The lower mid-range segment is actually one of the most interesting ones for those who want to get an excellent smartphone for daily use at a very affordable price. And since Xiaomi launched the POCO M3, the lower-midrange segment is even more interesting. As we always do, we found the best competitors of the POCO M3 in order to give you a specs comparison which could let you choose the best handset for your needs. And we believe the best rivals of the POCO M3 for most of the users are the OPPO F17 and the Realme 7i. Note that OPPO F17 is known as the OPPO A73 in select markets. Here is a comparison between their specifications.
Xiaomi POCO M3 vs OPPO F17 vs Realme 7i
| Xiaomi POCO M3 | OPPO F17 | Realme 7i | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm, 198 g | 159.8 x 72.8 x 7.5 mm, 163 g | 164.1 x 75.5 x 8.9 mm, 188 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.53 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), IPS LCD | 6.44 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED | 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, octa-core 2.0 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, octa-core 2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, octa-core 2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 10, MIUI | Android 10, ColorOS | Android 10, Realme UI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 48 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4 + f/2.4 8 MP f/2.1 front camera |
Quad 16 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP, f/2.2 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4 16 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.3 + f/2.4 + f/2.4 16 MP f/2.1 front camera |
| BATTERY | 6000 mAh, fast charging 18W | 4015 mAh, fast charging 30W | 5000 mAh, fast charging 18W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
Each of these devices comes with a cheap design consisting of a polycarbonate body instead of the glass back and aluminum frames you can get on premium phones. The winner of the design comparison is the OPPO F17 not exactly for its look, but for its dimensions. It is very thin, very lightweight, and compact. It is one of the thinnest devices out there and it is easier to use with one hand and to keep in a pocket. That is why I prefer it when it comes to aesthetics. Unlike its rivals, it has an in-display fingerprint reader making its design cleaner.
Display
Besides the best design, with the OPPO F17, you also get the best display. In case you do not know, the OPPO F17 alias A73 is one of the most affordable smartphones equipped with an AMOLED display. It shows brilliant colors, deep blacks, it supports the Always On mode and it has an in-display fingerprint scanner. If you just do not like the OPPO F17, you could go for the Realme 7i as it features a 90 Hz refresh rate, but you would get a lower HD+ resolution. The POCO M3 lacks a high refresh rate and it has an IPS display just like the Realme 7i, but its resolution is Full HD+.
Hardware/Software
The most powerful hardware departments belong to the OPPO F17 and Realme 7i offering the same components. All the phones are fueled by the Snapdragon 662 mobile platform, but the POCO M3 has just 4 GB of RAM. With the most expensive configurations of the Realme 7i and the OPPO F17, you get 8 GB of RAM. These phones run Android 10 out of the box and all of them will be updated to Android 11 as they hitten the shelves in the second half of 2020.
Camera
The camera is the strongest point of the Realme 7i. The handset packs a quad camera including a 64 MP main sensor like more expensive mid-rangers, an 8 MP ultrawide camera, and a pair of 2 MP sensors for macro and depth. The second place goes to the POCO M3 packing a 48 MP triple camera, but it has an inferior front camera to OPPO F17 and Realme 7i. The main sensor of OPPO F17 is not that good, but you get the best front camera.
Battery
The best battery phone of this trio is the POCO M3 because it packs a huge 6000 mAh battery. It is able to last up to three days with moderate usage. Right after, we got the Realme 7i with a 5000 mAh battery. Unfortunately, the battery of the OPPO F17 has a capacity of just 4015 mAh, but it is still a good battery phone due to its efficient components. Further, OPPO F17 supports the faster 30W charging technology.
Price
The price of the POCO M3 starts from less than €124/$150 (still not released in India), while Realme 7i begins at 150€/$182. You need about €190/$230 for the OPPO F17. I cannot pick a definitive winner of this comparison. OPPO F17 is the most interesting due to its thinner and lighter design, AMOLED display, faster charging, but not necessarily the best. POCO M3 has a way longer battery life, while Realme 7i has a way better camera and 90 Hz, but the display is HD+.
Xiaomi POCO M3 vs OPPO F17 vs Realme 7i: PRO and CONS
Realme 7i
PROS
- Best cameras
- 90 Hz display
- Punch-hole display
CONS
- Limited availability
Xiaomi POCO M3
PROS
- Huge battery
- Worldwide availability
- Stereo speakers
- Reverse charging
CONS
- Dimensions
OPPO F17
PROS
- AMOLED display
- Faster charging
- Thinner and lighter
- Compact
CONS
- Limited availability
- Smaller battery
Comments