Huawei P20 Pro vs OPPO Find X: what's the price of innovation?
Between the Huawei P20 Pro and OPPO Find X, which device is the better buy? These are two large devices from Chinese brands that are both characterized by their camera components, although for different reasons. We’ll tell you what you should consider before making a purchase!
Learn more about the Huawei P20 Pro in our video:
- Huawei P20 Pro review: the three-eyed monster
- OPPO Find X review: the most original smartphone of 2018
Extreme minimalism or the notch?
Certain things are just a matter of taste, and smartphones are no different. Both Huawei and OPPO have created devices that are elegant, beautiful to look at and comfortable to hold. Both have meticulous craftsmanship and are relatively large, not particularly light (about 180 grams) as well as easy to handle.
Both devices, however, will also attract fingerprints and slip easily when resting on flat surfaces. In both cases, it’s advisable to use a cover to keep your device in good shape and to protect it from falls. But personally, I think it’s a shame to put a cover on such a striking device, don’t you think?
The two devices each have some distinctive elements: the Find X opts for a minimalist design, and the cameras are invisible and only pop out when you need them. The OPPO flagship has a clean frame, both on the front and the back thanks to the large screen that has practically no edges. It has given up the headphone jack and the button dedicated to the fingerprint sensor.
Huawei offers an elegant but less minimalist smartphone. The cameras on the back are visible and protrude from the body. On the front, the notch gives way to some wider edges. If you want, you can deactivate the notch in the settings, and then a black bar will cover it up.
You can get a colorful model with both the Find X and P20 Pro, although Huawei offers better customization options. The Find X is available in Blue and Burgundy, while the P20 Pro has been made official in Black, Blue and Twilight and at IFA announced Morpho Aurora and Pearl White. If you love covers, the brand’s official website also offers some designed by artists.
Two innovative cameras
Both the P20 Pro and Find X are distinguished by their integrated photographic elements. Huawei was the first to introduce a triple camera on the back, and OPPO proposed an interesting sliding mechanism that exposes the cameras only when necessary.
The two devices do offer quite different camera experiences. In case you were wondering, the retractable camera module on the Find X doesn’t slow down the overall experience. Huawei’s triple camera (8+20+40 MP), however, is much better at taking shots at night. The long exposure is a very convenient feature, along with the 3x optical zoom, which is missing on the Find X (dual camera, 20+16 MP).
As for those shots in sunlight, both do a good job with sharpness and detail reproduction and the Find X can handle this even better than the P20 Pro. The colors on the Find X are much closer to the real ones (although you can turn off the AI to fix this). Selfies, the bokeh effect, and the variety of shooting modes aren’t a problem with either device. If you love taking selfies you’ll appreciate the 3D scan, which lets you do some retouches.
Both devices play it save with respect to videos: you can shoot videos in 4K and take advantage of Slow Motion mode. The P20 Pro also features Super Slow Motion.
And in everyday use?
Both the Huawei P20 Pro and OPPO Find X can handle any task smoothly and without any problems. Both have powerful chips: the Snapdragon 845 for OPPO, and the Kirin 970 for Huawei, which are flanked by 8 and 6GB of RAM respectively.
Multitasking, gaming, and the playback of multimedia content are no problem at all. The P20 Pro has the better audio. When you hold the Find X in landscape mode, your hand will inevitably cover up its stereo speakers.
On the software side, both devices are upgraded to Android 8.1 Oreo and will make the switch to Android Pie. Both have taken some inspiration from the much-loved iOS, and customization is key. But neither system is perfect: you’ll run into some small problems with notifications, but it’s nothing limiting.
Benchmark comparison: Huawei P20 Pro vs OPPO Find X
| Huawei P20 Pro (Kirin 970) |
OPPO Find X (Snapdragon 845) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench CPU Single core |
1920 | 2033 |
| Geekbench CPU Multicore |
6780 | 7423 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot ES 3.1 |
2972 | 4642 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot ES 3.0 |
3346 | 5840 |
| 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited ES 2.0 |
30602 | 63875 |
| PassMark Memory (RAM) |
14087 | 11689 |
| PassMark Disk (Storage) |
64144 | 71929 |
What will you be giving up with each device?
OPPO Find X
You won’t get and waterproof certification with the OPPO flagship: the Find X doesn’t offer IP67 or 68 certification, but it is splash-proof. There’s no NFC on the Find X (useful for payments with Google Pay), and it’s also missing stereo speakers, wireless charging, optical zoom, FM radio, and a fingerprint reader. To unlock the device, you’ll have to rely on a normal PIN or facial recognition, which is fast and accurate. And if you’re used to using a wired headset, you’ll need to change your habits and rely on Bluetooth headphones.
Huawei P20 Pro
Despite the fact that the Huawei P20 Pro has a glass body, it doesn’t offer wireless charging or integrate FM radio. It’s also missing the mini jack. The major trend has been to offer increasingly minimalist design and focus everything on Bluetooth. Just like the Find X, it doesn’t allow you to expand the external memory up to 128GB, but you probably won’t have any storage issues if you take into consideration the 6GB of built-in RAM.
Which one should you buy?
It all depends on the features you consider fundamental and the price you’re willing to pay for innovation. The Find X has a somewhat steeper price and is currently available unlocked on Amazon for $949, whereas the P20 Pro, which was launched on the market at over $1,000, is currently available unlocked on Amazon for $735.
The Find X is definitely more original and innovative, although many people wonder how long the retractable module will last, which for now looks solid but easily collects dirt. With the Huawei P20 Pro, you’ll stay on the safe side and save yourself some money.
Both the P20 Pro and Find X are beautiful devices ..... it's a shame they are only available online vs via a shop in North America (their prices don't attract me, but they may interest those who are willing to fork over $700).