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Samsung Galaxy A30s vs Huawei Y7p - Battle of affordable mid-rangers!

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In the sub-PHP 10K range, the Huawei Y7p is one of the most affordable smartphones with a punch-hole display and a 48MP triple-camera setup. In its class, it is simply a capable offering.
Samsung Galaxy A30s vs Huawei Y7p - Battle of affordable mid-rangers!
Another classic Samsung vs Huawei fight!

But, we wanted to find out if it can compete against pricer devices like the PHP 11,990 Samsung Galaxy A30s.

Let's see. Here's our Samsung Galaxy A30s vs Huawei Y7p comparison.

Build Quality/Design

Glass-like back designs
Glass-like back designs

In terms of the build, the two phones are similar. Both are equipped with glasstic back covers, polycarbonate shells, and glass screens.

They just lack the glass protection and water/dust resistance rating found on pricier phones. 

One tiny advantage of the Y7p is it has a pre-installed screen protector out of the box.

But, the two feel quite solid and well-machined in their class.

Classy designs for affordable mid-rangers!

The main difference between the two is in the design. The two are good looking in my opinion. A30s boasts a curvier 3D curved back with Prism Crush Black, Prism Crush White, and Prism Crush Green colorways. Meanwhile, the Y7p sports a 2.5D effect with light refraction on the back. It is a rectangular light streak with many colors.

Both use a vertically-aligned triple-camera camera hump behind as well. The camera hump on the Y7p is thicker due to its use of a larger camera sensor. So, it wobbles a bit more than the A30s when placed and tapped on a flat surface.

At the back, you will also see that the Y7p has a rear-facing fingerprint reader in the upper-middle portion of its glass-like back. A30 also has a fingerprint scanner, but it is embedded under the display of the phone.

Similar to most glossy glass-like covers, the two are prone to fingerprint smudges. They could be slippery at times as well.
A30s with a notch, Y7p with punch-hole
A30s with a notch, Y7p with punch-hole

In the front, both use similarly large screens. A30s is slightly bigger at 6.4-inch compared to the 6.39-inch of Y7p. The A30s has a traditional Infinity-V waterfall-like notch while the Y7p has the more modern-looking left-aligned punch-hole to house the selfie camera.

The bezels are slim on both phones. But, the two have thicker chin bezels like most affordable smartphones. The Y7p has 90.15 percent of the screen-to-body ratio.


The body of the A30s is a little smaller and slimmer at 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7 mm versus the 159.8 x 76.1 x 8.1 mm of Y7p.
Bottom view on both phones
Bottom view on both phones

The two come with a microphone on top as well as the speaker grille, another mic, and a 3.5mm headphone slot below. The A30s has a reversible USB-C port while the Y7p features the older micro USB port.

At left, you'll find the pinhole to access their triple slots for the dual nano SIM slots and the microSD slot. On the right side, you can easily access the power key and volume keys.

All the ports and bezels of both phones are easy to reach and found in familiar locations.

I personally like the more futuristic front look of the Y7p. 
But, it is also hard to ignore the premium-looking curvier back and the slightly slimmer profile of the A30s.

It is a close match in terms of the overall design. 

Multimedia Experience

Good multimedia experience?
Good multimedia experience?

As mentioned, the screen size of both phones is similar. But, they differ in the technology used. A30s is equipped with a Samsung-made Super AMOLED panel. On the other hand, the Y7p uses a TFT LCD (LTPS) panel.

AMOLED vs TFT LCD

The two aren't using screens with FHD+ resolution though. Instead, the two come with an HD+ 1560 x 720 resolution panel. Most smartphones in the PHP 10K range nowadays are already using panels with crispier 1080p screens.
Immersive enough screens
Immersive enough screens

Going to the quality of screens, you will immediately notice that the color tone on the A30s is saturated and a bit too warm for my taste. The TFT LCD (LTPS) screen of the Y7p produces cooler yet more natural-looking and much better colors.

The blacks, viewing angles, and brightness levels are still slightly better on the A30s though.

Fortunately, you can adjust the color tone of the A30s in the display settings to Natural instead of Vivid.

But, this is the first time in a long while I wasn't impressed with an AMOLED panel.

For audio, the two are loaded with a single down-firing speaker. Both are clear enough in my opinion. Y7p's audio output is just fuller and louder with an arguably wider soundstage. But, if you want a sound with crispier highs, go for the A30s.


Both are good enough for watching YouTube, Netflix, Viu, IQ, and more due to their large displays. The speakers are far from best, but they are respectable for the price and usable in not noisy places.

For headphones, the bass response is more prominent on the Y7p. Instrumental separation and layering of details are a bit better on the A30s. The driving power of the two is identical. 50 percent is enough to properly drive my UiiSii CM8 triple-driver in-ear earphones.

A30s has Dolby Atmos if you want artificial soundstage enhancements.

In recordings, my voice is a bit clearer with a tad less noise on the Y7p. For calls, the earspeaker of the two handsets are similar in performance.

Camera

Triple-cam
Triple-cam

Both phones are equipped with a triple-camera setup. 

The Galaxy A30s is equipped with a 25MP f/1.7 main camera. It is paired with an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens + 5MP f/2.2 depth w/ AF + LED flash.

Despite the difference in price, the more affordable Y7p blew the A30s based on camera numbers alone.

25MP triple-cam vs 48MP triple-cam

At PHP 9,990, it is one of the most affordable to load with a 48MP f/1.8 Sony IMX582 sensor with a 4-in-1 pixel binning solution for better low light images and PDAF focus for faster and more accurate focus speeds.

Completing its triple-camera setup are the 8MP f/2.4 120-degree ultra-wide-angle lens + 2MP f/2.4 + LED flash.

Camera UI of both phones
Camera UI of both phones

For camera modes, A30s has the Scene optimizer, auto HDR, Filters, Beauty, Live Focus (Level 1 to 7 background blur effect), Food, Panorama, and Pro modes. Sadly, it doesn't have a handheld Night mode and its Pro mode is not that useful as it doesn't have focus and adjustments for shutter speed.

Meanwhile, the camera app found on the Y7p is simply more feature-rich. It has all of the camera modes found on the A30s and more.

It comes with an Aperture, Night, Portrait with Beauty, Pro, Panorama, Light painting, and HDR mode.

The handheld AI-assisted Night mode of this phone has a controllable shutter speed and ISO. The Pro mode has a manual focus and up to 1/4000 to 30s shutter speed adjustment.

Camera Samples

Focus is a little slower on the A30s but has a faster photo saving speed than Y7p.
A30s daylight
A30s daylight
Y7p daylight
Y7p daylight

The A30s produces brighter images with punchier colors. But, it doesn't mean that it is automatically better. There are times where it'll get weird yellowish or blueish tints. The daylight shots from the 48MP cam of Y7p may look duller on first look, but it has crispier details and truer colors.
A30s ultra-wide
A30s ultra-wide
Y7p ultra-wide
Y7p ultra-wide

Using the ultra-wide cam the two can still take decent images. The two have a wide field of views, the A30s is just wider. Both aren't that distorted which is a good thing. The A30s wide shot comes with warmer and punchier color tones. Details are a bit better on the Y7p shot.
A30s vs Y7p close-up
A30s vs Y7p close-up

For close-up images, the two did quite well. The natural depth effect is shallower on the Y7p. But, the details on the flower (subject itself) are better on the A30s shot. Exposure and colors are more correct as well. Huawei made the shot a bit paler with a bit of overexposure here.
Live Focus vs Aperture mode
Live Focus vs Aperture mode

For indoor shots via Live Focus or Aperture mode, the main cameras of the to are assisted well by their depth cameras.

Both have different levels of background blur as well. The level of blurs can be adjusted even after taking the shots too. In terms of depth quality, they are pretty similar to me. Using the default background blur, the background blur effect of the A30s is a bit deeper. The two have good edge detection.

By default, the A30s has an adjustable Beauty function. For Huawei, you need to switch to Portrait mode if you want a background blur effect with Beauty mode.
A30s indoor close-up
A30s indoor close-up
Y7p indoor close-up
Y7p indoor close-up

In this particular shot, the A30s gave me an oversaturated shot. It is detailed but too unnatural for me. The steak looked too red. On the other hand, colors are more accurate on the Y7p shot. Details are more on point as well.
A30s low light
A30s low light
Y7p low light
Y7p low light

Props to Samsung, dynamic range is wider and exposure is brighter in the dark. Thanks to its f/1.7 aperture lens. Exposure is more controlled on the Huawei shot, but I'm with Samsung here.
A30s low light wide
A30s low light wide
Y7p low light wide
Y7p low light wide

Using the wide cam, both are far from good. The Y7p output is brighter, but with more grain and noise. The A30s shot has the sharper output, but with poor dynamic range.
A30s low light with no Night mode 1
A30s low light with no Night mode 1
Y7p Night mode 1
Y7p Night mode 1
A30s low light with no Night mode 2
A30s low light with no Night mode 2
Y7p Night mode 2
Y7p Night mode 2

The Y7p has one major advantage over the A30s in low light though—the AI-assisted handheld Super Night Mode. The A30s doesn't have that modern feature even after updating to Android 10. The result, shots from the Y7p using this mode has better exposure, colors, highlights, and details.

The A30s shots may just look brighter at times, but with overexposed highlights and uncontrolled lights. It is brighter, but not better.
8MP vs 16MP
8MP vs 16MP

For selfies, the A30s uses a larger 16MP f/2.0 sensor. Y7p comes with an 8MP f/2.0 snapper on the other hand.

By default, the field of view on the A30s is narrower. But, it has a button to match the wideness of Y7p's front cam. It also has the Live Focus with up to level 6 Blur effect, Beauty mode with up to level 8 softness, different Filters, and the screen flash.

Y7p Master AI tech, different Filters, Portrait mode with different blur effects, Beauty up to level 10, and screen flash.

Selfie Camera Samples

A30s vs Y7p daylight selfie
A30s vs Y7p daylight selfie

In this first image, the HDR effect is evident for both selfies. The Beauty effect on the A30s is stronger by default, but it is unnatural. Both are detailed. I just slightly prefer the color on the Y7p. It didn't do the Beauty effect that well, but it didn't erase my beard.
A30s vs Y7p indoor bokeh
A30s vs Y7p indoor bokeh

For the depth effect, the two come with decent edge detection. The bokeh effect is just deeper on the A30s by default. But personally, I still prefer the selfie from the Y7p because of its details and nicer colors.
A30s vs Y7p low light selfie
A30s vs Y7p low light selfie

In the dark without the Beauty mode, this is where the A30s has the advantage over the Y7p. The A30s low light selfie comes with brighter exposure, lesser noise, and truer colors.

For videos, the A30s supports up to 1080p at 30fps for the main cam, ultra-wide cam, and the selfie cam. There's a 720p 30fps mode for selfie videos with Beauty effect as well. It also has a basic Slow-mo function. Weirdly, there's no Time-lapse function.

Y7p has up to 1080p 60fps using the main cam, 1080p 30fps with the ultra-wide cam, 1080p 30fps selfie video, and 720p 30fps selfie video with Beauty effect. Y7p also supports Slow-mo up to 480fps and 720p Time-lapse using the main cam, ultra-wide cam, and selfie cam.

Performance

AnTuTu benchmark scores of Y7p and A30s
AnTuTu benchmark scores of Y7p and A30s

Both have homegrown chips. The A30s is equipped with the 1.8GHz 14nm Exynos 7904 octa-core processor with Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. Meanwhile, the Y7p is powered by the 2.2GHz 12nm Kirin 710F octa-core processor with Mali-G51 MP4 with GPU Turbo 3.0 tech.
A30s vs Y7p Geekbench
A30s vs Y7p Geekbench

In the CPU department, A30s using a 14nm chipset that is much slower than most similarly priced phones. In fact, even the more affordable Y7p has a faster 12nm chip.
A30s vs Y7p AndroBench
A30s vs Y7p AndroBench

The two are paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB expandable storage through a dedicated microSD slot. A30s is using a slightly faster LPDDR4X RAM while the Y7p is packed with an LPDRR4 RAM. Both are using the older eMMC 5.1 storage.

In actual performance, the difference in speed is noticeable. Overall benchmarks show that the Y7p is the superior phone between the two. Y7p opens apps faster. Animations and transitions are smoother as well. Even for transferring files, the Y7p is speedier.


The two aren't marketed as gaming phones, but Y7p is smoother and better for handling heavy games such as NBA 2K20. For Call of Duty: Mobile, gameplay settings are higher on the A30s.


The two also have a Game Launcher (Samsung) and GameCenter (Huawei AppAssistant) for uninterrupted and better-optimized gaming.

Both are decent in terms of thermals. They don't overheat while playing games with 4G LTE data in a cool dry room.

Connectivity-wise, A30s has a better dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 than Y7p. Both come with 4G LTE, FM Radio, GPS, and dual SIM slots. For calls, SMS, and mobile data, as long as the signal in your area is strong, there will be no problem.

For security, the A30s has a cooler In-Display fingerprint reader. On the other hand, the Y7p uses the more traditional rear-facing fingerprint scanner. Both also have face unlock.

The face unlock of both devices are similar in speed and can work even in low light. But, the traditional fingerprint scanner of Y7p is still faster and more accurate than the In-Display scanner of the A30s.
A30s 13 hours and 12 mins
A30s 13 hours and 12 mins
Y7p 15 hours and 30 minutes
Y7p 15 hours and 30 minutes

The two are equipped with the same 4,000mAh big battery. In our battery benchmark test, the A30s scored lower than the Y7p. The Samsung mid-ranger only got 13 hours and 12 mins versus the 15 hours and 30 minutes of Huawei.

In our previous test, the A30s running on the older Android 9 OS yielded a little over 15 hours. There's a drop in battery experience after updating to Android 10.

In real-life, the Y7p has a slight advantage. Most likely, it is due to its use of a less power-hungry 12nm chip compared to the 14nm Samsung chip.

For charging, A30s has a USB-C reversible port that supports up to 15W fast charging. It only took us 1 hour and 20 minutes to fully charge its 4,000mAh battery from 0 to 100 percent.

Meanwhile, the micro USB 10W charging of Y7p is slower. We recorded 2 hours and 15 minutes from 0 to 100 percent.
Android 10 on A30s
Android 10 on A30s
Android 9 on Y7p
Android 9 on Y7p

In the UI department, both phones are equipped with feature-rich skins with minimal bloats.

But, the advantage here goes to the A30s. Samsung has recently seeded the Android 10 update to this device with the One UI 2.0 skin to make its icons look better and more modern. Also, it has the Samsung Dark mode and improved gesture navigations.

The Y7p also has a gesture navigation feature, there's no eye-pleasing Dark mode.
AppGallery, AppGo, Petal Search Widget
AppGallery, AppGo, Petal Search Widget

Out of the box, the Y7p has no Google Mobile Services. Instead, it is one of the newer Huawei devices with Huawei Mobile Services and AppGallery out of the box.

AppGallery will serve as your gateway to a lot of apps instead of Google Play. Huawei has revamped this app marketplace where it allowed me to install most of the apps that I need.

AppGallery is still considered new, so it is just normal that some apps are still not there. But, Huawei has recently introduced new solutions to make it possible for its users to download apps that are not found on the AppGallery—the AppGo and Petal Search Widget.


AppGo can let you search and install apps not found on AppGallery yet. Petal Search Widget works like the Google Search bar, but it also has a way to find and install the apps you like.

To use Gmail on your Y7p, all you need to do is sign-in your account to the built-in Email app. Most of the missing Google apps are web-based, so you can just create a shortcut using the Huawei Browser.

Samsung Galaxy A30s advantages - Better curved back design, USB-C port with 15W fast charging, dual-band WiFi, 16MP selfie-cam, Dark mode
Huawei Y7p advantages - More modern punch-hole screen design, faster and newer chipset, slightly better actual battery performance, 48MP main camera, Night mode, extra video modes, the more affordable price tag

Samsung Galaxy A30s vs Huawei Y7p Comparison

DeviceSamsung Galaxy A30sHuawei Y7p
Display6.4-inch 2.5D Super AMOLED screen w/ HD+ 1560 x 720 resolution at 268 ppi6.39-inch 2.5D curved TFT LCD (LTPS) screen w/ HD+ 1560 x 720 resolution at 269 ppi
CPU
1.8GHz 14nm Exynos 7904 octa-core processor
2.2GHz 12nm Kirin 710F octa-core processor
GPUMali-G71 MP2Mali-G51 MP4 w/ GPU Turbo 3.0
RAM4GB LPDDR4X4GB LPDDR4
ROM64GB eMMC 5.1 expandable via microSD card slot up to 512GB (dedicated)64GB eMMC 5.1 expandable via microSD card slot up to 512GB (dedicated)
Back Camera25MP f/1.7 + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens + 5MP f/2.2 depth w/ AF and LED flash48MP f/1.8 Sony IMX582 w/ PDAF + 8MP f/2.4 120-degree ultra-wide-angle lens + 2MP f/2.4 + LED flash
Selfie Camera16MP f/2.08MP f/2.0
Battery
4,000mAh w/ 15W fast charging
4,000mAh w/ 10W fast charging
OSAndroid 10 w/ One UI 2.0
Android 9.0 Pie w/ EMUI 9.1.1
Connectivity
WiFi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 700MHz 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, FM Radio, GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 700MHz 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, dual SIM
SensorsAccelerometer, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others
In-Display fingerprint sensor, face unlock, USB-C, Dolby Atmos, Colors: Prism Crush Black, Prism Crush White, Prism Crush Green
Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, Colors: Midnight Black, Aurora Blue
Dimensions158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7 mm159.8 x 76.1 x 8.1 mm
Weight
165 g
176 g
PricePHP 12,990 (PHP 11,990 new SRP)PHP 9,990

Verdict

Both the Samsung Galaxy A30s and Huawei Y7p are respectable devices with modern designs and good cameras.

At PHP 11,990, the A30s is for those in need of a curvier back cover, USB-C port, and 16MP selfie cam.

But for PHP 2,000 less, the Y7p is arguably better in everything else. It is the phone with a more modern punch-hole LCD display with better colors than the AMOLED panel of the A30s, much faster 12nm Kirin 710F processor, longer actual battery life, and 48MP triple-cam.

The Y7p is the better value for money handset between the two for us.
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