Huawei Mate 30 5G vs. Sony Xperia 1 III: A Detailed Comparison of Flagship Power
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing raw performance and a more streamlined Android experience, the Sony Xperia 1 III emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, coupled with a brighter display, offers a more responsive and visually engaging experience. However, the Mate 30 5G’s fast charging and wireless capabilities remain competitive.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 30 5G | Sony Xperia 1 III |
| 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 41, 77, 78, 79 NSA/Sub6 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, September. Released 2019, October | 2021, April 14 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2021, August 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 160.8 x 76.1 x 8.4 mm (6.33 x 3.00 x 0.33 in) | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| IP53, dust and splash resistant | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~389 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.62 inches, 107.6 cm2 (~87.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10 | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| - | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Kirin 990 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP16 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 10, no Google Play Services | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm |
| Triple | 40 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/1.54", PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| 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, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| - | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired 27W wireless Reverse wireless | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Space Silver, Cosmic Purple, Emerald Green, Orange, Forest Green | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple |
| Models | TAS-AN00, TAS-TN00 | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
| Price | About 650 EUR | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei Mate 30 5G
- Faster 40W wired charging
- 27W wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Potentially more aggressive image processing for vibrant photos
- Lacks Google Mobile Services
- Older chipset (Kirin 990 5G) with lower efficiency
Sony Xperia 1 III
- More powerful Snapdragon 888 5G chipset
- Brighter and potentially more color-accurate display
- Clean Android experience with timely updates
- Slower 30W wired charging
- Potentially less vibrant image processing
Display Comparison
The Sony Xperia 1 III boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 620 nits, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the Mate 30 5G. This difference is significant for outdoor visibility. While both offer an 'infinite' contrast ratio (typical for OLED panels), the Xperia 1 III’s display is geared towards professional content creation, likely offering wider color gamut coverage. The Xperia 1 III’s display is also likely to benefit from a higher refresh rate, a feature absent in the Mate 30 5G, resulting in smoother scrolling and animations.
Camera Comparison
Both devices emphasize photo and video capabilities, but approach it differently. Without detailed sensor specifications for the Mate 30 5G, it’s difficult to make a direct comparison. However, Sony’s Xperia 1 III is known for its focus on video recording, offering extensive manual controls and features like 4K 120fps recording. The Xperia 1 III’s image processing leans towards a more natural look, while Huawei historically employed more aggressive image enhancement. The absence of detailed camera specs for the Mate 30 5G makes a definitive camera comparison challenging, but Sony’s reputation for video quality gives it an edge.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Huawei Mate 30 5G utilizes the Kirin 990 5G (7nm+), while the Sony Xperia 1 III features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm). The Snapdragon 888’s smaller 5nm process node translates to improved power efficiency and thermal performance, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained workloads. The Xperia 1 III’s CPU configuration – a Cortex-X1 prime core alongside Cortex-A78 performance cores – provides a performance advantage over the Mate 30 5G’s dual Cortex-A76 setup. While both utilize LPDDR4X RAM, the Snapdragon 888’s superior GPU will deliver a more fluid gaming experience.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 82 hours, suggesting comparable real-world battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the Mate 30 5G). However, the Mate 30 5G offers faster wired charging at 40W, compared to the Xperia 1 III’s 30W charging with PD, reaching 50% in 30 minutes. The Mate 30 5G also includes 27W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, features also present on the Xperia 1 III, providing greater flexibility in charging options.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 30 5G if you need a phone with exceptionally fast wired and wireless charging, and are comfortable navigating an ecosystem without full Google Mobile Services. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you prioritize a clean Android experience, a brighter and more color-accurate display, and a robust video recording feature set geared towards content creators.