Mate 20 Pro vs Galaxy Note9

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.