While the midrange segment is the best-selling segment in the smartphones market, the most famous manufacturers are actually not giving the same weight to entry-level phones. Still, we think there is a sufficient amount of low-end device for every basic user with a low budget. If you want to get an entry-level phone right now, three of the best alternatives are Honor Play 8, Redmi 7A and Realme C2. In my opinion, two of them are definitely in the podium of the best value for money phones under €100. That is why this comparison, which will let you meet the best among these devices in our personal opinion, was all but easy to write.
Huawei Honor Play 8 vs Xiaomi Redmi 7A vs Oppo Realme C2
| Huawei Honor Play 8 | Xiaomi Redmi 7A | Oppo Realme C2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 147.1 x 70.8 x 8.5 mm, 146 grams | 146.3 x 70.4 x 9.6 mm, 165 grams | 154.3 x 73.7 x 8.5 mm, 166 grams |
| DISPLAY | 5.71 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 295 ppi, LCD | 5.45 inches, 720 x 1440p (HD+), 295 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.1 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 282 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Mediatek Helio A22, octa-core 2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, octa-core 2 GHz | MediaTek Helio P22, octa-core 2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 2 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 2 GB RAM, 16 GB – 2 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 2 GB RAM, 16 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD dedicated slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, EMUI | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | Android 9 Pie, Color OS lite |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | 13 MP f/1.8 5 MP front camera |
13 MP f/2.2 5 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Dual 13 +2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 5 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3020 mAh | 4000 mAh, fast charging 10W | 4000 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
The design is one of the weakest points when it comes to cheap phones. Under €100, you almost always get a cheap polycarbonate body. And that is exactly the case with this trio. Redmi 7A has definitely too thick bezels around the display, so it is not recommended if you want stunning aesthetics. But it has an awesome build quality and it is splash resistant. With their waterdrop displays and slimmer bezels, Realme C2 and Honor Play 8 are more beautiful with the latter being the most compact and lightweight one.
Display
Classic IPS displays with a pretty small size and an HD+ resolution, in each case. The quality of the display is not the key feature of these devices, despite they still offer a sufficient level of detail. So do not judge them basing on the display, just choose the display size which mostly fits your needs. Realme C2 has a wider panel, so if you love multimedia, navigation or productivity it may be better for you.
Specs & Software
The Mediatek Helio P22 chipset on board of the Realme C2 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 found on the Redmi 7A have pretty similar performances, while the Helio A22 of the Honor Play 8 is inferior under every point of view. I personally prefer the Snapdragon 439 due to its more interesting Adreno GPU, but differences are very marginal. In each case, you get Android 9 Pie out of the box and pretty nice software optimization, so you should not worry so much about performance if you are a basic user. All of these devices have a dual SIM slot and a micro SD dedicated slot (you can use both dual SIM and micro SD at the same time). Note that Honor Play 8 is the only with Bluetooth 5.0 (the latest Bluetooth standard).
Camera
If you are seeking the best camera quality, Honor Play 8 should be the best in low light scenarios due to its bright focal aperture which helps to capture more detail with less digital noise. On the other hand, Realme C2 is also nice because it has an additional depth sensor on the back and it makes a better bokeh effect. Forget to get a camera phone if you are going to buy one of these phones, but for emergency shots, they are not so disappointing.
Battery
The big disadvantage of the Honor Play 8 is the presence of an average 3000 mAh battery, while its opponents have much bigger 4000 and 4230 mAh battery, respectively. The Realme C2 has the longest battery life and it can last up to three days if you do not stress it so much. Right after, there is Redmi 7A which even supports fast charging in its version for the Chinese market (the power is 10W).
Price
The main reason why it makes sense to buy these devices is obviously their incredibly affordable price. Realme C2 starts from just €78, Xiaomi Redmi 7A costs €100/$112 in its base variant, and Honor Play 8 carries a €107/$120 price tag. At the end of the day, Realme C2 looks like the most complete device with its wider display, a huge battery, a dual camera, great performances, and a very nice design. I would not go for the Honor Play 8 due to its smaller battery, but note that it comes with a pretty interesting rear camera.
Huawei Honor Play 8 vs Xiaomi Redmi 7A vs Oppo Realme C2: PROs and CONS
Huawei Honor Play 8
PROs
- Better connectivity
- Good camera
- Compact
- Micro SD dedicated slot
CONS
- Smaller battery
Xiaomi Redmi 7A
PROs
- Nice hardware
- Big battery
- Wide availability
- Splash resistant
CONS
- Outdated design
Oppo Realme C2
PROs
- Very affordable
- Great cameras
- Good hardware
- Big battery
CONS
- Limited availability
