Remember it's all about convenience. Sometimes to capture the moment you can't pull your DSLR or find the perfect mode to shoot. Great phone indeed. But nowadays picture taking in a phone is a selling point to a lot people. iPhones is one of the top sellers not only for their ecosystem but for their camera.
Great video as per usual, but I just can't choose. I want one feature without sacrificing another. Can't someone take the best features of each of these phones (as well as other phones) and make one ultimate device? Here's a short list of what I want in a phone: 1) The video recording quality from the HTC 10 (records 4K MKV files with FLAC audio). 2) The manual controls for the camera like an LG V20 (directional audio, custom metering, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, video recording bitrate controls, manual focus, etc). 3) The lens quality of Carl Zeiss optics in Lumias (clear with no lens-flaring), as well as the large sensor size of the Lumia 1020 (2/3" sensor). 4) Audio quality from the headphone jack as good as the LG V20 (32-bit DAC with a dedicated amp). 5) The speed and efficiency of an iPhone (The A10 chip is blazingly fast). 6) The powerful Mali-G71 MP8 GPU from the Huawei Mate 9 for handling graphics-intensive programs. 7) The ability to become a full desktop PC once connected to a display, just like the HP Elite X3. 8) The battery size of the Samsung Galaxy A9 (5000mAh), with Supercharging capabilities like the Huawei Mate 9 (compatible with 5A charge) 9) Edge to edge display like the Xiaomi Mi Mix (No bezels) 10) Dual-camera system that works together for one image instead of working individually, just like the Huawei P9, Honor 8, and Huawei Mate 9 (one monochrome sensor captures as much detail as possible, and the RGB sensor then paints over the monochrome photo without removing any essential data in the picture). 11) A slide-to-deploy physical keyboard like the Blackberry Priv (all the keys can be assigned as shortcuts for apps, and the keyboard also acts as a trackpad for scrolling) 12) Crystal clear stereo speakers like those on the HTC 10, and make them loud just like the HTC One M8 and M9. 13) A multifunctional stylus, just like Samsung's Galaxy Note lineup. 14) A shatterproof display just like the Motorola Droid Turbo. 15) The Google Assistant preinstalled just like on the Google Pixel. 16) The modular design on the Moto Z, with attachable modules. 17) Easy to customize the look of the device, just like the Nokia 3310 (also, the durability of the 3310 would be nice as well) 18) The unlimited storage technology of the Nextbit Robin (once it senses that storage is about to be full, it transfers the least used apps into Nextbit's own cloud service, with your login credentials still intact. When you wanna use them, just tap them and they'll be redownloaded and you don't have to re-login again). Either this or support for a large MicroSD will do. If this phone ever existed, I'd just throw all my money at it o_o
+Bunster Backster Is that so? I know it's more prone to scratches than your typical Gorilla Glass, but being a form of plastic I thought that thing doesn't shatter. Or is it the pixels behind the display that gets damaged instead?
I work next to a phone repair shop. I conversations with them quite a bit cause I love the tech. They told me, other than iphone, theyve fixed a ton of turbos. A lot of casuals seem to think it's actually break proof and are wreck less. The screens do shatter. Calling them shatterproof was a bad idea.
if the screen display is important to you then get the V20 because the Mate 9's pixel density is in the area of 373ppi and if you don't mind that it only is 1080p. but the Mate 9's processor is quite alluring while the V20's just a SD 821 which is so 2016. lol.
I actually got the Mate 9 as a birthday gift two weeks ago. Boy does this thing fly ^^ I don't really notice the pixels at all, if anything it looks pretty darn beautiful. My eyes cant really find any discernable difference between it and the AMOLED panel on my mum's S6 Edge. Everything else, the performance, the camera, the overall build, it's pretty darn amazing ^^
For media consumption the Mate 9 is way better choice. Battery life with faster charging speed against the V20 and the stereo speakers does the job for me. But the UI is better on the V20.
A more interesting comparison than I expected. I started favouring the V20 and ended with the same opinion, but that battery (and charging) and beastly Kirin processor really make a case for power users to seriously consider the Mate 9.
JuanBagnell Sir i was wondering which one is better under low light condition.Atm i have LG G4 and i really wanted to upgrade to G6 but all the negative feedbacks about how fragile the camera glass is made me think again so my question is which one of these should i take or i can compare it with p10 vs lg g5.I'm more of a camera guy i love the manual options of G4 and how amazing photos i can take in low light.Many times i have annihilated S6/S7 and even S8 when my friend bought it same goes for the iphone 7 but now its time for upgrade and i cant afford v20 cause its way too expensive compared to g6 or p10 so p10 or lg g5?
the mate 9 will be my choice because of the better battery and the front stereo speakers (not having a front stereo speakers is a dealbreaker for me, thats why i still use my good old nexus 6 and haven't bought the pixel !)
Great comparison video Juan. I absolutely love the V20 thus far since Sunday but its nice to see the work Huawei put it on the stills front for photography. I would've considered the Mate 9 with a concrete landing spot on my carrier's shelf but with US availability still in question I had to go for the V20. Plus focus peaking!
This comparison is the best on UA-cam. It is unbiased and makes making a choice way easier. It points out which features will make which consumer satisfied. It helped me make a decision between these two beast phablets, and that would be the V20, with the superior manual video, photo and 32-bit Quad DAC. Great work, Pocketnow!
i bought the v20 and was also looking at the mate 9 sound quality removable battery and cleaner Android was what made me choose the v20. I'm a very heavy user so any phone will go flat within a day, so i much prefer changing batteries and instantly being back to 100℅ vs carrying a power pack with me, but agree both great choices
Mate 9 for me since I concern about the speaker quality, the app opening speed, the battery life + charging speed and more available shooting modes more than the richer manual control, QHD display and the audio quality from the headphone jack. I don't shoot videos frequently either. But I'm pretty sure many people still prefer V20 over Mate 9. Great video!
This truly was a back & forth battle. If the Mate 9 had better audio performance & a tad bit higher screen resolution. Mate 9 would be hard to beat. Amazing battery life, compact form factor (for a 5.9'), blazing fast chipset (arguably best in the game at this point), & gorgeous design. Grand review as always Juan.
I bought the V20 mainly for its great camera options and for it's Audio DAC. I have a nice set of Sennheiser Urbanite's which I haven't had anything that could really push them yet. So far I'm pretty pleased with them together. And I won't buy a phone that doesn't support user replaceable batteries or expandable storage. Those two options are my must haves.
I've been using an LGG5 and Huawei P9 for a couple of months and would lean towards the Huawei overall, both for general use and for mobile photography. Oh and of course, great review by Juan , as usual 😉
Great fair comparison! I'd would side with the Mate 9 because I don't shoot much video and I also don't make use of any analog headphone jacks. I'd prefer better battery life, quicker CPU, and better still shots, which the Mate 9 gives. Great summary!
I've been drooling over the Mate 9 for the past few weeks, especially because my wife has an Honor 8 and every time I use it I actually love the extra features that EMUI brings to the table. The V20 has been out of mind for a while but now that it's resale price has dropped so much, I'm starting to wonder if it would be a better choice. But then, I really don't think I can buy a device that is nearly guaranteed to eventually bootloop...And swappable batteries are nice, but longer battery life without swapping is more important to me, I think.
I love Lg (had an Lg G2) I love Huawei (Have a Honor 8) V20 or Mate 9? QHD or Battery life? Video or Photo? ohh fuck.. i dont care.. i'm going to buy a used Noki N8 for 40$ 😃
No comparison here. No other phone is yet in a league with the LG V20. Again LG has raised the eyebrows of the compitition. I had it for a day and loved it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What is there ugly about all that screen real estate?
Well I said it was "charmingly ugly" as the form of the V20 FOLLOWS the function. There's no taper to the camera module for example, it just sticks out the back. No work done on the seams of the phone, it's all built around the function of removing the battery. No curve or shape to the phone, it's just a sleek slab, with lines somewhat derivative of the Blackberry Z10. This isn't really a bad thing, but aesthetically, this phone isn't the prettiest. Like if phones were cars, a Samsung would be some kind of roadster with superfluous design accents, and the v20 would be a turbo diesel truck.
Still trying my best to like one of these 2 (waiting on full cam review) Holding on to my Note 7 until then -personally as a Note user, the screen/camera/S Pen and the feel of Note 7 is just a void these phones cannot fill ...
excellent comparison ! Both look great , it depends on what is important to you: battery+cpu+ picture or removable battery+video + probably faster Android updates (I had an LG G4 and it received pretty quick updates)
Is there a difference in headphone quality of you're using Bluetooth headphones? doesn't that bypass the phone's DAC? Is the more powerful amp in the v20 still a factor?
I have both phones and it's a hard decision which is better, get this video sums it up. The more fun phone is the Mate 9. The picture quality in wide mode and the things you can do with photos are unrivaled. The monochrome camera is beast. True black & white photos, and not some filter. The manual video mode on the V20, you could film a motion picture with, and none would be the wiser.
20th Viewer. Hence it's got to be the LGV20 as my prime choice.! Juan why is this handset not available in UK? Can someone please explain why LGV20 is not being marketed in England.
JZ VR oh look! it is the fanboy huawei's balls sucker again! You wish Huawei was half as reliable as LG; Huawei has a history of defectivea, subpar, never upgraded products on it's back.
I had to smash my LG to get a new phone... and it still works. And no bugging software sending data to China. www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/china-phones-software-security.html
the mate 9 has better performance, better Battery and takes better photos. These are the 3 most important features on a phone and he still chooses the lg?? I mean the v20 is amazing but the mate 9 is a monster!!!!
Purple Alpha He is a professional video maker so he obviously had a better experience as a UA-camr. And coming to the average consumer, he did say that you can't go wrong with any of the phones. If you're an audio guy choose the V20 and if you take more photos go with the Mate 9
Purple Alpha V20 also gives you better control over the mic. That's essential for a professional. Plus, if I had to choose one I would go with the Mate as I prefer battery life over headphone jack quality
S Tech so more like if your just an average casual consumer, go for the mate 9. But if you're a professional ones that uses the customizable settings and ui frequently and effectively then lg v20 is for you?
I quite like both devices , but i`d probably lean towards the huawei device , having the swap out battery feature is nice , but not having to swap out or charge as often is even nicer . I also like the huawei camera feature being able to adjust the focus thing after taking the shot too , that looks pretty cool .
Juan, I have a request. When you do the real camera review on Mate 9 in the future, could you focus on the dedicated Night Mode and make a comparison between the normal manual mode under a low-light condition as well? I use that feature a lot on my P9 at night when I'm going out and truly love it, and I would like to see how it performs on Mate 9.
Hi Juan After reviewing this 2 phones, I'm a heavy phone user (Instagm, FB, Tweeter, Email, News and browsing) and I do a lot of point and shoot and love audio listening. What should be my best replacement phone? (Currently using S5) Which would be a better trade off maybe after 3 years usage? LG or HW?
wireless charging is great because some times the charging port gets damage and you have a list another option. But is not like the bullS of 3d touch in iphone.
The only reason I switched to LG was the ir blaster. I was a huge Samsung fan but since they removed the ir blaster from note 5 I switched to lg v10 and I love it so far...
Hi .. Something the screen.. And you said it's 1440p.. but it's resolution is QHD LCD 2560p × 1460p and that affect much in the tests of benshmark, my friend
Great review! Now that Mate 9 is available for $599 in the US vs. more than $750 for V20, will that tip the decision somewhat? :P I was a bit concerned about the initial pricing when Huawei first released the phone last year to a tune of 700 euros (Yikes!), but I guess they finally came to their senses with the better pricing in the US.
I love this channel. JC Bagnell is a true techie, unlike these other reviewers that always give the win to the device that does simple things better. They aren't delving into the meat and potatoes of devices. They go by benchmark and auto camera alone. They don't look at a device in regards to its intended audience and capabilities. Their formula is too simple... Design, battery life, auto camera, benchmark. To them, design is more important than drop protection. A quick pic is more important than a quality pic. Slightly better battery life seems to trump instant swap. And early access seems to trump honesty...trump honesty, two words that just don't sound right together. Lol. But that's a testament to the times we live in. No one wants to work for anything anymore.
i'm using mate 9. at my place, there is no LG V20.. for me, i'm happy with my mate 9 - the screen is big - fast charging - stereo speaker like you watch a tv - i love the camera that's all.. sorry for my weird english
I completely agree that the Mate is perfect for still shots vs the V20. I have 2 V20's (Verizon & Tmo) and they both take horrible still shots but audio playback is the best on the V20.
The final software is about to come out and it is said that the camera is a huge improvement. Hard to judge a phone when you have a review phone with unstable software. Or at least not final software.
Personally the LG V20 just slightly beets the Huawei Mate 9. The main display is better and I actually see myself using the second screen. The audio is much better when it comes to plugging in headphones (I listen to a lot of music). I usually shoot in auto when I take pictures but there are more features with V20 that makes it a bit better. Usually I edit my photos with snapseed so I can most likely fix it up to make it look nicer.
nice review Juan. The V20 is really good but LG needs to fix their quality control. my G4 bootlooped and the V20's cameras, which is said to be easily shattered made me think twice about purchasing another LG device.
Googling these phones Is my daily hobby till I choose one, the v20 looks like the perfect phone for me with the wide camera, but seeing how nice the mate 9 is, and it's going to be released faster in my country, I feel like I have no choice but the mate 9.. not to mention the shattered glass and dying speaker problems on the v20
And this is how you do a comparative review while not degrading one or the other. It's all about the choice of the consumer and what works best for you. Great job again Juan Carlos! #AttentionReviewers #TakeNotes
I would choose the mate over the v20 because it looks better and I think beats it overall but the audio output through headphones killed it for me so I won't be getting either. The search continues...
Ppl really dont think about how important it is for a phone to have removeable battery ! After 2 years phones battery will decrease performance and if you dont have an easy way of changing it, pretty much you are left by yourself with an useless phone that after 2 years you still can sale it and get some of your money back !
Yes, indeed. That is a very nice feature but the Huawei Mate 9 boasts about its machine learning which means the more you use the phone the more it gets efficient and faster. I have been using my mate 9 for 2 years now and I can assure you that there is no battery problems
While cameras are the make or break item for a lot of folks, and even though I buy high end devices when I do buy them and I do expect the cameras to be very capable, it's far down on the list of my requirements while sound quality is right near the top. Both of these cameras will do just fine for me... in auto mode. I really couldn't be bothered with fiddling & fidgeting with touch screen camera controls. As for the selfie camera? I wouldn't even notice if it never had one, it's the very last thing I'd miss. Having said that mouthful, neither device would make it onto my wishlist, I have an aversion to phablets and I simply don't need them.
I've been checking out both and I've had the LGV10 For over a yr now and it's greatest phone I've ever used...I never had Huawei and I'm intersted in this phone but I'm pretty sure that the V20 will have much better video because the image stabilizer on my v10 is incrdible..I really like the look of The Huawei..don't like the look of the v20..think the build of the v10 was perfect for me...I just can't decide...
Joseph Carrino did you ever experience the infamous image retention and ghosting on your LG V10? that's keeping me from buying the V20 as it has happened to many people using the G4, V10 and G5 after so. and AFAIK they all use the same LCD technology. My V10 also had pretty bad backlight bleeding... :(
Maany Allahyari aw shit my v10 has that ghosting problem I love my v10 but seeing this video it makes me wonder because I don't take pictures or videos (that much anyways) I uses it for games and UA-cam any suggestions?
I love LG and had some of the flagships they have but men to many problems with their phone major overheating shadow retention and screen blackouts I love lg I hope they will fix issues like this.on the other hand so far my mate 9 is not giving me any headaches.
I like both. but I choose the V20. Partially because here in the states, people know LG as a Samsung competitor, and Huawei? very few know the brand... Ohh and Was able to buy my V20 for less than a Mate 9, so that sealed the deal.
Reviwers are not saying one is better than the other anymore "if you need this go with this one, of you need that go with that one" it's ridiculous how we got to the point wjere all companies are so good that most of the time you can't say exactly which one is better... the cameras for instance, its so good that its not gonna make a difference for us, only for the reviwers who care for the ambient light, colors and contrast, so what do they do? put another camera there
You mean like how I said that neither was top tier in full auto, but if you wanted better stills you should get the Huawei and the V20 had better video?
JuanBagnell You are one of the best reviewers I know, don't get me wrong, you are actually right when you say "you can't go wrong with neither one" the thing is, a flagship from 2013 can do anything a flagship from 2016 can, today they just have better battery(maybe) better camera (sometimes you cant differenciate if someone didnt tell you from which phone it was taken) and better processors that makes the games run almost the same cuz theres no optimization, I just hope 2017 will bring us something actually new
Andrew Marinho I don't disagree there. THe major differences between devices now and then are really more due to lifestyle features. Things like more phones coming with drop and water resistance. It will be tough to continue asking for premium cash though. You can make cheap phones REALLY good now.
LG V20 for the win. V20 user here, the year? 2018. Why am I using a 2016 phone, well its that good. Quad DAC, second screen,, durabilitu, headphone jack, RAW and manual options for both photo and video, oh the replacable battery for those like me who keeps their phone for a long time. The v20 trumps even some 2018 phones.
Bud, surprisingly you never mentioned about the QHD on V20 while Mate is just a FHD... though I understand human eye cant detect more than 300 ppi (crap), makes a world of difference if one plugs in a VR headset
I have the V20, great phone no doubt. But I'd say I'm a regular user, who appreciates good photos.... And the occasional video recording of my kids running around. Not sure I'm fully utilising the V20 capabilities. Seriously considering the Mate 9....
I gotta say, following around my baby daughter, that wide angle lens has come in handy quite a bit. I caught her first steps on video. I had a V20, the iPhone 7+, and the GS7A in front of me. The V20 was the right phone for that job.
I hate how people judge the Mate 9 when taking pictures because they only shoot in Auto and don't care about modes.
Not to mention that all Mate 9's are still not running final software.
Bonin Ygoña
The same thing happens to LG!
Remember it's all about convenience. Sometimes to capture the moment you can't pull your DSLR or find the perfect mode to shoot. Great phone indeed. But nowadays picture taking in a phone is a selling point to a lot people. iPhones is one of the top sellers not only for their ecosystem but for their camera.
Great video as per usual, but I just can't choose.
I want one feature without sacrificing another. Can't someone take the best features of each of these phones (as well as other phones) and make one ultimate device?
Here's a short list of what I want in a phone:
1) The video recording quality from the HTC 10 (records 4K MKV files with FLAC audio).
2) The manual controls for the camera like an LG V20 (directional audio, custom metering, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, video recording bitrate controls, manual focus, etc).
3) The lens quality of Carl Zeiss optics in Lumias (clear with no lens-flaring), as well as the large sensor size of the Lumia 1020 (2/3" sensor).
4) Audio quality from the headphone jack as good as the LG V20 (32-bit DAC with a dedicated amp).
5) The speed and efficiency of an iPhone (The A10 chip is blazingly fast).
6) The powerful Mali-G71 MP8 GPU from the Huawei Mate 9 for handling graphics-intensive programs.
7) The ability to become a full desktop PC once connected to a display, just like the HP Elite X3.
8) The battery size of the Samsung Galaxy A9 (5000mAh), with Supercharging capabilities like the Huawei Mate 9 (compatible with 5A charge)
9) Edge to edge display like the Xiaomi Mi Mix (No bezels)
10) Dual-camera system that works together for one image instead of working individually, just like the Huawei P9, Honor 8, and Huawei Mate 9 (one monochrome sensor captures as much detail as possible, and the RGB sensor then paints over the monochrome photo without removing any essential data in the picture).
11) A slide-to-deploy physical keyboard like the Blackberry Priv (all the keys can be assigned as shortcuts for apps, and the keyboard also acts as a trackpad for scrolling)
12) Crystal clear stereo speakers like those on the HTC 10, and make them loud just like the HTC One M8 and M9.
13) A multifunctional stylus, just like Samsung's Galaxy Note lineup.
14) A shatterproof display just like the Motorola Droid Turbo.
15) The Google Assistant preinstalled just like on the Google Pixel.
16) The modular design on the Moto Z, with attachable modules.
17) Easy to customize the look of the device, just like the Nokia 3310 (also, the durability of the 3310 would be nice as well)
18) The unlimited storage technology of the Nextbit Robin (once it senses that storage is about to be full, it transfers the least used apps into Nextbit's own cloud service, with your login credentials still intact. When you wanna use them, just tap them and they'll be redownloaded and you don't have to re-login again). Either this or support for a large MicroSD will do.
If this phone ever existed, I'd just throw all my money at it o_o
Lol the shatterproof on the turbo is a lie. I've seen more turbos having the screen repair than any other phone in the last 2 years.
+Bunster Backster Is that so? I know it's more prone to scratches than your typical Gorilla Glass, but being a form of plastic I thought that thing doesn't shatter. Or is it the pixels behind the display that gets damaged instead?
I work next to a phone repair shop. I conversations with them quite a bit cause I love the tech. They told me, other than iphone, theyve fixed a ton of turbos. A lot of casuals seem to think it's actually break proof and are wreck less. The screens do shatter. Calling them shatterproof was a bad idea.
if the screen display is important to you then get the V20 because the Mate 9's pixel density is in the area of 373ppi and if you don't mind that it only is 1080p. but the Mate 9's processor is quite alluring while the V20's just a SD 821 which is so 2016. lol.
I actually got the Mate 9 as a birthday gift two weeks ago. Boy does this thing fly ^^ I don't really notice the pixels at all, if anything it looks pretty darn beautiful. My eyes cant really find any discernable difference between it and the AMOLED panel on my mum's S6 Edge. Everything else, the performance, the camera, the overall build, it's pretty darn amazing ^^
For media consumption the Mate 9 is way better choice. Battery life with faster charging speed against the V20 and the stereo speakers does the job for me. But the UI is better on the V20.
Until you plug in some headphones of course ;-)
Or unless you like resolution
JuanBagnell If I plug in the B&O G5 module standalone on the Mate 9 will it work normally?
And mate 9 is cheaper. $599 unlocked online.
The_vb v20 is cheaper now
A more interesting comparison than I expected. I started favouring the V20 and ended with the same opinion, but that battery (and charging) and beastly Kirin processor really make a case for power users to seriously consider the Mate 9.
Huawei is NOT messing around. Some great options for consumers, and they're learning about better worldwide distribution.
JuanBagnell Sir i was wondering which one is better under low light condition.Atm i have LG G4 and i really wanted to upgrade to G6 but all the negative feedbacks about how fragile the camera glass is made me think again so my question is which one of these should i take or i can compare it with p10 vs lg g5.I'm more of a camera guy i love the manual options of G4 and how amazing photos i can take in low light.Many times i have annihilated S6/S7 and even S8 when my friend bought it same goes for the iphone 7 but now its time for upgrade and i cant afford v20 cause its way too expensive compared to g6 or p10 so p10 or lg g5?
I love both My LG V20 and my Huawei mate 9
the mate 9 will be my choice because of the better battery and the front stereo speakers (not having a front stereo speakers is a dealbreaker for me, thats why i still use my good old nexus 6 and haven't bought the pixel !)
Great comparison video Juan. I absolutely love the V20 thus far since Sunday but its nice to see the work Huawei put it on the stills front for photography. I would've considered the Mate 9 with a concrete landing spot on my carrier's shelf but with US availability still in question I had to go for the V20. Plus focus peaking!
HOLY COW FOCUS PEAKING IS RAD!
Rachi Siders
He is so dope because he's fair! Enjoy your V20!
Antoine Swans he really is though. Thanks.
Wait until it bootloop. I already got one on my first v20.
Bunster Backster ..is weird....i never experince in any bootloop in my V20...
I have both love both
This comparison is the best on UA-cam. It is unbiased and makes making a choice way easier. It points out which features will make which consumer satisfied. It helped me make a decision between these two beast phablets, and that would be the V20, with the superior manual video, photo and 32-bit Quad DAC. Great work, Pocketnow!
i bought the v20 and was also looking at the mate 9 sound quality removable battery and cleaner Android was what made me choose the v20. I'm a very heavy user so any phone will go flat within a day, so i much prefer changing batteries and instantly being back to 100℅ vs carrying a power pack with me, but agree both great choices
the number JUAN! great video again. You're the JUAN!
ha! Thanks bud!
Hehe always Juan
LG V20 for me
Mate 9 for me since I concern about the speaker quality, the app opening speed, the battery life + charging speed and more available shooting modes more than the richer manual control, QHD display and the audio quality from the headphone jack. I don't shoot videos frequently either. But I'm pretty sure many people still prefer V20 over Mate 9. Great video!
This truly was a back & forth battle. If the Mate 9 had better audio performance & a tad bit higher screen resolution. Mate 9 would be hard to beat. Amazing battery life, compact form factor (for a 5.9'), blazing fast chipset (arguably best in the game at this point), & gorgeous design. Grand review as always Juan.
This was incredibly fun to put together. I genuninely love both of these phones.
mate 9 all the way. it looks better and more solid build quality. plus better finger print sensor
I bought the V20 mainly for its great camera options and for it's Audio DAC. I have a nice set of Sennheiser Urbanite's which I haven't had anything that could really push them yet. So far I'm pretty pleased with them together. And I won't buy a phone that doesn't support user replaceable batteries or expandable storage. Those two options are my must haves.
that LG DAC is the bomb
mate 9 hands down...better phone!!!
Spoiler alert: The IR Blaster made a cameo in the end credits scene!
:-D
JuanBagnell You're not mad?
I've been using an LGG5 and Huawei P9 for a couple of months and would lean towards the Huawei overall, both for general use and for mobile photography. Oh and of course, great review by Juan , as usual 😉
Great fair comparison! I'd would side with the Mate 9 because I don't shoot much video and I also don't make use of any analog headphone jacks. I'd prefer better battery life, quicker CPU, and better still shots, which the Mate 9 gives. Great summary!
I've been drooling over the Mate 9 for the past few weeks, especially because my wife has an Honor 8 and every time I use it I actually love the extra features that EMUI brings to the table. The V20 has been out of mind for a while but now that it's resale price has dropped so much, I'm starting to wonder if it would be a better choice. But then, I really don't think I can buy a device that is nearly guaranteed to eventually bootloop...And swappable batteries are nice, but longer battery life without swapping is more important to me, I think.
I love Lg (had an Lg G2) I love Huawei (Have a Honor 8)
V20 or Mate 9?
QHD or Battery life?
Video or Photo?
ohh fuck.. i dont care.. i'm going to buy a used Noki N8 for 40$ 😃
Nice decision man
Aw man I loved the N8...
JuanBagnell I hope they come with a great impact on the market.
i have an s7 edge should i buy mate 9 as my daily driver instead of s7?
Plz somebody suggest....
I am worried about s7 edge price depriciation
Ahmed Ali Durrani either buy mate 9 or you can buy LG v20.
No comparison here. No other phone is yet in a league with the LG V20. Again LG has raised the eyebrows of the compitition. I had it for a day and loved it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What is there ugly about all that screen real estate?
Vikingdescendent exactly, he said Ugly... I freaking love this phone #V20
Not sure what video review you were watching...
Well I said it was "charmingly ugly" as the form of the V20 FOLLOWS the function. There's no taper to the camera module for example, it just sticks out the back. No work done on the seams of the phone, it's all built around the function of removing the battery. No curve or shape to the phone, it's just a sleek slab, with lines somewhat derivative of the Blackberry Z10. This isn't really a bad thing, but aesthetically, this phone isn't the prettiest. Like if phones were cars, a Samsung would be some kind of roadster with superfluous design accents, and the v20 would be a turbo diesel truck.
*****
Both my original launch G4 and V10 still going strong.
*****
Except my V10 was used heavily for months, and is still my primary fallback phone.
First!
Pocketnow second
third
Pocketnow third
last!
Pocketnow I can't wait to see the real camera review of the Mate 9!!
Still trying my best to like one of these 2 (waiting on full cam review)
Holding on to my Note 7 until then -personally as a Note user, the screen/camera/S Pen and the feel of Note 7 is just a void these phones cannot fill ...
IMO like the Mate more, maybe the fact that the V20 isn't available in Europe helps my decision, but overall I like the mate more.
That certainly makes a huge difference when making a purchasing decision...
JuanBagnell it's a small detail indeed, but even if it was available, the Mate has its charms ^^
please which stylus are you using ?
thank you
excellent comparison ! Both look great , it depends on what is important to you: battery+cpu+ picture or removable battery+video + probably faster Android updates (I had an LG G4 and it received pretty quick updates)
I know it's usually a cop out to say "whatever you like" but this is genuinely the happiest I've been all year reviewing phones. These two rock.
Is there a difference in headphone quality of you're using Bluetooth headphones? doesn't that bypass the phone's DAC? Is the more powerful amp in the v20 still a factor?
I've been waiting like crazy for this
I can't wait to see a camera review on the Mate 9 after the next update.
I have both phones and it's a hard decision which is better, get this video sums it up. The more fun phone is the Mate 9. The picture quality in wide mode and the things you can do with photos are unrivaled. The monochrome camera is beast. True black & white photos, and not some filter. The manual video mode on the V20, you could film a motion picture with, and none would be the wiser.
20th Viewer. Hence it's got to be the LGV20 as my prime choice.!
Juan why is this handset not available in UK? Can someone please explain why LGV20 is not being marketed in England.
HA!
Smart choice!
Karim Sumar (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง
You really want a phone that bootloop for no reason? LG has released 5 flagships in a row with a bootlooping problem.
Bunster Backster
Sorry I was not aware of that. Please explain and is this problem inherent in LGV20 also?
Hi,
according to your experience, which of the two can do better photos?
Which of the two can do better photos at night?
I hope you will help me.
TOTALLY agree: at similar performance and similar cost, go with the more reliable brand.
Huawei is the bigger and more reliable brand, LG isn't exactly the best in quality like Huawei.
JZ VR oh look! it is the fanboy huawei's balls sucker again! You wish Huawei was half as reliable as LG; Huawei has a history of defectivea, subpar, never upgraded products on it's back.
I had to smash my LG to get a new phone... and it still works. And no bugging software sending data to China. www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/china-phones-software-security.html
the mate 9 has better performance, better Battery and takes better photos. These are the 3 most important features on a phone and he still chooses the lg?? I mean the v20 is amazing but the mate 9 is a monster!!!!
Purple Alpha He is a professional video maker so he obviously had a better experience as a UA-camr. And coming to the average consumer, he did say that you can't go wrong with any of the phones. If you're an audio guy choose the V20 and if you take more photos go with the Mate 9
S Tech audio? just the headphone jack.. mate 9 rekt v20 on speaker audio.
Purple Alpha V20 also gives you better control over the mic. That's essential for a professional. Plus, if I had to choose one I would go with the Mate as I prefer battery life over headphone jack quality
S Tech so more like if your just an average casual consumer, go for the mate 9. But if you're a professional ones that uses the customizable settings and ui frequently and effectively then lg v20 is for you?
AntiTeemo yup
I quite like both devices , but i`d probably lean towards the huawei device , having the swap out battery feature is nice , but not having to swap out or charge as often is even nicer .
I also like the huawei camera feature being able to adjust the focus thing after taking the shot too , that looks pretty cool .
Juan, I have a request. When you do the real camera review on Mate 9 in the future, could you focus on the dedicated Night Mode and make a comparison between the normal manual mode under a low-light condition as well? I use that feature a lot on my P9 at night when I'm going out and truly love it, and I would like to see how it performs on Mate 9.
Hi Juan
After reviewing this 2 phones, I'm a heavy phone user (Instagm, FB, Tweeter, Email, News and browsing) and I do a lot of point and shoot and love audio listening.
What should be my best replacement phone? (Currently using S5)
Which would be a better trade off maybe after 3 years usage? LG or HW?
I think Mate 9
I have V10 , it is good phone but before V10 i was using G2 and i am bored with LG UI .
Huawei has beautiful UI for me .
Hey Juan, what's your daily driver? If you do use the V20 do you put Nova on it or keep it all stock?
That figurine at the start looked like Ethan MacManus: Space Archaeologist. Mind blown if those exist.
wireless charging is great because some times the charging port gets damage and you have a list another option. But is not like the bullS of 3d touch in iphone.
Just want to report that your videos helped me make the decision, got the V20. Thanks for the great reviews!
The only reason I switched to LG was the ir blaster. I was a huge Samsung fan but since they removed the ir blaster from note 5 I switched to lg v10 and I love it so far...
No joke! I know not a lot of people were using it, but those of us who did, this is a KILLER feature.
Good to see Juan replying all the comments👌I like the lieca camera on mate 9 and its battery life, performance.
Leica really stepped up their game on this phone. Exciting to see this partnership with Huawei growing.
Hi .. Something the screen..
And you said it's 1440p.. but it's
resolution is QHD LCD 2560p × 1460p and that affect much in the tests of benshmark, my friend
i have an s7 edge should i buy mate 9 as my daily driver instead of s7?
Plz somebody suggest....
I am worried about s7 edge price depriciation
Sir plz tell me that which is better mate 10 lite or lg v20 and which is more attractive plz reply cause i am buying new mobile tomorrow
How would you rate the Mate 9 audio (from the jack) compared to an old Samsung Galaxy S4?
which display has better colors ?
if only Huawei had a good DAC. I'm really looking forward to seeing what lg is going to do with the G6
just got my v20 yesterday I love it.
Great review! Now that Mate 9 is available for $599 in the US vs. more than $750 for V20, will that tip the decision somewhat? :P I was a bit concerned about the initial pricing when Huawei first released the phone last year to a tune of 700 euros (Yikes!), but I guess they finally came to their senses with the better pricing in the US.
Have you done a review on the mate 9 pro? It's really beautiful!
I love this channel. JC Bagnell is a true techie, unlike these other reviewers that always give the win to the device that does simple things better. They aren't delving into the meat and potatoes of devices. They go by benchmark and auto camera alone. They don't look at a device in regards to its intended audience and capabilities. Their formula is too simple... Design, battery life, auto camera, benchmark. To them, design is more important than drop protection. A quick pic is more important than a quality pic. Slightly better battery life seems to trump instant swap. And early access seems to trump honesty...trump honesty, two words that just don't sound right together. Lol. But that's a testament to the times we live in. No one wants to work for anything anymore.
Well detailed video! Thumbs up! Is there a notification light in mate 9?
darwin Limpiada yup
i'm using mate 9. at my place, there is no LG V20..
for me, i'm happy with my mate 9
- the screen is big
- fast charging
- stereo speaker like you watch a tv
- i love the camera
that's all.. sorry for my weird english
I completely agree that the Mate is perfect for still shots vs the V20. I have 2 V20's (Verizon & Tmo) and they both take horrible still shots but audio playback is the best on the V20.
The final software is about to come out and it is said that the camera is a huge improvement. Hard to judge a phone when you have a review phone with unstable software. Or at least not final software.
I want to buy buy a mobile, can u suggest me what to buy from these???? LG V20 or OnePlus 3T
my choice v20
Raghava Annamraju mate 9
Raghava Annamraju one plus 3t, but it depends on what you want of course. 3t performance, price, build. LG audio, screen, manual photos.
Raghava Annamraju if you won't mind price and don't need manual photo/video I would consider pixel
lg v20
he guys and @Pocketnow which one would you prefer? (in terms of overall multitasking + UI fluidity)
Personally the LG V20 just slightly beets the Huawei Mate 9. The main display is better and I actually see myself using the second screen. The audio is much better when it comes to plugging in headphones (I listen to a lot of music). I usually shoot in auto when I take pictures but there are more features with V20 that makes it a bit better. Usually I edit my photos with snapseed so I can most likely fix it up to make it look nicer.
you're carrying both phones as daily drivers? that's just so awesome!
I can't even lie. This is the most fun I've had all year reviewing phones.
which i have to buy xiaomi mi note 2 or mate 9 or lg v20
mate 9
so you can change the placement of those on screen buttons on mate9?
nice review Juan. The V20 is really good but LG needs to fix their quality control. my G4 bootlooped and the V20's cameras, which is said to be easily shattered made me think twice about purchasing another LG device.
Hello Pocketnow. Where can i find that case for the mate 9 please?
Thank you
As always, great video! And, my choice is the V20. That DAC with my HD 650s and V-Moda M100s is eargasm!!
Dude. Seriously. It's so good. I just got goose bumps listening to Aenima tonight...
Would be great to see an audio comparison between the V20 and iPhone 7 Plus :)
Googling these phones Is my daily hobby till I choose one, the v20 looks like the perfect phone for me with the wide camera, but seeing how nice the mate 9 is, and it's going to be released faster in my country, I feel like I have no choice but the mate 9.. not to mention the shattered glass and dying speaker problems on the v20
what is the best to buy a lg v20 or huawei mate9
Mate 9
lg v20 is better
And this is how you do a comparative review while not degrading one or the other. It's all about the choice of the consumer and what works best for you. Great job again Juan Carlos! #AttentionReviewers #TakeNotes
I would choose the mate over the v20 because it looks better and I think beats it overall but the audio output through headphones killed it for me so I won't be getting either. The search continues...
is back cover included ?
Ppl really dont think about how important it is for a phone to have removeable battery !
After 2 years phones battery will decrease performance and if you dont have an easy way of changing it, pretty much you are left by yourself with an useless phone that after 2 years you still can sale it and get some of your money back !
Yes, indeed. That is a very nice feature but the Huawei Mate 9 boasts about its machine learning which means the more you use the phone the more it gets efficient and faster. I have been using my mate 9 for 2 years now and I can assure you that there is no battery problems
While cameras are the make or break item for a lot of folks, and even though I buy high end devices when I do buy them and I do expect the cameras to be very capable, it's far down on the list of my requirements while sound quality is right near the top. Both of these cameras will do just fine for me... in auto mode. I really couldn't be bothered with fiddling & fidgeting with touch screen camera controls. As for the selfie camera? I wouldn't even notice if it never had one, it's the very last thing I'd miss. Having said that mouthful, neither device would make it onto my wishlist, I have an aversion to phablets and I simply don't need them.
I've been checking out both and I've had the LGV10 For over a yr now and it's greatest phone I've ever used...I never had Huawei and I'm intersted in this phone but I'm pretty sure that the V20 will have much better video because the image stabilizer on my v10 is incrdible..I really like the look of The Huawei..don't like the look of the v20..think the build of the v10 was perfect for me...I just can't decide...
Joseph Carrino did you ever experience the infamous image retention and ghosting on your LG V10? that's keeping me from buying the V20 as it has happened to many people using the G4, V10 and G5 after so. and AFAIK they all use the same LCD technology. My V10 also had pretty bad backlight bleeding... :(
Maany Allahyari ..No...
Maany Allahyari aw shit my v10 has that ghosting problem I love my v10 but seeing this video it makes me wonder because I don't take pictures or videos (that much anyways) I uses it for games and UA-cam any suggestions?
what about making some ranking system for the all handsets you tested
I can't find the poll. LG V20 wins though for doing Audio and Video that's all I care about in a phone
There should be a little more info icon with the cards we use to link to other videos. The poll should be in there.
JuanBagnell thank you! Will you be doing a Real Audio Review of the HTC 10? Or Android Nougat on the HTC 10?
For Europe, it's not a decision. We only have Mate 9, so that's a little bit f worded :D but I love much more the Mate 9 :)
big thanks
I love LG and had some of the flagships they have but men to many problems with their phone major overheating shadow retention and screen blackouts I love lg I hope they will fix issues like this.on the other hand so far my mate 9 is not giving me any headaches.
How are the lcd displays compare to amoled?
what about low light shots ?
what about the wide lens of the v20?
lg 100% of the votes
I like both. but I choose the V20. Partially because here in the states, people know LG as a Samsung competitor, and Huawei? very few know the brand... Ohh and Was able to buy my V20 for less than a Mate 9, so that sealed the deal.
Was debating which phone to buy. after the note 7. thanks Juan!
You're welcome. Hope this helps :-)
JuanBagnell Yes it did. V20 it is.
Pranyudh John
I hope you dig it!
whats with the back ring both phones have?
why didn't you mention the microphones when talking about video recording
Reviwers are not saying one is better than the other anymore "if you need this go with this one, of you need that go with that one" it's ridiculous how we got to the point wjere all companies are so good that most of the time you can't say exactly which one is better... the cameras for instance, its so good that its not gonna make a difference for us, only for the reviwers who care for the ambient light, colors and contrast, so what do they do? put another camera there
You mean like how I said that neither was top tier in full auto, but if you wanted better stills you should get the Huawei and the V20 had better video?
JuanBagnell You are one of the best reviewers I know, don't get me wrong, you are actually right when you say "you can't go wrong with neither one" the thing is, a flagship from 2013 can do anything a flagship from 2016 can, today they just have better battery(maybe) better camera (sometimes you cant differenciate if someone didnt tell you from which phone it was taken) and better processors that makes the games run almost the same cuz theres no optimization, I just hope 2017 will bring us something actually new
Andrew Marinho
I don't disagree there. THe major differences between devices now and then are really more due to lifestyle features. Things like more phones coming with drop and water resistance. It will be tough to continue asking for premium cash though. You can make cheap phones REALLY good now.
perfectly balanced review
LG V20 for the win. V20 user here, the year? 2018. Why am I using a 2016 phone, well its that good. Quad DAC, second screen,, durabilitu, headphone jack, RAW and manual options for both photo and video, oh the replacable battery for those like me who keeps their phone for a long time. The v20 trumps even some 2018 phones.
0:09 "now it's time for the real challenge" Juan a savage 😂 The comparison with iPhone 7 plus wasn't much of a challenge then 😂
Apple put up an admirable fight :-)
How can mate 9 fall behind in graphics benchmarks? It's got the new Mali-G71
What is that stylus you hold?
Great vídeo Juan!
:-)
Bud, surprisingly you never mentioned about the QHD on V20 while Mate is just a FHD... though I understand human eye cant detect more than 300 ppi (crap), makes a world of difference if one plugs in a VR headset
I have the V20, great phone no doubt. But I'd say I'm a regular user, who appreciates good photos.... And the occasional video recording of my kids running around. Not sure I'm fully utilising the V20 capabilities. Seriously considering the Mate 9....
I gotta say, following around my baby daughter, that wide angle lens has come in handy quite a bit. I caught her first steps on video. I had a V20, the iPhone 7+, and the GS7A in front of me. The V20 was the right phone for that job.
JuanBagnell thanks Juan... U might be right. Trusty V20 back in my pocket.... :)
JuanBagnell as i am father too... so for "family photos" the lg v20 will be doing better job than mate 9? ;) for stills and vid ?
great review!