Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G vs OnePlus 9 Pro: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the OnePlus 9 Pro emerges as the more practical choice. While the Kirin 9000 is a capable processor, the Snapdragon 888’s broader software support and the OnePlus 9 Pro’s slightly brighter display and comparable battery life make it a more well-rounded package.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G | OnePlus 9 Pro |
| 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) / 1800 / 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, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - EU |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, June 28 | 2021, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, July 09 | Available. Released 2021, March 30 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 75.5 x 9.1 mm (Glass) / 9.5mm (Leather) | 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 212 g (7.48 oz) | 197 g (6.95 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1344 x 2772 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~456 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.76 inches, 115.7 cm2 (~94.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10, 90Hz | LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.13 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.54 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.05 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| Chipset | Kirin 9000 (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP24 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | HarmonyOS 2.0 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, OxygenOS 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica optics, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (monochrome) |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 20 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), PDAF | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480fps, 720p@960fps, 720p@3840fps, HDR, gyro-EIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, 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 (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 50W wireless, 100% in 43 min 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4400 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Silver, White, Black, Green, Yellow | Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black |
| Models | NOH-AL00, NOH-AL10 | LE2121, LE2125, LE2123, LE2120, LE2127 |
| Price | About 800 EUR | € 246.17 / $ 264.95 / £ 287.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 86h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) |
Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G
- Faster wired charging (66W)
- Unique Huawei camera image processing
- Potentially better thermal management (Kirin 9000)
- Lack of full Google Mobile Services
- Older software ecosystem
- Limited 5G support (4G only)
OnePlus 9 Pro
- Brighter display (859 nits)
- Seamless software experience with OxygenOS
- Wider 5G compatibility
- Snapdragon 888 can exhibit throttling
- Slightly slower wired charging (65W)
- Image processing may not appeal to all users
Display Comparison
The OnePlus 9 Pro’s display shines with a measured peak brightness of 859 nits, offering superior visibility in direct sunlight compared to the Mate 40 Pro 4G (brightness data unavailable, but typically lower). Both utilize high refresh rate panels, but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s LTPO technology dynamically adjusts the refresh rate for improved efficiency. While both offer excellent color accuracy, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s higher peak brightness provides a more vibrant and engaging viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography, but approach it differently. The OnePlus 9 Pro, developed in partnership with Hasselblad, focuses on natural color reproduction. The Mate 40 Pro 4G, on the other hand, employs Huawei’s signature image processing, often resulting in more saturated and contrast-rich images. While detailed sensor specs are unavailable for the Mate 40 Pro 4G, its camera system is renowned for its low-light capabilities. Both offer excellent video recording, but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s 8K video recording capability provides an edge for content creators.
Performance
Both the Kirin 9000 and Snapdragon 888 are built on a 5nm process, but their architectural differences are significant. The Snapdragon 888 features the Cortex-X1 prime core clocked at 2.84 GHz, designed for peak performance, while the Kirin 9000 utilizes a cluster of Cortex-A77 cores. In sustained workloads, the Snapdragon 888 is known to exhibit some throttling due to thermal constraints, but the Kirin 9000’s thermal management is also a consideration. Both devices are paired with ample RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking, but the Snapdragon 888 benefits from wider software optimization.
Battery Life
Both the Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G and OnePlus 9 Pro achieve an endurance rating of 86 hours, indicating comparable real-world battery life. However, their charging speeds differ slightly. The Mate 40 Pro 4G supports 66W wired charging, while the OnePlus 9 Pro offers 65W wired charging (reaching 100% in 29 minutes). Both also support 50W wireless charging, with the OnePlus 9 Pro taking 43 minutes to fully charge wirelessly. The slight edge in wired charging speed goes to the Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G, but the difference is minimal.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40 Pro 4G if you prioritize a unique camera experience with Huawei’s image processing and are comfortable navigating a software ecosystem without full Google Mobile Services. Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro if you value seamless software integration, a brighter display, and a more universally compatible 5G experience, alongside a strong camera system.