Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) vs Samsung Galaxy S10 5G: A Detailed Comparison of 2019's 5G Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing fast charging and a more versatile charging ecosystem, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G emerges as the slightly better choice. Its 25W charging with PD3.0 and wireless charging capabilities offer greater convenience, while the Snapdragon 855 (in US models) provides competitive performance. However, the Mate 20 X (5G) remains a compelling option for those who value raw battery capacity.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) | Samsung Galaxy S10 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 / 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, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| 5G bands | 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 78 NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat21 1400/200 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 24, 25, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, May. Released 2019, July | 2019, February. Released 2019, April |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), 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) | 162.6 x 77.1 x 7.9 mm (6.40 x 3.04 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 233 g (8.22 oz) | 198 g (6.98 oz) |
| IP53, dust and splash resistant Stylus support | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass (unspecified version) | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2244 pixels, 18.7:9 ratio (~346 ppi density) | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~502 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.2 inches, 130.7 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 112.0 cm2 (~89.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED, 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 (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA |
| Chipset | Kirin 980 (7 nm) | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - GlobalQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP10 | Mali-G76 MP12 - GlobalAdreno 640 - USA |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9.1 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-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, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps | 4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D, (depth sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| 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/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, DisplayPort |
| 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4500 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Emerald Green | Crown Silver, Majestic Black, Royal Gold |
| Models | EVR-N29, EVR-AN00 | SM-G977U, SM-G977N, SM-G977B, SM-G9770, SM-G977P, SM-G977T |
| Price | About 760 EUR | About 380 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.46 W/kg (head) 1.59 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.26 W/kg (head) 1.55 W/kg (body) |
Huawei Mate 20 X (5G)
- Faster 40W wired charging
- Potentially longer battery life due to larger capacity
- Larger display for media consumption
- No wireless charging
- Kirin 980 chipset is less powerful than Snapdragon 855
- Larger and heavier form factor
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
- Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
- Snapdragon 855 (US model) offers superior performance
- More compact and manageable size
- Slower 25W wired charging
- Exynos 9820 (Global model) can suffer from thermal throttling
- Smaller battery capacity
Display Comparison
Neither device boasts the cutting-edge display technology of modern flagships. The Galaxy S10 5G features a Dynamic AMOLED display, known for its vibrant colors and excellent contrast, though specific nit brightness figures aren't provided. The Mate 20 X (5G) utilizes an LCD panel, which generally offers lower contrast ratios. While both likely support HDR10, the Samsung's AMOLED panel provides a superior viewing experience, especially in direct sunlight. Bezels are comparable, reflecting the design trends of 2019.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offered capable camera systems for their time. The Mate 20 X (5G) and Galaxy S10 5G both feature triple-camera setups, but the specifics differ. While detailed sensor sizes aren't provided, the Galaxy S10 5G likely benefits from Samsung’s image processing expertise, delivering more consistently vibrant and detailed photos. The Mate 20 X (5G) leans towards a more natural color profile. The inclusion of OIS on the main sensors of both devices aids in low-light photography. The usefulness of any secondary macro or depth sensors is minimal, offering limited practical benefit.
Performance
The chipset battle is central to this comparison. Huawei’s Kirin 980 (7nm) features a tri-cluster architecture, aiming for efficiency and performance. Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G comes in two variants: the Exynos 9820 (8nm) globally and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7nm) in the US. The Snapdragon 855 generally outperforms the Exynos 9820, and both typically surpass the Kirin 980 in GPU benchmarks. The Kirin 980’s Cortex-A76 cores are competitive, but the Snapdragon 855’s Kryo 485 cores and Adreno 640 GPU offer a more substantial performance advantage, particularly in demanding games. Thermal management is a concern for both, but the 8nm Exynos is more prone to throttling under sustained load than the 7nm Snapdragon or Kirin.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) boasts a larger battery capacity, though the exact number isn't provided, giving it an advantage in endurance. However, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G compensates with faster 25W wired charging (with PD3.0 support) and the added convenience of 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Mate 20 X (5G)'s 40W wired charging is significantly faster, potentially reaching a full charge in under an hour, while the S10 5G takes considerably longer. The S10 5G’s wireless charging provides flexibility, while the Mate 20 X (5G) lacks this feature.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) if you need maximum battery life and are comfortable with a larger form factor. Its 40W wired charging is significantly faster, and the larger chassis accommodates a substantial battery. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G if you prefer a more compact design, wireless charging, and a broader ecosystem of accessories, particularly if you're in the US and receive the Snapdragon 855 variant.