In the last years, there are sub-brands which are selling even more than their mother companies. Just look at Honor which carried Huawei’s sales for years and Redmi which is continuously launching best-sellers every year. Recently, a new best-selling sub-brand is born: it is called Realme and it is an Oppo’s brand. Realme 5 debuted a few days ago with an incredibly high value for money and it seems definitely the best rival for some of the latest Redmi and Honor phones. Here, we compared it with the best-selling Redmi Note 7 and with the new Honor 9X which represent two of the most balanced smartphones under every point of view, among value for money phones. They all represent amazing choices under €200 for most people, and here you will learn which one has more potentialities.

Realme 5 vs Honor 9X vs Redmi Note 7

Realme 5 Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Huawei Honor 9X
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 164.4 x 75.6 x 9.3 mm, 198 grams 159.2 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm, 186 grams 163.1 x 77.2 x 8.8 mm, 206 grams
DISPLAY 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 269 ppi, IPS LCD 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 409 ppi, IPS LCD 6.59 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 391 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, octa-core 2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 810, octa-core 2.27 GHz
MEMORY 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB   – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB  – 6 GB RAM, 64 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, Color OS Android 9 Pie, MIUI Android 9 Pie, EMUI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS
CAMERA Quad 12 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4
13 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 48 + 5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4
13 MP front camera		 Dual 48 + 2 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4
16 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY 5000 mAh, fast charging 10W 4000 mAh, fast charging 4000 mAh, fast charging 10W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot Hybrid Dual SIM slot Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

The pop-up camera and the notch-less display make the Honor 9X a much more futuristic and attractive smartphone. And if you add the suggestive light effects varying on light reflection, you get an even more amazing design. It even has a side-mounted fingerprint reader so that the rear cover looks cleaner. But there is one thing in which the Honor 9X is inferior when it comes to aesthetics: the build quality. Honor 9X sports a traditional polycarbonate design, unlike the Redmi Note 7 which comes with a glass back. But in this case, the screen-to-body ratio is higher and there is even a waterdrop notch. What do you prefer: a more futuristic design or better materials?

 

Display

Despite it has a wide 6.5-inch screen, Realme 5 loses this comparison due to a lower display resolution. It has just an HD panel, while its rivals are both Full HD+. If I had to choose between Redmi Note 7 and Honor 9X, I would go for the latter simply because it has a bigger display and it is notch-less. But the quality is very similar, so there is not a real better device here. Both are IPS panels and they come with the same 1080p resolution.

 

Specs & Software

For the first time, a Kirin chipset by Huawei dominates over Snapdragon 6xx chipsets by Qualcomm. The Kirin 810 found on the Honor 9X is built at 7 nm just like flagship chipsets and it provides blazing speeds and very low energy consumption. Further, the Honor 9X also provides the highest-end memory configuration with up to 6 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of internal storage which you can furtherly expand with a micro SD. At the second place, you can find the Realme 5 as it is powered by a slightly better chipset than the Redmi Note 7, but note that it does not exist in a configuration with 6 GB of RAM, unlike the Redmi Note 7. In each case, you get a customized Android fork: Color OS, MIUI, and EMUI.

 

Camera

None of these handsets is a camera phone, but they have more than sufficient camera performances. When it comes to rear sensors, Redmi Note 7 wins the comparison for a low margin, if we only talk about overall photo quality in normal conditions. But Realme 5 has two additional sensors (quad camera) including an ultrawide lens and a dedicated macro camera, so it is way more versatile. And we think it is more important for a mid-ranger.

 

Battery

The huge 5000 mAh battery and the efficient 6.5-inch display make the Realme 5 the battery king in this trio. It is able to last two days on a single charge even with the most stressed usage pattern.

 

Price

€180/$200 for Redmi Note 7 and Honor 9X, €125/$138 (in India) for Realme 5. Overall, I would choose the Honor 9X for its wider display, better look, and nice hardware. But Realme 5 is the best for people seeking for the most versatile camera and the longest battery life.

 

Realme 5 vs Honor 9X vs Redmi Note 7: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

PROs

  • Worldwide availability
  • Affordable price
  • Good battery life
  • Good choice of variants

CONS

  • Worse hardware department

 

Realme 5

PROs

  • Wide display
  • Huge battery
  • Very affordable
  • Pretty nice performance

CONS

  • HD display

 

Huawei Honor 9X

PROs

  • Higher performance
  • Bigger display
  • Big battery
  • Best design

CONS

  • Nothing particular

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