Samsung Galaxy Note10+ vs Huawei P40 Pro+: A Deep Dive Comparison

Released within months of each other in 2019, the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ and Huawei P40 Pro+ represented the pinnacle of Android flagship technology. While both aimed for premium status, they took different approaches. The Note10+ focused on productivity with its S Pen and versatile features, while the P40 Pro+ doubled down on camera innovation. Now, with prices dropping on both, the question arises: which remains the better buy?
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing camera versatility and fast wireless charging, the Huawei P40 Pro+ edges out the Samsung Galaxy Note10+. However, the Note10+'s S Pen, wider software ecosystem, and potentially more readily available service network make it a strong contender, especially for productivity-focused users.

PHONES
Phone Names Samsung Galaxy Note10+ Huawei P40 Pro+
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global, LATAM1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
5G bands-1, 3, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA
EDGENo-
GPRSYes-
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 MbpsHSPA, LTE, 5G
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTEGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - Canada-
Launch
Announced2019, August 07. Released 2019, August 232020, March 26
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2020, June 06
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frameGlass front, ceramic back, ceramic frame
Dimensions162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm (6.39 x 3.04 x 0.31 in)158.2 x 72.6 x 9 mm (6.23 x 2.86 x 0.35 in)
KeyboardQWERTY-
SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight196 g (6.91 oz)226 g (7.97 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 42ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 6-
Resolution1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~498 ppi density)1200 x 2640 pixels (~441 ppi density)
Size6.8 inches, 114.0 cm2 (~91.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.58 inches, 105.2 cm2 (~91.6% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeDynamic AMOLED, HDR10+OLED, 90Hz, HDR10
 Always-on display-
Platform
CPUOcta-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/ChinaOcta-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55)
ChipsetExynos 9825 (7 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/ChinaKirin 990 5G (7 nm+)
GPUMali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/ChinaMali-G76 MP16
OSAndroid 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4Android 10, EMUI 10.1, no Google Play Services
Memory
Call recordsYes-
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model onlyNano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
Phonebook200 entries-
 UFS 3.0UFS 3.0
Main Camera
FeaturesLED flash, auto-HDR, panoramaLeica optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR
Quad-50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/4.4, 240mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 40 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), 1/1.54", PDAF TOF 3D, (depth)
SingleCIF-
Triple12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.1, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth)-
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720@7680fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR; gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm, AF IR TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video4K@30/60fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes
 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG32-bit/384kHz audio
Comms
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX5.1, A2DP, LE
Infrared port-Yes
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC
RadioFM radio (USA & Canada only)No
USBUSB Type-C 3.1USB Type-C 3.1, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
BrowserWAP 2.0-
GamesDownloadable-
JavaNo-
MessagingSMS, MMS-
SensorsFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerInfrared Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
 Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)-
Battery
Charging45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless40W wired 40W wireless 27W reverse wireless
Stand-byUp to 450 h-
Talk timeUp to 6 h-
TypeLi-Ion 4300 mAh, non-removableLi-Po 4200 mAh
Misc
ColorsAura Glow, Aura White, Aura Black, Aura BlueWhite Ceramic, Black Ceramic
ModelsSM-N975F, SM-N975U, SM-N9750, SM-N975U1, SM-N975W, SM-N975N, SM-N975X, SCV45ELS-N39, ELS-AN10
PriceAbout 220 EURAbout 1000 EUR
SAR0.35 W/kg (head)     0.70 W/kg (body)-
SAR EU0.19 W/kg (head)     1.40 W/kg (body)-
Tests
Audio quality Noise -94.0dB / Crosstalk -95.1dB-
Battery life Endurance rating 107h Endurance rating 95h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -26.0 LUFS (Very good) -27.4 LUFS (Good)
Performance AnTuTu: 342208 (v7), 438622 (v8) GeekBench: 10403 (v4.4), 2154 (v5.1) GFXBench: 24fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 529687 (v8) GeekBench: 3203 (v5.1) GFXBench: 31fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Samsung Galaxy Note10+

  • Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
  • Wider software ecosystem and support (Samsung)
  • Brighter display for outdoor visibility

  • Exynos variant can suffer from thermal throttling
  • Slower wireless charging compared to P40 Pro+
  • Camera system less versatile than P40 Pro+

Huawei P40 Pro+

  • Superior camera system with advanced hardware
  • Fastest wireless charging available (40W)
  • Powerful Kirin 990 5G chipset

  • Software ecosystem and support (Huawei)
  • Lower peak display brightness
  • Battery life slightly shorter than Note10+

Display Comparison

Both devices feature 'infinite' contrast ratio displays, typical of OLED technology. However, the Note10+ boasts a measured peak brightness of 794 nits, noticeably brighter than the P40 Pro+'s 760 nits. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. While both offer excellent color accuracy, the Note10+’s display is slightly more advantageous for outdoor use. The P40 Pro+ lacks the Note10+'s higher refresh rate, which, while not present in either, is a feature becoming increasingly common in flagship devices.

Camera Comparison

The P40 Pro+ is the clear winner in camera hardware. While both phones are capable of excellent photo and video, the P40 Pro+’s camera system is more advanced. The P40 Pro+’s sensor array is more sophisticated, offering greater flexibility and image quality, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. While both phones offer versatile camera systems, the P40 Pro+’s superior hardware and image processing give it a significant advantage. The Note10+’s camera is still excellent, but it doesn’t match the P40 Pro+’s capabilities.

Performance

The chipset choice is a key differentiator. The Note10+ shipped with either the Exynos 9825 (EMEA/LATAM) or Snapdragon 855 (USA/China). The Snapdragon variant, with its Kryo 485 cores clocked up to 2.84 GHz, generally offers better sustained performance and thermal management compared to the Exynos. The P40 Pro+ utilizes the Kirin 990 5G (7nm+), which features a dual Cortex-A76 core configuration. While the Kirin 990 5G is competitive, the Snapdragon 855 in the US Note10+ variant often demonstrates a slight edge in GPU-intensive tasks. Both phones utilize ample RAM, mitigating performance bottlenecks in most scenarios.

Battery Life

The Note10+ has an endurance rating of 107 hours, slightly better than the P40 Pro+'s 95 hours. However, this doesn't tell the whole story. The P40 Pro+ compensates with significantly faster charging speeds: 40W wired and an impressive 40W wireless, compared to the Note10+'s 45W wired and 15W wireless. The P40 Pro+ also offers 27W reverse wireless charging, exceeding the Note10+'s 4.5W. This means the P40 Pro+ can top up quickly, even wirelessly, and can more effectively charge other devices.

Buying Guide

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ if you need a stylus for note-taking and creative tasks, value the Samsung ecosystem and One UI, and prefer a phone with established software support. Buy the Huawei P40 Pro+ if you prioritize camera performance, particularly in low-light conditions, and desire the fastest wireless charging available, even if it means navigating a different software experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 9825 in the Note10+ overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
The Exynos 9825 is known to throttle under sustained load, leading to reduced performance during extended gaming. The Snapdragon 855 variant mitigates this issue significantly due to its more efficient architecture and thermal design. Users planning on heavy gaming should prioritize the Snapdragon version if possible.
❓ Is the 2MP macro camera on either phone actually useful for detailed close-up shots?
The 2MP macro cameras on both devices are largely marketing features. Their low resolution and fixed focus limit their usefulness. Results are often soft and lack detail. Dedicated macro lenses with higher resolutions are required for truly impressive close-up photography.
❓ Does the Huawei P40 Pro+ support Google Mobile Services (GMS)?
No, the Huawei P40 Pro+ does not natively support Google Mobile Services due to the US trade ban. It relies on Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and a growing app gallery, but compatibility with some popular apps may be limited or require workarounds.
❓ How long does it take to fully charge the Note10+ with the 45W charger?
Using the 45W charger, the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ can charge from 0% to 100% in approximately 65-70 minutes. While fast, it's slower than the P40 Pro+'s wired charging capabilities.