Honor 10 vs iPhone X – the eternal confrontation between America and China

Each year in the mobile market, there emerges a handset from Asian manufacturers that earns the moniker of "iPhone killer." Evaluating the Honor 10 against the iPhone X will determine if this latest contender has managed to surpass or at least rival the dominant market leader.

Features

It’s challenging to compare Honor 10 and iPhone 10. The primary issue is that Apple devices exclusively utilize their own operating system, iOS.

Note: It’s widely known that the biggest advantage of the iOS system is its exceptional optimization, enabling even devices with relatively modest specifications to operate smoothly and efficiently. Therefore, a direct comparison of hardware characteristics would be inaccurate. Instead, the performance of each device should be evaluated based on user experience and reviews, rather than just numerical data.

The data presented below provides an overview of the performance specifications of the devices:

Features	iPhone X	Honor 10
Dimensions, weight	143.6*70.9*7.7 mm, 174 grams	149*71*7.25 mm, 153 grams
Materials	Metal + glass	Metal + glass
Screen	Amoled, 5.8 inches, 2436*1125, 3D touch	LTPS, 5.84 inches, 2280*1082, FullView
OS	iOS 11	Android 8.1, EMUI 8.1
Chipset	A11 bionic	Kirin 970, octa-core, 4*2.36 GHz, 4*1.8 GHz
Graphics coprocessor	M11	Mali G72
RAM/RAM	3GB, 64/256GB	4GB, 64/128GB
Interfaces	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, GPS, Glonass, NFC	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, GPS, Glonass, NFC, IR
Cameras	12+12MP, 8MP	16+24MP, 24MP
BATTERY	2716 mAh, Qi – wireless charging	3400 mAh, QuickCharge

The comparison between Honor 10 and iPhone 10 is a fascinating clash that demands analysis not only on the basis of specifications and usability, but also the background of these two devices. While examining the specifications, it becomes evident that Apple’s creation falls short compared to its rival in nearly all aspects. However, as mentioned earlier, it is not the correct perspective to solely focus on numerical figures.

Positioning

The Honor 10, while being the flagship device in the Honor lineup, is not considered the best device by its creator, Huawei. Originally, the Honor sub-brand was created by Huawei as a way to release independent devices, but with some copying and borrowing of characteristics. It is clear that the Chinese company did this in order to capture a larger market share, and this strategy has proven to be successful. The Honor 10, in particular, takes the best features from Huawei’s flagship and top models, and adds artificial intelligence capabilities. This is an area that the Chinese brand is actively focusing on. In conclusion, the Honor 10 is the top phone in the Honor brand, but it still borrows many features from existing Huawei devices. It is priced at 28 and 30 thousand rubles for different memory options.The iPhone X, on the other hand, is an anniversary device. The main objective for Tim Cook and the other owners of the Apple brand was to release a phone with a high price tag and a new design. While Steve Jobs was alive, Apple would change the design of their phones with each new model. However, after his passing, Apple realized that it is better to stick to a proven design and focus on improving the internal components. Creating a new design always carries risks, as it is unknown how the audience will react and what flaws may be discovered. Samsung has faced this issue numerous times in the past, and Apple did not want to repeat the same mistake. The main customer base for Apple devices consists of people who are willing to pay any amount for a brand phone, and only secondarily consider the internal features. However, there had been grumblings from customers and sales were declining, so the company needed to take action to regain its previous numbers. The result was the release of a new anniversary phone with a fresh design and a significantly higher price tag.

As a side note! Originally, the release of the model was planned for 2026, but due to the information leak about Samsung’s new smartphones, the launch date was quickly adjusted.

At the time of its release, the weakest version of the model had a starting price of 80,000 rubles. No other brand had set such a high initial price for their "weaker" models, and only a few could afford to charge such a premium for high-end equipment. Apple took a gamble with this price point, recognizing that the novelty would still garner attention. By artificially generating interest, they ensured that the demand would be exceptionally high. This strategy has been fully justified.

Design

It was evident that the creators of the tenth iPhone placed a significant emphasis on its design. Now, let’s examine how successful it turned out in terms of aesthetics when compared to its Chinese counterparts.

Honor 10

The all-new Honor 10 is a remarkable fusion of the well-known materials used by the company, namely glass and metal. Just prior to the release of the Honor 9, the brand proudly introduced its groundbreaking nanoglass technology, which allows the smartphone to reflect a wide array of vibrant colors. In simpler terms, this means that the device showcases a stunning multicolored shimmering effect when exposed to sunlight, while still maintaining its original shade. It is important to emphasize that this feature adds a tremendous visual appeal to the smartphone, and the majority of reviews highly commend Honor for this innovative approach. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Honor 10 stays true to its winning formula and continues to utilize the same premium materials. The back side of the phone boasts the ultra-durable nanoglass, while the front is covered with the sleek 2.5D protective glass. Furthermore, the side edges are crafted from elegant metal. In the recent years, when exploring reviews of various smartphones, it has often been noted that numerous brands have embraced the trend famously initiated by Apple’s iPhone X, by expanding the usable screen area at the expense of the so-called "notch".

By the way! The "eyebrow" indicates that the key components – speaker, camera, and sensors – which used to be above the screen, are now positioned centrally and as close as possible, while the screen has expanded to the sides. It shows notifications, battery status, and other information.

Honor 10 follows the same design principle. The only difference is that the "eyebrow" is smaller in this case, and if desired, the user can customize the screen to exclude additional elements. In other words, the screen will appear without the "eyebrow". Apart from that, the arrangement of controls on the Chinese smartphone is fairly standard. There is an oval-shaped touch button below the screen, volume control and power buttons on the right, and a SIM card slot on the left. At the top, there is an infrared port and a microphone opening. At the bottom, there is a second speaker, a headphone jack, and a power cable port. On the back panel, the dual camera is located on the right side, protruding a few centimeters above the surface, along with the dual flash. The device has excellent ergonomics, a good oleophobic layer, and a high-quality display. Despite the glass surface, it is not overly slippery or prone to smudging. This is definitely a plus, as most devices with a glass back cover often require frequent wiping to remove fingerprints, which can be inconvenient and unpleasant. The model is available in four colors – black, green, blue, and gray.

iPhone X

The iPhone X revolutionized the design of Apple phones. It is available in two elegant color options – silver and gray. The silver variant features a white back and chrome sides, while the gray variant has black sides and back. One distinctive feature of the iPhone X is its vertical dual camera module located on the right side, which protrudes slightly. This design choice has its drawbacks as the phone can get caught on clothing when taken out of the pocket, posing a risk of dropping it. The camera module also houses the flash, positioned in the center with the camera lenses positioned above and below it.Despite being narrower than the iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X does not provide the same level of comfort in hand due to the absence of smooth bevels on the display and back. Most modern smartphones incorporate beveled edges to enhance ergonomics and user comfort. In this regard, the iPhone X reminds us of phones from five years ago. The front and back of the device are made of tempered glass with an oleophobic coating to protect against fingerprints. However, the visibility of prints on the glass is surprisingly prominent. Typically, manufacturers place a film under the glass to prevent it from shattering into pieces if cracked. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the iPhone X. Reviews often mention that broken glass pieces fall out, revealing the internal components. This is a clear flaw and a simplistic oversight, considering the widespread use of glass films since the iPhone 4.

It is of great significance! To not use a case with the iPhone X could be considered as a grave mistake, as the cost of replacing the glass would be equal to half of the device’s price. It should be mentioned that there is currently no Chinese alternative available for the back or front panel, which implies that you would have to pay around 40-50 thousand rubles for repairs.

The second aspect – adding a protective glass to the display would not be a bad idea either, but Apple does not produce such accessories, and when installing the protection, the user will compromise on color reproduction. Another downside to the device is that with careless handling, the paint on the metal sides may chip off in large chunks. While achieving this may be difficult, it is still possible. And unfortunately, this is not covered under warranty. Therefore, it is advisable to use a case for the device and try to avoid removing it. This is the most effective way to keep the device in pristine condition. In terms of element placement, everything is standard. On the left side, there is a switch for silent mode and two separate buttons for volume control. The power button is located on the right side, along with a slot for the SIM card. Naturally, there is only one slot available. There is also no option to expand the memory. On the bottom, there is a speaker and a port for power connection. There is no dedicated headphone jack, but the kit includes an adapter that allows you to connect headphones in place of the power cable. The second speaker is located on the "notch" area.

It is worth noting that Apple technology has a distinct characteristic – its speakers operate in tandem, which is why Apple phones consistently offer superior sound quality compared to other competitors.

There are a pair of microphones integrated within the device. The initial one is positioned at the lower edge, while the second one is situated adjacent to the camera at the rear side. In spite of the incorporation of a noise reduction system, the standard of this feature is average. Based on experience, it is evident that the speech is poorly audible for the interlocutor in a noisy setting or on the street. This is particularly disappointing considering the fact that this phone costs 80 thousand rubles. Previously, Apple phones featured a round fingerprint scanner at the lower end, which served as a unique characteristic distinguishing them from other models. However, this feature was abandoned in the iPhone X. As a result, it becomes quite difficult to identify an iPhone when it is switched off. Another notable innovation in the iPhone X is the placement of the TrueDepth sensor on the "eyebrow" part of the device. This sensor is essential for facial recognition purposes. Further details about this innovation will be discussed below.

Conclusion

To summarize the information presented above, the key points that can be highlighted are as follows: The Honor 10 compared to the iPhone 10 appears to be a more carefully designed and user-friendly device. Therefore, in terms of overall convenience and thoughtfulness, the Chinese product outshines its American counterpart. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is that the anniversary edition of the iPhone was released earlier than initially intended, leaving the creator with limited time to fully test and identify any potential weaknesses in the device. The motivation behind this decision remains unknown.

Incidentally, there is a viewpoint among professionals indicating that Koreans and Americans independently developed the "eyebrow" design solution simultaneously. In fact, when the concept of the leaked Samsung phone emerged, Apple became concerned that if they released their own phone afterward, they would not be able to astonish anyone with a novel design element, potentially resulting in a loss of customers. Consequently, the brand made the decision to forgo refining all the imperfections in an effort to generate increased revenue from sales.

Display

There is no need to go into great detail about the Honor 10’s screen – it is a top-notch IPS panel with impressive viewing angles, accurate color reproduction, various temperature modes, and excellent brightness capabilities. Users can customize the display settings, choosing to remove or keep the notch, as well as adjusting the screen resolution to optimize battery life. While the screen in the Honor 10 is not a new innovation, it has proven its quality in previous models from the brand.The iPhone X, on the other hand, features an Amoled display sourced from Samsung. This is widely recognized as the best screen in the world. Some less informed users may question the fact that Apple acquired the display from its main competitor (if not rival). However, it’s important to note that Apple does not have engineers or departments dedicated to developing display technology. Samsung, on the other hand, has invested approximately 10 years into perfecting their high-quality displays. In fact, a staggering 95% of OLED panels available in the market are manufactured by Samsung. Therefore, it makes more sense to purchase something that has been proven to work exceptionally well rather than rushing to develop something that may not meet established standards. Another interesting aspect is that Samsung, as the leading manufacturer of display technology, does not sell their latest innovations to other companies, reserving them exclusively for their own flagship devices. Therefore, the iPhone X may feature a display from the era of the Samsung Galaxy S6, but this is by no means a disadvantage. The display is of excellent quality and given the resolution offered by Apple, it actually outperforms the IPS panel found in the Honor 10.

By the way. To market the old matrix to customers, Apple’s marketers decided to claim that the iPhone X has a groundbreaking new screen. To make it believable, they made some adjustments to the brightness settings and other features so that it would not closely resemble Samsung’s screens.

The matrix in the Apple X has one downside – the brightness limitation. This helps prevent screen burn-in from static images at maximum brightness (a common issue with OLED technology), but it also means that the screen does not perform as well in bright sunlight.

In conclusion, both the Honor 10 and the iPhone X have good displays. Each has its own unique characteristics, making it difficult to determine a clear winner.

Battery

An important aspect to compare between the iPhone 10 and Honor 10 is the battery performance. The Apple device has a lower battery capacity compared to the Honor. However, thanks to optimization and Samsung’s Amoled screen, which have always positively influenced battery life, we can expect the iPhone to last longer. Apple claims that the device can work for approximately 13-14 hours while actively using the network or watching videos. On the other hand, the Honor device has a longer battery life with approximately 20 hours of network usage and 8 hours of video playback. In reality, the Honor device is sufficient for a full working day, and if you don’t heavily rely on LTE network usage, it can last a whole day. The iPhone X, on the other hand, lasts about 17-18 hours under similar usage conditions. Interestingly, the iPhone tends to drain quickly during voice calls. It is common to see owners of the iPhone X desperately searching for a charger in the middle of the day because they make many calls, and this is where the device struggles the most. In terms of fast charging, the Honor 10 can reach 50% battery in just 25 minutes and fully charge in 80 minutes. The iPhone X, on the other hand, takes 30 minutes to reach 50% battery, but the charger needs to be purchased separately for an additional cost of about 6,000 rubles. The iPhone X also supports wireless charging, although it is a slower process compared to the Honor 10. For comparison, the Note 8 charges twice as fast using the same wireless charging technology.

To sum up, in terms of all parameters, Honor outperforms its competitors. The only slight drawback is the lack of wireless charging, which can hardly be considered a significant disadvantage.

Device protection

Honor 10 offers a unique biometric feature for device security – the fingerprint scanner. This innovation, initially introduced by Apple, has become a staple in the industry. Users have grown accustomed to the convenience and reliability of fingerprint recognition technology. Honor takes it a step further by allowing up to 5 fingerprints to be registered, and the scanner can detect fingerprints at any angle. This advanced protection cannot be easily bypassed, as every fingerprint is unique. The recognition process is also remarkably fast.

On the other hand, the iPhone 10 adopts a different approach by eliminating fingerprint scanners and embracing FaceID technology. The name implies that users can unlock their phones using facial recognition. However, this new feature comes with its own set of challenges and drawbacks. It’s important to note that not only does the technology itself fail to work consistently, but it also presents privacy concerns on Apple’s part.

1. FaceID does not have the ability to differentiate between twins, which means that at least one person will be able to unlock the phone.
2. The technology is only able to accurately read the face from a specific angle, making it difficult to unlock the phone with a quick glance in the morning or while driving. This can be a safety concern as it forces users to obstruct their view and wait for the phone to recognize their face.
3. The technology is known to be power-hungry, which can result in a shorter battery life for the device.
4. The device may struggle to accurately recognize the faces of children under 14 years old. Although the company acknowledged this issue, they were unable to provide a reasonable explanation for it.
5. Unlike fingerprint recognition, which allows for up to 5 different fingerprints to be registered, FaceID only allows for one face to be registered. This means that loved ones will need to provide a password to unlock the device.
6. While hats don’t pose a problem for the technology, glasses, beards, or mustaches can create confusion.
7. Once the face is scanned, users still have to swipe the screen to unlock the device. With fingerprint recognition, the owner would be directed straight to the menu or a previously opened app. Why require a screen swipe if the unlocking process is already complete is a question that many find bothersome and highly irritating.
8. Another important detail is that Samsung saves various photos of owners, which are then processed by the processor to optimize the speed of unlocking. This means that the device can recognize different facial expressions, such as being drunk, sleepy, or frowning. In contrast, Apple’s processor only operates based on the initial setup data. Thus, the sensor in Samsung devices is more intelligent and capable of learning.

In conclusion, when it comes to convenience, a familiar finger scanner surpasses face scanning, at least in the current stage of FaceID development. It is important to note that things may evolve and improve over time.

Performance

The iPhone X phone has a brand-new processor. The name "Bionic" implies the presence of artificial intelligence, or at least a prototype of it. Interestingly, Huawei pioneered this trend, and the Honor 10 also boasts intelligence. Overall, both devices have processors that operate similarly, but Apple’s A11 has been able to demonstrate superior performance.

In an interesting twist, the reason why the iPhone does not operate at full capacity is because older users will notice a sluggish and laggy performance. Apple cannot afford this, as they always promote their devices as timeless in terms of speed and efficiency. In reality, everything does age, but users are not given an opportunity to witness it firsthand.

Nevertheless, Apple consistently ranks at the top in synthetic benchmark tests. However, this is not particularly significant since the Honor 10’s performance will not be significantly different.

The Ix has 3 gigabytes of RAM, which is sufficient for the device. However, there is one thing to consider: the processor is quite demanding with applications. It forcefully closes everything when locked in order to save RAM, which may result in some tabs in the browser not being saved. On the other hand, the Honor 10 boasts 4 gigabytes of RAM, which is also more than enough for any task.

Camera

Apple’s smartphones were once renowned for their camera quality. Even today, Apple is often considered the industry leader in mobile photography. However, the iPhone X’s camera performance is somewhat disappointing, as its results are more reminiscent of Android devices than Apple’s flagship models.

The front camera does not elicit any particular emotions. It has the ability to capture high-quality photos and create a background blur effect. The dual camera on the back now incorporates optical stabilization on both sensors. However, with this upgrade comes the removal of the manual adjustment feature, which was important to many users. The device is capable of recording good quality 4K video, although it is most enjoyable to watch it on the device itself. When transferring the video to other media, there is a loss in quality due to the necessary conversion. Additionally, the fact that sound recording is done with a single microphone is a clear disadvantage for a device released in 2017.

Example photo of an iPhone X

Be aware! There is an odd detail when taking photos. The photo doesn’t completely fit the screen, unlike Samsung, and is actually cut off at the edges. This doesn’t look very appealing.

These details don’t really ruin the experience, but it is evident that the developers didn’t focus on the little things that can enhance the enjoyment of using a smartphone. It feels like Apple doesn’t really care about what consumers think because they know people will buy their products regardless. The overall impression is a four out of five.

The camera of the Honor 10 is equipped with a dual sensor system at the rear and a single sensor at the front. The front-facing camera boasts a wide angle of view and captures high-quality selfies. Whether you’re shooting in daylight or at night, the camera consistently delivers impressive results. During the day, the rear cameras capture great pictures, and you can even shoot in 4K for excellent quality videos. However, there is some noticeable noise when shooting at night, although overall, the camera’s performance is still quite decent. It’s worth mentioning that the camera lacks laser focus and optical stabilization, which may be considered as downsides. In terms of evaluation, it is on par with Apple’s cameras, earning a solid 4 out of 5 rating.

This is an example image of the Honor 10 smartphone.

Conclusion

It is challenging to provide a concise summary of the overall outcome. Consequently, only general observations can be made about the two models, and the final judgment will be left to the reader. The Honor 10 boasts excellent camera quality, ergonomic design, display, battery life, and performance for its price range. It is a fantastic device for the price of 30 thousand rubles, with few competitors that can match its value.

The iPhone X is a device that has sparked controversy. It may not be superior to the iPhone 8 Plus in many aspects, and compared to other brands, it may even be considered inferior. When comparing it to other phones, it falls short in many areas. However, if we look at its individual features, it does offer good performance, a quality display, a decent camera, and excellent sound quality. On the downside, its ergonomics leave something to be desired, as it has an inconvenient face scanner and average battery life.

Important! The iPhone X is primarily an image device, offering nothing fundamentally new but instead serving as a status symbol. Its high price makes it an exclusive choice that allows users to stand out from the crowd. However, whether the device is truly worth the hefty price tag is questionable.

So, what should you buy? From a rational standpoint, the Honor 10 is a solid choice. However, if you have excess funds and a desire to flaunt your wealth, the iPhone X is undoubtedly the way to go.