OnePlus 9 Pro vs Huawei Mate 40: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the OnePlus 9 Pro emerges as the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 888 offers a more consistently powerful experience, coupled with significantly faster charging speeds (65W wired vs 40W) and a brighter display. While the Mate 40 holds its own, software limitations and slower charging hinder its overall appeal.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40 | 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, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79, 80, 84 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 22 | 2021, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, December 21 | 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 | 158.6 x 72.5 x 8.8 mm (Glass) / 9.2mm (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 + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 188 g (Glass) / 184 g (Leather) (6.49 oz) | 197 g (6.95 oz) |
| IP53, dust and splash resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Asahi Dragontrail Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2376 pixels (~402 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 102.7 cm2 (~89.3% 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 9000E 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP22 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 11, no Google Play Services | 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 | 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/2.0, 1/3.1", 1.12µm, AF | 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 8 MP, f/2.4, 85mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide) | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps, 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) | 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 | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | 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 | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired 40W wireless 5W reverse wired | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 50W wireless, 100% in 43 min 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, White, Black, Green, Yellow | Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black |
| Models | OCE-AN10 | LE2121, LE2125, LE2123, LE2120, LE2127 |
| Price | About 630 EUR | € 246.17 / $ 264.95 / £ 287.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.49 W/kg (head) 0.76 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 86h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) |
Huawei Mate 40
- Unique EMUI software experience
- Strong computational photography capabilities
- Solid build quality and design
- Lack of Google Mobile Services
- Slower charging speeds
- Potentially limited app availability
OnePlus 9 Pro
- Blazing-fast 65W wired charging
- Powerful Snapdragon 888 processor
- Bright and vibrant display
- Open Android ecosystem with guaranteed updates
- OxygenOS can be divisive
- Camera processing can sometimes be overly aggressive
Display Comparison
The OnePlus 9 Pro boasts a brighter display, peaking at 859 nits, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the Mate 40. While both likely utilize OLED technology, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s higher brightness translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s display is also likely to benefit from a variable refresh rate (LTPO) technology, not explicitly stated but standard for this class of device, improving battery efficiency. The Mate 40’s display quality is still excellent, but the OnePlus 9 Pro offers a more visually impactful experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are capable of excellent photography, but approach it differently. The OnePlus 9 Pro, developed in partnership with Hasselblad, focuses on color accuracy and natural image processing. The Mate 40, known for its computational photography prowess, often produces more vibrant, albeit sometimes over-processed, images. Without specific sensor details for the Mate 40, it’s difficult to make a direct comparison, but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s camera system is likely to offer more versatility with its multiple lenses and advanced features. Both phones excel in video recording, but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s Snapdragon ISP provides superior image stabilization and dynamic range.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) features a Cortex-X1 prime core clocked at 2.84 GHz, designed for peak performance, while the Mate 40’s Kirin 9000E 5G (5nm) utilizes a Cortex-A77 prime core at 3.13 GHz. While the Kirin’s clock speed is higher, the Snapdragon 888’s newer architecture and more efficient core design generally result in superior sustained performance and better thermal management. Both utilize 5nm fabrication, but Qualcomm’s Adreno 660 GPU in the OnePlus 9 Pro will likely outperform the Mali-G78 MP24 in the Mate 40 for graphics-intensive tasks. Both phones feature ample RAM, but the OnePlus 9 Pro benefits from faster LPDDR5 RAM, contributing to snappier multitasking.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 86 hours, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the Mate 40). However, the charging speeds are drastically different. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s 65W wired charging can fully charge the device in just 29 minutes, while the Mate 40’s 40W wired charging is significantly slower. The OnePlus 9 Pro also offers 50W wireless charging (43 minutes to full) compared to the Mate 40’s 40W wireless charging. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s faster charging capabilities provide a significant convenience advantage.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40 if you prioritize a unique, polished software experience (EMUI) and are comfortable navigating the limitations of the Huawei ecosystem, including the absence of Google Mobile Services. Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro if you demand raw performance, blazing-fast charging, and a more open Android experience with guaranteed software updates and a vibrant display.