Samsung Galaxy Note7 vs Huawei Mate 10 Pro: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro edges out the Note7 thanks to its superior battery life, faster charging, and more modern Kirin 970 chipset. While the Note7 had a stunning display and S Pen, the Mate 10 Pro's overall package proved more enduring and competitive.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note7 (USA) | Huawei Mate 10 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 38, 39, 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, LTE, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (3CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO / TD-SCDMA | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2016, August. Released 2016, August | 2017, October. Released 2017, November |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm (6.04 x 2.91 x 0.31 in) | 154.2 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.07 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 169 g (5.96 oz) | 178 g (6.28 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass (unspecified version) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) | 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~402 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.7 inches, 89.6 cm2 (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.0 inches, 92.9 cm2 (~80.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, HDR10 | OLED, HDR10 |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core (2x2.15 GHz Kryo & 2x1.6 GHz Kryo) | Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 (14 nm) | Kirin 970 (10 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 530 | Mali-G72 MP12 |
| OS | Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow), TouchWiz UI | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, EMUI 10.2 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM |
| - | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm, PDAF, OIS 20 MP B/W, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/2.7" |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@240fps, stereo sound rec., HDR, gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 5 MP, f/1.7, 22mm (wide) 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) | - |
| Features | HDR | - |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.4µm, AF |
| Video | - | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE | 4.2, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.1, 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, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Iris scanner, fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| ANT+ S-Voice natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless | 22.5W wired, 58% in 30 min |
| Music play | Up to 60 h | - |
| Talk time | Up to 38 h (3G) | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 3500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Blue Coral, Silver Titanium, Black Onyx | Midnight Blue, Titanium Gray, Mocha Brown, Pink Gold |
| Models | SM-N930V, SM-N930A, SM-N930P, SM-N930T, SM-N930R4, SM-N930W8, SM-N930F, SM-N930G, SM-N930S | BLA-L29, BLA-L09, BLA-AL00, BLA-A09, BLA-TL00 |
| Price | About 760 EUR | About 450 EUR |
| SAR | 0.65 W/kg (head) 1.59 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -93.5dB / Crosstalk -93.4dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 96h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.247 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinity (nominal), 4.096 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 69dB / Noise 69dB / Ring 72dB | Voice 70dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 84dB |
| Performance | Basemark OS II 2.0: 2432Basemark X: 33520 | GeekBench: 6783 (v4.4) GFXBench: 21fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note7 (USA)
- Stunning Display
- S Pen Stylus for Productivity
- Premium Design
- Excellent Performance (for its time)
- Battery Life Concerns
- Safety Recall History
- Outdated Chipset
- Slower Charging
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
- Exceptional Battery Life
- Fast Charging
- Powerful Kirin 970 Chipset
- Excellent Camera System
- Modern Design
- EMUI Software (can be divisive)
- Less Unique Design Compared to Note7
Display Comparison
Both phones boast excellent displays with high contrast ratios. The Note7's display is known for its vibrant colors and excellent sunlight readability (4.247). The Mate 10 Pro's display (4.096) is also very good, though slightly less impressive in direct sunlight. The Note7's edge display was a unique design element.
Camera Comparison
The Mate 10 Pro's camera system, featuring Leica optics, consistently delivered impressive image quality with accurate colors and good dynamic range. While the Note7's camera was also very capable, the Mate 10 Pro's image processing and low-light performance were generally considered superior. Both offered good video recording capabilities.
Performance
The Mate 10 Pro's Kirin 970 chipset, built on a 10nm process, offers a noticeable performance advantage over the Note7's Snapdragon 820 (14nm). The Kirin 970's octa-core architecture and improved efficiency translate to smoother multitasking and better sustained performance. The Note7's performance was still excellent for its time, but the Mate 10 Pro holds up better today.
Battery Life
This is where the Mate 10 Pro truly shines. With an endurance rating of 96 hours, it significantly outlasts the Note7's 81 hours. The Mate 10 Pro also features significantly faster charging (22.5W wired, 58% in 30 minutes) compared to the Note7's 15W wired charging.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy Note7 is for users who prioritize a premium design, the S Pen stylus for productivity, and a vibrant display. However, given its age and past issues, it's not recommended. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is ideal for users seeking long battery life, fast charging, and a capable camera system, offering a more practical and reliable choice today.