If you thought you still need a huge amount of money to get a 5G smartphone, you were wrong. At the moment, there are several smartphones with the support to 5th generation networks available at modest prices, at least in the Asian market. We are not talking about very affordable devices: they are still flagships, but they are affordable flagships. The latest ones are Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G, Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G, and Vivo iQOO Pro 5G. You can get all of them for less than €500 in China and they offer flagship-class performance for such a low price. But which one is the best and which has the highest value for money? Answering these questions is the reason why we decided to write this specs comparison.
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G vs Vivo iQOO Pro 5G
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G | Vivo iQOO Pro 5G | Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 157.2 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm, 196 g | 158.8 x 75.7 x 9.3 mm, 217 g | 157.5 x 74.6 x 8.7 mm, 185 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED | 6.41 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+, octa-core 2.96 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+, octa-core 2.96 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz |
| MEMORY | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | Android 9 Pie, Funtouch OS | Android 9 Pie, ZUI |
| 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 48 + 12 + 16 MP, f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.2 | Triple 48 + 13 + 2 MP, f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.4 12 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Quad 48 + 8 + 16 + 2 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4, f/2.2 and f/1.8 32 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4000 mAh, fast charging 40W with Quick Charge 4+ and wireless charging | 4500 mAh, fast charging 44W | 4000 mAh, fast charging 18W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot, 5G, reverse wireless charging | Dual SIM slot, 5G | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 5G |
Design
In my personal opinion, Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G has the most impressive design due to its amazing transparent back. But the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G comes with a better build quality since its frame is made of aluminum 7000 series and its glass back is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 that is the latest version of Corning’s protection. Vivo iQOO Pro 5G is a smartphone meant for gamers, but it does not have a so gaming-centric design, unlike other gaming phones. Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G is the lightest device, while Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is slightly thinner and smaller. Yet I prefer the Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G for its transparent back, but that is only about personal tastes.
Display
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G and Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G have a better display than Vivo iQOO Pro 5G since they offer a higher image quality. Both have a high DCI P3 coverage and they even support HDR10, while Vivo iQOO Pro 5G does not. The advantage of the iQOO Pro 5G is a slightly wider display diagonal which often makes gamers and productivity users happier. But image quality is definitely more important, given that we are talking about just 0.02 inches of difference. Between Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G and Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G, there are just marginal differences in the image quality.
Hardware/Software
Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G takes the gold medal in the hardware comparison since it sports the most powerful Qualcomm’s chipset, the highest amount of RAM and a higher amount of internal storage, at least in the most expensive configuration. Both Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G and Vivo iQOO Pro 5G are fueled by the Snapdragon 855+ chipset, but only the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G has internal storage up to 512 GB. Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G has up to 512 GB as well, but it packs the older Snapdragon 855 chipset, so it can not reach the performance of the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G. In each case, you get Android 9 Pie out of the box and a single-mode Snapdragon X50 5G modem, but only Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G has expandable storage.
Camera
The most performing device in terms of camera quality is the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G again. It packs a triple camera setup including laser autofocus, 2x optical zoom, and an ultrawide sensor. The Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G is a great camera phone too and it offers a better selfie camera. If you need a camera phone, do not choose the Vivo iQOO Pro 5G.
Battery
Vivo iQOO Pro 5G has the biggest battery and it lasts more on a single charge, which is very important for gamers since this is a gaming phone. But Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is the only to support wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
Price
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G is currently on sale for €424/$471 making it the cheapest 5G phone in China, Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G’s price starts from €470/$520, and Vivo iQOO Pro 5G costs about €485/$538 in India. Overall, Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is the most complete device due to the support to wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, better build quality, and better hardware. But Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G is currently the best buy due to its extremely affordable price.
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G vs Vivo iQOO Pro 5G: PRO and CONS
Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G
PROS
- Reverse wireless charging
- Up to 512 GB of internal storage
- Very fast wireless charging
- Great build quality
CONS
- Higher price
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition
PROS
- Transparent back
- Expandable storage
- Good price
- Great selfie camera
CONS
- Lower-end chipset
Vivo iQOO Pro 5G
PROS
- Bigger battery
- Wider display diagonal
- Fastest charging technology
CONS
- Worse cameras
