Huawei Mate 30 vs Huawei Mate 20: What’s Changed?

Huawei has finally unveiled their latest flagship series, the Mate 30 Series. As the newest iteration in the Mate lineup, we inevitably compare the Mate 30 to the one year older Mate 20. See what’s changed between the two devices!

What’s changed?

• Slightly larger display
• HDR10+
• HiSilicon Kirin 990 chipset
• Single but large RAM offer
• Better camera hardware
• In-display fingerprint scanner
• Wireless charging
• Slightly larger battery capacity

Starting with the screen, the Mate 20 has a 6.53-inch panel, while the Mate 30 measures somewhat larger at 6.62-inches. The Mate 30 also has the larger resolution at 2340 x 1080 as opposed to the Mate 20’s 1080 x 2244 one. The Mate 30 also trumps the Mate 20 with its HDR10+ display.

Huawei‘s latest flagship chipset, the HiSilicion Kirin 990, powers up the Mate 30. On the other hand, the Mate 20 runs on the predecessor of the 990, the Kirin 980. We’ve yet to know how the Kirin 990 fares in actual usage, but expect it to be the faster and better processor out of the two. The Mate 20 starts with RAM offerings of 4GB and 6GB, while the Mate 30 immediately knocks it out of the park with its 8GB RAM offer. Storage-wise, the Mate 20 comes with only a 128GB space, compared to the Mate 30’s already extensive offer of 256GB. Both handsets are expandable via an NM card.

The two devices possess triple-rear camera setups, but they vary in hardware. The Mate 20 has a 12MP + 16MP + 8MP setup, while the Mate 30 steps it up with its 40MP + 16MP + 8MP shooters. Once again, Leica provides the cameras for the two handsets. Selfie-wise, they both carry a 24MP snapper, but the Mate 30 has an RGB sensor. We’ve yet to see the quality of the images produced by the Mate 30, though.

As for biometrics, the Mate 20 is slightly outdated with its rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Mate 30 is keeping up with the times by putting in an in-display fingerprint scanner instead. Fret not, for the two smartphones also have face unlock as a security measure. They also have IP53 water and dust resistance rating.

The Mate 30 takes the win with its slightly larger battery at 4,200mAh. It also supports 27W Wireless SuperCharge with reverse charging and 40W SuperCharge. On the other hand, while the Mate 20 also has SuperCharge, it only has a 4,000mAh capacity and has no support for wireless charging. A USB-C port acts as the two devices’ charging port. EMUI 9 based on Android 9 pie runs as the Mate 20’s operating system, while the Mate 30 is set to have the latest EMUI 10 based on Android 10.

Huawei has given the Mate 30 several changes, beginning with its display, all the way to its battery capacity. The Mate 20 might only be a year old, but the Mate 30’s impressive specs might make you think twice about choosing not to upgrade smartphones.

What do you think? Share it with us in the comments!