Arguably, the best flagship phones in the world are the Samsung Galaxy S10+, Huawei P30 Pro, and the iPhone XS.
These phones are some of the most stylish, feature-rich, and powerful in the land. In addition, they are packed with amazing cameras and next-generation features not found on lower-end phones.
All three phones are priced in the over PHP 50K range. S10+ starts at PHP 55,990 to PHP 89,990, P30 Pro retails for PHP 50,990, and iPhone XS starts at PHP 67,990 to PHP 90,490.
But which is the one who deserves your hard-earned cash?
It is clear that the 3 phones are made out of ultra-premium materials. The devices are loaded with polished glass behind, metal frame, and glass in front. Galaxy S10+ highlights Corning's Gorilla Glass 6 tech while both P30 Pro and iPhone XS are using an unspecified type of glass protection. All three models are also packed with IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
The differences are mostly found in the design department. Behind, the S10+ and P30 Pro are equipped with better 3D arching glass. On the other hand, iPhone XS is still using the ageing 2.5D curved glass. The three of them are loaded with thick bumps for the cameras. P30 Pro's camera bump is due to its use of highly advanced camera hardware on a phone.
S10+ comes with prism white, prism green, prism black, luxurious ceramic black, and luxurious ceramic white colors.
Huawei, the pioneer of gradient colors on phones uses the amber sunrise, breathing crystal, aurora, and black colors for P30 Pro. Breathing crystal has stunning unicorn-like gradient hues.
iPhone XS comes in classic black, silver, and gold.
In front, Galaxy S10+ uses a new type of 6.4-inch panel with no notch. It comes with a punch-hole design to house its dual-selfie cameras. It has super slim bezels with 93.1 percent of screen-to-body ratio. The problem is not everyone might find its punch hole camera symmetrical.
On the other hand, P30 pro comes with a large 6.47-inch panel with small dew drop notch. It is a 19:5:9 screen with slim bezels. The top bezel is also super slim since Huawei removed the earpiece in favor of an In-Display speaker. The chin bezel is a bit thick for added protection. The result? It comes with 88.41 percent of screen-to-body ratio. For me, it has the best symmetry among the three.
The iPhone has the biggest notch among the 3. Its front design looks old school versus the S10+ and P30 Pro. Yes, even if it has a small chin. The advantage of its HUGE notch is it has TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition. It comes with 82.9 percent of screen-to-body ratio.
S10+ measures at 157.7 x 75 x 7.8 mm, P30 Pro is a bit larger at 158 x 73.4 x 8.41 mm, and iPhone XS is the smallest at 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm.
Note: There's an iPhone XS Max with massive 6.5-inch screen. Basically, it is identical with the XS in terms of specs except of its larger battery and screen.
S10+ comes with USB-C, Bixby button, stereo speakers (earpiece and down-firing speaker) 3.5mm headphone slot.
P30 Pro also comes with a USB-C port. It is also the only one with an IR blaster remote on top. It goes with a down-firing speaker, but it still doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone port.
iPhone XS is equipped with the lighting port that only works for Apple devices. It is the only one with a ringer switch silent key.
S10+ and P30 Pro have expandable storage options as well. You can use a standard microSD card slot with Samsung and the NM card with Huawei. With iPhone, you can always use the iCloud.
In case you are wondering, S10+ and P30 Pro both have an In-Screen fingerprint reader. iPhone XS only has the face unlock there.
All three phones are slippery yet comfortable to hold. The curves on the S10+ and P30 Pro are smoother. Only the iPhone XS is ideal for one handed operation due to its small size.
All three phones are well machined and they look great. The top 2 in terms of build and design here goes to the S10+ and P30 Pro. iPhone XS's design is outdated for me.
My personal pick overall will go to the P30 Pro because of its symmetry and the stunning breathing crystal color option.
S10+ highlights a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with QHD+ 3040 x 1440 resolution. It is super sharp and produces some of the best colors on a phone screen. It also goes with deep blacks and good sunlight legibility.
On the other hand, P30 Pro is equipped with an even bigger screen. It highlights a 6.47-inch curved OLED panel with FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution.
It is one of the best 1080p screen in the market. The difference with other phones with QHD phones is hardly noticeable. The color accuracy of P30 Pro's screen is also great. It isn't as saturated as older AMOLED panels. Its viewing angles are excellent too. It also has some of the brightest screens around.
iPhone XS is also using an OLED panel. But it is only 2.5D curved unlike the S10+ and P30 Pro with 3D curved design. Fortunately, it is still one of the best screens in town. It highlights a screen resolution of 2436 x 1125.
All three phones also come with accurate auto brightness mode and support for HDR content
S10+ and P30 Pro have an option to allow you to adjust the screen resolution in-order to save power.
But among the 3, Galaxy S10+ has the better soundstage and loudness due to its use of two speakers. The speakers from the iPhone XS is not bad as well.
For headphones, it depends on your taste. All of them are audiophile grade to my ears. S10+ has the slightly darker signature, P30 Pro comes with the sparkle I like, iPhone XS is neutral. P30's driving power is so much better than most phones today.
The mic of the 3 phones are so good as well. iPhone's mic still sounds the most natural for me. P30 Pro's mic is good even from a distance. The mic of S10+ can cancel background noise neatly.
As expected, they are all great for calls. Interestingly, the In-Display earspeaker of the P30 Pro is just as clear (if not clearer) than the traditional earspeakers of the S10+ and XS.
S10+ is packed with a 4,100mAh battery. It is clearly bigger and better than the 3,500mAh of the S9+ last year. In our benchmark test, it clocked in at 11 hours and 57 minutes. It is enough for a whole day of heavy use. It is impressive for a phone with power-hungry 2K display.
P30 Pro loads with an even bigger 4,200mAh battery. It clocked in at 16 hours and 46 minutes in our benchmark test. That's the highest score we achieved with a high-end flagship phone. P30 Pro is a legit phone that can last for 2 days on a single charge. Our average screen on time everyday is 7 hours under heavy usage. Wild!
Thanks to its power efficient 7nm chip and the slightly lower FHD+ resolution.
iPhone XS has the smallest battery capacity at 2,658mAh, but it is due to its use of a smaller 5.8-inch display. But, it is smaller than the 2,716mAh battery capacity of the iPhone X. Fortunately, its real life usage is slightly better than iPhone X. We were averaging around 5 hours of on-screen time.
All three phones have battery saving options. S10+ and P30 Pro's battery settings are just better with more options. P30 Pro even has an aggressive AI tech to kill unnecessary background apps to save power further.
Charging time using the stock 15W adaptive fast charger of the S10 is 1 hour and 30 minutes. S10+ also has a 12W wireless charging option and a reverse wireless charging feature.
P30 Pro's charging speed using the 40W SuperCharge charger is incredible. You will only need an hour to fully charge its big battery. It also has a faster 15W wireless charging feature and reverse wireless charging mode to charge other Qi ready devices. To recall, Huawei is the first mobile phone brand with reverse wireless charging tech.
Charging time using the stock 5W charger of the iPhone XS is SUPER SLOW at 3 hours and 5 minutes from 0 to 100 percent. It is an atrocity in 2019. Apple Sells a faster 12W charger but it isn't included in the box and costs PHP 1,290. The 12W charger should have been included in the box given the SRP of the iPhone XS.
Samsung's battery performance is better than the XS overall. But P30 Pro is better than the two.
The three phones are equipped with multiple cameras. S10+ comes with 3 behind and 2 in front. P30 Pro loads with four at the back and 1 in front. Apple highlights a dual-cam setup at the back and 1 in front.
Samsung's camera setup behind is quite capable. It features a 12MP (f/1.5/f/2.4) w/ Dual Pixel, OIS + 16MP f/2.2 123-degree ultra wide-angle lens + 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens w/ OIS, AF, and dual tone LED flash.
It has plenty of modes such as the Scene Optimizer (AI camera), different filters, pro mode, food, panorama, and etc. At least it has a pro mode (unlike the iPhone) even if its settings is limited versus the pro mode of Huawei.
Samsung also added a Bright Night (night mode) inspired from Huawei's Super Night Mode to help S10+ take handheld long exposure for better low light shots..
Huawei highlights the most versatile camera setup for photography yet. It features not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 Leica cameras. It features a 40MP f/1.6 RYYB OIS sensor + 20MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle sensor + 8MP f/3.4 OIS 5x periscope zoom sensor + ToF PDAF sensor paired w/ 4D predictive focus, AIS, color temperature sensor, and dual-tone LED flash.
P30 Pro's new RYYB sensor is designed to capture more details and light than traditional RGB sensors. It is also one of the first with a periscope type of lens with 5x optical zoom. Together with the main cam, it shoots up to 10x lossless hybrid zoom and up to 50x digital zoom. Yes, it can even capture the moon.
The ToF lens is for 3D depth sensing and cleaner/more accurate-looking bokeh shots.
As expected, Huawei added tons of camera features such as the AI mode, Leica filters, default Android filters, Aperture (bokeh), Night, Portrait with Face Beauty and bokeh aided by the ToF lens, complete Pro mode with ISO 409600, Light painting, Super macro, and more.
Apple equipped the iPhone XS with 12MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.4 w/ 2x optical zoom, OIS, laser AF, PDAF, and quad LED flash at the back. Okay, it has auto HDR, portrait mode with filters, and several filters. That's it.
Let's see which offers better cameras.
Using the stock camera app on default settings, the phones captured the scene with plenty of details and good dynamic range. The most accurate color goes to the iPhone XS followed by S10+. P30 Pro's output is a warmer.
If you crop the image, you will see that the details from the P30 Pro shot is a bit better. The shot from S10+ looks decent too. The output from iPhone XS is a bit grainy.
Scene 2 - Zoom test
The 2x zoom mode showed that the colors on the Galaxy S10+ and iPhone XS are more accurate. However, their shots are not as sharp as the P30 Pro. Details on the P30 Pro are better.
P30 Pro is also the only phone among the bunch with 5x optical zoom. S10+ and iPhone XS only have 2x optical zoom.
Only P30 Pro has 10x lossless hybrid zoom as well. The second best 10x zoom goes to Galaxy S10+. Sadly, the max zoom of iPhone XS not that good.
The 50x digital zoom of the P30 Pro is blurry, but it is still usable. It will allow you to see images that even our naked eye can hardly see. At least it has 50x zoom unlike the S10+ and iPhone XS with only 10x zoom.
Scene 3 - Ultra wide
Only the S10+ and P30 Pro have ultra-wide mode. S10+ got the colors correctly again. Its wide-angle mode is noticeably wider as well.
However, P30 Pro's output has better exposure. Obviously, its dynamic range is wider too. Barrel distortion is also lesser.
When cropped, P30 Pro's 20MP wide cam showed that can capture more details than the 16MP wide-cam of the S10+.
Scene 4 - Portrait mode
It's a close match between the S10+ and the P30 Pro. S10+ got the color correctly. P30 Pro's bokeh and edge detection looks better. iPhone XS made the white skin of Angel look darker. The bokeh is too aggressive too.
iPhone's edge detection clearly needs improvement. S10+ looks decent here. P30 Pro's edge detection and subject to background separation is impressive.
Huawei's use of a the new 40MP f/1.6 RYYB sensor showed that it can deliver the cleanest and nicest looking point and shoot night shots on a phone. It has the better exposure control with better details and less noise versus the competition.
The next low scene showed that the P30 Pro is still ahead of the competition. Its low light snap delivered the shot with the sharpest details, most accurate colors, and widest dynamic range.
Moreover, P30 Pro has an incredible Super Night Mode handheld long exposure feature. S10+ also copied this feature from Huawei which they dubbed as the Bright Night mode. But, it is not on the level of Huawei's Super Night Mode yet.
Sadly, the iPhone with PHP 67,990 price tag doesn't have this feature.
For selfies, S10+ sports a 10MP f/1.9 + 8MP f/2.2 RGB sensor with speedy Dual Pixel tech. The second selfie camera of S10+ is for depth sensing. P30 Pro is packed with a massive 32MP f/2.0 sensor with AI HDR. iPhone XS has a 7MP f/2.2 front camera.
Scene 1 - Daylight selfie
It's a good match between the S10+ and the P30 Pro. S10+ wins in color accuracy. P30 Pro made my skin a bit too pale. S10+ and P30 Pro are even in details. P30 Pro's HDR tech looks a bit better than S10+.
On the other hand, iPhone XS has narrow field of view so you need to extend your hand further to get a not too close-up selfie. Fortunately, details are crisp. But skin tone is too dark and artificial looking.
Scene 2 - Indoor selfie
Using the default portrait mode for selfies, the S10+ delivered the cleanest looking bokeh among the 3 for me. Next is the P30 Pro with good details on my face. The indoor selfie on the XS is a too grainy this time.
Scene 3 - Low light
The level of sharpness is identical on the S10+ and P30 Pro. Contrast is a bit stronger with S10+. iPhone XS has decent details too. But, the grain is evident.
For videos, P30 Pro can shoot up to 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps, and 1080p 30fps. Those settings works even for the ultra-wide mode. But Huawei improved its stabilization. It now has up 5x lossless zoom for videos and up to 15x digital zoom. It is the only one with macro video as well.
For creative mobile videopgraphers, it also has the cool AI color, Background blur, and other video filters to choose from.
However, P30 Pro doesn't have 4K 60fps mode unlike the S10+ and iPhone XS. Its super slow-mo, time-lapse, and beauty video can only record up to 720p.
Using the main cam, the most consistent video is from the iPhone XS. But, both the P30 Pro and S10+ are more versatile, thanks to their ultra-wide cam.
For selfie videos, will go with S10+ as it can record at 4K 30fps. It has Dual Pixel focus tech as well.
Samsung, Huawei, and Apple used their top-of-the-line chips on their latest phones. S10+ loads with the 8nm based Exynos 9820 octa-core chip with Mali-G76 MP12 GPU. P30 Pro uses the 7nm Kirin 980 octa-core chip with Dual-NPU for AI and Mali-G76 MP10 GPU. iPhone XS runs with the 7nm-based A12 Bionic chip and an Apple-designed quad-core GPU.
In our test, S10+ got the highest AnTuTu score. While the iPhone XS has the highest multi-core score at Geekbench. P30 Pro sits a bit below the two. But, it matches the multi-core score of the S10+.
The lowest variant of the S10+ has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The top-end model features 12GB RAM and 1TB storage.
P30 Pro only has one variant here, the 8GB RAM/256GB model. It has double the storage compared with the base variant of the S10+ despite its more affordable price tag.
iPhone XS has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The top model of the iPhone XS has 512GB of storage.
As mentioned, S10+ and P30 Pro comes with an expandable storage. You can use the traditional micro SD card for S10 and the new NM card developed by Huawei for P30 Pro.
At this level, the difference of speed is hardly noticeable. All three phones are super fast and can run any app available yet. Even in demanding gaming, we can hardly feel the difference between the S10+, P30 Pro, and iPhone XS.
Samsung is now using the new One UI skin based on Android Pie OS. It is neat and much better than their old Experience and TouchWiz skins. It is also feature-rich and modern looking. I also like its easy to navigate settings menu. Samsung also added plenty of optimizations to make its performance smoother.
On the other hand, P30 Pro runs with Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9.1 skin. It is neater and more Google integrated than ever. Though its settings design is still a bit hard to navigate. BUT, Huawei made up with all the features and optimizations. It is super smooth to use and its system management/optimizations are amazing.
As expected, Apple's skin is great. It has seamless integration with other Apple products like the iPads, Apple Watch, iMac, Macbook Air, Macbook and Macbook Pros. However, it is also its weakness. It is not compatible with all devices. The file transfer settings of this device to other devices needs improvement. Not everyone uses Apple and they should take note of that.
We also notice that its File Syste, can see the files inside your device but even if you attach any form of external storage, it doesn't detect it nor does it detect the files inside the external storage.
iPhone XS doesn't have a fingerprint sensor though. It only has the TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition. It is the most secured type of face unlock tech.
By the way, P30 Pro also the only one in this comparison with an IR Blaster that you can use as a remote control for your TV, Aircon, and more.
It also has a good desktop mode when you attach a USB-C to HDMI cable to an external monitor. Samsung also has that feature.
The phones with the stronger signal based on our actual usage are the P30 Pro and S10+. P30 Pro even have GSM and 4G LTE inside some elevators.
S10+ comes with the new WiFi 6 standard. P30 Pro has 4G LTE Cat 21. All three phones comes with good Bluetooth and GPS connectivity.
Samsung Galaxy S10+ advantages - Sharper screen resolution, larger max RAM/storage, selfie cam, headphone jack slot
Huawei P30 Pro advantages - Bigger display with symmetrical notch, large base storage, stronger battery performance, faster charging speed, quad Leica camera system with ToF, IR Blaster
Apple iPhone XS advantages - Strong multi-core score, TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition
Display - S10+
Audio - S10+ for speakers, P30 Pro for headphones, iPhone XS mic
Battery/Charging speed - P30 Pro
Camera - P30 Pro for photography and camera modes, S10+ for selfies, tie for videos
Speed - iPhone XS
UI - iPhone XS
Other features - P30 Pro
Value for money - P30 Pro
Total scores - S10+ - 4 points, P30 Pro - 6 points, iPhone XS - 3 points
 |
| The best flagship phone is? |
These phones are some of the most stylish, feature-rich, and powerful in the land. In addition, they are packed with amazing cameras and next-generation features not found on lower-end phones.
All three phones are priced in the over PHP 50K range. S10+ starts at PHP 55,990 to PHP 89,990, P30 Pro retails for PHP 50,990, and iPhone XS starts at PHP 67,990 to PHP 90,490.
But which is the one who deserves your hard-earned cash?
Build Quality/Design
 |
| Premium glossy glass design |
It is clear that the 3 phones are made out of ultra-premium materials. The devices are loaded with polished glass behind, metal frame, and glass in front. Galaxy S10+ highlights Corning's Gorilla Glass 6 tech while both P30 Pro and iPhone XS are using an unspecified type of glass protection. All three models are also packed with IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
The true premium phones!
The differences are mostly found in the design department. Behind, the S10+ and P30 Pro are equipped with better 3D arching glass. On the other hand, iPhone XS is still using the ageing 2.5D curved glass. The three of them are loaded with thick bumps for the cameras. P30 Pro's camera bump is due to its use of highly advanced camera hardware on a phone.
S10+ comes with prism white, prism green, prism black, luxurious ceramic black, and luxurious ceramic white colors.
Huawei, the pioneer of gradient colors on phones uses the amber sunrise, breathing crystal, aurora, and black colors for P30 Pro. Breathing crystal has stunning unicorn-like gradient hues.
iPhone XS comes in classic black, silver, and gold.
 |
| Evolution of the notch |
In front, Galaxy S10+ uses a new type of 6.4-inch panel with no notch. It comes with a punch-hole design to house its dual-selfie cameras. It has super slim bezels with 93.1 percent of screen-to-body ratio. The problem is not everyone might find its punch hole camera symmetrical.
On the other hand, P30 pro comes with a large 6.47-inch panel with small dew drop notch. It is a 19:5:9 screen with slim bezels. The top bezel is also super slim since Huawei removed the earpiece in favor of an In-Display speaker. The chin bezel is a bit thick for added protection. The result? It comes with 88.41 percent of screen-to-body ratio. For me, it has the best symmetry among the three.
The iPhone has the biggest notch among the 3. Its front design looks old school versus the S10+ and P30 Pro. Yes, even if it has a small chin. The advantage of its HUGE notch is it has TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition. It comes with 82.9 percent of screen-to-body ratio.
S10+ measures at 157.7 x 75 x 7.8 mm, P30 Pro is a bit larger at 158 x 73.4 x 8.41 mm, and iPhone XS is the smallest at 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm.
Note: There's an iPhone XS Max with massive 6.5-inch screen. Basically, it is identical with the XS in terms of specs except of its larger battery and screen.
 |
| Top |
 |
| Bottom |
 |
| Right |
S10+ comes with USB-C, Bixby button, stereo speakers (earpiece and down-firing speaker) 3.5mm headphone slot.
P30 Pro also comes with a USB-C port. It is also the only one with an IR blaster remote on top. It goes with a down-firing speaker, but it still doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone port.
iPhone XS is equipped with the lighting port that only works for Apple devices. It is the only one with a ringer switch silent key.
S10+ and P30 Pro have expandable storage options as well. You can use a standard microSD card slot with Samsung and the NM card with Huawei. With iPhone, you can always use the iCloud.
In case you are wondering, S10+ and P30 Pro both have an In-Screen fingerprint reader. iPhone XS only has the face unlock there.
All three phones are slippery yet comfortable to hold. The curves on the S10+ and P30 Pro are smoother. Only the iPhone XS is ideal for one handed operation due to its small size.
All three phones are well machined and they look great. The top 2 in terms of build and design here goes to the S10+ and P30 Pro. iPhone XS's design is outdated for me.
My personal pick overall will go to the P30 Pro because of its symmetry and the stunning breathing crystal color option.
Display Quality
 |
| Great screen quality for all three phones |
S10+ highlights a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with QHD+ 3040 x 1440 resolution. It is super sharp and produces some of the best colors on a phone screen. It also goes with deep blacks and good sunlight legibility.
On the other hand, P30 Pro is equipped with an even bigger screen. It highlights a 6.47-inch curved OLED panel with FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution.
It is one of the best 1080p screen in the market. The difference with other phones with QHD phones is hardly noticeable. The color accuracy of P30 Pro's screen is also great. It isn't as saturated as older AMOLED panels. Its viewing angles are excellent too. It also has some of the brightest screens around.
iPhone XS is also using an OLED panel. But it is only 2.5D curved unlike the S10+ and P30 Pro with 3D curved design. Fortunately, it is still one of the best screens in town. It highlights a screen resolution of 2436 x 1125.
All three phones also come with accurate auto brightness mode and support for HDR content
S10+ and P30 Pro have an option to allow you to adjust the screen resolution in-order to save power.
Audio Quality
Huawei used a better single speaker than some phones with stereo setup. It now sounds fuller and louder with better emphasis in the lows and mids.But among the 3, Galaxy S10+ has the better soundstage and loudness due to its use of two speakers. The speakers from the iPhone XS is not bad as well.
For headphones, it depends on your taste. All of them are audiophile grade to my ears. S10+ has the slightly darker signature, P30 Pro comes with the sparkle I like, iPhone XS is neutral. P30's driving power is so much better than most phones today.
The mic of the 3 phones are so good as well. iPhone's mic still sounds the most natural for me. P30 Pro's mic is good even from a distance. The mic of S10+ can cancel background noise neatly.
As expected, they are all great for calls. Interestingly, the In-Display earspeaker of the P30 Pro is just as clear (if not clearer) than the traditional earspeakers of the S10+ and XS.
Battery
 |
| S10+ battery test |
S10+ is packed with a 4,100mAh battery. It is clearly bigger and better than the 3,500mAh of the S9+ last year. In our benchmark test, it clocked in at 11 hours and 57 minutes. It is enough for a whole day of heavy use. It is impressive for a phone with power-hungry 2K display.
 |
| P30 Pro's battery score |
P30 Pro loads with an even bigger 4,200mAh battery. It clocked in at 16 hours and 46 minutes in our benchmark test. That's the highest score we achieved with a high-end flagship phone. P30 Pro is a legit phone that can last for 2 days on a single charge. Our average screen on time everyday is 7 hours under heavy usage. Wild!
Thanks to its power efficient 7nm chip and the slightly lower FHD+ resolution.
 |
| iPhone XS battery usage |
iPhone XS has the smallest battery capacity at 2,658mAh, but it is due to its use of a smaller 5.8-inch display. But, it is smaller than the 2,716mAh battery capacity of the iPhone X. Fortunately, its real life usage is slightly better than iPhone X. We were averaging around 5 hours of on-screen time.
All three phones have battery saving options. S10+ and P30 Pro's battery settings are just better with more options. P30 Pro even has an aggressive AI tech to kill unnecessary background apps to save power further.
Charging time using the stock 15W adaptive fast charger of the S10 is 1 hour and 30 minutes. S10+ also has a 12W wireless charging option and a reverse wireless charging feature.
P30 Pro's charging speed using the 40W SuperCharge charger is incredible. You will only need an hour to fully charge its big battery. It also has a faster 15W wireless charging feature and reverse wireless charging mode to charge other Qi ready devices. To recall, Huawei is the first mobile phone brand with reverse wireless charging tech.
Charging time using the stock 5W charger of the iPhone XS is SUPER SLOW at 3 hours and 5 minutes from 0 to 100 percent. It is an atrocity in 2019. Apple Sells a faster 12W charger but it isn't included in the box and costs PHP 1,290. The 12W charger should have been included in the box given the SRP of the iPhone XS.
Samsung's battery performance is better than the XS overall. But P30 Pro is better than the two.
Camera
 |
| Multiple cameras |
The three phones are equipped with multiple cameras. S10+ comes with 3 behind and 2 in front. P30 Pro loads with four at the back and 1 in front. Apple highlights a dual-cam setup at the back and 1 in front.
Samsung's camera setup behind is quite capable. It features a 12MP (f/1.5/f/2.4) w/ Dual Pixel, OIS + 16MP f/2.2 123-degree ultra wide-angle lens + 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens w/ OIS, AF, and dual tone LED flash.
It has plenty of modes such as the Scene Optimizer (AI camera), different filters, pro mode, food, panorama, and etc. At least it has a pro mode (unlike the iPhone) even if its settings is limited versus the pro mode of Huawei.
Samsung also added a Bright Night (night mode) inspired from Huawei's Super Night Mode to help S10+ take handheld long exposure for better low light shots..
Huawei highlights the most versatile camera setup for photography yet. It features not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 Leica cameras. It features a 40MP f/1.6 RYYB OIS sensor + 20MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle sensor + 8MP f/3.4 OIS 5x periscope zoom sensor + ToF PDAF sensor paired w/ 4D predictive focus, AIS, color temperature sensor, and dual-tone LED flash.
P30 Pro's new RYYB sensor is designed to capture more details and light than traditional RGB sensors. It is also one of the first with a periscope type of lens with 5x optical zoom. Together with the main cam, it shoots up to 10x lossless hybrid zoom and up to 50x digital zoom. Yes, it can even capture the moon.
The ToF lens is for 3D depth sensing and cleaner/more accurate-looking bokeh shots.
P30 Pro is the highest-rated camera phone by DxOMark for photography yet
As expected, Huawei added tons of camera features such as the AI mode, Leica filters, default Android filters, Aperture (bokeh), Night, Portrait with Face Beauty and bokeh aided by the ToF lens, complete Pro mode with ISO 409600, Light painting, Super macro, and more.
Apple equipped the iPhone XS with 12MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.4 w/ 2x optical zoom, OIS, laser AF, PDAF, and quad LED flash at the back. Okay, it has auto HDR, portrait mode with filters, and several filters. That's it.
Let's see which offers better cameras.
Camera Samples
Scene 1 - auto gloomy daylight |
| S10+ gloomy daylight |
 |
| P30 Pro gloomy daylight |
 |
| iPhone XS gloomy daylight |
Using the stock camera app on default settings, the phones captured the scene with plenty of details and good dynamic range. The most accurate color goes to the iPhone XS followed by S10+. P30 Pro's output is a warmer.
 |
| Gloomy daylight 100 percent crop |
If you crop the image, you will see that the details from the P30 Pro shot is a bit better. The shot from S10+ looks decent too. The output from iPhone XS is a bit grainy.
Scene 2 - Zoom test
 |
| 2x zoom comparison |
The 2x zoom mode showed that the colors on the Galaxy S10+ and iPhone XS are more accurate. However, their shots are not as sharp as the P30 Pro. Details on the P30 Pro are better.
 |
| 5x zoom sample of P30 Pro |
P30 Pro is also the only phone among the bunch with 5x optical zoom. S10+ and iPhone XS only have 2x optical zoom.
 |
| 10x zoom |
Only P30 Pro has 10x lossless hybrid zoom as well. The second best 10x zoom goes to Galaxy S10+. Sadly, the max zoom of iPhone XS not that good.
 |
| P30 Pro 50x zoom |
The 50x digital zoom of the P30 Pro is blurry, but it is still usable. It will allow you to see images that even our naked eye can hardly see. At least it has 50x zoom unlike the S10+ and iPhone XS with only 10x zoom.
Scene 3 - Ultra wide
 |
| S10+ normal |
 |
| S10+ wide |
 |
| P30 Pro normal |
 |
| P30 Pro wide |
Only the S10+ and P30 Pro have ultra-wide mode. S10+ got the colors correctly again. Its wide-angle mode is noticeably wider as well.
However, P30 Pro's output has better exposure. Obviously, its dynamic range is wider too. Barrel distortion is also lesser.
 |
| S10+ wide 2 |
 |
| P30 Pro wide 2 |
 |
| 100 percent crop of the wide cam |
When cropped, P30 Pro's 20MP wide cam showed that can capture more details than the 16MP wide-cam of the S10+.
Scene 4 - Portrait mode
 |
| S10+ portrait |
 |
| P30 Pro |
 |
| iPhone XS |
It's a close match between the S10+ and the P30 Pro. S10+ got the color correctly. P30 Pro's bokeh and edge detection looks better. iPhone XS made the white skin of Angel look darker. The bokeh is too aggressive too.
 |
| Portrait mode 100 percent crop |
iPhone's edge detection clearly needs improvement. S10+ looks decent here. P30 Pro's edge detection and subject to background separation is impressive.
 |
| S10+ point and shoot night shot |
 |
| P30 Pro point and shoot night |
 |
| iPhone XS point and shoot night |
 |
| Night 100 percent crop |
Huawei's use of a the new 40MP f/1.6 RYYB sensor showed that it can deliver the cleanest and nicest looking point and shoot night shots on a phone. It has the better exposure control with better details and less noise versus the competition.
 |
| S10+ night shot 2 |
 |
| P30 Pro night shot 2 |
 |
| iPhone XS night shot 2 |
The next low scene showed that the P30 Pro is still ahead of the competition. Its low light snap delivered the shot with the sharpest details, most accurate colors, and widest dynamic range.
 |
| Bright Night S10+ |
 |
| Super Night Mode P30 Pro |
 |
| No night mode iPhone XS |
Moreover, P30 Pro has an incredible Super Night Mode handheld long exposure feature. S10+ also copied this feature from Huawei which they dubbed as the Bright Night mode. But, it is not on the level of Huawei's Super Night Mode yet.
Sadly, the iPhone with PHP 67,990 price tag doesn't have this feature.
 |
| The selfie cams |
For selfies, S10+ sports a 10MP f/1.9 + 8MP f/2.2 RGB sensor with speedy Dual Pixel tech. The second selfie camera of S10+ is for depth sensing. P30 Pro is packed with a massive 32MP f/2.0 sensor with AI HDR. iPhone XS has a 7MP f/2.2 front camera.
Scene 1 - Daylight selfie
 |
| S10+ selfie daylight |
 |
| P30 Pro selfie daylight |
 |
| iPhone XS selfie daylight |
It's a good match between the S10+ and the P30 Pro. S10+ wins in color accuracy. P30 Pro made my skin a bit too pale. S10+ and P30 Pro are even in details. P30 Pro's HDR tech looks a bit better than S10+.
On the other hand, iPhone XS has narrow field of view so you need to extend your hand further to get a not too close-up selfie. Fortunately, details are crisp. But skin tone is too dark and artificial looking.
Scene 2 - Indoor selfie
 |
| S10+ indoor selfie bokeh |
 |
| P30 Pro indoor selfie bokeh |
 |
| iPhone XS indoor selfie bokeh |
Using the default portrait mode for selfies, the S10+ delivered the cleanest looking bokeh among the 3 for me. Next is the P30 Pro with good details on my face. The indoor selfie on the XS is a too grainy this time.
Scene 3 - Low light
 |
| P30 Pro selfie low light |
 |
| P30 Pro selfie low light |
 |
| iPhone XS selfie low light |
The level of sharpness is identical on the S10+ and P30 Pro. Contrast is a bit stronger with S10+. iPhone XS has decent details too. But, the grain is evident.
For videos, P30 Pro can shoot up to 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps, and 1080p 30fps. Those settings works even for the ultra-wide mode. But Huawei improved its stabilization. It now has up 5x lossless zoom for videos and up to 15x digital zoom. It is the only one with macro video as well.
For creative mobile videopgraphers, it also has the cool AI color, Background blur, and other video filters to choose from.
However, P30 Pro doesn't have 4K 60fps mode unlike the S10+ and iPhone XS. Its super slow-mo, time-lapse, and beauty video can only record up to 720p.
Using the main cam, the most consistent video is from the iPhone XS. But, both the P30 Pro and S10+ are more versatile, thanks to their ultra-wide cam.
For selfie videos, will go with S10+ as it can record at 4K 30fps. It has Dual Pixel focus tech as well.
Performance
 |
| S10+ AnTuTu and Geekbench |
Samsung, Huawei, and Apple used their top-of-the-line chips on their latest phones. S10+ loads with the 8nm based Exynos 9820 octa-core chip with Mali-G76 MP12 GPU. P30 Pro uses the 7nm Kirin 980 octa-core chip with Dual-NPU for AI and Mali-G76 MP10 GPU. iPhone XS runs with the 7nm-based A12 Bionic chip and an Apple-designed quad-core GPU.
 |
| P30 Pro AnTuTu and Geekbench |
In our test, S10+ got the highest AnTuTu score. While the iPhone XS has the highest multi-core score at Geekbench. P30 Pro sits a bit below the two. But, it matches the multi-core score of the S10+.
 |
| iPhone XS AnTuTu and Geekbench |
The lowest variant of the S10+ has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The top-end model features 12GB RAM and 1TB storage.
P30 Pro only has one variant here, the 8GB RAM/256GB model. It has double the storage compared with the base variant of the S10+ despite its more affordable price tag.
iPhone XS has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The top model of the iPhone XS has 512GB of storage.
As mentioned, S10+ and P30 Pro comes with an expandable storage. You can use the traditional micro SD card for S10 and the new NM card developed by Huawei for P30 Pro.
At this level, the difference of speed is hardly noticeable. All three phones are super fast and can run any app available yet. Even in demanding gaming, we can hardly feel the difference between the S10+, P30 Pro, and iPhone XS.
The UI
 |
| Samsung's UI |
Samsung is now using the new One UI skin based on Android Pie OS. It is neat and much better than their old Experience and TouchWiz skins. It is also feature-rich and modern looking. I also like its easy to navigate settings menu. Samsung also added plenty of optimizations to make its performance smoother.
 |
| P30 Pro skin |
On the other hand, P30 Pro runs with Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9.1 skin. It is neater and more Google integrated than ever. Though its settings design is still a bit hard to navigate. BUT, Huawei made up with all the features and optimizations. It is super smooth to use and its system management/optimizations are amazing.
 |
| iOS |
As expected, Apple's skin is great. It has seamless integration with other Apple products like the iPads, Apple Watch, iMac, Macbook Air, Macbook and Macbook Pros. However, it is also its weakness. It is not compatible with all devices. The file transfer settings of this device to other devices needs improvement. Not everyone uses Apple and they should take note of that.
We also notice that its File Syste, can see the files inside your device but even if you attach any form of external storage, it doesn't detect it nor does it detect the files inside the external storage.
Other features
S10+ is one of the first with ultra-sonic In-Screen fingerprint scanner which Samsung says is more secure than the competition's optical implementation. However, it isn't as fast the In-Screen fingerprint scanner of the P30 Pro. P30 Pro's In-Screen fingerprint scanner is more accurate for me too.iPhone XS doesn't have a fingerprint sensor though. It only has the TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition. It is the most secured type of face unlock tech.
By the way, P30 Pro also the only one in this comparison with an IR Blaster that you can use as a remote control for your TV, Aircon, and more.
It also has a good desktop mode when you attach a USB-C to HDMI cable to an external monitor. Samsung also has that feature.
The phones with the stronger signal based on our actual usage are the P30 Pro and S10+. P30 Pro even have GSM and 4G LTE inside some elevators.
S10+ comes with the new WiFi 6 standard. P30 Pro has 4G LTE Cat 21. All three phones comes with good Bluetooth and GPS connectivity.
Samsung Galaxy S10+ advantages - Sharper screen resolution, larger max RAM/storage, selfie cam, headphone jack slot
Huawei P30 Pro advantages - Bigger display with symmetrical notch, large base storage, stronger battery performance, faster charging speed, quad Leica camera system with ToF, IR Blaster
Apple iPhone XS advantages - Strong multi-core score, TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition
Tally
Build/Design - S10+/P30 Pro - tieDisplay - S10+
Audio - S10+ for speakers, P30 Pro for headphones, iPhone XS mic
Battery/Charging speed - P30 Pro
Camera - P30 Pro for photography and camera modes, S10+ for selfies, tie for videos
Speed - iPhone XS
UI - iPhone XS
Other features - P30 Pro
Value for money - P30 Pro
Total scores - S10+ - 4 points, P30 Pro - 6 points, iPhone XS - 3 points
Samsung Galaxy S10+ vs Huawei P30 Pro vs Apple iPhone XS Specs
| Device | Samsung Galaxy S10+ | Huawei P30 Pro | Apple iPhone XS |
| Display | 6.4-inch 3D curved Gorilla Glass 6 protected Dynamic AMOLED screen w/ QHD+ 3040 x 1440 resolution at 522 ppi | 6.47-inch 3D curved OLED screen w/ FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution at 398 ppi | 5.8-inch 2.5D curved OLED screen w/ 2436 x 1125 resolution at 463 ppi |
| CPU | 2.7GHz 64-bit Exynos 9820 octa-core processor w/ NPU | 2.6GHz 64-bit Kirin 980 octa-core processor w/ Dual-NPU | 2.49GHz 64-bit Apple A12 Bionic hexa-core processor |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP12 | Mali-G76 MP10 w/ GPU Turbo 2.0 | Quad-core |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB | 8GB LPDDR4x | 4GB |
| ROM | 128GB/512GB/1TB expandable via microSD card up to 1TB | 256GB expandable via NM card slot up to 256GB | 64GB/256GB/512GB |
| Back Camera | 12MP (f/1.5/f/2.4) w/ Dual Pixel, OIS + 16MP f/2.2 123-degree ultra wide-angle lens + 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens w/ OIS, AF, and dual-tone LED flash | 40MP f/1.6 RYYB OIS sensor + 20MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle sensor + 8MP f/3.4 OIS 5x periscope zoom sensor + ToF PDAF sensor paired w/ 4D predictive focus, AIS, color temperature sensor, and dual-tone LED flash | 12MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.4 w/ 2x optical zoom, OIS, laser AF, PDAF, and quad LED flash |
| Selfie Camera | 10MP f/1.9 + 8MP f/2.2 RGB w/ Dual Pixel |
32MP f/2.0 w/ AI HDR
|
7MP w/ f/2.2 w/ screen flash |
| Battery | 4,100mAh w/ Adaptive fast charging, fast wireless charging w/ reverse wireless charging | 4,200mAh w/ 40W SuperCharge and 15W wireless charging w/ reverse wireless charging | 2,658mAh w/ 30W fast charging support and 7.5W wireless charging |
| OS | Android 9.0 Pie w/ One UI | Android 9.0 Pie w/ EMUI 9.1 | iOS 12 |
| Connectivity | WiFi 6, 4G LTE Cat 20, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM (hybrid) | WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), 4G LTE Cat 21, Bluetooth 5 BLE, aptX HD, OTG, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5 dual-band), A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo (E1 + E5a dual-band), QZZS (L1 + L5 dual-band), dual SIM (hybrid) | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A-GPS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure, heart rate | Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Others |
Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, face unlock, IP68 water and dust resistance, USB-C, UHQ 32-bit/DSD audio support, AKG stereo speakers, Colors: prism white, prism green, prism black, luxurious ceramic black, luxurious ceramic white
|
In-Screen fingerprint sensor, IR Blaster, IP68 water and dust resistance, 384K/32-bit HiFi DAC, USB Type-C, In-Display earspeaker + loudspeaker, Colors: amber sunrise, breathing crystal, aurora, black | TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition, IP68 water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, Colors: black, silver, gold |
| Dimensions | 157.7 x 75 x 7.8 mm | 158 x 73.4 x 8.41 mm | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm |
| Weight | 175 g | 192 g | 177 g |
| Price | PHP 55,990 (8GB RAM/128GB ROM), PHP 89,990 (12GB RAM/1TB ROM) |
PHP 50,990
|
PHP 67,990 (64GB), PHP 77,490 (256GB), PHP 90,490 (512GB) |
Verdict
P30 Pro is the most feature-rich among the three for less. At just PHP 50,990, it comes with stunning design, large default RAM and storage options, strong battery performance, super fast charging, ultra-versatile and class-leading quad Leica camera system, and more.
Samsung Galaxy S10+ is the device with the highest resolution, largest storage, and most capable selfie cam if you can spend up to PHP 89,990.
iPhone XS is great as well if you are locked with Apple's ecosystem. The top-end model with 512GB storage is priced at PHP 90,490.
Overall you cannot go wrong with any of the three.
BUT if you are looking for a the phone with the design, cameras, and battery performance to beat, Huawei's P30 Pro is the most attractive of the bunch.
Bonus: It is the most affordable among the three flagship phones.
Do you agree with us? Let us know in the comments.
Samsung Galaxy S10+ is the device with the highest resolution, largest storage, and most capable selfie cam if you can spend up to PHP 89,990.
iPhone XS is great as well if you are locked with Apple's ecosystem. The top-end model with 512GB storage is priced at PHP 90,490.
Overall you cannot go wrong with any of the three.
BUT if you are looking for a the phone with the design, cameras, and battery performance to beat, Huawei's P30 Pro is the most attractive of the bunch.
Bonus: It is the most affordable among the three flagship phones.
Do you agree with us? Let us know in the comments.
