Nowadays, you can get a more than sufficient smartphone even in the entry-level segment. Honor Play 8A is a perfect example of it as it offers a smooth user experience and a well-balanced specs sheet even though its price is inferior to $200. Two other great devices in its price range are the recently-unveiled Realme C1 and Vivo Y93. They are awesome devices when it comes to quality-price ratio, for both performance and battery life. Here is a specs comparison between three of the best value for money of the moment.
Huawei Honor Play 8A vs Oppo Realme C1 vs Vivo Y93
| Huawei Honor Play 8A | Oppo Realme C1 | Xiaomi Mi Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 156.28 x 73.5 x 8 mm, 150 grams | 156.2 x 75.6 x 8.2 mm, 168 grams | 155.1 x 75.1 x 8.3 mm, 163 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.09 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 290 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.2 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 271 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.22 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, octa-core 1.8 GHz | MediaTek Helio P22, octa-core 2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot | 2 GB RAM, 16 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 4 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, EMUI | Android 8.1 Oreo, Color OS | Android 8.1 Oreo, Funtouch OS |
| 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 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | 13 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 5 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Dual 13 +2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3000 mAh | 4230 mAh | 4030 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Design
Huawei Honor Play 8A is the device that you should consider if you want a sleek and compact design allowing your phone to fit better in a pocket, easy to use with one hand. But if we exclude the comfortable size, the best design is the one of the Vivo Y93. It is the only to sport a back cover available in gradient colors and it also has a very high screen-to-body ratio with a waterdrop notch and a narrow chin. Realme C1 is less attractive due to its bigger notch and its anonymous plastic body, while Honor Play 8A has a waterdrop notch as well, so it is definitely better.
Display
All the displays of these devices are below-average. They do not provide a very high level of detail due to their HD+ resolution, but this benefits the battery life as HD+ displays have a lower energy consumption. Oppo Realme C1 and Vivo Y93 come with a bigger size, so they are more comfortable for advanced users. Further, the Realme C1 is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, so it has a more resistant display. I would personally choose the Realme C1 for this reason, because each of these devices has a similar viewing quality to each other.
Specs & Software
Are you looking for the fastest and smoothest device which can handle heavy apps in a better way? Then you should go for the Honor Play 8A. After Xiaomi Mi Play, it is the first device equipped with the new octa-core Helio P35 SoC by MediaTek. It is a chipset that should be on par with the Snapdragon 632 and it should be the most powerful of the trio in almost every scenario. If for some reason you do not like it, Vivo Y93 is another phone with great performances due to its high quantity of RAM (4 GB). Despite its very interesting price tag, Realme U1 is the most disappointing as it only comes in a 2/16 GB configuration.
Camera
Honor Play 8A sports a surprising camera department for a device of its price range. It has a great 13 MP rear sensor with an f/1.8 aperture as well as a nice 8 MP selfie camera which does its job. It surprises especially for the level of detail in the photos, but only if light conditions are good. Vivo Y93 takes the second place with a sufficient dual camera including a depth sensor on its back, and an 8 MP selfie snapper. Realme U1 is more or less the same when it comes to rear cameras, but the selfie camera is inferior.
Battery
The weak point of the Honor Play 8A compared to its opponents is the battery life. It comes with just 3000 mAh of battery, while Realme U1 and Vivo Y93 have batteries with a capacity superior to 4000 mAh. Due to the high capacities and the very efficient components, Realme C1 and Vivo Y93 can last more than two days on a single charge, making them two of the most outstanding battery phone in the entry-level segment. Honor Play 8A remains more than sufficient but way inferior to its rivals.
Price
You can grab a unit of the Honor Play 8A or Oppo Realme C1 for just €100 at the actual change, while Vivo Y93 costs about €160. Excluding the battery, Honor Play 8A is the device I prefer because of its better performance and good camera performance.
Huawei Honor Play 8A vs Oppo Realme C1 vs Vivo Y93: PROs and CONS
Oppo Realme C1
PROs
- Bigger battery
- Micro SD dedicated slot
- Good build quality
- Affordable
CONS
- Lower-end cameras
Vivo Y93
PROs
- Big battery
- Good design
- Affordable price
- High screen-to-body ratio
CONS
- Average hardware
Huawei Honor Play 8A
PROs
- Very affordable
- Good cameras
- Nice hardware
- Android Pie
CONS
- Smaller battery
