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We asked, you told us: HUAWEI P20 Pro vs Galaxy S9 Plus
June 01, 2025
TheHUAWEI P20 Prolaunch gave us a triple camera and it was not just a gimmick in the race to do something different. The P20 Pro surprised many by delivering one of the best shooters in class.
Ourextensive review of the P20came to the conclusion that the P20 presents itself as a real S9 killer — if you’re willing to learn how to get the most out of it. While the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus offer unbeatable point-and-shoot options, the P20 can do better if you put in some effort and learn the camera software and hardware inside-out. That doesn’t suit everyone, and there’ll be a clear line in the sand between the enthusiasts and the everyday smartphone fans who want great pictures no matter what settings they use.
Read next:HUAWEI P20 Hybrid Zoom explained
That might explain the results from the recent polls we ran, asking you onAndroid Authorityand onYouTube Communityif you prefer the P20 Pro, the Galaxy S9 Plus, either, or neither:
On our site poll, the 5,000 voters handed the win to the P20 Pro, with 50 percent voting it as their choice, with the S9 Plus getting 38 percent of the vote. About 9 percent said both were great, while 6 percent said neither, which is fair enough given the flagship prices that go with the flagship specs.
When we asked our YouTube audience though, the 43,000 of you who voted went the other way. 48 percent said the Galaxy S9 Plus was their choice, with the P20 Pro getting 28 percent of the vote. 1 percent said both were great, which is a good answer too, while 13 percent said neither.
Here are some of the best comments left on the site or on YouTube:
Answered:Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Answered:HUAWEI P20 Pro
Answered:I can’t decide, they’re both great!
What does it mean for HUAWEI vs Samsung?
We’re not sure. The larger audience on YouTube tends to be more casual, whereas those following the website are more likely to be enthusiast consumers. That could mean HUAWEI is making ground in the enthusiast community. It could also mean that our YouTube audience is more North American based, who don’t get to have access to HUAWEI devices due togovernment concerns about the Chinese manufacturer.
Or maybe the video showed more of the P20 Pro capabilities, which was endorsed by Kris, who said “I’m comfortable saying this is a better buy than the latest Galaxy phone.”
Huawei’s efforts are impressive, and objectively make it a threat to Samsung, something that was hard to imagine just a few years ago. For some reference, I attended the P8 launch in London in April 2015, when HUAWEI first dropped the ‘Ascend’ branding. The tech community, including our ownP8 reviewer Lanh, agreed that the P8 was a quality device at a value price, that had just a few issues. It was the first device that made Western media sit up and pay attention to a broadly-appealing HUAWEI smartphone.
Fast-forward three years, and HUAWEI’s progress has been strong, grabbing what’s close to an even-footing with the champion of the category. While Samsung is still the benchmark in Android, it’s clear who its rival is in flagships. It’s going to be a great fight in the future, and hopefully consumers stand to win the most.
No doubt we’ll run a similar poll when the Note 9 and Mate 20 emerge later this year. That will be another clash to enjoy.
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