Which one is best for you?
Released within a couple of months of each other, Huawei’s much-admired Mate 20 Pro and Samsung’s big and beautiful Galaxy Note9 are two of the very best phones money can buy. Both are loaded with the latest tech and excel in different areas.
The dual-lens snapper on the Note9 and the Mate 20 Pro’s 6.39-inch OLED screen are both excellent, but the Samsung’s superb plus-sized phone has a dazzling Super AMOLED display, much hailed on release as the best screen on a phone to date. Meanwhile the Mate 20 Pro houses a ground-breaking triple-lens camera which created just as much of a buzz when it was announced.
Both phones boast impressive battery life, but the Mate 20 Pro has the added advantage of phone-to-phone wireless charging, allowing you to boost the battery on another phone. Not to be outdone, the Note9 has its own hidden technical marvel – the Bluetooth-connected S Pen, which can be used to draw or take notes, and doubles as a remote control for the camera, or as a clicker for presentations.
Both phones are shielded by Gorilla Glass, and both are water-resistant, so should survive the odd puddle drop. And while the Note9 has more memory and more RAM, making it the better performer on paper, the Huawei is powerful enough to excel at most tasks, and is unlikely to disappoint.
Either of these phones would make an excellent upgrade from just about any earlier Android phone. The Mate 20 Pro’s big selling point is its superb camera – one of the best on any phone. The Samsung’s pin-sharp, colour-rich screen will attract gamers and movie buffs. Which one is right for you will depend on what’s most important to you.
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Huawei
Mate 20 Pro
Get two days’ worth of juice with a single charge, and reach 70% battery within 30 minutes with SuperCharge
Experience a heightened performance whilst using less power with the Kirin 980 Mobile AI chip
Keep your data safe with advanced AI driven 3D Facial Recognition and a fingerprint sensor
Capture group photos and high-rise buildings with the ultra-wide-angle Leica triple camera
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Samsung
Galaxy Note9
Immerse yourself in crystal clear images and video on the 6.4-inch Infinity Display
The dual aperture camera with optical zoom adapts to light just like your eyes, so you can take beautiful pictures day and night
Control your phone remotely from up to 10 metres with the new Bluetooth S Pen
Create and share a fun Augmented Reality version of yourself with AR emojis
| Name | Mate 20 Pro | Galaxy Note9 |
|---|---|---|
| Image |
Buy the Mate 20 Pro |
Buy the Galaxy Note9 |
| Display | 6.39 inches | 6.4 inch Infinity Display |
| Size and weight |
Height: 157.8 mm Width: 72.3 mm Depth: 8.6 mm Weight: 189 grams |
Height: 161.9 mm Width: 76.4 mm Depth: 8.8 mm Weight: 201 grams |
| Rear camera | 40 MP + 20 MP + 8 MP | 12 MP + 12 MP |
| Front camera | 24 MP | 8 MP |
| Processor | HiSilicon Kirin 980 (7 nm) | Exynos 9810 |
| Battery | 4200 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Buy now | Buy the Mate 20 Pro | Buy the Galaxy Note9 |