Honor 20 Pro vs OnePlus 7: The Better Flagship Killer Under 40k?

Honor 20 Pro is the latest device in the market and is in the same price bracket as the OnePlus 7.

OnePlus 7 (left) against the Honor 20 Pro (right)

(Photo: The Quint)

Honor has launched its flagship device for the Indian market, the Honor 20 Pro, which is loaded in terms of specifications and features. Apart from being the first phone to come with Honor’s new branding, the Honor 20 Pro also brings forth the first rear quad camera in an Honor device.

At Rs 39,999, the Honor 20 Pro locks horns with the OnePlus 7 (OP7) which is a crowd favourite in India. So, can Honor bring its A-game against one of the most talked about phones in the under Rs 40,000 price category?

Here’s a quick comparison between the Honor 20 Pro and the OnePlus 7.

(Photo: The Quint/Shruti Mathur)

Design & Display

There’s nothing out of the ordinary in the Honor 20 Pro except the fact that it has gone back to the old in-display punch hole camera display. However, one feature I really liked about the phone is the fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button.

Though Sony has done this before, Honor bringing the feature back is admirable.

The Honor 20 Pro comes with an punch hole camera.(Photo: The Quint)

It sports 3D curved glass design which is good to look at but attracts a lot of smudges and fingerprints.

The OnePlus 7 borrows its design philosophy from the 6T and comes out as a robust offering. It’s protected by Gorilla Glass on the front and the back.

The AMOLED display boasts an 85 percent screen to body ratio which is almost equal to that of the Honor 20 Pro.

We’ll give extra points to the OnePlus here considering it comes with an AMOLED screen, unlike Honor’s IPS LCD offering. Not saying that the Honor display is bad but AMOLED always is better to look at.

OnePlus 7 Series has launched with the OnePlus 7 and a top-of-the-line OnePlus 7 Pro.(Photo: OnePlus/Screengrab)

Performance & Storage

The OnePlus 7 gets top-of-the-line Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor and 6/8 GB of RAM. It’s a stellar performer and an ideal option for people who do a lot of multi-tasking. In terms of storage, the OP7 offers up to 256 GB of internal space which is not expandable.

The Honor 20 Pro comes with a Kirin 980 processor which is what the company uses in its flagship devices. It’s a good processor and Honor is also offering GPU Turbo 3.0 feature for enhanced high-definition gaming.

The Honor 20 Pro also doesn’t offer expandable storage but with 256 GB of onboard space, there’s no dearth of memory.

Both devices run Android Pie out of the box. Though existing Huawei devices will offer support for Android and other Google services for the next 70 days as a part of the agreement between the US commerce department, Google and Huawei, there is no clarity of what will happen after the time period runs out.

While there has been a fallout between Huawei and Google as far as software updates and services are concerned, we can tell you that the Honor 20 Pro will continue to receive regular updates as it was launched before the dispute occurred.

Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally.

Huawei Global

Camera

The Honor 20 Pro comes equipped with a rear quad camera with a 48+8+16+2-megapixel lens setup. The phone has been further armoured with a wide-angle lens and comes with its own ‘night light’ feature for better low light photography. With an aperture f/1.4, you’re bound to get some lively pics, even in dark scenarios.

The Honor 20 Pro also comes with 4-axis OIS which is an essential addition for people who shoot a lot of videos. In comparison to this, the OnePlus 7 offers a dual 48+5-megapixel rear camera setup bundled with EIS.

A definite winner in this category, the Honor 20 Pro but we’ll reserve our verdict till we get to test both the devices.

Battery

The Honor 20 Pro comes with a 4,000mAh battery that supports quick charge technology capable of charging the phone up to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

The OnePlus 7 though comes with a lesser 3,700mAh battery in comparison it does deliver great battery back up and charges as fast as the Honor 20 Pro, delivering up to 60 percent in 30 minutes.

Which One to Go For?

The Honor 20 Pro is offering a very good camera setup in this price segment which offers more bang for your buck compared to the OnePlus 7.

Both offer similar user experience and you won’t have any complaints in terms of performance from both.

Yes, the Honor 20 Pro does offer a bit of extra battery life and is Rs 2,000 more expensive than the OnePlus 7 but would you compromise on the camera quality and battery life for that small amount?

The OnePlus 7 is a safe bet at Rs 37,999 but if you want a bit extra out of your phone at almost the same price, the Honor 20 Pro is a good bet.

Also, if you want more from your smartphone camera, there’s the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom which also falls in this price segment.

There’s plenty to choose from.