The gaming phones segment is currently so wide that it even includes affordable gaming-centric devices besides expensive flagships. We are talking about old-gen devices about Nubia Red Magic Mars and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo, but also about the newly-announced Vivo iQOO Neo which comes as an affordable variant of the vanilla iQOO. After its release, Nubia slashed the price of the Red Magic Mars in order to better compete with its Chinese rival and several people are wondering which one to buy. That is why we think now it is the perfect moment to make a comparison between affordable gaming phones. Enjoy.
Vivo iQOO Neo vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Nubia Red Magic Mars
| Vivo iQOO Neo | Xiaomi Black Shark Helo | Nubia Red Magic Mars | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 159.5 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm, 198.5 grams | 160 x 75.2 x 8.7 mm, 190 grams | 158.2 x 75 x 9.9 mm, 193 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.38 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 404 ppi, Super AMOLED | 6.01 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, AMOLED | 6.0 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 10 GB RAM, 256 GB | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 10 GB RAM, 256 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, Funtouch OS | Android 8 Oreo | Android 9 Pie, Nubia Red Magic OS |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 12 + 8 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.4 12 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 12 + 20 f/1.8 and f/1.8 20 MP f/2.2 front camera |
16 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4500 mAh, Fast Charging 22.5W | 4000 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0 | 3800 mAh, Fast Charging 16W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot, LED logo and strips | Dual SIM slot, LED strips and rear phyisical keys |
Design
While both Nubia Red Magic Mars and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo boast a gaming-centric design (they even got gorgeous RGB strips), the Vivo iQOO Neo looks like a normal smartphone. So if you do not want everyone to know you got a gaming phone or you still desire an elegant handset, go for the Vivo iQOO Neo. But if you are a real advanced gamer who wants all the comforts, then you should choose the Nubia Red Magic Mars because of its physical rear keys which are very helpful in a lot of games.
Display
Do not expect a flagship class display from these gaming phones, but not even a disappointing panel. Xiaomi Black Shark Helo comes with the highest DCI-P3 coverage and it has very brilliant colors: it is definitely the most suitable display for a gamer with its AMOLED technology and the absence of a notch. Vivo iQOO Neo offers an important advantage: it is the only with an in-display fingerprint reader, but it is not a so relevant thing for gamers.
Specs & Software
Despite they are gaming-centric phones, these devices do not feature the most powerful SoC of 2019, but they have an old-gen Snapdragon 845. It is still an amazing SoC and it is more than sufficient for every kind of game, especially when it comes to Nubia Red Magic Mars and Xiaomi Black Shark which boast up to 10 GB of RAM and a very advanced cooling system. These two handsets win the hardware comparison because of these reasons, but I personally prefer the Nubia Red Magic Mars as, unlike the Black Shark Helo, it has Android 9 Pie out of the box.
Camera
Unfortunately, we still did not test the Vivo iQOO Neo, but we can tell you that on the paper Xiaomi Black Shark Helo looks like the best camera phone of this trio. It has a dual rear camera including 2x optical zoom, as well as a pretty nice 20 MP front camera. Vivo iQOO Neo has a triple rear camera with an ultrawide lens, but it comes with lower resolutions for both rear cameras and the selfie camera. Stay away from the Nubia Red Magic Mars if you need the best camera phone.
Battery
The battery is the strongest point of the Vivo iQOO Neo: it is equipped with a huge 4500 mAh and it can last up to two days on a single charge even with intensive usage. Vivo iQOO Neo even comes with a faster charging technology than both Xiaomi Black Shark Helo and ZTE Nubia Red Magic Mars. The second place goes to the Xiaomi Black Shark Helo and its 4000 mAh battery.
Price
Vivo iQOO Neo hitten the market with a $260/€290 price tag, while you can find both Nubia Red Magic and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo for more than $270/€300. Overall, on the paper, if we only consider the specifications, Vivo iQOO Neo looks better. But for real gamers, maybe Nubia Red Magic Mars is a better choice because of its physical keys on the back, more RAM, and a better cooling system.
Vivo iQOO Neo vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Nubia Red Magic Mars: PROs and CONS
Nubia Red Magic Mars
PROs
- Physical keys on the back
- Great hardware and cooling system
- Affordable price
- Wide availability
CONS
- Smaller battery
Xiaomi Black Shark Helo
PROs
- Good display
- Affordable price
- Big battery
- Stereo speakers
CONS
- Uglier design (tastes)
Vivo iQOO Neo
PROs
- Best (but not so gaming-centric) design
- In-display fingerprint reader
- Bigger battery and very fast charging
- Very affordable price
CONS
- Notched display
