Specifications
| Mate 20 Pro | Mate 20 | Mate 20 X | Mate 20 Lite | |
| Size | 157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6 mm (6.22 x 2.85 x 0.34 inch) | 158.2 x 77.2 x 8.3 mm (6.22 x 3.04 x 0.33 inch) | 174.6 x 85.4 x 8.2 mm (6.87 x 3.36 x 0.32 inch) | 158.3 x 75.3 x 7.6 mm (6.23 x 2.96 x 0.30 inch) |
| Weight | 189 grams | 188 grams | 232 grams | 172 grams |
| Screen size | 6.39 inch AMOLED | 6.53 inch IPS LCD | 7.2 inch AMOLED | 6.3 inch IPS LCD |
| Resolución | 3,120 x 1,440 pixels (538 pixels-per-inch) | 2,244 x 1,080 pixels (381 pixels-per-inch) | 2,244 x 1,080 pixels (346 pixels-per-inch) | 2,340 x 1,080 pixels (409pixels-per-inch) |
| Operating system | EMUI 9 (on Android 9.0 Pie) | EMUI 9 (on Android 9.0 Pie) | EMUI 9 (on Android 9.0 Pie) | EMUI 8.2 (on Android 8.1 Oreo) |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB | 128GB | 64GB |
| Micro SD | No – Expansion up to 256 GB via Nano Memory Card | No – Expansion up to 256 GB via Nano Memory Card | No – Expansion up to 256 GB via Nano Memory Card | Yes, up to 256GB |
| Tap-to-pay service | Google Pay | Google Pay | Google Pay | Google Pay |
| Processor | Kirin 980 | Kirin 980 | Kirin 980 | Kirin 710 |
| RAM | 6GB | 4GB, 6GB | 6GB | 4GB, 6GB |
| Camera | Triple sensor 40MP and 20MP and 8MP rear, 24MP front | Triple sensor 16MP and 12MP and 8MP rear, 24MP front | Triple sensor 40MP and 20MP and 8MP rear, 24MP front | Dual sensor 20MP and 2MP rear, dual sensor 24MP and 2MP front |
| Video | 2,160p at 30 frames per second, 1,080pa at 60 fps, 720p at 960 fps | 2,160p at 30 frames per second, 1,080pa at 60 fps, 720p at 960 fps | 2,160p at 30 frames per second, 1,080pa at 60 fps, 720p at 960 fps | 1,080p at 30 frames per second |
| Bluetooth (version) | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Ports | USB-C | 3.5mm, USB-C | 3.5mm, USB-C | 3.5mm, USB-C |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes (on screen) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP53 | IP53 | No |
| Drums | 4,200mAhHuawei SuperCharge fast charge (70% charge in 30 minutes) Qi wireless charging | 4,000mAhHuawei SuperCharge fast charge (60% charge in 30 minutes) | 5,000mAhHuawei SuperCharge fast charge | 3,750mAh |
| App store | Google Play Store | Google Play Store | Google Play Store | Google Play Store |
| Supported companies | T-Mobile, AT&T | T-Mobile, AT&T | T-Mobile, AT&T | T-Mobile, AT&T |
| Colors | Emerald Green, Midnight Blue, Twilight, Pink Gold, Black | Midnight Blue, Twilight, Black | Midnight Blue, Phantom Silver | Black, Sapphire Blue |
| Original price | 1,049 Euros (about $ 1,220 dollars) | 799 Euros (about $ 930 dollars) | 899 Euros (about $ 1,050 dollars) | 380 British Pounds (about $ 500 dollars) |
| Where to buy it | Huawei | Huawei | Huawei | Huawei |
Performance, battery life and charging
The Mate 20 Lite is one of the first victims in this bloody battle, as it is equipped with the least powerful processor: the Kirin 710. The other three phones come equipped with Huawei’s super-powerful Kirin 980 processor, with 128 GB of on-board storage, and up to 6 GB of RAM, which makes them equally powerful. However, the Mate 20 X comes with an innovative cooling system that uses graphite and a steam chamber to keep the phone cool. This should make the Mate 20 X’s processor able to handle more demanding tasks without having to slow down, which gives it a clear performance advantage here.
Each of these phones also has a robust battery, and it is likely that all of them can provide days of life on a single charge. The Mate 20 X’s 5,000 mAh battery is – by far – the largest, and dwarfs the Mate 20 Pro’s 4,200 mAh battery. Only the Mate 20 Pro comes with the Qi wireless charge, but both the Mate 20 and X come with Huawei SuperCharge fast charge. The manufacturer claims that the Mate 20 Pro can be recharged up to 70 percent in 30 minutes, and the Mate 20 and X are not far from that speed.
While every phone does pretty well in this category, we give this section to the Mate 20X for its cooling system and huge battery.
Winner: Huawei Mate 20X
Design and durability
While we may have misgivings about the Mate 20 series not being as attractive as the P20 Pro series, these phones certainly have their charm. Being the cheapest, the Mate 20 Lite is probably the least attractive, with a rather thick notch or tab. That said, it’s an observation that will depend on the eye that sees it, and it still possesses an attractive design with its glass back. The Mate 20 Pro also has a large eyelash, which houses the 3D face detection technology, but is also the only one of the four with an AMOLED screen that curves over the glass body. The Mate 20 and the Mate 20 X have a better notch – the tiny Dewdrop design – and also feature premium glass structures. That said, the Mate 20 X feels too big and almost impossible to handle with one hand.
There’s a clear winner when it comes to strength. Every phone uses a potentially fragile glass structure, but only the Mate 20 Pro has significant water resistance with an IP68 rating. The Mate 20 has an IP54 splashproof rating, while the Mate 20 X has an even lower IP53 rating. The Mate 20 Lite has no resistance at all.
It is difficult to decide a winner in terms of design, and while we prefer the “dewdrop” type notch on the Mate 20 and Mate 20X, the water resistance of the Mate 20 Pro tips the scales in your favour.
Winner: Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Screen
There is a wide range of large screens here, from 6.3 to 7.2 inches. But size isn’t everything, and it’s the Mate 20 Pro AMOLED screen that has the best resolution. The Mate 20 and Lite’s LCD screens are great, but they pale into insignificance next to the ink blacks and vibrant colors of the Mate 20 Pro. The 20X also has an AMOLED screen, but the Mate 20 Pro is also the only one with 1440p resolution: the rest with a maximum resolution of 1080p. While the large notch can be annoying, it’s still easily the brightest, sharpest and most beautiful screen in the group.
Winner: Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Camera
The Mate 20 Lite will always be the weakest option, and while its 20 and 2 megapixel camera lenses do a good job, it doesn’t measure up to the triple lens configurations of the other three phones. The Mate 20 comes with an ultra-wide 16 megapixel lens, a 12 megapixel wide angle lens and an 8 megapixel telephoto lens. We expect this camera to take some amazing pictures, but not as much as the 40-megapixel wide-angle lens, the ultra-wide-angle 20-megapixel lens and the 3x 8-megapixel telephoto lens that come in the Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20X.
The Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20X also overlap in other areas, with the same 24-megapixel selfie lens, the same settings and modes set by Artificial Intelligence, including some amazing video modes that change the view in real time. They’re also the same in pure video terms, as both can take 4K movies at 30 frames per second and super slow motion at 960 fps.
Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20X are the same on paper… At the moment, we can’t untie them.
Winners: Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20X
Software and updates
Watch out, Android fans: you’ll find Huawei’s Emotion UI (EMUI) skin on Android on each of these phones. However, the Mate 20 Lite loses quickly, as it is running Android 8.1 Oreo, although it has already received an update from Android 9.0 Pie. The other phones come with the latest EMUI 9 distributed on Android 9.0 Pie, although they also got the Android 10 update. When they came to market, it was a surprise to see Android 9.0 on Huawei phones so quickly: a highly customized mask like EMUI often takes months to update, so we didn’t expect to see a Huawei phone with Foot for quite some time. It was a pleasant surprise.
Winners: Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20 X
Special features
You’ll find Huawei’s super-amplified gaming mode, the GPU Turbo, on each of these phones, and there’s also an advanced A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) system built into each phone that will recognise scenes on your camera, manage your resources while you play, and enhance Qmoji’s Animoji-style emoji feature. Artificial Intelligence, however, goes even further in the Mate 20, Pro and 20X, managing the filters in real time and placing them over video and object identification. These three phones also have access to Huawei’s new gestural navigation.
But it’s the Mate 20 Pro that has the most special features. It’s the only phone that comes with an on-screen fingerprint scanner as well as advanced face recognition at the Apple FaceID level, as well as the ability to reverse the wireless charging: put one wireless charging device on top of the Mate 20 Pro, and Huawei’s phone will charge the other device. It’s crazy, yes, but we love it.
Winner: Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Price
None of these phones were officially launched in the United States, but you can get one through an importer, as long as you don’t worry about paying the corresponding tax. But remember: they won’t work with Verizon or Sprint.
Although with the arrival of Huawei’s Mate 30 series in 2019 the prices dropped, the Mate 20 Pro was launched at 1,049 euros (about $1,220 dollars), while the Mate 20 had an initial value of about 799 euros (about $930 dollars). The Mate 20X originally cost £899 euros (about $1,050 dollars), while the Mate 20 cost only £380 (about $500 dollars).
Overall Winner
It would have been embarrassing for Huawei its his most advanced phone had not won this battle: Huawei’s most advanced flagship model has emerged victorious, thanks in large part to its incredible camera, its AMOLED screen that includes the fingerprint scanner, as well as advanced facial recognition technology. If money isn’t an issue for you, the Mate 20 Pro is definitely the phone to get.
But the others are not far behind. The Mate 20 Lite is an excellent phone at a very convenient price. The Mate 20 is still an exceptional flagship device that matches the Galaxy S9, just as the Mate 20 Pro looks just like the Galaxy Note 9. The Mate 20 X is a phone without any equivalent in the competition, but it is clearly the phone to buy, if you want to have the biggest screen possible, or a powerful mobile gaming device like no other.
Whichever one you choose will make you happy. We, at least, would choose the Mate 20 Pro to use every day.
