POCO launched its first entry-level phone: the POCO C3. It is a rebranded version of the Redmi 9C for the Indian market. Will the new handset from Xiaomi’s sub-brand conquer the entry-level segment or its competitor are too strong for it to stand a chance? We think there is no better way to find it out than comparing it with the best entry-level phones out there. Two very popular budget phones in India are Motorola Moto E7 Plus and Realme Narzo 10A, and they are popular because of their incredibly high value for money. Let’s see if POCO C3 can beat them.

Xiaomi POCO C3 vs Realme Narzo 10A vs Motorola Moto E7 Plus

Motorola Moto E7 Plus Xiaomi POCO C3 Realme Narzo 10A
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 165.2 x 75.7 x 9.2 mm, 200 grams 164.9 x 77.1 x 9 mm, 194 grams 164.4 x 75 x 9 mm, 195 grams
DISPLAY 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD 6.43 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, octa-core 1.8 GHz MediaTek Helio G35, octa-core 2.3 GHz MediaTek Helio G70, octa-core 2 GHz
MEMORY 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot 3 GB RAM, 32 GB  – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE Android 10 Android 10, MIUI Android 10, Realme UI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Triple 48 + 2 MP f/1.7
8 MP f/2.2 front camera		 Triple 13 + 2 + 2 MP f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
5 MP f/2.2 front camera		 Triple 12 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8
5 MP f/2.4 front camera
BATTERY 5000 mAh, charging 10W 5000 mAh 5000 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot

Design

I like the design of the POCO C3: it is compact, minimalistic, and well-balanced. The handset is not too heavy and thick, despite it packs a huge battery. And it even comes with great build quality. However, the choice mostly depends on your tastes: all of these phones are made with a polycarbonate body and they are similar. You do not get better materials with any of these devices and they all come with a waterdrop notch. Note that POCO C3 does not feature a fingerprint scanner, unlike Motorola Moto E7 Plus and Realme Narzo 10A. This makes the device sleeker, but you have to renounce to that authentication method.

 

Display

The displays of these devices are pretty disappointing, but they are more than sufficient for average users. They are classic IPS panels with a below-average HD+ resolution. The Realme Narzo 10A looks more convincing because it has higher brightness, but it remains nothing special. While choosing among these devices, you should not focus on the display. Instead, look at the other specifications and make your own conclusions.

 

Specs & Software

The Snapdragon 460 chipset found on the Motorola Moto E7 Plus and the Helio G70 SoC found on the Realme Narzo 10A are pretty similar in terms of performances, but we believe most of the people would choose the Snapdragon 460 because it is built with a better production process and because it is a Qualcomm chipset. POCO C3 loses the hardware comparison because it sports a weaker Helio G35 chipset: still a good SoC even for gamers, but way inferior to Helio G70 and Snapdragon 460. These three handsets run Android 10 out of the box and feature up to 4 GB of RAM paired with up to 64 GB of eMMC internal storage.

 

Camera

Despite it has a lower amount of sensors on the rear side, the Motorola Moto E7 Plus is the best camera phone of the trio. It has a great 48 MP main sensor with a bright f/1.7 focal aperture as the main camera, paired with a 2 MP depth sensor. It even comes with a better 8 MP selfie camera (Realme Narzo 10A and POCO C3 have a 5 MP selfie snapper). The silver medal goes to the Realme Narzo 10A with its 12 MP f/1.8 main sensor paired with a 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. POCO C3 loses again.

 

Battery

Motorola Moto E7 Plus, Realme Narzo 10A, and POCO C3 have exactly the same battery capacity: 5000 mAh. We did not test all of them, but we can say the Motorola Moto E7 Plus may last more because it has a more efficient chipset built at 11 nm. However, we are probably talking about marginal differences.

 

Price

POCO C3 is priced just €86/$100 in India. Motorola Moto E7 Plus costs €150/$175 in the 4/64 GB, while Realme Narzo 10A 3/32 GB costs €130/$152. Due to its better cameras and great chipset, Motorola Moto E7 Plus wins the comparison. But with the POCO C3, you can save a lot of money while still getting a very good entry-level phone. Realme Narzo 10A sits in the middle: it is more affordable than Motorola Moto E7 Plus and inferior to the Moto E7 Plus, but it has better specifications than POCO C3.

 

Xiaomi POCO C3 vs Realme Narzo 10A vs Motorola Moto E7 Plus: PROs and CONS

Motorola Moto E7 Plus

PROs

  • Best rear camera
  • Best front camera
  • Stock Android
  • Nice hardware

CONS

  • Thick and heavier

 

Xiaomi POCO C3

PROs

  • Very affordable
  • FM radio
  • MIUI 12
  • Build quality

CONS

  • No fingerprint reader

 

Realme Narzo 10A

PROs

  • Punch-hole design
  • The rear camera is not bad
  • FM radio
  • Reverse charging

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

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