Huawei Mate 30 Pro vs. Google Pixel 4 XL: A Deep Dive into Flagship Trade-offs
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing longevity and fast charging, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro is the clear winner. Its 103-hour endurance rating and 40W wired charging significantly outperform the Pixel 4 XL’s 73-hour rating and 18W charging. However, those deeply invested in the Google ecosystem and valuing a pure Android experience will find the Pixel 4 XL more appealing.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 30 Pro | Google Pixel 4 XL |
| 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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - Global | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, 71 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, September 19. Released 2019, September 26 | 2019, October 15 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2019, October 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158.1 x 73.1 x 8.8 mm (6.22 x 2.88 x 0.35 in) | 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.2 mm (6.31 x 2.96 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 198 g (6.98 oz) | 193 g (6.81 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1176 x 2400 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~409 ppi density) | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~537 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.53 inches, 108.7 cm2 (~94.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.3 inches, 98.0 cm2 (~81.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10 | P-OLED, 90Hz, HDR |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.09 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.86 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) |
| Chipset | Kirin 990 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP16 | Adreno 640 |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 11, no Google Play Services | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom |
| Features | Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 40 MP, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 40 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), 1/1.54", PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 1080p@960fps, 720p@7680fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 8 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1.22µm, no AF TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, 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, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| 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 | Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired 27W wireless Reverse wireless | 18W wired, PD2.0 Wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 3700 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Space Silver, Cosmic Purple, Emerald Green | Clearly White, Just Black, Oh So Orange |
| Models | LIO-L09, LIO-L29, LIO-AL00, LIO-TL00 | G020P, G020, GA01181-US, GA01182-US, GA01180-US |
| Price | About 1290 EUR | About 180 EUR |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 364.52 |
| 64GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 274.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 149.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -93.9 / Crosstalk -94.1 |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 103h | Endurance rating 73h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -29.3 LUFS (Average) | Voice 80dB / Noise 78dB / Ring 88dB |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 378950 (v7), 484529 (v8) GeekBench: 11936 (v4.4), 3038 (v5.1) GFXBench: 34fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 323305 (v7), 403267 (v8) GeekBench: 10171 (v4.4), 2267 (v5.1) GFXBench: 21fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei Mate 30 Pro
- Exceptional battery life (103h endurance)
- Ultra-fast 40W wired and 27W wireless charging
- Versatile camera system with strong video capabilities
- Lack of Google Mobile Services (GMS) – requires workarounds
- Curved display can be prone to accidental touches
Google Pixel 4 XL
- Clean, bloatware-free Android experience
- Excellent computational photography and image processing
- Timely software updates (at the time of release)
- Significantly shorter battery life (73h endurance)
- Slower 18W wired charging
- Less versatile camera system compared to Mate 30 Pro
Display Comparison
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro boasts a measured peak brightness of 686 nits, providing excellent visibility in outdoor conditions. While the Pixel 4 XL’s brightness wasn’t explicitly provided, its OLED panel delivers vibrant colors. Both utilize OLED technology, offering infinite contrast ratios. However, the Mate 30 Pro’s curved display edges contribute to a more immersive viewing experience, though some users may find them prone to accidental touches. The Pixel 4 XL’s flat display is more practical in that regard. Neither specification details refresh rates, but both were standard 60Hz panels at the time of release.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography, but approach it differently. The Mate 30 Pro’s camera system is known for its versatility, offering strong performance in both photo and video. While specific sensor details are missing, Huawei’s reputation at the time focused on large sensors and advanced image processing. The Pixel 4 XL, on the other hand, leverages Google’s renowned computational photography algorithms. Its strength lies in its ability to produce consistently excellent images, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. The Pixel’s Super Res Zoom provides impressive detail even at higher zoom levels. The absence of detailed sensor information makes a direct comparison difficult, but the Pixel 4 XL’s software processing is a key differentiator.
Performance
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is powered by the Kirin 990 (7nm), an octa-core processor featuring a tri-cluster configuration. This includes two high-performance Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.86 GHz, two more Cortex-A76 cores at 2.09 GHz, and four efficiency-focused Cortex-A55 cores at 1.86 GHz. The Google Pixel 4 XL utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7nm), also an octa-core chip, but with a different core arrangement: one Kryo 485 core at 2.84 GHz, three Kryo 485 cores at 2.42 GHz, and four Kryo 485 cores at 1.78 GHz. While both chips are 7nm, the Kirin 990 generally demonstrated slightly better multi-core performance in benchmarks, potentially benefiting users engaged in demanding tasks like video editing. However, the Snapdragon 855’s GPU offered competitive gaming performance. Both devices feature 6GB of RAM, but the RAM type (LPDDR4 vs LPDDR5) isn't specified, impacting memory bandwidth.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro’s endurance rating of 103 hours is a significant advantage over the Pixel 4 XL’s 73 hours. This translates to a substantial difference in real-world usage, allowing the Mate 30 Pro to easily last a full day, even with heavy use. Furthermore, the Mate 30 Pro supports 40W wired charging, enabling a full charge in under an hour, and 27W wireless charging, a feature the Pixel 4 XL can’t match. The Pixel 4 XL’s 18W wired charging, while supporting PD2.0, is considerably slower. The Mate 30 Pro also offers reverse wireless charging, allowing it to charge other devices wirelessly.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 30 Pro if you need exceptional battery life, incredibly fast charging (both wired and wireless), and a versatile camera system capable of both photo and video. Buy the Google Pixel 4 XL if you prefer a clean, bloatware-free Android experience, prioritize Google’s computational photography strengths, and value timely software updates, even if it comes at the cost of battery endurance.