Samsung Galaxy S10+ vs Huawei P30 Pro: Which 2019 Flagship Still Holds Up?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users in 2024, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ (Snapdragon variant) is the better choice. While the P30 Pro boasts faster 40W charging, the S10+'s more versatile chipset options, particularly the Snapdragon 855, and established software ecosystem provide a smoother, more reliable long-term experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S10+ | Huawei P30 Pro New Edition |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA | 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, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global | LTE |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat21 1400/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, February 20. Released 2019, March 08 | 2020, May 12. Released 2020, June 01 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), ceramic back, ceramic frame | Glass front (Aluminosilicate glass), glass back (Aluminosilicate glass), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm (6.20 x 2.92 x 0.31 in) | 158 x 73.4 x 8.4 mm (6.22 x 2.89 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 175 g / 198 g (ceramic) (6.17 oz) | 192 g (6.77 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | - |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~398 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 103.8 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.47 inches, 102.8 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ | OLED, HDR10 |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China | Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x1.92 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China | Kirin 980 (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/China | Mali-G76 MP10 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 | Android 10, EMUI 10.1, Google Play Services |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Leica optics, color spectrum sensor, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video | 40 MP, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom 20 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.7", PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, depth sensor | - |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| Radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| 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, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 15W wired, PD2.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 40W wired, 70% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4100 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4200 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink, Ceramic Black, Ceramic White, Cardinal Red, Smoke Blue | Aurora, Black, Silver Frost |
| Models | SM-G975F, SM-G975U, SM-G975W, SM-G975U1, SM-G9750, SM-G975N, SM-G975X, SC-05L | - |
| Price | $ 289.88 / C$ 449.97 / € 230.00 | About 820 EUR |
| SAR | 1.06 W/kg (head) 1.03 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.52 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | - |
Samsung Galaxy S10+
- Snapdragon 855 variant offers superior performance and thermal management.
- More versatile camera system with a wider range of shooting modes.
- Established software ecosystem and wider app compatibility.
- Slower wired charging (15W) compared to the P30 Pro.
- Exynos variant can suffer from thermal throttling.
Huawei P30 Pro New Edition
- Ultra-fast 40W wired charging (70% in 30 minutes).
- Excellent low-light camera performance.
- Potentially better color accuracy on the display.
- Kirin 980 chipset is less powerful than the Snapdragon 855.
- Huawei ecosystem limitations and potential app compatibility issues.
Display Comparison
Both phones feature excellent displays, but differ in key areas. The Galaxy S10+ boasts an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (nominal), offering vibrant colors and deep blacks, while achieving a sunlight contrast ratio of 4.514, suggesting strong outdoor visibility. The P30 Pro’s display specs are less detailed in available data, but Huawei historically focused on color accuracy. The S10+'s higher contrast ratio is likely more noticeable in everyday use, particularly with HDR content. The S10+’s display is also more likely to have a higher PWM dimming rate, potentially reducing eye strain for sensitive users.
Camera Comparison
The P30 Pro gained notoriety for its camera, but a direct comparison requires nuance. While detailed sensor specs are lacking, the P30 Pro’s strength lay in its low-light performance, aided by a large sensor and sophisticated image processing. The S10+ offers a more versatile camera system with a wider range of shooting modes and a more natural color profile. The P30 Pro’s 40W charging is a significant advantage for photographers who need to quickly replenish battery life after a long shooting session. However, the S10+’s video capabilities are generally considered superior, offering more stable footage and better dynamic range.
Performance
The chipset battle is crucial. The Galaxy S10+ offered two options: the Exynos 9820 (8nm) and the Snapdragon 855 (7nm). The Snapdragon 855, found in USA/China models, benefits from a smaller fabrication process, leading to improved thermal efficiency and sustained performance. The P30 Pro’s Kirin 980 (7nm) is a capable chip, but its CPU architecture – utilizing two Cortex-A76 cores alongside four A55 cores – doesn’t quite match the Snapdragon’s Kryo 485 configuration in multi-threaded workloads. This translates to potentially faster video editing and more responsive multitasking on the Snapdragon S10+. The Exynos variant, while still powerful, is known to throttle more aggressively under sustained load.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S10+ achieved an Endurance rating of 91 hours, indicating solid battery life. However, the P30 Pro’s 40W wired charging is a game-changer, capable of reaching 70% charge in just 30 minutes. This is significantly faster than the S10+'s 15W wired charging (PD2.0). Both phones support 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging (4.5W for the S10+, unspecified for the P30 Pro). While the S10+ may offer slightly longer overall battery life, the P30 Pro’s charging speed is a compelling advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10+ if you prioritize consistent performance, a wider range of app compatibility, and a more mature software experience. The Snapdragon 855 variant is highly recommended for optimal thermal management and gaming. Buy the Huawei P30 Pro New Edition if rapid charging is your absolute top priority and you are comfortable with the limitations of the Huawei ecosystem, including potential app compatibility issues and software update delays.