Huawei Mate 20 Lite vs Pocophone F1 specs comparison

Huawei’s baby Mate 20, the Mate 20 Lite, just entered the limelight a few days ago. It’s sure to hit the mid-range segment, where there is fierce competition right now. One of it’s toughest rivals will be the Pocophone F1. So who’ll take the money in this specs comparison? Let’s find out!

Specs	Huawei Mate 20 Lite	Pocophone F1
Display	6.3-inch 19.5:9 LTPS IPS FHD+ display @2340 x 1080px, 409ppi	6.18-inch Full HD+ edge-to-edge display @ 2160 x 1080px
CPU	HiSilicon Kirin 710 4x cortex a73 2.2ghz + 4x cortex a53 1.7ghz Octa-core Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 2.8GHz octa-core
GPU	Mali-G51 MP4 GPU	Adreno 630
RAM	4GB RAM	6/8GB
Storage	64GB UFS 2.1 internal storage	64/256GB internal storage
Expandable Storage	Expandable up to 256GB (hybrid)	expandable via microSD up to 256GB (hybrid)
Rear Camera	20MP f/1.8 + 2MP dual rear cameras w/ Super slow mo 480fps	12MP Sony IMX363 + 5MP Samsung sensor rear cameras, LED flash
Front Camera	24MP Fusion Pixel f/2.0 + 2MP dual front cameras	20MP front camera
Connectivity	Dual 4G LTE	4G LTE
SIM	Single/Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid)	Dual SIM (nano, hybrid)
Wi-Fi	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2 BLE, HWA, aptX, and aptX HD	Bluetooth 5.0
Biometrics	- Fingerprint scanner - Face Unlock (?)	- Fingerprint scanner - Face unlock
GPS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, Beidou, GLONASS
USB	USB Type-C	USB 2.0 Type-C
Audio Port	3.5mm audio port	3.5mm audio port
OS	EMUI 8.2 (Android 8.1 Oreo)	MIUI for POCO (Android 8.1 Oreo)
Battery	3,750mAh battery w/ Huawei Quick Charge (9V 2A charger)	4,000mAh battery w/ QC3

Summary of Advantages

Huawei Mate 20 Lite

• Slightly larger display
• Higher main rear camera resolution
• Dual front camera setup

Pocophone F1

• Better performing CPU and GPU
• Higher RAM
• Higher maximum internal storage option
• Higher secondary rear camera resolution
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Slightly larger battery capacity

Looking at the summary above it looks like the Pocophone F1 has the Mate 20 Lite cornered but let’s dig deeper. The Mate 20 Lite takes the money on the display side. Despite both smartphones featuring Full HD resolution screens, Huawei’s baby has a better LTPS IPS panel. Add that to its slightly larger display and you have a phone with a low power draw display and generous screen real-estate.

The Pocophone F1 retaliates on the performance side though with the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. While the Kirin 710 on the Mate 20 Lite is certainly a mid-range powerhouse by 2018 standards, it still loses big time to the SD845. Add that to the fact that the Pocophone F1 has bigger RAM options and bigger maximum storage.

On the camera side, it’s a heated exchange. The Mate 20 Lite has a higher main rear camera resolution and a dual front camera setup versus the Pocophone F1’s higher secondary main camera. By the looks of it on paper, the Mate 20 Lite takes the win here. Then again, we all know it’s not always about megapixels. We currently only have samples for the Pocophone F1 (here). Although Huawei does have a history of creating good cameras on smartphones, so the Mate 20 Lite can bank on that.

Battery-wise, on paper the Pocophone F1 wins with a larger 4,000mAh capacity. The Mate 20 Lite doesn’t lag behind that much though with a 3,750mAh pack. Both have different fast charging gimmicks — the Mate 20 Lite with Huawei’s quick charge and the Pocophone F1 with Qualcomm’s QC3. Again, batt life isn’t always about capacity.

Connectivity-wise the win goes to the Pocophone F1 with better Bluetooth 5.0 support. The largest advantage of the Pocophone F1 though is its price. Pocophone’s offering boasts flagships specs starting at just Php 16,997. The Mate 20 Lite, on the other hand, is currently priced at £379 (~Php26,244). Knowing the Mate series, local pricing may be close to this range too.

So, it all comes down to better cameras or better price-to-performance?

What do you think about this specs comparison? Share us your thoughts in the comments section below.