Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs. the Huawei P30 Pro

Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs. the Huawei P30 Pro 

The Samsung Galaxy Note10+ is the latest premium smartphone to excite the mobile industry. This 10th anniversary milestone is significant enough for existing Note users to upgrade their phones, resulting in a new pre-order record for Samsung in Singapore and doubled the Note9 pre-order numbers in South Korea.

The Huawei P30 Pro is a game-changing smartphone that empowers consumers with a 5-times optical zoom camera that can push up to a 50x digital zoom. Its sales volume reached 10 million within 85 days, a new sales record for Huawei.

Does the P30 Pro stand a chance to retain the popularity and feature set from the newcomer? NXT compares these two premium handsets and give you the breakdown.  

Huawei P30 Pro

The Huawei P30 Pro’s eye-catching transitional colour on the back earns its solid reputation with the Leica Quad Camera System that shoots from 0.6X ultra wide angle to 10X hybrid optical zoom range. The image quality is elevated with the huge 1/1.7-inch 40MP primary sensor, the ability to shoot in complete darkness is achieved with the mind-blowing ISO 409,600, and the 50x zoom reach makes it possible to capture the moon if you wish to. The P30 Pro also shoots super macro close-up shots that reveal hairline details without needing an add-on lens attachment. In short, this is the camera phone to replace your compact camera.

Various photographs taken with the Huawei P30 Pro

The Huawei P30 Pro commands a premium price not just for the camera, but also the many features that are not readily found in other phones. This includes wireless reverse charging, EMUI Desktop mode, wireless projection, premium wireless audio codecs (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, HWA). After 4 months, my P30 Pro does not show signs of slowing in the performance. Battery life remains exceptional thanks to the power-efficient Kirin 980, and the OS is a little closer to stock Android than Galaxy Note10 series, using Android Message apps and supporting Google feed on the home screen. The fears of any end of support to the Android OS are largely unfounded, as Huawei issues an assurance warranty for their devices with a 2-year protection on popular apps.

Samsung Galaxy Note10+

For the first time, Samsung releases two Note10 sizes in a bid to cater to the “crossover” segment of consumers who are keen on the S Pen features but not keen on the size. Thanks to design innovation, the new Note10+ achieves a massive 6.8-inch display while only 1mm broader and taller than the Note9. The thickness is cut by almost 1mm, an amazing feat given the increase of battery capacity to 4300 mAh. The phone is almost covered entirely in glass and the beautiful Dynamic AMOLED display fills the entire face of the phone. Yet it feels more comfortable on the hand than previous models. Playing videos and games feels amazingly immersive thanks also to the unobtrusive Infinity-O design and the powerful stereo speaker setup.

Various photographs taken with the Samsung Note10 Plus

Battery life may be the longest yet on a Galaxy Note, but is never enough as the new features consume considerable power like the AR Doodle, Live Focus Video, 3D scanner, and Samsung DeX. Fortunately, it takes just 30 minutes to top up the battery to last the whole day with the included 25W power adapter. Even without the charging pit-stop, the Note10+ lasts comfortably for the entire work day when used moderately. The star feature, S Pen, has more tricks up its sleeve, but more importantly, note-taking is natural and handwriting recognition is above average.

Comparison Results

Phones Huawei P30 Pro Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Design 4 4.5
Performance 4.5 4.5
Display 4.5 4.5
Camera Features and Quality 4.5 4.5
Feature List 4 4.5
Price Value 4 4
Score 25.5 26.5

Test Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 

It comes without a surprise that the latest Galaxy Note10+ emerges as the better overall smartphone. There is no doubt that when it comes to camera versatility, the Huawei P30 Pro is unbeatable. You can count on P30 Pro to capture finer details in group photos by selecting the 40MP resolution and shooting in RAW, or shoot a distant object with the hybrid 10X zoom that tears the competition hands down.

The Galaxy Note10+ camera quality is no slouch. Without pixel-peeping, Samsung’s image processing is clearly more aggressive with brighter tonality and cooler, while Huawei’s Leica treatment appears more contrasty and warm. Though the pixel count is not as high, the Note10+ supports more fanciful content creation modes, like Zoom-in Mic, Live Focus Video, Super Steady, AR Doodle. It is also a more feature-laden smartphone, like the outstanding Dynamic AMOLED with 2 million-to-1 display contrast ratio, improved S Pen with Air actions to wirelessly control camera modes and music tracks. The improved Samsung DeX is also better integrated with the PC and Mac, though the performance is not quite smooth enough.

Other than feature variances, both smartphones perform like what premium handsets should: they both look beautiful and feels fragile, with snappy UI and over-the-top battery performance. Additionally, half a point was given to the Note10+ for its design tweak to make the smartphone a little more outstanding while keeping a similar DNA, and another half point goes in favour of the Note10+ for having more features.

To choose between the two, decide on your priorities: The Galaxy Note10+ emphasises on creativity and video content, while the Huawei P30 Pro delivers better results in still photography.

Front and Back view of Huawei P30 Pro

Huawei P30 Pro Technical Specifications

Processor Kirin 980
Display 6.47-inch FHD+ 2340 x 1080 OLED
Memory 8GB RAM, 256GB/512GB
Rear Camera Ultra Wide Angle: 20MP f/2.2, Standard: 40MP f/1.6 OIS, Telephoto: 8MP f/3.4 OIS
Front Camera 32MP f/2.0
Operating System  EMUI 9.1 based on Android 9.1
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, NFC, Wireless Quick Charge 15W
Battery 4200mAh
Dimensions 158. x 73.4 x 8.41mm
Weight 192g

The Huawei P30 Pro is available from $1398 (256GB)

https://consumer.huawei.com/sg/

Samsung Galaxy Note10 in Aura Glow

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Technical Specifications

Processor Samsung Exynos 9825 7nm 64-bit Octa-core processor
Display 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O Display
Memory 12GB RAM, 256GB/512GB Internal Storage
Rear Camera Telephoto: 12MP f/2.1, Wide Angle: 12MP f/1.5-2.4, Ultra Wide: 16MP f/2.2, DepthVision Camera: VGA
Front Camera 10MP AF f/2.2
Operating System  Android 9.0 Pie
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C NFC, MST
Battery 4300mAh
Dimensions 162.3. x 77.2 x 7.9mm
Weight 196g

The Samsung Galaxy Note10+ is available from $1598 (256GB)

https://www.samsung.com/sg/