HUAWEI MATE 20 X 5G
£699, consumer.huawei.comSAMSUNG A90 5G
£579, samsung.com/uk
The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G offers plentyofpower,someveryappealinglooks,and
of course that sweet 5G connectivity withoutwhichwewouldn’tevenbetalking
about it. Besides those connectivity speeds,yougetanabsolutelyhuge7.2-inch
screen and some very capable internalspecs,aswellasa triple-lensrearcamera
around the back – Huawei has always excelledwhenit comestomobilecameras,
and the one on board the Mate 20 X 5Gisnoexception.TheChinesetechgiant
has a less impressive reputation whenit comestoitstakeonAndroid,butif you
can put up with an operating system thathasa fewquirks,thenthisisa fineand
relatively affordable 5G option to weighup.Whatyoudon’tgetwiththeHuawei
Mate 20 X 5G is full waterproofing or wirelesscharging,soyou’llneedtolook
elsewhere for those features.If you don’t want to splash out on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, then the A90
is a very capable alternative for nearly half the price. It cuts a few corners
compared to the more expensive Samsung device (no wireless charging, no
waterproofing, a lower resolution screen), but at the same time it’s still a
premium-level handset that’s going to whizz through any sort of task you set it,
and take stellar photos and videos as well. The bright and vibrant screen is a very
generous 6.7 inches, while the camera on the back of the phone is a triple-lens
model (there is an ultrawide lens, but no optical zoom). The recently launched
One UI take on Android that Samsung has been working on puts the Galaxy
software closer than ever to stock Android in terms of quality and polish too, so
this is a fantastic all-round package.
If youhaven’theard of Xiaomi before,theChineseelectronicsgianthas
made a big name for itself in Asia,andisnowmakingstridesinEuropeand
the rest of the world too – its phonesarepowerful,welldesignedand
reliable, and leave you wonderingwhyyouwouldpayextraforsomething
with a more recognisable brandname.Whenit comestotheXiaomiMi
Mix 3 5G, the most unusual featureistheslide-upselfiecamerathat
appears with a flick of the wrist– it takessomegettingusedto,butit
means you don’t have to put upwitha notchormuchinthewayofbezels
on the 6.39-inch front display. Asidefromthat,yougetpremiuminternal
specs and a dual-lens rear camerathatcantakesomegenuinelyimpressive
photos, though there’s no wirelesschargingorwaterproofing.Abudget
5G phone choice that doesn’t cutmanycorners.XIAOMIMI MIX 3 5G
£399,mi.comTechnology
The year of 5G
May 2020 | |^53