Are you looking for a best-buy in the midrange segment? If so, there are a lot of smartphones released during the last months which correspond to this description, including some of the main mid-rangers from the best brands. We recently saw the debut of the Redmi Note 8 that is the successor of the best-selling Xiaomi phone of the year, as well as Samsung Galaxy A50s which is the successor of one of the best-selling Samsung mid-rangers. Alongside these two handsets, even the Realme 5 hitten the market and it is the last affordable phone from Oppo’s sub-brand which is rivaling Redmi in the Asian market. All of these devices offer a well-balanced specs sheet at a very affordable price, that is why we think comparing them is an amazing idea for whoever is searching for the best value for money device in the sub-€200 segment.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 vs Oppo Realme 5 vs Samsung Galaxy A50s

Realme 5 Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Samsung Galaxy A50s
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 164.4 x 75.6 x 9.3 mm, 198 grams 158.3 x 75.3 x 8.4 mm, 190 grams 158.5 x 74.5 x 7.7 mm, 169 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 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, octa-core 2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, octa-core 2 GHz Samsung Exynos 9610, octa-core 2.3 GHz
MEMORY 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB   – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 4 GB RAM, 64 GB  – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE Android 9 Pie, Color OS Android 9 Pie, MIUI Android 9 Pie, One UI
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		 Quad 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.4
13 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Triple 48 + 8 + 5 MP f/2.0, f/2.2 and f/2.2
32 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 5000 mAh, fast charging 10W 4000 mAh, fast charging 18W 4000 mAh, fast charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot Hybrid Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot

Design

Unfortunately, we do not get a premium design with any of these handsets. In order to launch them at very affordable prices, the manufacturers decided to build them with a plastic body. So do not expect an amazing build quality, neither a premium look. Realme 5 is the only splash resistant phone here, while the Samsung Galaxy A50s is the only with an in-display fingerprint reader. Which would be your choice basing on these elements?

 

Display

As you probably understood if your smartphone-addicted, given that it comes with an under-display fingerprint scanner, the Samsung Galaxy A50s has a Super AMOLED panel too. Redmi Note 8 and Realme 5 both come with an IPS display (Realme 5 even has a lower HD resolution), while thanks to the AMOLED technology Galaxy A50s offers deeper blacks and more brilliant colors. That is why I would prefer its display over its rivals. The display size is more or less the same, Redmi Note 8 is just slightly smaller than its opponents with a 6.3-inch size and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

 

Specs & Software

According to overall benchmark scores and to the user experience a lot of people verified, the Snapdragon 665 chipset found on the Redmi Note 8 and Realme 5 is slightly more performing than the Exynos 9610 found on the Galaxy A50s. But the difference is so marginal that I would not mind. Instead, you should note that, unlike the Redmi Note 8 and the Galaxy A50s, Realme 5 does not have a memory configuration with 6 GB of RAM but it stops at just 4 GB. In each case, you get a highly customized user interface based on Android 9. If I had to choose depending on the potential performance, I would go for the Redmi Note 8.

 

Camera

The darker focal aperture of the Samsung Galaxy A50s alongside the inferior main sensor of the Realme 5 would let me define the Redmi Note 8 as the best camera phone of the comparison, at least when it comes to rear cameras. If we talk about front cameras, the Samsung Galaxy A50s is a lot better thanks to its superior 32 MP snapper.

 

Battery

The higher battery capacity of the Realme 5 and its lower display resolution will make it last a lot more on a single charge than both the Galaxy A50s and Redmi Note 8. So Realme 5 is undoubtedly the winner of the battery comparison.

 

Price

Redmi Note 8 starts from about €130/$145, just like the Realme 5, while Samsung is yet to unveil the price of the Galaxy A50s, but we expect it to cost about €250/$275 in India. Samsung Galaxy A50s looks like a slightly better device thanks to its better display and selfie camera, but if that will be its price, Redmi Note 8 has a way higher value for money. At the end of the day, you should go for the Realme 5 only if you need a monster battery, while Galaxy A50s and Redmi Note 8 are better options for the rest.

 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 vs Oppo Realme 5 vs Samsung Galaxy A50s: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8

PROs

  • Affordable price
  • Nice cameras
  • Good battery life
  • Compact

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Realme 5

PROs

  • Wide display
  • Huge battery
  • Very affordable
  • Splash resistant

CONS

  • HD display

 

Samsung Galaxy A50s

PROs

  • High performance
  • Micro SD dedicated slot
  • Big battery
  • Best display

CONS

  • Costlier

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