Jumping from Apple??! Oppo Reno 10x Vs. Huawei P30Pro Vs. Samsung S10+ Ceramic

Forums › Android › Jumping from Apple??! Oppo Reno 10x Vs. Huawei P30Pro Vs. Samsung S10+ Ceramic - Help me Obi Wan...

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# 251727 9-Jul-2019 09:48

I am due a new mobile and looking to move on from my iPhone 8 Plus.

The upcoming 2019 offerings from Apple are not looking too inspiring from the current rumours - 2020 is probably the next big leap from them and so I am seriously considering moving back to an Android device, especially as I am currently in a more diverse home eco-system (Windows + iPad etc)

The last time I was on Android was my LG Pixel some time ago and it seems like things have moved on well since then - my wife's S10 is pretty impressive. I am also thinking to get rid of my current mirror-less camera (I just never take it out any more - the best camera is the one you have with you right?) and rely solely on my mobile for general snapshots on my upcoming holiday.

So as per the title, I am considering all of the above (Huawei current issues not withstanding) and wanted to get my fellow geeks view. Priorities are:

OS experience and responsiveness (had laggy android before and hated it)
Camera (not necessarily the specs and gimmicks, but the best overall images in a variety of conditions)
Battery Life
Build quality & premium feel
Screen quality
storage and expandable capacity
Everything else inc. price, charging stuff etc.

So what say you? I am leaning towards the Samsung currently as I trust the brand more but it does seem to have the weakest camera setup compared to the other two - still should be leagues ahead of my iPhone right?

Is there something else I should consider?

Cheers

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# 2272332 9-Jul-2019 12:30

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No matter what you choose at the high end, you'll get a great phone. Things have changed a lot in the last few years and while the products are all different with each brand having its own quirks, they'll all serve you well. You will also get different answers on many of these points depending on who you ask as they're subjective.

OS experience - of the three you listed, Huawei's EMUI is my personal favourite. That said, OPPO's ColorOS has improved enormously with 6.0, and Samsung's One UI is a far cry from Samsung software of old. They are all very different to iOS, with Samsung having the least in common - Huawei and OPPO will feel more familiar here.
Cameras - thanks to the triple camera arrays, all three are versatile. Huawei takes the win for low-light and resolved detail. The Reno 10x has a similar periscope zoom lens. S10+ has received software updates that massively improve the camera and will give you more accurate colours, but isn't in the same league for zoom without a periscope. I would suggest taking a look at full-size comparison images from the likes of Anandtech to see which you prefer.
Battery life - P30 Pro and Reno 10x trade blows. I cannot overstate just how good the P30 Pro's battery life has been in my use of the device, which is further enhanced with ridiculously fast 40W charging.
Build quality & premium feel - All the high end stuff is premium and well built. Are you intending to use it with a case? If so, they will all likely feel similar in hand. What's different here is the form factor and ergonomics. The S10+ is slim and light in comparison to the Reno 10x, which is a big phone, and the P30 Pro sits in the middle. Coming from an iPhone Plus the footprints are similar, but I would recommend having a tinker with demo units here so you can decide if curved screens are for you. Some love them, some hate them, others are indifferent. They can make a significant difference to handling however as it's easier to reach across a curved screen.
Screen quality goes to Samsung. The best OLED screens are Samsung's or Samsung-made, this is pretty straightforward, not least because Samsung is the only 1440p option you've listed here - the others are 1080p. A 1080p PenTile OLED screen won't have the same pixel density as your IPS LCD iPhone Plus 1080p display. Samsung is always a top contender if screen is your priority. However, the punch-hole design may not be to your liking vs. a small notch or the expansive no-notch Reno 10x.
Storage & expansion - Huawei takes the Nano Memory Card format, the others Micro SD standard. Depends how much storage is enough for you. You can of course go all the way up there and get the 1TB ceramic S10+ if you are so inclined. Reno 10x and P30 Pro come in 256GB only, S10+ comes in 128GB, 512GB, and 1TB flavours.
Of those you have listed, Reno 10x is the cheapest, especially with the discount on 2degrees right now. S10+ 1TB is far and away the most expensive. All three will have varying bonus offers and bundle deals depending on when you decide to buy and whether you get it on a plan or not.

Other factors include:

Wireless charging - You have an 8 Plus, have you invested in wireless chargers for your home or office? If so, Samsung and Huawei have this, OPPO does not.
Water resistance - Is this important to you? Samsung and Huawei have this, OPPO does not.
Warranty - All three have 24 month warranty as standard, OPPO is offering 12 months front and back glass replacement for earlybird purchases + international warranty in 34 different markets.
Headphone jack - Presumably not given iPhone 8 Plus, but Samsung has this and the others do not.
IR Blaster - P30 Pro has a built-in universal remote.
Charging - Huawei is 40W proprietary, Reno 10x is 20W proprietary, Samsung will fast charge from a wider variety of chargers but not as fast.
Extras - Samsung offers DeX which may be of interest. Huawei have a wireless desktop mode. Samsung has the fastest WiFi. OPPO has Dual SIM.

You should also consider the OnePlus 7 Pro with its 1440p 90Hz display.

Product Manager @ PB Tech

https://pbtech.co.nz/smartphones

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# 2272339 9-Jul-2019 12:56

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Oneplus 7 pro :)

danielparker

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# 2272364 9-Jul-2019 13:13

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I went from an iPhone to a P20 Pro, to a P30 Pro.. No regrets.. the P30 Pro is a great phone.. I also like my GT Watch that came with it. (Had an Apple Watch Previously)

Daniel

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# 2272377 9-Jul-2019 13:23

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Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of those phones. I have the S10+ and it's amazing. The latest camera updates put it in the top tier. 8-10 hours SOT with everything going. Great screen, headphone jack, stereo speakers.

Add in the One Plus 7 Pro as an option too. Probably the best OS experience.

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# 2272417 9-Jul-2019 14:47

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Google, OnePlus, Samsung, Nokia, would be my options if you were coming from Apple to Android

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# 2272422 9-Jul-2019 14:55

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@nikt awesome information well presented as always :)

I am so torn about the OnePlus. If it had a stylus I would have bought it already. The Note is my go to series now, though there are always compromises with any solution.

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# 2272425 9-Jul-2019 15:10

NikT:

No matter what you choose at the high end, you'll get a great phone...

Thanks NiK - really appreciate the thoughtful and detailed input!

I have to say, my gut is telling me "S10+" and after seeing the sample pictures in the other thread post-update I am even more interested. I much prefer the overall image and colour tone from the Samsung over the Huawei, though obviously these reflect very specific shooting conditions.

Audio is also very important to me and if I get the 512gb Ceramic and put 521Gb of SD in there, then I can fit my whole lossless library and use both my Bluetooth and more Audiophile headphones more easily with the jack.

lNomNoml: Google, OnePlus, Samsung, Nokia, would be my options if you were coming from Apple to Android

Not convinced by the Pixel hardware & form factor overall, though the Camera is certainly good and I don't see the OnePlus available officially locally with 2Degrees?

danielparker:

I went from an iPhone to a P20 Pro, to a P30 Pro.. No regrets.. the P30 Pro is a great phone.. I also like my GT Watch that came with it. (Had an Apple Watch Previously)

Daniel

It was certainly top of my list for a while, but the recent shenanigans put me off a bit as well as the ongoing concern as to how secure or "safe" the device will be longer term.

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# 2272426 9-Jul-2019 15:15

To add - I am yet to be entirely convinced by the curved screen thing. Looks great, but functionally could be annoying, especially as I will likely be using a case!

I wonder how scratch proof the ceramic back of the S10+ ceramic is and whether I would dare use it "naked"...

The Oppo certainly might work better in that respect.

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# 2272428 9-Jul-2019 15:18

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Oneplus for sure. I've owned several of them and there has been no regrets, also converted a few Apple users over to previous Oneplus devices without any issue. Oneplus's android 'OxygenOS' is very close to the stock android experience. They give good updates as well e.g. Android Pie was rolled out all the way back to the oneplus 3. The only issue I have is Oppo/Oneplus VOOC/Dash/Warp chargers with an AU/NZ power plug are hard to get.

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# 2272430 9-Jul-2019 15:28

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I am considering moving back to android from iphone as my daily driver, so also looking at the current models. Although I do use an older android for a secondary phone, my daily driver is an iphone. I think apple have missed the boat this year with the lack of new features in the upcoming model, and how pricey they now are. They seem to be doing 2 'S' years now between major updates instead of 1. But I may hold out to see what apple are offering as the new models should be out soon, and I do have an apple watch which needs an iphone to update it.

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# 2272431 9-Jul-2019 15:36

mattwnz:

and I do have an apple watch which needs an iphone to update it.

Mine has a crack in it and I was looking to replace it...the Galaxy watch looks quite nifty!

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# 2272433 9-Jul-2019 15:40

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Thanks NiK - really appreciate the thoughtful and detailed input!

I have to say, my gut is telling me "S10+" and after seeing the sample pictures in the other thread post-update I am even more interested. I much prefer the overall image and colour tone from the Samsung over the Huawei, though obviously these reflect very specific shooting conditions.

Audio is also very important to me and if I get the 512gb Ceramic and put 521Gb of SD in there, then I can fit my whole lossless library and use both my Bluetooth and more Audiophile headphones more easily with the jack.

Always happy to help.

I'd recommend taking a look at the camera comparisons here between Reno 10x, OnePlus 7 Pro, S10+ (note the "E" for Exynos is the version sold in NZ), P30 Pro, and others besides. This is using the latest software for S10+ so gives a fair look at what you can expect on each model right now rather than with the launch software showcased in most reviews. A variety of scenes are represented with night shots on the second page - Huawei really is very far ahead in that area - and you can of course download uncompressed images with which to pixel-peep and draw your own conclusions.

As audio is very important, I would also suggest taking a look at the LG V40. It's sharply priced now, has a triple camera array (I am fond of LG's cameras, moreso than some reviewers who tend to bag on them) and includes an ESS Sabre DAC + grunty headphone amplifier which is quite unmatched in the other options available. LG is very far ahead of some with regard to video, which Apple is traditionally stronger in than many Android vendors. Wide-angle video is a treat, unfortunately missing in the Reno 10x for example. You do however only get 128GB of (expandable) storage, and the V40 is technically last year's model despite the delayed launch in ANZ, hence the sizable price delta.

Otherwise it does sound as if the S10+ is a good match for your needs indeed!

Product Manager @ PB Tech

https://pbtech.co.nz/smartphones

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# 2272491 9-Jul-2019 16:46

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1. OS - i have tried both huawei mate 20 and galaxy s10/s10+. both are good. can't say which is better. huawei slightly fewer subsubsubsubsub menus. in the samsung you can customize to the tiniest detail which may or may not be helpful. both are equally responsive though if you count microseconds I think the p30 pro is milliseconds faster according to the internet.

2. Camera. low light was p30 pro but i heard the samsung update makes it better. not on mine! zoom huawei p30 pro hands down there is no competition. because I have a samsung i'd like to think the huawei has a better still camera. video the samsung is much much sharper than the huawei in reviews. my samsung s10 all cameras are miles better than my wife's iphone 8 plus except the zoom. i think the samsung zoom is the worst of the 4 cameras. or maybe my zoom camera is a dud. because the reviews don't suppor that.

3. battery life - same i'd say. my s10 plus lasts for days but you have to leave it alone. i had a s10 and tried to disable all kinds of things and it only lasts 1 day. sold it bought the s10 plus gave up trying to tell it what to do and it lasts forever! had a huawei mate 20 and it also lasts for days.

4. build quality - looks the same. mine is water resistant. notsure about the huawei p30 pro.

5. scereen quality is the same. it depends on where yu want the notch.

6. expandable storage - huawei = you can't.

7. huawei has IR blaster which i miss. i can't hear the calls on my huawei mate 20 while the entire room could - i think the speakers must be firing sideways instead of into my ear. i see that the p30 pro doesn't even use a front speaker! not sure how that works in real life! s10 i can hear the calls perfect.

but you want to ask the huawei owners about these things coz i don't own a p30 pro. would love the crazy camera ability though. but wanting nothing else. like the s10 plus.

Swype on iOS is detrimental to accurate typing. Apologies in advance.

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# 2272492 9-Jul-2019 16:47

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I would also look into how long you expect to keep the phone for . The iphone 8 for example is still a incredibility fast phone, and apple still charges a premium for it new. Apple will also probably provide ios updates(which essentially update it to a new phone software-wise with most of the new features) for it for at least another few years. I wouldn't be surprised if the next iphone SE2 is basically the iphone 8 with a faster chip. Whereas android , it seems like you are lucky to get 2-3 years of android updates and support for it. My last samsung galaxy I think I only got 1.5 years of major OS updates, and it then slowed down badly. That is really my main issue with android. Apple also do appear to have good privacy policies and there seem to be better quality apps for ios. But if the price is right, Android does look to be a good solution. But I personally wouldn't want to spend anywhere as much on on android phone.

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# 2272516 9-Jul-2019 16:59

Batman:

1. OS - i have tried both huawei mate 20 and galaxy s10/s10+. both are good. can't say which is better. huawei slightly fewer subsubsubsubsub menus. in the samsung you can customize to the tiniest detail which may or may not be helpful. both are equally responsive though if you count microseconds I think the p30 pro is milliseconds faster according to the internet.

2. Camera. low light was p30 pro but i heard the samsung update makes it better. not on mine! zoom huawei p30 pro hands down there is no competition. because I have a samsung i'd like to think the huawei has a better still camera. video the samsung is much much sharper than the huawei in reviews. my samsung s10 all cameras are miles better than my wife's iphone 8 plus except the zoom. i think the samsung zoom is the worst of the 4 cameras. or maybe my zoom camera is a dud. because the reviews don't suppor that.

3. battery life - same i'd say. my s10 plus lasts for days but you have to leave it alone. i had a s10 and tried to disable all kinds of things and it only lasts 1 day. sold it bought the s10 plus gave up trying to tell it what to do and it lasts forever! had a huawei mate 20 and it also lasts for days.

4. build quality - looks the same. mine is water resistant. notsure about the huawei p30 pro.

5. scereen quality is the same. it depends on where yu want the notch.

6. expandable storage - huawei = you can't.

7. huawei has IR blaster which i miss. i can't hear the calls on my huawei mate 20 while the entire room could - i think the speakers must be firing sideways instead of into my ear. i see that the p30 pro doesn't even use a front speaker! not sure how that works in real life! s10 i can hear the calls perfect.

but you want to ask the huawei owners about these things coz i don't own a p30 pro. would love the crazy camera ability though. but wanting nothing else. like the s10 plus.

Great input as usual mate. Just to add to this:

Yes, P30 Pro is water resistant.
P30 Pro does have expandable storage, but it's their proprietary nano memory card format rather than regular flavour Micro SD.
P30 Pro has under-screen speaker tech for the earpiece - I was a bit skeptical of this at first since the first-gen Mi Mix had it and it was not so good, but it turned out to be awesome. Doesn't matter where you place your ear on the P30 Pro's top half during a call, it's reliably clear and others can't hear you. Glad that tech has matured, it's pretty cool, even if it currently means sacrificing dual speakers in Huawei-land - I understand LG managed both on the full-fat G8.

Product Manager @ PB Tech

https://pbtech.co.nz/smartphones

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