Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G vs. Huawei P40 Pro+: A Flagship Face-Off
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing all-around capability, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G emerges as the slightly stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 865 variant (US market) offers more consistent performance, and the broader 5G band support provides future-proofing. However, the P40 Pro+ excels in battery endurance and wireless charging.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G | Huawei P40 Pro+ |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 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, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-G988B | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G988B | 1, 3, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 11 | 2020, March 26 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, March 06 | Available. Released 2020, June 06 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front, ceramic back, ceramic frame |
| Dimensions | 166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm (6.57 x 2.99 x 0.35 in) | 158.2 x 72.6 x 9 mm (6.23 x 2.86 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 222 g (7.83 oz) | 226 g (7.97 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | - |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~511 ppi density) | 1200 x 2640 pixels (~441 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 114.0 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.58 inches, 105.2 cm2 (~91.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1400 nits (peak) | OLED, 90Hz, HDR10 |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA | Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - USA | Kirin 990 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Mali-G76 MP16 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | Android 10, EMUI 10.1, no Google Play Services |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Leica 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) |
| Triple | 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/3.5, 103mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0, (depth) | - |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720@7680fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm, AF IR TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.1, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Infrared Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 40W wired 40W wireless 27W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4200 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black, Cloud White | White Ceramic, Black Ceramic |
| Models | SM-G988, SM-G988U, SM-G988U1, SM-G9880, SM-G988B/DS, SM-G988N, SM-G988B, SM-G988W, SCG03 | ELS-N39, ELS-AN10 |
| Price | € 227.11 / $ 184.00 / £ 335.00 | About 1000 EUR |
| SAR | 0.94 W/kg (head) 0.95 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.32 W/kg (head) 1.56 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -27.4 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 529687 (v8) GeekBench: 3203 (v5.1) GFXBench: 31fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
- Brighter, more visible display
- Snapdragon 865 variant offers superior performance (US)
- Versatile camera system with 100x Space Zoom
- Exynos 990 can suffer from thermal throttling (Global)
- Battery life is shorter than the P40 Pro+
Huawei P40 Pro+
- Exceptional battery life and endurance
- Faster wireless charging (40W)
- Natural color reproduction in photos
- Display is less bright than the S20 Ultra
- Kirin 990 performance lags behind Snapdragon 865
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 894 nits measured, compared to the Huawei P40 Pro+'s 760 nits. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. While the P40 Pro+ claims an infinite contrast ratio, the S20 Ultra’s larger screen size and higher peak brightness provide a more immersive viewing experience. Both utilize OLED technology, but Samsung’s panel is geared towards maximizing brightness for outdoor use, while Huawei focuses on color accuracy.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are camera powerhouses, but their approaches differ. While both offer versatile camera systems, the P40 Pro+’s image processing prioritizes natural color reproduction and detail preservation, particularly in low-light scenarios. The S20 Ultra, on the other hand, tends towards more saturated colors and aggressive sharpening. The S20 Ultra’s 100x Space Zoom is a marketing highlight, but image quality degrades significantly at extreme zoom levels. Both excel in video recording, but the S20 Ultra offers more frame rate options.
Performance
The chipset choice significantly impacts performance. The global S20 Ultra utilizes the Exynos 990, while the US version benefits from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G. The Snapdragon 865, with its Cortex-A77 cores clocked at 2.84 GHz, generally outperforms the Exynos 990’s Mongoose M5 cores (2.73 GHz) in sustained workloads due to superior thermal management. The Huawei P40 Pro+’s Kirin 990 5G, while competitive, falls slightly behind the Snapdragon 865 in GPU performance. Both phones feature ample RAM, but the Snapdragon variant’s efficiency gives it an edge in demanding tasks like gaming.
Battery Life
The Huawei P40 Pro+ takes the lead in battery endurance with a measured 95-hour rating, compared to the S20 Ultra’s 87 hours. This advantage stems from the Kirin 990’s efficiency and Huawei’s aggressive power management. While the S20 Ultra supports faster 45W wired charging, the P40 Pro+ counters with 40W wired and an impressive 40W wireless charging capability, alongside 27W reverse wireless charging – significantly exceeding the S20 Ultra’s 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless. This makes the P40 Pro+ ideal for users who rely heavily on wireless charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G if you need a large, bright display for media consumption, a versatile camera system with impressive zoom capabilities, and the widest 5G compatibility. Buy the Huawei P40 Pro+ if you prioritize exceptional battery life, fast wireless charging, and a camera focused on color accuracy and detail in challenging lighting conditions, and are comfortable with the limitations of the Huawei ecosystem.