Pixel 3 XL vs Galaxy Note 9 vs. OnePlus 6T Vs. Huawei Mate 20 Pro

It was one of the busiest years of all time for new smartphones. You could even say that the manufacturers have released too many phones. But the good news is that you are only spoiled for choice if you buy a new device at the moment. Best of all, most of them are great smartphones that will serve you well. You can almost close your eyes, go around in circles, point to a new flagship product and end up with something really great.

You'll find similar features and features in the best Android smartphones, but there are differences. We decided to choose four fantastic flagship products and compare them in different categories to see if we can find a winner.

Specifications

Performance, battery life and charging

While three of these phones use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor, which means they offer similar performance in terms of speed, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro integrates its proprietary Kirin 980 processor with a dedicated neural processing unit. who handles all the functions of artificial intelligence. Each of these phones is fast as lightning and is able to run the latest games and the most demanding applications, but in terms of raw power, the Mate 20 Pro has a slight advantage and accumulates the scores the higher in terms of evaluation tests. In everyday life, the Pixel 3 XL seems the most slippery, because it is not cluttered by a skin builder located above Android.

Where the pixel falls is the RAM department, as it does with 4 GB, while the others all have 6 GB. If you opt for the higher storage models of Note 9 and OnePlus 6T, you will get 8GB of RAM. Heavy multitasking may well feel the difference, with the extra RAM that speeds up the transition between applications by allowing more to stay open in memory at the same time.

The Pixel is also disappointing in the battery department, where the Mate 20 Pro is advancing again. Not only did he have the greatest capacity, but we also found that it could last two days between two charges. The Pixel 3 XL requires a daily charge and Note 9 and OnePlus 6T struggle to go beyond a day and a half. The OnePlus 6T is not compatible with wireless charging, while the other three offer it. However, only the Mate 20 Pro can be used as a wireless charging mat for other devices.

Winner: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Design and sustainability

With the deepest and ugliest notch that is, feeling good in hand is not enough to save the Pixel 3 XL here, even though we love the matte finish on the back of the glbad. Note 9 introduces Samsung's refined design language with the curved screen, but it's a bit square. We actually think that the S9 Plus is more attractive. The OnePlus 6T is the most seductive phone ever designed by the company with its dewdrop cutout at the front and its elegant curved glbad back. The Mate 20 Pro has a shape similar to that of the S9 Plus, with curved glbad in a metal frame. The screen has a fairly large notch, but the colorful finish of the glbad on the back reflects the light in an interesting way and really catches the eye.

Although no IP rating is badigned, the OnePlus 6T is still water resistant, but it will not be able to survive one dunk or the other three that all get an IP68 rating. None of these phones will survive a fall unscathed. Cases are therefore a wise precaution and the Mate 20 Pro is particularly slippery.

The design is subjective, so it's hard to pick a winner here.

Winner: Tie

Display

It's amazing how close these phones are to the display service. They are all almost the same size, are all OLED screens and they are all fantastic. Samsung has long been a leader in screen technology, but it's obvious that everyone is catching up. The Mate 20 Pro has the highest ranking in pixels per inch, but the screen of Note 9 is not interrupted by a notch. Looking at them side by side, the OnePlus 6T does not quite fit. The sharpness and accuracy of the colors are amazing for the other three, but the Note 9 and the Mate 20 Pro stand out for their brightness. Most people will not see much difference between the top three because they all have excellent screens, but the Note 9 and Mate 20 Pro carry it off.

Winners: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Camera

If you just look at the numbers, the Mate 20 Pro would dazzle the competition with its three-lens configuration, but the camera's performance is not limited to that of the hardware. What Google is able to do, on the software side, to make the most of a single-purpose camera is simply amazing. All these phones can take great pictures, but the Google Pixel 3 XL takes it in this category of reasons: If you do the finder and shoot in different scenarios, you will usually get the best results, especially with photos of people. , and it has the easiest camera application to use. The Mate 20 Pro and even the Note 9 far exceed the pixel in some areas, but most people want a camera that delivers great results with minimal handling. The Pixel 3 XL is simply the best camera phone of the moment, but if versatility is important to you, the Mate 20 Pro may be better for you.

Winner: Google Pixel 3 XL

Software and updates

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launched with Android 8.1 Oreo and is still waiting for an update Android 9.0 Pie at the time of writing. The Samsung Experience user interface adds many options above Android, but there are also mbad issues that are not always as fluid as they should be. Huawei has happily refined its skin EMUI and offers various options of customization and gestures, which is great if you do not waste your time digging in the menus and configure them as you wish. Oxygen OS on the OnePlus 6T is the closest to Pixel's own Android experience, but there are a few more options.

Our favorite software experience, and by far the most fluid, is offered by the Pixel 3 XL, which should come as no surprise since Google is developing Android. None of the others can compete with exclusive Pixel extras like the Current Playback feature, which automatically identifies music and compiles a list for you, presets calls, takes calls for you, and transcribes in real time what it says. the caller on the screen. In addition, Duplex en route will allow Google Assistant to call and make reservations or make an appointment for you. Google's phone will also continue to receive software updates for Android security and new features, probably longer than the other three phones on offer.

Winners: Google Pixel 3 XL

Special features

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the only phone that can charge another wireless phone, but we do not know how often you will use such a feature. The Mate 20 Pro and OnePlus 6T both have fingerprint sensors, but so far we find them less reliable than traditional fingerprint sensors. The special features of Pixel 3 XL are related to the software, which we have just described in the last section.

The king of special features is the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, featuring Bluetooth support of the S Pen, which can be used as a stylus or remote control. There is also the DeX mode, which allows Note 9 to connect to a TV or monitor via cable and turn into a desktop computer. Samsung's digital badistant, Bixby, does not excite us so much. However, if you have many Samsung devices, this can be helpful.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Price

The Google Pixel 3 XL will cost you $ 900. You can also purchase it from Verizon and the unlocked version will work for all major carriers. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is available from all major carriers for around $ 1,000, but you can find it at over $ 900 now if you shop. The OnePlus 6T costs only $ 550 and will run on AT & T, T-Mobile or Verizon.

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the most expensive of the group, with 1,049 euros (currently about 1,190 dollars). It's not officially available in the US, but you can import one and find it a little cheaper if you're looking for it. There is no official support for the Mate 20 Pro, but you will find the groups it supports on the Huawei website; This should work perfectly on AT & T or T-Mobile, but Verizon and Sprint do not support 3G.

Winner: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Even if it's tempting to win a winner here, it's a comparison of the specifications, and on that basis, we give the victory to the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. This is probably the most impressive package of high-end hardware we've seen so far. It offers the best performance, battery life and charging options. This is a very close second in the camera department, eclipsing our winner in certain situations, and its design is breathtaking. Unfortunately, there is a "but" to come and that's a big problem: the price and lack of official release in the United States will mean it's not the best phone for everyone.

For an amazing camera and the most astute and intelligent software, the Pixel 3 XL is an easy choice. If you use the unique extras of the note 9, it will certainly not let you down and it is not left in the categories where it did not win. Anyone with a limited budget should consider the OnePlus 6T. Although it clearly finishes in last place, the fact that it is not completely stunning in a company that costs twice as much testifies to the quality of its offer.