Main Difference – Huawei Mate 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5
The main difference between Huawei Mate 8 and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is that Huawei Mate 8 comes with a micro SD card slot whereas Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with a better and more detailed screen and S pen with accompanying productive software. The Huawei Mate 8 is expected to come with a better processor than that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Both devices come with unique and useful features. They also offer very different user experiences at the same time.
Huawei Mate 8 Review – Features and Specifications
The Nexus 6P was able to attract a lot of fans; Nexus’ latest device, the Huawei Mate 8 also comes with the same potential. This phone was announced at the CES conference which was held recently. Huawei is good at crafting elegant phones, but it has always struggled from a software point of view. The interface and apps that come with the hardware can be the major drawback of this phone; it may not be ideal for every user. Let us take a closer look at this device to see if anything has changed.
Design
Although the phone is large in size, it is a pleasure to hold in the hand and easy to grip. This is mainly due to the design of the phone. The bezel around the phone is really thin, and the thickness of the phone stands at 7.3 mm. The Huawei is a pretty phone, but more has been invested towards the software part of the device rather than the beauty of it.
Display
The display of the device has a physical size of 6 inches and a resolution of 1080 × 1920 and a pixel density of 367 ppi. The display is also powered by IPS LCD technology.
Fingerprint Scanner
As with the Nexus 6P, a fingerprint scanner has been placed on the back of the phone for additional security. It is fast and accurate and is a key feature of the phone. The fingerprint scanner that comes with the device is one of the best in the market and is on par with many other high-end phones.
Processor
Rather than going for the Snapdragon processor, Huawei Mate 8 is powered by a new octa-core Kirin 950 which come with four Cortex A72 and Four Cortex A53 CPU cores.
Storage
The built-in storage of the device is 128GB, which can be further expanded with the help of a micro SD card to an additional 128 GB.
Camera
The camera, on the other hand, is powered by a first-rate Sony sensor or the so-called IMX298, which will ensure that the camera will provide detailed and quality imagery. Although the camera sounds impressive, the clarity on the shots has some problems. This is more relevant in low light conditions.The front camera comes with a resolution of 8 MP and the rear camera, on the other hand, comes with a resolution of 16 MP with an aperture size of f2.0 and a pixel size of 1.12 microns.
Memory
The memory which comes with the device is either 3GB or 4GB, and the RAM type is LPDDR 4. This is ample memory for any task that is executed by the device and will ensure that the lag is kept to a minimal.
Graphical Processing Unit
The graphics are powered by ARM’s flagship Mali-T880 GPU, which will power the device’s graphics department.
Operating System
The operating system that comes with the device is the Android 6.0 Marshmallow which has been loaded with the companies’ EMUI, which is the interface built by Huawei.
Knuckle sense is a key app where knuckles can be used on the screen to capture a screenshot, a selection or to draw a circle. The notifications, on the other hand, can be seen as a negative feature since it is displayed in a dark color which the user may find hard to read. So the software side of the device is a mixed bag which has some cool features as well as some terrible ones.
Connectivity
Connection to the device can be made with the help of Bluetooth 4.2, Wifi, USB 2.0, micro USB and NFC. Tethering, Computer sync, and OTA.
Battery Life
The battery capacity of the device is 4000mAh, which will help the device to last throughout the day. The hardware that comes with the device is great, and the battery is an important part of the device which comes with a great value.
Additional/ Special features
The device is able to perform well while executing menus, and swiping through menus without any delay. This is due to the impressive hardware and the interface it comes with. The unavailability of a USB Type-C port, which is available with Google devices for data transfer and charging, is disappointing.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – Features and Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 was one of the key high-end devices that was announced by Samsung in August last year. Let us take a closer look at the phone and see what are the features it offers.
Design
The device is made of a premium quality and stands tall among Apple device as well as HTC devices which are also immaculately crafted. Samsung has used 7000 series aluminum for its outer body and the display is shielded using Corning Gorilla Glass 4. This makes the device sturdy and very attractive at the same time. For additional comfort in the hand, the back of the device has been curved. This also ensures the user has a firm grip on the device and does not slip out of the hand accidently. The volume and power buttons have also been placed on the side of the device where it can be easily reached. The leather cover has been replaced with glass to give the device an elegant look.
Display
The size of the display is 5.7 inches and uses QHD Super AMOLED display. The text displayed on the screen is sharp, and colors are vibrant and realistic. The screen is also very visible in bright sunlight.
Processor
The device is a master in the performance department, to say the least. The interface of the device is easy to use and running heavy application is not a problem for the smartphone. The power under the hood is provided by the Exynos 7420 processor which has an octa core unit. This speed ensures that all operations related to the phone run in a smooth manner. This is Samsung’s own processor which is comparatively better in performance and efficiency. However, the device heats up to an uncomfortable extent when gaming.
Storage
The device comes with 64 GB built in storage where 54.1 GB can be used for user storage.
Camera
The rear camera comes with a resolution of 16 MP, which is accompanied by an LED flash and a heart rate sensor near it. The camera also comes with a Pro mode which is also accompanied with broadcast feature. The camera works well even in low light conditions. Long exposure shots are also exceptional.
Memory
The memory on the device is 4GB, which is efficient enough to run heavy applications as well as for gaming.
Operating System
The operating system that comes with the device is the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS, which is covered by TouchWiz User interface.
Connectivity
A Nano SIM tray is in place to hold the sim on the top of the device. The Micro USB port, speakers, and the S pen have been placed at the bottom of the device. Bluetooth, Wifi USB 2.0, micro USB and NFC can be used to establish connectivity.
Battery Life
The battery capacity of the device 3000mAh which enables the phone to last throughout the day without any issues.
Special Features
Samsung Galaxy charger, Data cable which will also double as a charger, stylus, and an SIM ejector are included with this device.
Stylus
The stylus that comes with the device is made up of plastic and is easy to use. The stylus is pressure sensitive which makes it an ideal tool for artists for the precision they need. The S Pen is accompanied by a software companion known as Air command. Air command has seen a revamp as the icons that come with the Action Memo, Smart select are now color coded for easy recognition. Three additional apps can also be added to Air command for quicker access.
For taking down quick notes, the ideal choice would be Action memo and Smart selects help the user to crop the screen itself for sharing editing and saving. Screen Write, on the other hand, helps the user capture screen shots. Screen off memo is also another cool feature which makes use of the display to take down notes without it even being turned on. The S Pen can be ejected with a press to the head of the pen which will pop it out. This is an easier way to pull out the S Pen when compared with try to pull it out with your fingernails as with previous models.
Audio
The sounds produced by the device are clear and distinct. The speakers have shifted from the back of the phone to the bottom of it so that it does not get covered when it is laid down flat.
Difference Between Huawei Mate 8 and Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Design
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: The dimensions of the device are 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm and the weight is 171g. The body is made up of metal and glass; the device is available in Black, Gray, White and Gold.
Huawei Mate 8: The dimensions of the device are 157.1 x 80.6 x 7.9 mm and the weight is 185g. The body is made up of metal, and the device is available in Black, Gray, Brown, and Gold.
OS
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with the Android Lollipop 5.1 Lollipop with the TouchWiz user interface.
Huawei Mate 8: The Huawei Mate 8 comes with the Android Marshmallow 6.0 with the Emotion user interface.
Display
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with a display which is sized at 5.7 inches; the resolution stands at 1440 x 2560 pixels. The pixel density of the screen is 518 ppi and the display technology used is Super AMOLED.
Huawei Mate 8: The Huawei Mate 8 comes with a display which is sized at 6.0 inches; the resolution stands at 1080 x 1920 pixels. The pixel density of the screen is 367 ppi and the display technology used is IPS LCD.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 obviously comes with a better display which is more detailed and sharp due to its Quad HD display, higher resolution, AMOLED Technology display and the better display technology.
Camera
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with a rear camera that has a resolution of 16 MP, Single LED flash, aperture of f /1.9 and a front snapper which has a resolution of 5 MP.
Huawei Mate 8: The Huawei Mate 8 comes with a rear camera which has a resolution of 16 MP, Dual LED flash, aperture of f/ 2.0 and a front snapper which has a resolution of 8 MP.
Both devices come with exceptional smartphone cameras. Both are powered by OIS and are accompanied with quality sensors. They also come with phase detection autofocus which will enable both devices to produces great images.
Hardware
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with Samsung’s own Exynos 7 Octa 7420, an octa-core processor which is clocking speeds of up to 2.1 GHz, an ARM Mali-T760 MP8GPU processor for great graphics. The memory is 4 GB, and the built-in storage is 64 GB.
Huawei Mate 8: The Huawei Mate 8 comes HiSilicon Kirin 950processor, an Octa-core processor which is clocking speeds of up to 2.3 GHz, an ARM Mali-T880 MP4 GPU processor for great graphics, memory of 4 GB and a built-in storage of 128 GB which can be expanded thanks to microSD support.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5’s processor has had problems with multi-tasking: every time an app is switched, it needs to be launched afresh rather than being retrieved from the memory. This may create lag and drag the device. But from a power point of view, the Samsung Exynos 7420 is said to be the best chipset to be produced last year.
The Kirin 950 is said to outperform the Exynos 7420, but we will have to wait and see if it is as powerful as the rumors have suggested. The Huawei Mate 8 also comes with micro SD support which is a fast disappearing feature in many high-end phones.
Battery
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with a battery capacity of 3000mAh which is not user replaceable. It comes with wireless charging as well.
Huawei Mate 8: The Huawei Mate 8 comes with a battery capacity of 4000mAh.
The Huawei comes with a larger battery capacity which coupled with a lower resolution display can be expected to outperform the Note 5. Both devices, when equipped with Android Marshmallow, will be able to make use of the battery optimization features to prolong the battery life of each device.
Huawei Mate 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – Summary
The Samsung comes with some obvious benefits like the S pen stylus with Air command facilities for note taking and clipping the screen. The Samsung Note 5 does not come with a micro SD card which is a bit disappointing as it can become an essential need for the user.
The Huawei Mate 8 comes with a micro SD card slot to expand memory but does not support Force touch yet. Both devices make use of the fingerprint scanner, but Huawei Mate 8 comes with a better scanner of the two. This is due to the speed and the accuracy of the scanner.
