Vivo V9 vs Huawei P20 lite vs OPPO F7 - Mid-range Comparison

The famous iPhone X notch is not just exclusive for the high-end smartphones. This year, these three Chinese smartphone brands have launched their mid-range smartphones carrying an almost full-screen display, and of course with the notch.

Let the fight begin!

OPPO F7 launched the world's first 25MP selfie camera. Meanwhile, Vivo V9 boasts of the FHD+ and A.I. Face Beauty. Huawei P20 lite is the most affordable among the P20 family with dual rear camera set-up of 16MP + 2MP.

We decided to take these three smartphones side-by-side to help you in choosing this year's mid-range phone for you. Read on!

Vivo V9 vs Huawei P20 lite vs OPPO F7 Specs Comparison

Device	Vivo V9	Huawei P20 lite	OPPO F7
Display	6.3-inch FHD+ All Screen Display 2280 x 1080 w/ 2.5D curved glass at 400 ppi	5.84-inch FHD+ FullView 2280 x 1080 resolution w/ 2.5D curved class at 432 ppi	6.23-inch FHD+ LTPS IPS 2280 x 1080 resolution w/ 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass 5 protection at 405 ppi
CPU	2.2GHz 64-bit Snapdragon 626 octa-core processor	2.36GHz 64-bit Kirin 659 octa-core processor	2.0GHz 64-bit Helio P60 octa-core processor with dual-core A.I.
GPU	Adreno 506	Mali-T830 MP2	Mali-G72 MP3
RAM	4GB	4GB	4GB
ROM	64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB (dedicated)	64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB	64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB (dedicated)
Back Camera	16MP f/2.0 + 5MP w/ PDAF and LED flash	16MP + 2MP f/2.2 w/ PDAF and LED flash	16MP f/1.8 w/ PDAF and LED flash
Selfie Camera	24MP f/2.0 w/ A.I. Face Beauty and screen flash	16MP f/2.0 w/ screen flash	25MP f/2.0 Sony IMX576 w/ A.I. Beauty Recognition 2.0 and screen flash
Battery	3,260mAh	3,000mAh w/ Huawei Quick Charge 2.0	3,400mAh w/ 2A charger
OS	Android 8.1 Oreo w/ Funtouch OS 4.0	Android 8.0 Oreo OS w/ EMUI 8.0	Android 8.1 Oreo w/ ColorsOS 5.0
Connectivity	WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM	WiFi, 4G LTE w/ VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, BLE, aptX, OTG, NFC, FM Radio, GPS, A-GPS, dual SIM (hybrid)	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 3G, 4G 700MHz LTE w/ VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE, OTG, GPS, A-GPS, dual SIM
Sensors	Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic	Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic	Fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, Dirac HD audio, dual mic, Colors: diamond black, solar red, moonlight silver
Others	Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, Colors: black, gold	Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, USB Type-C, Huawei Histen 4.0 audio, Colors: midnight black, klein blue, sakura pink, platinum gold	13MP Sony IMX135 f/2.8 w/ BSI, AF, and LED flash
Dimensions	154.81 x 75.03 x 7.89 mm	148.6 x 71.2 x 7.45 mm	156 x 75.3 x 7.8 mm
Weight	150 g	145 g	158 g
Price	PHP 17,990 (PHP 14,999 sale price)	PHP 15,990 (PHP 13,990 sale price)	PHP 17,990 (PHP 14,990 sale price)

Build Quality / Design

View at the back of the phones

The Vivo V9 is made out of polycarbonate material, but it feels premium due to its metallic-like matte paint finish. Its body felt sturdy in general. The V9 has Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the top.

Slim profiles

Huawei P20 lite is still made out of metal but with an added glass panel. Huawei used a high-quality glass that adds this subtle but elegant flare whenever light strikes it at a different angle.

The Huawei P20 lite's build makes the most premium among the three smartphones although it doesn't have the Gorilla Glass like the OPPO F7.

The OPPO F7 is made out of polycarbonate material, but it now has a glass-like glossy acrylic at the back. On top, OPPO F7's 6.23-inch big screen has a layer of Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

The three smartphones all feature a notch, 19:9 screen ratio with small bezels. They also have slim profiles, fingerprint scanners at the back, and projecting cameras.

The Vivo V9, OPPO F7, and Huawei P20 lite have a nice grip and good build quality.

Build/Design - P20 lite > F5 > V9

Display Quality

Notch and 19:9 screen-to-body ratio

All three phones have the 19:9 screen-to-body ratio featuring 1080 x 2280 resolution. These smartphones have the same crisp and color accuracy.

You can notice the notch when you're streaming videos, and it's a bit distracting at first but maybe you'll get used to it. Only the Vivo V9 and Huawei P20 lite have the option to hide the notch.

As expected, these smartphones have 10 points of multitouch. 

Display - V9 = F7 = P20 lite

Audio Quality

All three smartphones have a single loudspeaker located at the bottom of each phone.

Vivo's speaker sounds a bit fuller than the rest. You can hear minimal distortions when cranked up to the highest but it's still acceptable.

Huawei P20 lite's speaker is not the loudest speaker on a smartphone for the price, but it is acceptable. 

OPPO F7 is also the loudest and most decent speaker for its price. It has a bright sound and clear vocals most of the time. 

All three phone can play music files with plenty of details and good overall quality using your favorite headphones.

Microphone quality for calls is about the same.

Audio - V9 > F7 > P20 lite

Battery Life

Vivo V9 battery benchmark

Vivo V9 has the highest battery benchmark score among the three! It clocked at 12 hours and 34 minutes. For real-life usage, you can enjoy the smartphone while browsing your social media feeds over 4G data and WiFi for around two days on a single charge. Charging time is about 2 hours.

Huawei P20 lite battery benchmark

Huawei P20 lite's battery benchmark score is the lowest among the three. In our first test, it only lasted for a total of 5 hours and 15 minutes only. Fortunately, Huawei was able to address this problem and seeded a software for a better battery life of the P20 lite. And on our latest PC Mark battery test, the P20 lite recorded 9 hours and 1 minute. Charging time is around 2 hours.

OPPO F7 battery benchmark

OPPO F7's battery benchmark score placed second after the V9. It recorded a total time of 10 hours and 46 minutes. On real-life usage, the OPPO F7 can last for two days under a normal usage and can last a day under heavy usage. Charging time is around 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Battery - V9 > F7 > P20 lite

Cameras

For the rear cameras, Vivo V9 carries 16MP f/2.0 + 5MP w/ PDAF and LED flash. Huawei P20 Lite sports 16MP + 2MP dual-lens set up with PDAF at the back. While the OPPO F7 still used a single 16MP f/1.8 shooter with PDAF focus and LED flash. Let's check out how these smartphones will perform.

Rear Camera Samples

Scene 1 - Gloomy daylight

Gloomy V9

Vivo V9 lacked exposure on this shot. This is the dimmest of the three gloomy daylight scene.

Gloomy P20 lite

Huawei P20 lite definitely got a nice exposure even though it is gloomy. The shot has a nice sharpness too. This is the most natural-looking shot among the three. 

Gloomy F7

OPPO F7's shot is the brightest among the three. Despite its single rear camera, it was able to take the nicest shot of this scene among the bunch. It also got the true colors of the trees and paints of the houses. 

Scene 2 - Close-up

Close-up V9

Vivo V9 nailed this scene! It has sharp and well-exposed details. It blurred the other flowers that we do not put the focus into!

Close-up P20 lite

Huawei's close-up shot is decent and quite acceptable. But it didn't achieve the same sharpness and deep background blur as V9 did. Its details are softer in comparison.

Close-up F7

OPPO F7 was able to capture the fuchsia flower with a deep background blur. But it missed a little color accuracy and sharpness that V9 gave us.

Scene 3 - Indoor artificial light

Indoor V9

Vivo V9's indoor shot lacked a bit exposure. But overall it gave the dog a soft shot without compromising the quality.

Indoor P20 lite

Huawei P20 lite's indoor shot is the dimmest of all three. The rear camera missed getting the artificial light hence making the photo look dark.

Indoor F7

OPPO F7 clearly wins in this scene. The shot got the most vivid color accuracy, sharpness, and exposure. It also got the natural color of the dog although the doggo looks in its sleepiest on the F7's shot.

Scene 4 - Lowlight point and shoot

Lowlight V9

Vivo V9 is decent in lowlight. It has quite nice details with blurry moving people and cars.

Lowlight P20 lite

Huawei P20 Lite did a good job on capturing photos and was able to keep up with the Vivo V9. However, it lacked a bit of exposure and color accuracy. Overall, it did well.

Lowlight F7

Surprisingly, OPPO F7 did well on this scene. Among the three, it's shot has the best color accuracy, sharpness, and low light exposure. 

It is nice to note that even if the F7 is the only smartphone in the bunch that carries a single camera, evidently in our shots, it captures the most decent and nicest among the three! Wow!

Awesome selfie phones!

For the front camera, Vivo V9 sports a 24 MP f/2.0 camera, the Huawei P20 lite carries 16MP f/2.0 w/ screen flash, and the OPPO F7 boasts of its new 25MP f/2.0 Sony IMX576 sensor with w/ A.I. Beauty Recognition 2.0 and screen flash.

All three smartphones have Face Beauty mode and portrait mode.

But do they have the same quality? Let's find out!

Selfie Camera Samples

Scene 1 - Daylight selfie

Selfie daylight V9

Vivo's 24MP front camera captured a beautiful, clear selfie! Although it made me look a bit pale.

Selfie daylight P20 lite

Huawei P20 lite captured a more natural-looking "me" in this scene. The same with Vivo its has nice exposure and sharpness.

Selfie daylight F7

OPPO F7 still captured a nice selfie under daylight. It is quite noticeable that I looked a bit darker here than the usual.

Scene 2 - Indoor selfie

Indoor selfie V9

My face looks a bit pale, it looks like it's set on a beautification mode although it is not. But my selfie is quite decent and nice.

Indoor selfie P20 lite

P20 lite's indoor selfie output is better than the V9. It is a more-natural-looking shot and more detailed.

Indoor selfie F7

For OPPO F7, I look a bit pinkish and pale. It has the same details as of the V9, it was able to capture nice and decent selfie under artificial light.

Scene 3 - Lowlight selfie point and shoot

Selfie lowlight V9

Vivo V9 captured a clear and nice lowlight selfie. I (in the middle) looked a bit yellowish and a bothersome light flare from the spot was also in the photo although the shot is still acceptable. 

Selfie lowlight P20 lite

Huawei P20 lite was able to capture a nice an decent selfie under low light. It looks a bit blurry but the shot is still fine and more nice without the light flare. 

Selfie lowlight F7

OPPO F7's shot in this scene looks a bit beautified. We looked a bit pale but the shot is still quite decent and acceptable as it looked more natural, also without a light flare.

All of the smartphones are very good selfie shooters. These three were all able to deliver nice and decent selfies. They have different attacks on Bokeh effect, lowlight, daylight, and indoors.

For videos, the Vivo V9 can shoot up to 4K videos but with no control of the frame rates. The Huawei P20 lite can shoot with up to 1080p and 30 fps. The OPPO F7 can shoot at 1080p 30 fps at the back and in front.

Main Camera - OPPO F7 > Huawei P20 lite = Vivo V9

Selfie Camera - Huawei P20 ite > Vivo V9 = OPPO F7

Videos - Vivo V9 > Huawei P20 lite = OPPO F7

Performance

The AnTuTu scores

Vivo V9 is equipped with Android 8.1 Oreo w/ Funtouch OS 4.0, 2.2GHz 64-bit Snapdragon 626 octa-core processor, Adreno 506 GPU for gaming with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM.

It can run most of the tasks with ease. Multitasking is swift on the V9 too. It can even run some of the heavy games at medium settings. 

Huawei P20 lite still carries the same processor and GPU as with the Nova 2i, the Kirin 649 SoC and Mali-T830 MP2 GPU. It also has 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM and runs on the Android 8.0 Oreo.

The P20 lite has a very fast UI. Multitasking is also easy. It'll struggle with heavy gaming though. It can only run most of the heavy 3D games at low or medium settings.

OPPO F7 is a monster phone for the price! Why? It has the very capable 2.0GHz 64-bit Helio P60 octa-core processor with dual-core A.I. processor and Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. It also has 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

The F7 is easily the speediest phone out of the 3. It can run heavy games with ease. It has close to flagship grade performance. MediaTek's Helio P60 chipset is a beast.

They all have a speedy fingerprint sensor, face unlock, LTE, Bluetooth, and WiFi connection. The one with the fastest face unlock is the OPPO F7.

All of the smartphones have identical telephony performance based on our experience.

Speed - OPPO F7 > Vivo V9 > Huawei P20 lite

Gaming - OPPOF7 > VivoV9 > Huawei P20 lite 

Features - OPPO F7 = Vivo V9 = Huawei P20 lite

Vivo V9 advantages - Good screen quality, great battery life, nice cameras

Huawei P20 lite advantages - Beautiful and unique design with a solid build, good main camera and selfie camera, USB Type-C, EMUI 8.0 skin, nice affordability

OPPO F7 advantages - Tough Gorilla 5 Glass protected screen, 64-bit Helio P60 octa-core processor, nice battery life, good cameras

Verdict

All of the three smartphones are best and unique in their own features. They have advantages and disadvantages between each other.

Consider the Vivo V9 if you need a long battery life, and nice rear and selfie cameras for PHP 17,990.

Although it is the most affordable among the three, Huawei P20 lite has the most premium build and design, nice features, and good quality cameras for PHP 15,990.

Opt for OPPO F7 for ultimate smartphone gaming, swift performance, and good cameras for PHP 17,990.

For our Vivo V9 full review: Vivo V9 Review - 19:9 Screen, Dual Cam, and A.I. Face Beauty!

For our Huawei P20 lite full review: Huawei P20 lite Review - Beauty Made Affordable?

For our OPPO F7 full review: OPPO F7 Review - MediaTek Mid-range Monster!