Oppo just announced another smartphone from its sub-brand: Realme U1. A device which comes with an amazing quality-price ratio and a brand new upper-midrange chipset: the Helio P70. Comparing it with the latest mid-rangers from other Chinese companies is definitely a good way to establish if this device is worth the money asked to get it and if it will succeed. So here we go with a comparison between Realme U1, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, and Honor 10 Lite.
Oppo Realme U1 vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite vs Huawei Honor 10 Lite
| Oppo Realme U1 | Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite | Huawei Honor 10 Lite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 154.8 x 73.6 x 8 mm, 162 grams | 156.4 x 75.8 x 7.5 mm, 169 grams | 154.8 x 73.6 x 8 mm, 162 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.21 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 415 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD | 6.21 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 415 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB, micro SD slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, EMUI | Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI | Android 9 Pie, EMUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 13 + 2 MP f/1.8 24 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9 and f/2.0 24 MP front camera |
Dual 13 + 2 MP f/1.8 24 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3400 mAh | 3350 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0 | 3400 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Design
Most of the actual Chinese midrange smartphones have many things in common when it comes to aesthetics. They often come with glass backs, notched displays and flagship-like looks even though their price is affordable. In this trio, the most beautiful one, in my opinion, is Honor 10 Lite because of its smaller notch, a very high screen-to-body ratio and its availability in two different gradient color variants.
Display
You should not pay much attention to the display when you are about to choose a midrange smartphone because they always have more or less the same quality. Given the similar display size and viewing quality, it is a draw. Whatever you choose, you will get a phone with a sufficient but not so exciting screen.
Specs & Software
Given that it comes with the latest and most powerful SoC by MediaTek, the new Helio P70, Realme U1 is definitely the most interesting device. Given that Helio P60 was very close to Snapdragon 660 and Kirin 710 in terms of performance, the new Helio P70 should provide better performance than its rivals from Qualcomm and Huawei. But not that there is not a 6 GB RAM version for the Realme U1, while the other two handsets also come in the 6/64 and 6/128 GB configurations. Further, there is to mention that Honor 10 Lite is the only one to come with Android Pie out of the box. And it also features the new GPU Turbo 2.0 technology which guarantees a big performance increase with games.
Camera
If you want a superior rear camera, get the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Honor 10 Lite is very close in terms of photo quality). But if you are looking for an amazing selfie camera, go for the Realme U1 as it features one of the best front cameras in the market and it is able to shoot detailed selfies even in low-light conditions. On the other hand, at least on the paper, the rear dual camera of the Realme U1 is disappointing.
Battery
These devices are packed with batteries which have similar capacities, so it is not easy to understand which one will last more on the paper. We will have to test the Realme U1 personally in order to establish if its bigger battery will last more, especially because we never tested the efficiency of the new MediaTek Helio P70 chipset. So, for now, we can not talk about battery life.
Price
Oppo Realme U1 just debuted in India with a listing price starting from €150/$170, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is available globally and it costs about €230/$260, and Honor 10 Lite was launched with a €210/$240 price tag. On the paper, Realme U1 is the most convincing one, but in order to give a definitive opinion, we have to test it on our own to evaluate the performance of the new Helio P70 chipset, the camera quality, and the battery life.
Oppo Realme U1 vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite vs Huawei Honor 10 Lite: PROs and CONS
Oppo Realme U1
PROs
- Great performance
- Bigger battery
- Amazing front camera
- Affordable price
CONS
- Limited availability
Huawei Honor 10 Lite
PROs
- Better design
- Android Pie
- GPU Turbo 2.0
- Borderless display
- Affordable price
CONS
- Smaller battery
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
PROs
- Wonderful design
- Affordable
- Good performance
- Fast charging
CONS
- Nothing particular
