It looks like Qualcomm gave life to a new niche of handsets after releasing the Snapdragon 870. We are talking about very affordable flagship killers powered by this chipset, which is actually an upgrade of the Snapdragon 865+ released in 2020. It is not the best chipset by Qualcomm, but it is still a flagship SoC with 5G connectivity and delivers amazing performance. The most affordable devices launched with this chipset are the Redmi K40 by Xiaomi and the Motorola Edge S. Which one is the best and which has the highest value for money? This comparison is here to give you the answer.

Xiaomi Redmi K40 vs Motorola Edge S

Xiaomi Redmi K40 Motorola Edge S
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8 mm, 196 grams 168.4 x 74 x 9.7 mm, 215 g
DISPLAY  6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED  6.7 inches, 1080 x 2520p (Full HD+), IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, octa-core 3.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, octa-core 3.2 GHz
MEMORY  6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 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 – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE  Android 11, MIUI  Android 11
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS
CAMERA Triple 48 + 8 + 5 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2
20 MP front camera		 Quad 64 + 16 + 2 MP + TOF 3D, f/1.7
Dual 16 + 8 MP front camera
BATTERY 4520 mAh, fast charging 33W  5000 mAh, fast charging 20W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, 5G Dual SIM slot, 5G

Design

Despite they are actually affordable flagships, both Redmi K40 and Motorola Edge S come with an attractive design. The camera module is not invasive, the screen-to-body ratio is high and the display has a punch hole design. According to Motorola, the Edge S is splash resistant, while Redmi K40 does not provide any protection against water, at least officially. On the other hand, the Redmi K40 is thinner and lighter thanks to its smaller battery, and smaller display. If you want a device that fits better in a pocket and is easier to use with one hand, then Redmi K40 is actually a better choice. But the protection against water offered by the Motorola Edge S is an important added value.

 

Display

If we consider the displays, the Redmi K40 wins and you should choose it without thinking twice if you are looking for the best image quality. The Redmi K40 has a Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and the HDR10+ certification, as well as a very high 1300 nits peak brightness. It is almost a flagship display if we consider the color reproduction, the refresh rate, and the brightness. The Motorola Edge S has a midrange-class IPS display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10 certification, as well as a  lower 560 nits typical brightness. Despite the Redmi K40 has an AMOLED display, both the phones feature a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

 

Specs & Software

As mentioned in the intro, Redmi K40 and Motorola Edge S are fueled by the Snapdragon 870 mobile platform by Qualcomm. The SoC is paired with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of fast UFS 3.1 native storage. In terms of the hardware department, it is essentially a draw. When it comes to the software, you get a user interface close to stock Android with the Motorola Edge S and a highly-customized MIUI with the Redmi K40. Both the phones run Android 11 out of the box. Note that Motorola Edge S has expandable storage thanks to a micro SD slot, while Redmi K40 does not.

 

Camera

The Motorola Edge S has a superior rear camera to the Redmi K40. It is composed of a 64 MP main sensor with an f/1.7 focal aperture, a 16 MP ultrawide sensor with a 121 degrees FOV, a 2 MP depth sensor, and an additional TOF 3D sensor. Even the front camera department is better: it consists of a 16 MP main sensor and a secondary 8 MP ultrawide lens.

 

 

Battery

The Motorola Edge S packs a bigger battery with a 5000 mAh capacity, while you get just 4520 mAh with the Redmi K40. The Redmi K40 has smaller dimensions thanks to its smaller battery, but the Motorola Edge S provides a longer battery life. On the other hand, the Redmi K40 charges faster with its 33W fast charging technology, while Motorola Edge S stops at 20W.

 

Price

The starting price of the Motorola Edge S is €250/$302, while Redmi K40 starts from €280/$338. Those €30 do not make the difference. What does are the cameras and the displays. If you want a better display quality, then go for the Redmi K40. But if you need a better camera phone, then Motorola Edge S is actually better. I would actually choose the K40 because despite the Edge S has a better camera department, it remains a mid-range camera phone.

 

 

Xiaomi Redmi K40 vs Motorola Edge S: PRO and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi K40

PRO

  • AMOLED display
  • 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Stereo speakers
  • Faster charging

CONS

  • Smaller battery

 

Motorola Edge S

PRO

  • Better rear camera
  • Ultrawide front camera
  • Bigger battery
  • Micro SD slot

CONS

  • Inferior display

 

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