Gone are the days in which POCO only released flagship killers and midrange phones. The Xiaomi-backed brand just came up with an entry-level phone for the Indian market: the POCO M2. It has similar specifications to the Redmi 9 Prime, but it is not exactly the same phone. And it carries a very interesting price. But is its price more interesting than the offerings from the concurrence or you can get something better? Discover it through this specs comparison with the other great devices in the same price range sold in the Indian market: Motorola Moto G9 and Realme Narzo 10.
Motorola Moto G9 vs Xiaomi POCO M2 vs Realme Narzo 10
| Xiaomi POCO M2 | Realme Narzo 10 | Motorola Moto G9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 163.3 x 77 x 9.1 mm, 198 grams | 164.4 x 75.4 x 9 mm, 199 grams | 165.2 x 75.7 x 9.2 mm, 200 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.53 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 269 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Mediatek Helio G80, octa-core 2 GHz | Mediatek Helio G80, octa-core 2.0 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, octa-core 2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 10, MIUI | Android 10, Realme UI | Android 10, My UX |
| 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 | Quad 13 + 8 + 5 + 2 MP f/2.2, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Quad 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.3, f/2.4 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Triple 48 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.7, f/2.4 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.2 front camera |
| BATTERY | 5000 mAh, fast charging 18W | 5000 mAh, fast charging 18W | 5000 mAh, fast charging 20W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot, water-repellent | Dual SIM slot, splash resistant | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, water-repellent |
Design
POCO M2, Motorola Moto G9, and Realme Narzo 10 are nothing special if we talk about the design. They are cheap phones made of polycarbonate, but this does not mean they have bad aesthetics. These handsets come with narrow bezels around the display, waterdrop notches, and even protection against water (they are water-repellent but not waterproof). Despite it might look more outdated at a first glance, I like the Realme Narzo 10 due to its smaller camera module, and it is also slightly more compact than its two rivals.
Display
Realme Narzo 10 and Motorola Moto G9 are a bit disappointing when it comes to the display: not only they have IPS panels, but they come with below-average HD+ resolution. Instead, the POCO M2 features a Full HD+ panel providing a higher level of detail. Given that these phones feature wide 6.5-inch panels, the resolution might make the difference for a lot of users. In each case, you get a cheap IPS panel, nothing special, so you’d better focus on the rest of the specifications.
Specs & Software
Realme Narzo 10 and POCO M2 are built around a MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, while Motorola Moto G9 is powered by the Snapdragon 662. Despite most people trust Qualcomm more than MediaTek, the Helio G80 is actually a more powerful chipset than the Snapdragon 662: that is why Motorola Moto G9 loses this comparison. Between Realme Narzo 10 and POCO M2, the latter wins because it packs a higher amount of RAM (6 GB vs 4 GB). In each case, you get Android 10 out of the box, but while on the Motorola Moto G9 it is close to stock Android, on the Realme Narzo 10 and the POCO M2 it is highly customized.
Camera
On the paper, the most advanced camera department belongs to the Realme Narzo 10, which sports a 48 MP quad-camera including an ultrawide sensor and a pair of 2 MP lenses for macro and depth info. Even the front camera is superior on the Realme Narzo 10 with its 16 MP resolution. Right after, we got the Motorola Moto G9 with its 48 MP triple camera. POCO M2 is disappointing: it still features a quad-camera, but its main sensor is an inferior 13 MP unit. If you want a good camera phone, you should not choose the POCO M2.
Battery
POCO M2, Realme Narzo 10, and Motorola Moto G9 come with exactly the same battery capacity: 5000 mAh. But given that the POCO M2 features a Full HD+ display (higher resolution), we believe its battery life will be inferior. The Motorola Moto G9 should be better because it has an HD+ display and a more efficient processor built at 11 nm. Further, Motorola Moto G9 features a slightly faster charging technology with a 20W power (Realme Narzo 10 and POCO M2 have 18W). On the other hand, Realme Narzo 10 supports reverse charging. The battery life of the Realme Narzo 10 should be very close to the Motorola Moto G9, but unfortunately, we did not test both of these devices, so we can not give you a definitive verdict.
Price
The starting price of the Realme Narzo 10 in India is Rs. 11,999, which roughly translates into €138 or $163. Note that we are talking about the configuration with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The POCO M2 is priced Rs. 10,999 (equivalent to about €127 or $150) in the base variant with 6/64 GB. At last, the Motorola Moto G9 has a listing price of Rs. 11,499 in the base 4/64 GB configuration, which roughly translates into €132 or $155. If we exclude the cameras, POCO M2 is actually a better phone despite it is more affordable. But if you need better cameras, then you should go either for the Realme Narzo 10. The Motorola Moto G9 is still a great device, but I actually prefer the Realme Narzo 10 due to its better front camera and reverse charging support. Naturally, that is just my preference. You can let us know what do you think about these devices by using the comment box below.
Motorola Moto G9 vs Xiaomi POCO M2 vs Realme Narzo 10: PROs and CONS
Realme Narzo 10
PROs
- Long battery life
- Great cameras
- Splash resistant
- Reverse charging
- Micro SD dedicated slot
CONS
- HD+ display
Xiaomi POCO M2
PROs
- IR blaster
- FHD+ display
- MIUI 12 out of the box
- micro SD Dedicated slot
CONS
- Inferior cameras
Motorola Moto G9
PROs
- Long battery life
- Water-repellent
- Nice cameras
- Faster charging
CONS
- HD+ display
