Huawei Mate 20 lite vs Honor Play – Two affordable phones with a different approach

During IFA this year we have seen a surprising number of phone releases with the two notable ones being the Huawei Mate 20 lite and Honor Play. While they are technically owned by the same company there seems to be a growing divide between the two brands and both of these phones make for an interesting comparison as they share some similar specifications while having some glaring differences. But which is the best phone?

The Honor Play is certainly the one that immediately seems like the most appealing, you get the flagship Kirin 970 from last year (now superseded by the Kirin 980) for an absolutely insane price of just £279.99. To put this into perspective, this is the same SoC found in the P20 which retails for over £470 or it is comparable to the SoC found in the Samsung Galaxy S9 which costs £700.

In comparison, the Huawei Mate 20 Lite costs quite a bit more at £379 though still affordable, the SoC is one level down but it is this years version. The octo-core A73 processor runs with almost the same specification as the CPU on the Kirin 970, but the main difference is the GPU with the Hisilicon Kirin 710 using the Mali-G51 MP4 and the 970 using the Mali-G72 MP12. So if you are a gamer then more affordable Honor Play may be the better option.

However, if you are more into photography then the Mate 20 Lite has a quad camera set-up with 20 MP, f/1.8, PDAF & 2 MP camera on the rear with a 24MP & 2MP camera on the front. This means this will be considerably better than the Honor Play for selfies.

Once you move away from the camera and SoC differences everything becomes largely the same. Both phones are 6.3 inches running at 1080 x 2340 pixel IPS display and a notch. They have the same memory and battery configuration with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage upgradable with microSD and 3750mAh batteries.

Overall both phones make a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable phone with near flagship features and performance. I think it is quite difficult to overlook the price differences though, at £279 the Honor Play represents amazing value and I think there is a huge market of users wanting phones in the £250-300 price bracket. I regularly have friends asking for phone recommendations under £300.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.