Apple iPhone XS vs Huawei P20 Pro: Which is best?
Apple's enhanced flagship takes another shot at the throne
FLAGSHIP FIGHT
Apple reinvented the iPhone with last year’s splashy iPhone X, and now has built upon that foundation with the just-released iPhone XS. On the surface, seemingly nothing has changed… well, unless you’re holding the new gold edition. But inside, the iPhone XS packs a lot more power, some seriously compelling camera smarts, an improved display, and a smidge more battery life to boot. But is that enough to take down the Huawei P20 Pro? The P20 Pro dazzles with its dreamy gradient colour scheme and then backs up that flash with plenty of power and especially its triple-camera setup, which delivers stunning shots and handy tricks. Here’s what we think now that we’ve fully reviewed both.
HARD TO CHOOSE
From the front or back, we have varying opinions here. Both have notched displays with glossy glass backings, but Apple clearly takes the win on the face of the phone, thanks to the lack of an awkward “chin” of bezel at the bottom. It’s one thing that detracts from the P20 Pro, even if it has the benefit of a smaller notch up top.
BACK AT ‘EM
But on the back, we’re definitely a bigger fan of Huawei’s stunning Twilight gradient colour, and the newer gradient options are likewise quite fetching. Apple has opted again for a plain colour on the back, whether it’s white, black, or gold, which is fine but… a bit boring, really. At least the iPhone XR has a wider and more striking array of colours in play.
SCREEN QUEENS
These screens aren’t far off, but Apple has a slight edge. Huawei’s phone packs a 6.1in 1080p OLED display with that smaller notch, while Apple’s slightly smaller 5.8in OLED is a bit higher-resolution at 1125p. That’s hardly a world of difference, but the iPhone XS widens the gap a little from the iPhone X thanks to its expanded colour gamut, which provides up to 60% improved dynamic range over last year’s top-end flagship.
BRIGHTER THAN BRIGHT
With fantastic top-level brightness as well, the iPhone XS screen is right up there with the best that Samsung has to offer. And that puts it just ahead of the still-strong P20 Pro. Also, the iPhone XS screen still packs in 3D Touch pressure sensitivity, although that’s a very niche benefit that few people are likely to see as a deal-maker over any competing handset.
CAMERA CONUNDRUM
Here’s where the Huawei P20 Pro has exerted its dominance over the smartphone pack in 2018, but can it hold on through the end of the year? The triple-camera setup (40MP/20MP/8MP) enables some dazzling abilities, including 3x optical zoom and a 5x hybrid zoom that captures clear snaps from a surprising distance. Everyday shots consistently impress, and even nighttime phones are oddly, unexpectedly strong.
CLOSE CONTEST
And what about the iPhone XS? Last year’s iPhone X is still undoubtedly one of the strongest point-and-shoot smartphone cameras today, and yes, the iPhone XS is even better. You still get two 12MP shooters on the back, but new sensors, smarter algorithms, and the immensely more powerful A12 Bionic Neural Engine deliver a massive upgrade with the Smart HDR mode. What does that all add up to? These are two of the absolute best smartphone camera setups on the market today, and while we haven’t done extensive head-to-head testing between them just yet, anecdotally we see the Huawei P20 Pro’s zooming skills and better nighttime shots as giving a slight advantage. But it’s very close overall.
POWER PLAY
The iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus were still the most powerful smartphones on the planet before the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max came out, and now they’ve taken the throne. The new A12 Bionic chip promises up to 15% speedier calculations from its two performance cores, and 50% less power usage from the four efficiency cores, plus the new GPU offers a 50% faster graphics upgrade and the Neural Engine can handle 9x the calculations. Meanwhile, the P20 Pro’s Kirin 970 is a plenty capable chip, but it’s about a year old and it’s not top-of-the-line in the Android scene. It’s plenty speedy in day-to-day usage, however, so it’s hard to complain about spec sheet disparities. But Apple has only widened the gap in terms of raw processing power with the iPhone XS.
CHARGIN’ UP
The iPhone XS makes no major strides in battery life over the iPhone X: Apple says it can handle about 30 minutes more per day, which is fine but hardly worth bragging about. In everyday usage, you probably won’t even notice any enhancement with this 2,658mAh cell if you’re switching over from the iPhone X. Meanwhile, the P20 Pro is a class-leading flagship with its huge 4,000mAh battery, which can consistently provide about a day and a half of usage. The iPhone XS can’t match that. The P20 Pro lacks wireless charging, however, while it’s available on the iPhone XS.
I CHOOSE YOU
If you’re trying to choose between the Apple iPhone XS and the Huawei P20 Pro, we don’t envy your decision. It’s a tough one. The upside, thankfully, is that both are absolutely brilliant smartphones that are well worth your cash, so you shouldn’t be disappointed either way. Ultimately, if you’re dead set on an iPhone, then there’s no need to fret about the upgrade to the iPhone XS. It’s wonderful. But if you’re open to other possibilities, we think the Huawei P20 Pro is the slightly better pick for a wider array of people, thanks to its more alluring price and extra benefits.
