Xiaomi just came up with a new entry-level smartphone belonging to the most affordable price segment: the one under €100/$100. We are talking about the Redmi 8A which is clearly one of the best smartphones ever released in its price range. A lot of people are already thinking it is the best device you can get with the lowest budget, but is it really true? In order to understand it, we compared it with the other popular entry-level smartphones from the best Chinese brands. We chose Honor 8A (or Honor Play 8A) and Realme C2 for this comparison as we believe they are among the phones with the highest value for money in the entry-level sector.
Xiaomi Redmi 8A vs Huawei Honor 8A vs Oppo Realme C2
| Xiaomi Redmi 8A | Huawei Honor Play 8A | Oppo Realme C2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 156.5 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm, 188 grams | 156.28 x 73.5 x 8 mm, 150 grams | 154.3 x 73.7 x 8.5 mm, 166 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.2 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 271 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.09 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 290 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.1 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 282 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, octa-core 1.95 GHz | MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz | MediaTek Helio P22, octa-core 2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 2 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot | 2 GB RAM, 16 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD dedicated slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | Android 9 Pie, EMUI | Android 9 Pie, Color 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 4.2, GPS |
| CAMERA | 12 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front 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/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 5000 mAh | 3000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
Xiaomi renewed the design of the whole Redmi line-up this year, including the Redmi 8A. But, at least according to my tastes, the Redmi 8A is not the best option when it comes to aesthetics. Besides sporting an original back with a “prismatic pattern”, the Realme C2 is also a more compact phone than the Redmi 8A, that is why it is my favorite one. On the other hand, even if Redmi 8A is a slightly bigger phone, it has a higher screen-to-body ratio, and that is why some may like it more than its rivals. But note that in each case, you get a device with a plastic body.
Display
The displays of these smartphones are just acceptable. They all come with a standard HD+ resolution, definitely nothing special, but not disappointing. On the paper, Realme C2 and Redmi 8A offer slightly better panels. But not any of them has what we can call an above-average display. So you’d better go ahead and pay attention to other specifications.
Specs & Software
In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 439 chipset looks slightly better than the Helio P35 found on the Honor 8A. But it is just a marginal difference. What you should consider more is the amount of internal storage: the Honor 8A comes with up of 64 GB of storage, while Redmi 8A stops at 32 GB. The Realme C2 loses this comparison because it is equipped with a lower-end Helio P22 chipset. All come with Android 9 Pie out of the box and we already know that Redmi 8A will be soon updated to MIUI 11.
Camera
The 12 MP Sony sensor on board of the Redmi 8A makes it the best camera phone of the trio with a bright focal aperture and very detailed photos, even when light conditions are not the best. The phone also features a pretty nice front camera. Realme C2 has a dual camera and, while its main sensor is not at the same level as the Redmi 8A, the secondary sensor allows capturing depth info better. Even Honor 8A is an interesting camera phone in its price range, but I personally prefer the main sensor of the Redmi 8A.
Battery
The presence of a 5000 mAh battery on the Redmi 8A will make it last three days on a single charge even with pretty intensive usage. It wins the battery comparison and it will probably be one of the longest-lasting phones of this year. Redmi 8A is also the only phone here to support fast charging. The silver medal goes to the Realme C2 which is not the best battery monster of this trio but still features a huge 4000 mAh battery, that is a lot for a phone with an entry-level chipset and an HD display.
Price
As you already know, the price is the strongest point of these handsets. You need just €77/$84 to grab a unit of the Realme C2. Redmi 8A starts from just $91/€83, while Honor 8A costs about €100/$110 globally. At the end of the day, there is no challenge: Redmi 8A is definitely a better device due to its bigger battery, amazing SoC (for the price range) and great cameras. Realme C2 takes the second place.
Xiaomi Redmi 8A vs Huawei Honor 8A vs Oppo Realme C2: PROs and CONS
Oppo Realme C2
PROs
- Compact dimensions
- Micro SD dedicated slot
- Big battery
- Depth sensor
CONS
- Worse chipset
Honor Play 8A
PROs
- Good performance
- Good cameras
- Micro SD Dedicated slot
CONS
- Smaller battery
Xiaomi Redmi 8A
PROs
- Micro SD dedicated slot
- Huge battery
- Good cameras
- Slightly bigger display
- Fast charging
CONS
- Nothing particular
