Affordable smartphones are slowly letting Chinese companies dominate the smartphones market. Among these companies, Xiaomi and Huawei are definitely the ones which had the biggest success thanks to their devices in the affordable segment. The latest ones are, in order of release, the Honor Play 8A, the Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 and the Xiaomi Mi Play. Each of these devices carries a price tag under €200, but which one is the best buy of the moment? With this comparison, we will try to clear your ideas.
Honor Play 8A vs Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) vs Xiaomi Mi Play
| Honor Play 8A | Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 | Xiaomi Mi Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 156.28 x 73.5 x 8 mm, 150 grams | 158.92 x 76.91 x 8.1 mm, 168 grams | 147.76 x 71.89 x 7.8 mm, 150 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.09 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 290 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.26 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 269 ppi, IPS LCD | 5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280p (HD+), 432 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, octa-core 1.8 GHz | MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, EMUI | Android 9 Pie, EMUI | Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | 13 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 16 MP front camera |
Dual 12 +2 MP 8 MP front camera |
| BATTERY | 3000 mAh | 4000 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Design
Thanks to its waterdrop notch, its glass back and the gradient color variants you can choose, Xiaomi Mi Play looks like the most attractive device when it comes to aesthetics. Despite they look like glass phones, Honor Play 8A and Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 have a plastic back as the company decided to cut costs by using cheaper materials. But Honor Play 8A has a metal frame which makes its build quality more solid. However, thanks to the glass back Xiaomi Mi Play is definitely more beautiful, and it is not even the most expensive device.
Display
Besides having great aesthetics, Xiaomi Mi Play also offers the best display. What makes it better than the competition is the Full HD+ resolution as both Honor Play 8A and Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 come with a lower HD+ resolution. This allows the battery to last more, but the level of detail of the displays is disappointing. However, note that Xiaomi Mi Play has the smallest display with a diagonal of just 5.84 inches and the 19:9 aspect ratio, while Huawei Y7 Pro has the biggest one with 6.26 inches. The smaller display also makes Xiaomi Mi Play more compact and pocket-friendly.
Specs & Software
Even though it has a higher price tag, Huawei decided to equip the Y7 Pro 2019 with a lower-end processor: the Snapdragon 450 by Qualcomm. Xiaomi Mi Play and Honor Play 8A come with a better Helio P35 by MediaTek which can be compared to the Snapdragon 632 by Qualcomm. Between Xiaomi Mi Play and Honor Play 8A I would choose the former because it has 4 GB of RAM making the difference in multi-tasking, while Honor Play 8A offers max 3 GB. While Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 has Android Oreo out of the box, the others come with Android Pie pre-installed.
Camera
Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 is evidently inferior if we talk about performance, but it is the best camera phone of the trio. It is equipped with a rear dual camera offering a 13 MP resolution, a bright f/1.8 aperture which allows capturing a good amount of light in every scenario and a second depth sensor. Further, it has a 16 MP front camera that is excellent if we consider that we are talking about devices with entry-level prices. Honor Play 8A has just a single camera, but on the paper, it seems better than Xiaomi Mi Play. And it is the same for the front camera offering a higher resolution. However, we can not assume it until we personally tested all the cameras.
Battery
Besides the price, Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 has an important added value which makes many users buy midrange phones instead of the most powerful flagships. We are talking about its huge battery: 4000 mAh powering a device with a very efficient HD+ display and a Snapdragon 450 chipset are the paradise. This device is able to last up to two days with intensive uses on a single charge. At the second place, there is Honor Play 8A: even if it has just 20 mAh more than Xiaomi Mi Play, it should last a lot more because of its more efficient display.
Price
With its $119-129/€104-113 price tag in China, Honor Play 8A is a real value for money device, but it is not the winner of this comparison. I would personally choose Huawei Y7 Pro 2019, even though it costs €180/$205, because of its bigger battery and very nice cameras for the price. Xiaomi Mi Play is available at about €170/$193 in China and it is a good compromise if you prefer a good design and display, as well as the highest performance.
Honor Play 8A vs Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 vs Xiaomi Mi Play: PROs and CONS
Huawei Y7 Pro 2019
PROs
- Bigger battery
- Beautiful design
- Better cameras
- Affordable
CONS
- Lower-end hardware
Xiaomi Mi Play
PROs
- Compact and lightweight
- Good design
- Android Pie
- Better hardware
CONS
- Average cameras
Honor Play 8A
PROs
- Very affordable
- Good cameras
- Nice hardware
- Android Pie
- Fast charging
CONS
- Nothing particular
