Huawei honor 9 or Samsung a5 – who is better? comparison of smartphones

Battery

The autonomy of a smartphone directly depends on the battery capacity. Yes, other aspects also affect the battery life, such as screen resolution or processor power, but a large battery always gives a good start.

Samsung and Honor smartphones differ in the choice of battery type. The devices of the South Korean manufacturer most often use lithium-ion batteries, while the competitor uses lithium-polymer batteries. The first type of battery is cheaper, but at the same time has good energy capacity. Honor lithium-polymer batteries are more expensive and less subject to wear, but their specific capacity demonstrates relatively low battery life. True, the difference is minimal.

Now let's talk about battery capacity. Until recently, Samsung devices could not boast of decent autonomy. But everything changed in 2021. The Galaxy M30 and M30s models with 5000 mAh and 6000 mAh batteries appeared on the market. With such a battery, even with active use, the smartphone will work for 2 days.

More about Huawei: Review of the HONOR 8A smartphone. State employee for every day. | Smartphones | Reviews | DNS Club

Honor has never had problems with autonomy. The Chinese company was one of the first to produce smartphones with a minimum battery capacity of 4000 mAh. And even though Honor has few models with batteries of 5000 mAh or higher, the manufacturer does not offer devices with insufficient battery capacity.

Processors

Samsung and Honor usually use their own chipsets in their models. Samsung has Exynos, while Honor has Hisilicon Kirin processors. These are modern high-tech chipsets. For each price category, manufacturers use processors of appropriate power.

Both companies use ARM Cortex-A73 and Cortex-A53 cores, as well as Mali graphics coprocessors, to produce processors. In most cases, the performance is about the same, but in the latest flagships Samsung uses its own Exynos M3 cores, which gives it an advantage.

Let's compare the chips that are used in flagship models. This is the Exynos 9810 processor, which is installed in the Samsung Galaxy S9 and HiSilicon Kirin 970, installed in the Honor 10 and Honor Play.

In the most popular Antutu performance test, Exynos earned a record 254,000 points, and Kirin only 213,000. Here, the comparison between Samsung and Honor is not in favor of the latter.

Software

We have already noted earlier that Honor and Samsung devices, although based on different firmware, are controlled in the same way. However, you still need to compare smartphone software. After all, in addition to control, there are other distinctive features of each firmware.

Samsung is based on the proprietary One UI shell. Yes, it is based on Android, but it has several interesting features. It updated all built-in applications, changed the notification shade and added a dark theme.

The EMUI shell on Honor is also different from stock Android. By the way, the same firmware is installed on all Huawei smartphones. It uses a single desktop, has a voice assistant and extensive personalization options. In this regard, the Honor shell looks more variable than One UI. But in any case, the operating system or specific firmware version is a matter of taste. The shells on smartphones from both companies work equally quickly, and the final speed depends on the performance of the processor.

Competitors of Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017), as the review suggests, is a very attractive metal and glass smartphone that combines the premium style of a flagship with very powerful mid-range specs, an IP68 water and dust resistance rating and long battery life. However, if for one reason or another the Samsung Galaxy A5 2021 is not for you, there are several convenient options. For example, you could start with this year's low-end model.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

— You might consider the Galaxy A3 (2017) for its compact size, just consider that it has a lower resolution (and lower pixel density) display, a much slower chip, less RAM and internal storage, and a worse camera. The smartphone offers important features including a MicroSD slot (hybrid version), IP68 rating, and excellent display and battery life. The phone is also significantly cheaper.

Read more: Review of Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017).

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

— Or you could step up and opt for the 5.7-inch Galaxy A7 (2017), if it's already available near you. There are far fewer compromises here - the hardware is almost identical, but you'll have to pay a little more for the extra diagonal and battery (the phone will probably offer better battery life). One caveat - Samsung will not sell the A7 in Europe, which makes it not available to all Russian-speaking users.

Samsung Galaxy S7

— There is another option that needs to be noted, and it is none other than the Galaxy S7. Of course, it's significantly more expensive at the moment, but it will be replaced by a new flagship within a few months, so if you're willing to wait, the Galaxy S7 certainly offers significantly more features. The A5 (2017) does not offer flagship features - all the strengths compared to the Galaxy S7 are zero, it is the best smartphone on the market.

Read more : Samsung Galaxy S7 review.

Sony Xperia X

- Sony Xperia X is very close to the Galaxy A5 (2017) for the money. This is a model that is close to the one year mark, if you count from the announcement, and also half that time since the start of sales.

The Xperia X Performance is one of a select few devices that can offer an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, so the A5 leads the way in this area. There is no need to highlight the battery life either - Sony was not close. The phone boasts a Snapdragon 820 chipset, and its advantages in the field of mobile gaming are undeniable - it is much better suited for this task than the Exynos 7880 in the A5.

Huawei P9

— Huawei offers several phones that can compete with the A5 (2017) for your choice. And we'll start with the flagship, although the P9 is a little more expensive, it boasts an excellent dual 12-megapixel camera (color + monochrome) on the back and a slightly more powerful chipset (which still doesn't support 4K video recording). The A5 is protected from water and dust, however, its battery performs better than the 3000 mAh in the Huawei P9.

Huawei Nova

- Look at the Huawei Nova, which will save you some money even though you're getting a mid-range premium phone - all metal. Unlike the P9, the Nova uses a single camera (like the A5), only the Nova can record 4K video. Battery life isn't half as good, but it's no marathon runner A5; the Samsung phone's display is significantly superior to its Chinese competitor. Did we mention the IP68 rating in the A5 (2017)? Well, now you know everything.

OnePlus 3T

- Priced identically to the Galaxy A5 (2017), the OnePlus 3T deserves its place among the competition. Of course, you may not find it in your local store, and warranty repairs will require some hassle, it's hard to beat OnePlus smartphones in terms of price/quality ratio. Packed with one of the most powerful chipsets available on the market, the 3T also comes with plenty of RAM and internal storage. The latest OnePlus 3T has dual 16-megapixel cameras, each slightly better than the one you'll find on the A5, capable of capturing 2160p.

Compared to the latest OnePlus, our Galaxy A5 (2017) has its own strengths to offer - 32GB of memory may look more modest than the OnePlus' 64/128GB, but a 256GB MicroSD card easily fixes this, and the 3T doesn't allow for expansion. You may be tired of reading about the Galaxy A5's water resistance and battery life, but that's only because no competitor can match these figures for the A5 2021, and most competitors can't offer similar numbers either. OnePlus 3T can't do the same.

If you look at the numbers that accompany the new Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017), it's easy to pick out the negative aspects. No recording for 2160r. The price is 28,000 rubles. Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Even his name does not invite more - A5 (2017).

All these numbers can easily be contrasted with several other numbers that sound much more beautiful, but let's not get hung up on the numbers. The facts are: Galaxy A5 (2017) is a beautifully designed phone; it will easily survive the rain; It uses a screen that can only be surpassed by Samsung's flagships, and it offers battery life that's hard to beat. Of course, the phone is not perfect, and it is not a cheap smartphone, but you will have a hard time finding something radically better among the competition. Well, unless you're ready to dig even deeper into your pocket.

Price

Samsung and Honor are brands that produce smartphones in different price categories. Both companies have budget and flagship lines. In the lower price segment, devices that are officially sold in Russia, all other things being equal, cost approximately the same. But in the class of flagship devices, the price of Samsung reaches 100 thousand rubles. For example, the most expensive Honor 20 Pro costs 25-30 thousand rubles, depending on the store and the selected memory configuration.

On AliExpress and other Chinese marketplaces you can buy an Honor smartphone even cheaper.

About companies

The Samsung company is one of the most famous in the world. It is a leader in many areas - in video equipment, audio equipment, computer equipment, household appliances and communications. Samsung smartphones are also some of the best on the market, they are distinguished by:

• good appearance and ergonomics;
• introduction of the latest technologies into flagship models;
• streamlined technological process and high quality;
• excellent branded Amoled displays;
• excellent cameras using self-produced photo modules.

Samsung has a large network of branded stores and service centers that are always ready to provide support to the user.

Honor is a relatively young brand. It is part of the Huawei Group and relies on all the technological power of Huawei. Honor positions its products as smartphones for young active users.

Distinctive features of Honor models are:

• bright design;
• good photo capabilities with extensive use of artificial intelligence technology;
• low cost (for example, with the same characteristics, Honor smartphones are cheaper than Huawei devices).

Next, we will compare Samsung and Honor phones in detail according to individual parameters.

How do phone models differ?

You can understand the brand policy if you compare Honor 10 and Samsung Galaxy s8. The models are competitors in class, each with a number of distinctive advantages. For Samsung Galaxy it is:

• protection from dust and moisture;
• Amoled screen, without a notch a la Apple;
• Battery life is better than the competitor.

Advantages of Honor 10:

• better camera;
• higher productivity;
• bright appearance.

Making a choice: Honor 10 or Samsung a8 is not an easy decision. The models are quite different, each designed for its own circle of consumers.

Cameras

Honor 9 is a cool phone with a good camera. It’s a stretch to call it a camera phone, although it doesn’t quite live up to the obvious favorites in this category. The gadget received 2 rear cameras - one monochrome sensor for capturing light, the other - RGB for capturing color. This allows you to expand the dynamic range and improve picture quality. All this is missing from the budget camera of the Samsung Galaxy A5. Here are examples of photos taken with the cameras of both smartphones.

Examples of photos on Honor 9

All images open in full resolution when clicked.

The picture is rich and accurate. The only negative is a lot of noise in low light. There is noticeably less noise in flagship models.

Examples of photos on Samsung Galaxy A5

Photos open in full resolution when clicked.

The winner in this comparison is the “almost flagship” Huawei Honor 9 – this is expected.

Display

Let's evaluate our smartphones based on their main screen parameters.

What can you say based on the data in the table? Judging by the table, Honor 9A is better in terms of the specified characteristics and scored .

Connection

Galaxy A5 (2017) boasts a very decent set of communications:

• Radio FM;
• NFS chip with SamsungPay;
• GPS-A, GLONASS;
• Fast LTE Cat. 6 (50/300 Mb/s);
• Economical Bluetooth. supporting A2DP profile;
• 2-band and high-speed wi-fi ac/n/g/b/a.

For the “full stuffing”, the only thing missing is the IR port that the Samsung Galaxy S6 had. But there is an FM radio, which for some reason has not been installed on premium smartphones lately. Connection to a PC and charging of the battery is carried out via a USB type C connector. The device supports work with a pair of nano-SIM cards.

Huawei Honor 8 has a pair of slots for 2 nano-SIM cards. It should be noted that it is equipped with a pair of separate radio modules that operate according to the Dual Sim Dual Active scheme, according to which when the first SIM card is active (for example, when receiving a call), the second card is not offline.

Working with SIM cards in Huawei Honor 8 is implemented in the simplest way: after installing two SIM cards, the smartphone prompts you to indicate which one will make calls, send SMS, and access the Internet. Any card can work with 4G/3G networks, but they cannot work in this mode at the same time. Changing assignments is done from the gadget menu, and not by swapping SIM cards.

Honor 8 is capable of supporting almost all communication networks; the smartphone receives the signal well and does not lose it without significant reasons. The phone has a special software option called “Signal+”, through which you can significantly improve signal reception. The device uses not a double, but a triple virtual antenna Signal+ 2.0.

The Huawei Honor 8 smartphone works with all wireless networks, including wi-fi 802.11 ac/n/g/b/a, bluetooth 4.2. All available modules function stably and efficiently. The gadget supports WI-FI Direct. “Smart” WI-FI+ is capable of automatically switching between the mobile data network and WI-FI. Via USB2.0 Type C, Huawei Honor 8 is able to support external devices in USB OTG mode. In addition, there is an infrared port and NFC.

Among the auxiliary means of communication in Huawei Honor 8 there is GLONASS, GPS, GPS-A, Google mapping is built into the device. During testing, the navigation error radius was 3 m, which is quite small. Overall, Honor 8 does an excellent job as a navigator.

Design

Great looking smartphones are what modern consumers demand. Honor 9C has 2 colors: blue and black. 3 colors are used in the production of Honor 9A: blue, green and black. Honor 9A receives from us for the number of color options presented.