Huawei Nova 5 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G emerges as the overall winner thanks to its superior performance, 5G connectivity, and more modern features. However, the Nova 5 Pro offers incredibly fast charging and a competitive price point, making it a strong contender for budget-conscious buyers.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei nova 5 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 19, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA |
| 5G bands | - | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - USA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 Sub6 - International | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, June. Released 2019, June | 2020, September 23 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, October 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 157.4 x 74.8 x 7.3 mm (6.20 x 2.94 x 0.29 in) | 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4 mm (6.29 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 171 g (6.03 oz) | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~407 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.39 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 101.0 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 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 (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Kirin 980 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP10 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9.1 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 16 MP, f/2.2, (wide) 2 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens | - |
| Single | 19 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", predictive PDAF, Laser AF | 2 MP |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Browser | - | HTTP / WAP 2.0 |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| - | Virtual proximity sensing Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired, 85% in 30 min | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | - | Up to 300 h |
| Talk time | - | Up to 5 h |
| Type | Li-Po 3500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Purple, Green, Orange | Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud White, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange |
| Models | SEA-AL10, SEA-TL10 | SM-G781B, SM-G781B/DS, SM-G781U, SM-G781U1, SM-G781W, SM-G7810, SM-G781N, SM-G781V |
| Price | About 390 EUR | $ 137.00 / C$ 531.23 / £ 169.00 / € 199.00 |
| SAR | - | 0.70 W/kg (head) 0.82 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.50 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 361.99 |
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 589.97 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 769.99 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.5dB / Crosstalk -92.7dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 73h | Endurance rating 110h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1223:1 (nominal), 3.818 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 62dB / Noise 65dB / Ring 73dB | -26.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 170766 (v8) GeekBench: 808 (v5.1) GFXBench: 21fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 543986 (v8) GeekBench: 3296 (v5.1) GFXBench: 45fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei nova 5 Pro
- Incredibly fast 40W charging
- Excellent display contrast (especially in sunlight)
- Competitive price
- Good overall performance for the price
- Slower performance compared to flagship phones
- No 5G connectivity
- Software support may be limited due to geopolitical factors
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
- Flagship-level performance with Snapdragon 865 5G
- 5G connectivity
- Versatile camera system
- High peak brightness display
- Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
- Higher price point
- Slower charging compared to Nova 5 Pro
- Battery life, while good, isn't exceptional
Display Comparison
The Nova 5 Pro boasts an impressive contrast ratio, particularly in sunlight, offering excellent visibility. The S20 FE 5G, however, shines with its significantly higher peak brightness, making it easier to view in direct sunlight and providing a more vibrant HDR experience. The S20 FE 5G also has an 'infinite' contrast ratio, which is a marketing term but suggests excellent black levels.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems. The S20 FE 5G generally provides more versatility with its multiple lenses and advanced features. While the Nova 5 Pro's camera is good, the S20 FE 5G's image processing and low-light performance are superior. The S20 FE 5G also typically offers better video recording capabilities.
Performance
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G's Snapdragon 865 5G chipset and Cortex-A77 CPU combination delivers significantly faster performance than the Nova 5 Pro's Kirin 980. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the S20 FE 5G. The Nova 5 Pro is still capable, but noticeably slower.
Battery Life
The S20 FE 5G holds a slight edge in battery life, offering a longer endurance rating. However, the Nova 5 Pro's 40W fast charging is a game-changer, allowing it to charge from 0% to 85% in just 30 minutes – a significant advantage over the S20 FE 5G's 25W charging.
Buying Guide
The Huawei Nova 5 Pro is ideal for users prioritizing fast charging, a vibrant display, and a budget-friendly price. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is best suited for those seeking flagship-level performance, 5G connectivity, and a more versatile camera system, even if it comes at a higher cost.