*Latest Update 9/26/2019 – microUSB port changed to USB Type-C port on A9 2020
Both OPPO A9 2020 and Huawei Nova 5T rock quad-camera setups. There’s also a significant Php3000 peso difference between the two in the Philippines. But which would you rather have?
Table of Contents
OPPO A9 2020 and Huawei Nova 5T Differences
Advantages of OPPO A9 2020
- dedicated microSD slot of up to 256GB
- stereo speakers
- audio jack
- Dolby Atmos
- 5000mAh battery
- 2MP mono sensor
- reverse wired charging
Advantages of Huawei Nova 5T
- FHD+ resolution
- lighter and thinner build
- Kirin 980 (7nm)
- 16MP ultrawide sensor
- 2MP macro sensor
- 32MP selfie camera with gyro-EIS
- 32-bit audio support
- NFC
USB Type-C- 22.5W fast charging (50% in 24 mins.)
- aptX HD
OPPO A9 2020 and Huawei Nova 5T Similarities
- IPS LCD panel
- Android 9 Pie
- 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage
- four main cameras
- single selfie camera
- Wi-Fi ac
- Bluetooth 5.0
- capacitive fingerprint scanner
- USB Type-C
Which is a better buy between the OPPO A9 2020 and Huawei Nova 5T?
Design and Display
Starting with the displays, OPPO A9 2020 has the typical teardrop notch that we’re used to seeing. Huawei Nova 5T replaces that with a pinhole that’s located at the top-left corner of its display. This will come down to user preference, but we do have to say that the FHD+ resolution on Huawei is crisper and better than HD+ on OPPO’s phone.
As for the build quality, Nova 5T feels more elegant to the hands due to the glass backing and metal frame. Furthermore, the etched design is sophisticated and unique among the rest. It also is thinner and lighter than A9 2020 which weighs 195g.
Both are using capacitive fingerprint scanners — OPPO has it on the back (below the main cameras) while Huawei has it embedded on the right-hand side for thumb-unlocking experience.
READ: OPPO A9 2020 Hands-On and First Impression: Made to Last
Performance
There’s a huge gap when it comes to performance. OPPO A9 2020 is rocking a Snapdragon 665, a decent mid-range chipset. But Huawei Nova 5T is killing it with the Kirin 980, the flagship chipset found on P30 Pro.
If you have to worry about storage, there’s no way to expand the 128GB internal storage of Nova 5T. On the other end, A9 2020 offers you a dedicated slot for microSD card. Nevertheless, both have 8GB RAM to use.
Cameras
While both are sporting four main cameras, each setup is a bit different. For the main sensor, both use Sony’s 48MP f1.8 wide sensor. When it comes to the ultrawide sensor, Nova 5T will output crisper-looking photos due to its 16MP module as opposed to the 8MP of its competition. For the third sensor, A9 2020 features a 2MP monochromatic lens to deliver more details to its photos. As for Nova 5T, its 2MP is dedicated for macro or very close-up shots. Last but not least is their 2MP depth sensors. Both again use gyro-electronic image stabilization to compensate for shaky footage.
Moving to the selfie cameras. Nova 5T holds the advantage with its 32MP (vs 16MP on A9 2020) sensor and support for gyro-EIS.
Battery, Charging and Ports
Longevity-wise, A9 2020 can last you the whole day or two without charging thanks to its 5000mAh tank. It even supports reverse wireless charging via MicroUSB port USB Type-C. If you don’t mind having shorter battery life, Nova 5T comes with 3750mAh capacity but with 22.5W SuperCharge support via USB Type-C.
We also want to take note that Nova 5T is missing a headphone jack, unlike A9 2020. But if you rock wireless headphones, Huawei’s flagship killer supports aptX HD codec support for higher quality wireless playback.
Conclusion
OPPO A9 2020 is priced at P15,990 while Huawei Nova 5T will cost you P18,990. If this were the standard Nova 5, we would have a more interesting comparison. Choosing the 5T over A9 2020 is almost a no-brainer. It has better performance and even better quad-camera setup. The only reason why we recommend A9 2020 is if you want better battery life, oldie but goodie features such as the headphone jack and microSD slot, and definite software updates.
READ: Huawei Mate 30: 40MP Triple Camera, 4200mAh, Kirin 990 for P46k
| Specs | OPPO A9 2020 | Huawei Nova 5T |
| Display | 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD, teardrop notch | 6.26-inch FHD+ IPS LCD, pinhole |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 75.6 x 9.1 mm , 195g | 154.3 x 74 x 7.8 mm, 174g |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) | HiSilicon Kirin 980 (7 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 610 | Mali-G76 MP10 |
| Memory | 128GB 8GB RAM + dedicated microSD slot of up to 256GB | 128GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | 48 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.3″, 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.3, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4″, 1.12µm, AF 2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm 2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm, depth sensor2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
48 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2″, 0.8µm, PDAF 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1″ 2 MP, f/2.4, 27mm (wide), dedicated macro camera 2 MP, f/2.4, depth sensor2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Front Camera | 16 MP, f/2.0, 1/3.1″, 1.0µm
1080p@30fps |
32 MP, f/2.0, 0.8µm
1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE Wi-Fi ac, BT 5.0 A2DP, LE, GPS, USB Type-C, audio jack stereo speakers | 4G LTE Wi-Fi ac, BT 5.0 A2DP, LE, aptX HD, GPS, USB Type-C, NFC |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 5000mAh battery (10W charging) | Non-removable Li-Ion 3750mAh battery (22.5W SuperCharge) |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie) with ColorOS 6 | Android 9.0 (Pie) with EMUI 9.1 |
| Official Price | P15,990 | P18,990 |
The nova 5t should be considered upper midrange or close to a flagship already, it uses a flagship soc, of course the sd 665 will be beaten by it. unless you compare it with the sd 855, which will destroy the kirin 980 on the 5t. You should’ve compared the 5t to oppo reno.