, and appreciate a high contrast display, even if it means slower charging and potentially slightly less raw processing power.