The smartphone market offers a dizzying array of choices. Today, we're pitting two very different contenders against each other: the budget-friendly Lava Blaze Pro and the once-flagship Huawei P20 Pro. Can the newer, cheaper option truly compete with a phone that was a top performer in its prime?
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Huawei P20 Pro wins decisively. While the Lava Blaze Pro offers affordability, the P20 Pro’s superior chipset, camera, and significantly faster charging make it the better overall choice, despite its age. The P20 Pro's endurance rating is also a major advantage.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 900 / 1800 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (3CA) Cat16 1024/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 20 | 2018, March 27. Released 2018, April 06 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 20 | Discontinued |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 76.3 x 8.9 mm (6.49 x 3.00 x 0.35 in) | 155 x 73.9 x 7.8 mm (6.10 x 2.91 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 187 g (6.60 oz) | 180 g (6.35 oz) |
| | - | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins) |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~269 ppi density) | 1080 x 2240 pixels, 18.7:9 ratio (~408 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.52 inches, 102.6 cm2 (~81.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 93.9 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, 90Hz | OLED |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.3 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) | Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6765V/CB Helio G37 (12 nm) | Kirin 970 (10 nm) |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8320 | Mali-G72 MP12 |
| OS | Android 12 | Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, EMUI 12 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| | eMMC 5.1 | UFS 2.1 |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | LED flash | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica optics, LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide) | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, (wide), 0.64µm, AF
2 MP (macro)
VGA | 40 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS
8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
20 MP B/W, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/2.7" |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | - | Leica optics |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide) | 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm |
| Video | Yes | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio
|
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 4.2, A2DP, LE, EDR, aptX HD |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | 10W wired | 22.5W wired, 58% in 30 min |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Gold, Green, Blue, Orange | Black, Gold |
| Models | LZX404 | CLT-L29C, CLT-L29, CLT-L09C, CLT-L09, CLT-AL00, CLT-AL01, CLT-TL01, CLT-AL00L, CLT-L04, HW-01K, CLT-L0J |
| Price | About 130 EUR | About 410 EUR |
| Tests |
|---|
| Audio quality | - |
Noise -92.1dB / Crosstalk -92.1dB |
| Battery life | - |
Endurance rating 89h
|
| Camera | - |
Photo / Video |
| Display | - |
Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.087 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - |
Voice 71dB / Noise 69dB / Ring 91dB
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 209884 (v7)
GeekBench: 6679 (v4.4)
GFXBench: 21fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Lava Blaze Pro
- Affordable
- Decent display
- Modern design
- Weak performance
- Slow charging
- Basic camera
- Limited software updates
Huawei P20 Pro
- Excellent camera
- Long battery life
- Powerful chipset
- Fast charging
- Premium build quality
- Older model
- Potential software update limitations
- No Google Mobile Services (GMS)
Display Comparison
The Huawei P20 Pro boasts a superior display with excellent contrast (Infinite nominal, 4.087 in sunlight), offering vibrant colors and great visibility even in direct sunlight. The Lava Blaze Pro's display is likely adequate but lacks the premium feel and performance of the P20 Pro's panel. Resolution and color accuracy are likely better on the P20 Pro.
Camera Comparison
The Huawei P20 Pro's camera was groundbreaking for its time, featuring a triple-lens setup with impressive low-light performance and a dedicated monochrome sensor. While the Lava Blaze Pro's camera is likely decent for its price range, it won't match the P20 Pro's image quality, dynamic range, or overall versatility. The P20 Pro's image processing is also superior.
Performance
The Kirin 970 in the Huawei P20 Pro is significantly more powerful than the Helio G37 in the Lava Blaze Pro. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the P20 Pro. The P20 Pro's Cortex-A73 cores offer a substantial performance advantage over the Blaze Pro's Cortex-A53 cores.
Battery Life
The Huawei P20 Pro shines here with an incredible endurance rating of 89 hours. The Lava Blaze Pro's battery capacity is likely smaller, and its power efficiency is lower due to the less efficient chipset. The P20 Pro also offers significantly faster charging (22.5W) compared to the Blaze Pro's 10W.
Buying Guide
The Lava Blaze Pro is ideal for users on a tight budget who prioritize affordability over premium features. The Huawei P20 Pro is a great option for those seeking a reliable, capable phone with a fantastic camera and long battery life, even if it's a few years old and may lack the latest software updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Huawei P20 Pro still worth buying in 2024?
Yes, if you prioritize camera quality, battery life, and performance over the latest features and software updates. However, be aware of the lack of GMS and potential software limitations.
❓ Does the Lava Blaze Pro receive regular software updates?
Lava phones are generally known for limited software support. Don't expect frequent or long-term updates on the Blaze Pro.
