Huawei declares of having an intelligent handset with an amazing camera quality, but does it stand a chance against one of Samsung’s flagship spec phone, the Note 8?
| SPECS | Huawei Mate 10 | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 |
| Display | 5.9″ 1440 x 2560 Super AMOLED (~499 ppi) | 6.3″ Super AMOLED (~521 ppi) |
| Dimensions & Features | 150.5 x 77.8 x 8.2 mm, 186 g, Nano-SIM | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm,195 Dual stand-by, Dual SIM Tray |
| Chip-set | Hisilicon Kirin 970 | Exynos Octa |
| CPU | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP12 | Mali-G71 MP20 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB microSD, up to 256 GB hybrid sim tray | 6 GB RAM or 64/128/256 GB hybrid sim tray |
| Connectivity | LTE, 802.11n, BT 4.2, GPS, 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector | LTE, 802.11n, BT 5.0, GPS, 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh | Non-removable Li-Ion 3300mAh |
| Price | PhP 32,990/$670 | PhP 49,990/$999 |
Design
Both smartphones sport an all-screen display with the Mate 10 having a slightly wider yet shorter build than the tad heavier Note 8. Considering the large display of the Mate 10, it still has room for a capacitive home button on its chin which also serves as the fingerprint scanner and navigation keys through different series of taps.
Both phones also have a front and glass back cover with an aluminum frame both scratch proof although Mate 10 not being water resistant like the Note 8, it’s still splash proof for that matter.
The handsets also have a dual-rear camera not only different in specs but in placements as well. Sim tray on the Mate 10 can support a dual SIM and or Micro SD card while the Note 8 has dedicated tray for a Nano SIM and a Micro SD. Both phones also have a type-c charging port although the Mate 10 does not support wireless charging.
Display
Although the Mate 10 is not on a Super AMOLED display like the note 8, its 5.9” IPS LCD with a 1440 x 2560 p resolution is pretty decent. While the Note 8 has 6.3” 1440 x 2960p resolution with its brightness levels going up to 1240 nits compared to the 670 nits on the Mate 10. Cooler tones lean on to the Mate 10 while the Note 8 has a warmer feel to it, differences are apparent on videos and playing video games.
Camera
The Mate 10 packs a 12 MP dual-rear camera collaborated with Leica while the Note 8 also packs a Dual 12 MP rear camera. Color is the first noticeable difference on rear camera shots with the Note 8 having more vibrancy than the faded feel of the Mate 10, sharpness in details are also seemingly at par which is hard to differentiate even on a closer inspection. Take a look for yourselves.
One function of the Mate 10’s second camera is its ability to take monochromatic shots in good detail and sharpness.
The Portrait mode on both phones however has a better result on the Note 8 on good lighting conditions. However, the Mate 10 takes better bokeh shots on low lighting.
Night-time shots have a higher exposure on the Mate 10 compared to the Note 8 making it pick-up lighting better than the latter.
Selfies are almost incomparable on detail clarity but definitely differs in color with the Mate 10 having a more realistic approach than the Note 8. The front camera of the Mate 10 also has a portrait mode which the Note 8 sadly lacks.
Low-lighting shots lose quality on both phones same goes through night-time selfies. It’s hard to decide which has the upper-hand on the quality department so see for yourselves.
Video recording on both are capable of producing 4k videos with 30 fps with decent stabilization and slight color differences.
| Phone | Rear Camera | Front Camera | |
| Mate 10 | Dual: 12 MP (f/1.6, 27mm, OIS) +20 MP (f/1.6, 27mm), 2x lossless zoom, Leica optics, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
Video: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
8 MP, f/2.0 | |
| Note 8 | Dual 12 MP (26mm, f/1.7, PDAF & 52mm, f/2.4, AF), OIS, autofocus, 2x optical zoom, LED flash
Video: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps |
8 MP, f/1.7 |
Chip-set/Processor/Rom
The Mate 10 is powered by their latest in-house HiSilicon Kirin 970 with 4 GB of RAM while the Note 8 has an Exynos Octa with 6 GB of RAM. The Mate 10 runs on an updated Android 8 Oreo while the Note 8 remains on Nougat. Using the following benchmarking tools, we received these results in the process:
When it comes to gaming, the Mate 10 has an overall smoother and consistent framerate than the Note 8 which lags a bit behind on FPS although the Mate 10 heats up significantly faster than the latter. Colors are also noticeably different with the Mate 10 having a cooler bluish tint compared to the warmer sort of orange tint on the Note 8, which are apparent not only in gaming.
Fingerprint scanners also work faster on the Mate 10 compared to the Note 8 which is delayed by a few milliseconds but both work instantaneously.
| Device | AnTuTu | Geekbench (single-core) | Geekbench (multi-core) | PCMark Work 2.0 |
| Mate 10 | 178423 | 1902 | 6783 | 6946 / 2896 |
| Note 8 | 175171 | 2033 | 6587 | 5816 / 2650 |
Battery
Through our ManilaShaker Battery Rating, we can confirm the following overall lifespan of both devices:
| Device | Battery | Battery Time | Charging-Time |
| Mate 10 | 4000 mAh | 42h 29m | 1h 54m |
| Note 8 | 3300 mAh | 38h 28m | 1h 52m |
Audio
Loudspeakers are both located at the bottom portion of the phone and a bonus speaker on the earpiece of the Mate 10. The Mate 10 also has a louder audio than the Note 8. In terms of quality? Hear for yourselves.
Price
Both smartphones are available in local and online stores with the Mate 10 retailing at $670 or ₱ 32,990 while the Note 8 at $999 or ₱49,990.00, although prices will differ in countries after taxes. The Mate 10 or the Note 8? Which flagship spec is the phone of your choice? Comment down below what you think.
You definitely don’t know what you’re talking about in your camera comparison. Check Pocketnow’s comparison review of these two phones by Juan Bagnell and learn from it, especially on the camera comparison.