Huawei P20 vs Huawei P20 Pro – flagships of the company with an eye on the title of the best camera phones

Huawei has taken a serious approach to surpassing top market leaders in mobile device sales. This latest move sees the company launching two flagship devices with a relatively high price tag. In addition to their impressive features, these models boast innovative cameras that aim to establish Huawei as the ultimate camera phone contender. Below, we will compare the Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Pro, as well as assess their performance against other leading models in the market.

Characteristics

Both models were introduced as flagship devices, so there is no reason to question the quality of the iron offered. However, the two devices are priced differently. Upon closer examination of their features, both models appear to be intriguing and robust. Analyzing the devices based on each point will provide insight into why the P20 is still more affordable and what areas it falls short compared to the Pro version. The table below summarizes the characteristics.

Huawei P20 smartphone

The Huawei P20 Pro smartphone stands out from the list of smartphones. It is bigger in size and offers a more serious battery, a display sourced from Samsung, and improved water and dust protection. But the differences don’t stop there. When you open the box, the P20 Pro includes a Type-C to 3.5mm adapter, indicating that Huawei understands the importance of compatibility. Additionally, both the case and headphones are included with the device.

It’s interesting to note that many brands criticize and mock trends set by Apple, only to later adopt them. One such trend is the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack from the device itself. We all remember the controversy surrounding the "eyebrow" on the display, so there’s no need to discuss it again.

Discover the Huawei P20, a truly unique smartphone.

Design

When comparing the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, it becomes apparent that both models offer a high level of quality without any compromises. Starting with the design, as the saying goes, you can judge a phone by its appearance. Both phones feature a glass construction with a reflective back cover, but this does come with one drawback – fingerprints are easily visible on all color options. Moving to the front, both phones boast a nearly bezel-less display, but the P20 Pro takes the lead in terms of size. Not only is it larger in terms of dimensions, but it is also thicker and heavier. Some users may find this less comfortable to handle. On the other hand, the P20 offers a more compact size and fits comfortably in the hand.

By the way! The origin of this color has a fascinating backstory. It turns out that a prestigious global analytic agency declared 2026 as the year of ultraviolet color. That’s why they decided to release the phone "in theme". It has a unique and stunning appearance.

In the Huawei P20, the fingerprint scanner is located in an oval button under the screen, which is a standard position for Huawei. All the control elements and connectors are in their usual places. The only difference is that the P20 has a 3.5mm headphone jack, while its older brother does not. To use wired headphones with the older model, you will need to use an adapter or connect a wireless headset. If you turn the devices around and look at the back, you will notice more differences. The younger device has a dual camera, while the older brother has three cameras. The cameras are positioned in the same place as in the P20, but the number of camera sensors has increased. Apart from these differences, the devices are similar.

At the lower part of the Huawei p20

The verdict. In terms of appearance, both models are impressive, but in terms of comfort, the younger device takes the lead. The score is 1:0 in favor of the P20.

Screen

The older model has a screen size of 6.1 inches with an OLED matrix and a resolution of 2240*1080. On the other hand, the P20 features a 5.8-inch display with IPS technology and the same resolution. Despite the smaller diagonal, Samsung’s OLED matrix gives it an advantage over the P20’s screen. This is because Samsung’s OLED is considered the benchmark in the market and its characteristics outweigh the benefits of a smaller screen size.Both screens have an 18:9 aspect ratio, similar to Apple’s design. For those who don’t like the design choice, they can remove the notch in the settings and have a screen that resembles Samsung’s top devices. While some may view this as borrowing or copying, it’s not necessarily a crime. The most important aspect is the quality of the display itself. The P20 Pro’s screen is expected to be better. Samsung’s matrices are currently the best on the market, and even the highest quality IPS display will not match up to them, especially if it’s poorly calibrated and displays gray colors inaccurately. This is the case with the P20. However, the P20 Pro also has its own issue. Despite using a Samsung matrix, it still needs proper calibration. In this aspect, the Huawei specialists may have approached the task irresponsibly or lacked the knowledge to properly set it up. As a result, the OLED matrix in the P20 Pro falls behind Samsung’s in terms of customization. However, it still surpasses the younger model and visually looks better than the OLED in the iPhone X, which also had calibration issues.

In the final analysis, when it comes to the quality of the display, the P20 Pro takes the lead, and the score stands level at 1:1.

Autonomy

When comparing the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, one important factor to consider is battery life. In today’s world, where users are constantly glued to their phones, it is crucial for a phone to have long-lasting battery life. The P20 has a 3400 mAh battery, which can last for about 1.5 days of typical usage. It can handle 5 hours of gameplay and 8 hours of movie watching. On the other hand, the P20 Pro comes with a larger 4000 mAh battery. This means that it can provide up to 22 hours of video playback and 90 hours of music playback. With average usage, the P20 Pro can easily last for two days, which is quite impressive. Both phones also support fast charging, with the P20 Pro reaching 100% in 2 hours and the P20 in 1 hour and 10 minutes. The difference in charging speed is negligible considering the overall level of battery life these phones offer.

Ultimately, the P20 Pro emerges as the winner in terms of durability, earning a point in its favor. Thus, the current score stands at 2:1.

Camera

The next important aspect to consider when comparing smartphones is the camera. The Huawei P20 features a dual module at the back with both monochrome and color sensors. It also has laser focusing, but lacks optical stabilization. The camera is capable of shooting videos in 4K resolution. The front camera boasts a 20-megapixel resolution and performs exceptionally well. Overall, I would rate the camera on the Huawei P20 at 4 out of 5. It performs quite well, thanks to the processor’s artificial intelligence capabilities, although the camera app can be a bit overwhelming. One downside is that it produces a bit of noise when shooting in low light conditions. When compared to devices from Apple and Samsung, the camera on the Huawei P20 falls behind in terms of quality.

The review of the P20’s camera is brief because there is nothing particularly noteworthy to mention. The camera is good, but only up to a certain point. It falls short of being the best camera phone available. That title belongs to the P20 Pro. The difference between the camera on the Huawei P20 and the P20 Pro is quite significant. During the presentation in France, the creators of the P20 Pro emphasized its camera capabilities, which caused quite a stir among the audience. This reaction is understandable, considering the history of Nokia’s 40-megapixel sensors, which were expected to revolutionize the market and outperform DSLRs and other cameras. In the end, the hype surrounding those sensors turned out to be much greater than the results they delivered. This history might explain why viewers, reviewers, and the press approached the camera on the new Huawei flagship with some skepticism. However, Huawei decided to let the camera speak for itself and demonstrated its capabilities. In summary,

1. The primary camera is composed of 3 image sensors.
2. One of these sensors is a telephoto lens, which provides a threefold optical zoom capability with no loss of image quality. It has a resolution of 8 megapixels.
3. The second sensor, with a resolution of 40 megapixels, serves as the main camera for capturing photos.
4. The final sensor, boasting a resolution of 20 megapixels, is dedicated to collecting information and enabling background blurring.

Following these words, a test was offered to everyone present. In a dimly lit room, various objects were scattered across the floor, and pictures were taken of these objects using the three most advanced and expensive smartphones available – the Apple iPhone X, Huawei P20 Pro, and Samsung S9+. The outcome of this experiment was quite astonishing: while the phones from the leading market brands produced blurry and indistinct images in the dark, the featured device captured remarkably high-quality photos with clear details, vibrant colors, and a true representation of the objects on the floor. Despite some minor background noise, all of the skeptics were finally silenced and unanimously agreed that this camera was truly the best.

Here is an example image of the Huawei P20 Pro.

In conclusion, the Huawei P20 Pro has rightfully earned the title of the top device in terms of camera quality. There is no need to analyze the phone’s performance in night, day, or video shots separately, as it excels in all areas. With its exceptional capabilities, the winner in this case is clear. The overall score is 3:1.

Processor and memory

Both devices ended up being almost identical when it comes to their processor and memory. The only distinction lies in the RAM – the P20 comes with 4 gigabytes, while the P20 Pro boasts 6 gigabytes. Currently, there is no noticeable difference in performance; perhaps, as you continue to use the device or as it becomes outdated, the contrast may become more apparent. However, at this stage, both smartphones are equally fast and stable.

The primary memory capacity is 128 gigabytes, and neither phone is expandable with a memory card. The Kirin 970 processor is an impressive eight-core chip with intelligent cores that enhance various processes, such as task analysis, processing, image and video improvement, audio optimization, and more. This processor is one of the most powerful options currently available, and its performance is evident to all users. Both devices can achieve around 200 thousand points on Antutu, and under heavy workloads, they may become slightly warm.

In summary, neither team comes out as the victor in this aspect, resulting in the score remaining unchanged at 3:1, which stands as the final result.

Conclusion

Huawei P20 and P20 Pro offer great value for their price. The older version is priced at 54 thousand rubles in Russia, while the younger smartphone costs 40 thousand rubles. The comparison reveals that the Pro version is significantly superior – boasting a superior camera, a better quality display, and longer battery life. In terms of performance, both models are similar, but the P20 stands out with its superior ergonomics. However, it is highly recommended to purchase the P20 Pro, as it offers maximum capabilities without any compromises in this price category. The P20 Pro is truly capable of fulfilling all your needs.