Features

Huawei Mate 20 Pro vs Apple iPhone XS: Which is the better deal?

Battle of the tech giants!

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Without a doubt, the rivalry between Huawei and Apple gets more fierce with every new generation of smartphones. Now that their best hands of the year have been shown, it’s time to make a detailed comparison.

For this shootout, we have the Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS — both giants in their own ways. Not only do they offer the most advanced smartphone chipsets to date, but also a whole host of high-tech features.

Let’s see how they fare in each category.

Display

While they both have a beautiful display, the Mate 20 Pro’s is larger at 6.39 inches compared to the iPhone XS’ 5.8 inches. In addition, the former has curved edges and a more dense 1440p resolution, making it more suitable for overall media consumption.

To the iPhone’s credit, its AMOLED panel is curved inward at the bottom, leaving a slightly smaller chin on the surface. This gives the Apple product a nice, compact feel from top to bottom.

Security

The phones offer powerful facial scanning features to unlock the phone without much fuss. Apple has its complex Face ID system, and Huawei has its equally impressive 3D depth-sensing array, so we’re more or less even here.

What Huawei does better, however, is provide an alternative to this. There’s an under-display fingerprint scanner on the Mate 20 Pro, and even though it’s not the fastest way to log in, it’s better than not having one at all.

Battery

Apple rarely reveals specs such as for the battery, but it’s safe to say that the Mate 20 Pro has the advantage with its massive 4200mAh capacity. It’s enough to get through two days with moderate usage and over six hours of screen usage. With the iPhone XS, you can expect about an entire day of moderate to heavy usage with approximately five hours of screen-on time. As for watching videos, the Mate 20 Pro lasts around four hours longer with Wi-Fi turned on.

Another strong suit of the Mate 20 Pro is its fast charging. Not only is the 40W SuperCharge adapter included in the box — something Apple missed out on with the iPhone XS — but it can fully charge the phone from zero to 100 percent in about 70 minutes. That’s much faster than the 150 minutes needed for the iPhone XS and its much weaker 5W charger.

Cameras

This is where things get more interesting. Both manufacturers are proud of their camera implementations, and the results show how great they are.

The Mate 20 Pro has a solid combination on the rear: a high-resolution 40MP main camera, 20MP ultra-wide-angle shooter, and 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. In front, we have a 24MP selfie camera.

As for the iPhone XS, it’s equipped with two rear cameras: one regular 12MP sensor, and another 12MP shooter with 2x optical zoom. The front camera has a standard 7MP sensor.

Impressions here are always subjective, so we’ll let you gauge which photos suit your taste better:

Signature Features

The Mate 20 Pro is absolutely jam-packed with special features as mentioned earlier, plus it has wireless reverse charging so you can charge other Qi-enabled devices on its glass back and a gorgeous selection of colors to choose from.

The iPhone XS, on the other hand, benefits from excellent software support, receiving the latest iOS updates directly from Apple as soon as they roll out. In addition to the robust ecosystem, moving from one Apple device to another is easier than any other combination.

Pricing

Because the Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS were released in different continents under different currencies, we’ll choose the Philippine pricing for this comparison to be more precise.

Currently, the Mate 20 Pro retails for PhP 49,990, while the iPhone begins at PhP 67,990 for the lowest storage configuration. It’s a rather large gap, but Apple has always been known for its extra premium prices.

Whichever phone you choose, whether it be for specific features or simply preferring one ecosystem over another, you’re guaranteed to receive the best each brand has to offer.


This feature was produced in collaboration between GadgetMatch and Huawei Philippines.

Tutorials

How to set up Apple Pay on your iPhone

It’s as easy as a single tap.

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Apple Pay is officially in the Philippines!

Pushing the country forward into a cashless and cardless future, Apple has now brought its contactless payment system to the Philippines. As with other countries, Apply Pay will work seamlessly and easily even for those who have problems with technology.

Now, despite how easy it is, sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction. Here’s how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone:

Everything starts with the Wallet app. First, open your Wallet app. Tap the “+” button on the top and select “Debit or Credit Card.”

Normally, this is where you can input your card details (which you can still do, by the way), but the default method now is to just tap your card on the back of your iPhone. Your phone does the rest. You might need to confirm with your bank, but it’s as easy as a single tap.

Pick which cards to use. Once you have your cards online, you might need to change which one is the default card. Again, it’s easy. Just drag your preferred card to the front.

Afterwards, you can tap to pay in supported stores by priming the Wallet app for use. Tapping to pay is also available for Apple Watch. Meanwhile, online transactions can also work on MacBook.

Secure, all the time. If you’re worried about your security especially with online transactions, Apple keeps your information only between you and the seller. They don’t store your data.

Also, it’s not easy to make a transaction without your consent. You need Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. If you lose your phone, you can easily shut your phone down with the Find My app to prevent malicious parties from making transactions.

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Accessories

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: From a videographer’s perspective

Better tracking, fewer buttons

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DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.

The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.

Freedom behind the lens

The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.

On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.

FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.

ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.

It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.

None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.

And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.

The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.

The trade-offs in touch

The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.

DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.

You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.

Finding your ideal workflow

The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.

If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.

Price, availability

DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.

  • Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
  • Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
  • Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.

Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.

If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.

Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.

Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.

And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.

Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.

This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.

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Features

GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey

A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

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Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Westminster Abbey isn’t just another stop on the London tourist trail.

It’s the stage for coronations, royal weddings, and burials that span nearly a thousand years, all still playing out under the same vaulted ceilings that have been standing since before most countries had names.

Once you get past the crowds and the audio guides, a quieter version of the abbey starts to show itself: worn stone steps, poets resting a few feet from kings, light that shifts across the nave like it’s in on the performance too.

While losing track of time in Poets’ Corner (yes, me, playing amateur historian for an afternoon), I unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and decided the abbey deserved more than a quick tourist snap.


All photos captured using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.

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