OnePlus 6 vs Huawei P20 Pro: Which is best?

OnePlus 6 vs Huawei P20 Pro: Which is best?

At just over half the price of Huawei’s stunning P20 Pro, the new OnePlus 6 offers flagship specs and looks without breaking the bank. Does the Huawei’s superior triple camera and incredible battery life justify the extra outlay? Or can the wallet-friendly OnePlus offer enough to make it seem like an overpriced luxury? Let’s find out.

Design: Two of a kind

It would be tough to tell these phones apart from just a quick glance. Both are screen-heavy and bezel-lite from the front, both have a notch up top, and both have glossy glass on the back. But there are slight differences. The P20 Pro’s fingerprint sensor is on the front, plus its gradient Twilight backing colour blows the plainer-looking glass effect of the OnePlus 6 out of the water. Admittedly, they’re small deviations. These phones are more similar than they are different. Verdict: Draw

Screen: Almost equal

It’s much the same when it comes to screen quality: both of these are excellent displays and both are very, very similar. The OnePlus 6 opts for a 6.28in OLED display at 1080p, sporting a 19:9 aspect ratio and the now-popular notch cutout. Meanwhile, the P20 Pro comes in a bit smaller at 6.1in and still 1080p and OLED, with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio (and the notch). They’re both pretty clear and have great contrast, and both impress overall. But neither stands out over the other, really. Verdict: Draw

Camera: A world of difference

The P20 Pro uses three rear cameras (40MP RGB, 8MP telephoto, and 20MP monochrome) to take dazzling snaps in good light and some seriously strong ones in low light. It also combines 3x optical zoom with 5x digital to capture far-off images with the kind of clarity that hasn’t previously been attainable with a phone. By comparison, the OnePlus 6 only manages to be pretty good. In good lighting the results can be punchy and detailed but the overblown colours can’t be tempered and some exposure issues muck things up. It’s still a decent camera overall, it’s just going up against the best here. Verdict: Huawei P20 Pro

Performance: No slouches here

Both of these phones have plenty of power on offer: the P20 Pro sticks with Huawei’s own Kirin 970 processor, while the OnePlus 6 has the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Some benchmark tests show a bit more power at play for the Snapdragon, but it’s not enough to get picky about – not when the everyday performance is plenty speedy on both devices. Both pack in 6GB RAM to keep things moving along no matter how crazy you get with apps, games, and multitasking, although there’s a pricier OnePlus 6 edition with 8GB available. Verdict: Draw

Battery and perks: The Pro edge

The Huawei’s hearty 4000mAh battery pack helps the P20 Pro last solidly into a second day with average use. The 3300mAh of the OnePlus 6 isn’t likely to go long into day two with comparable use, but it’s still very good. Neither of these offer wireless charging, however, despite the glass on the back. They’re also similarly lacking in microSD support, although the OnePlus does have a headphone port, while the P20 Pro has a desktop mode that allows you to plug in a monitor. Given the bigger battery, we’d say the P20 Pro has an overall advantage in this category. Verdict: Huawei P20 Pro

Verdict: Plenty to consider

With three draws and two wins for the P20 Pro these phones are pretty close in a lot of ways, but the Huawei has the edge in some key areas – but they’ll cost you. If you must have the best camera (and a beefier battery that’ll allow you to make the most of it) the P20 Pro is the one to go for, but the OnePlus 6 still checks most of the boxes for a flagship phone in 2018 – and for significantly less cash. Winner: Huawei P20 Pro