There is no shortage of laptops to choose from if you are on the lookout for a computer. However, that is not stopping new players from entering the market. The latest brand to join the PC market is Realme with its Realme Book Slim announced today. The notebook has an interesting design and pretty great specs.
If you are wondering how it measures up to laptops from competitors, then you are at the right place as we will be comparing the Realme Book Slim to the RedmiBook 15 e-Learning Edition, RedmiBook 15 Pro, and Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition.
| Realme Book Slim | RedmiBook 15 e-Learning | RedmiBook 15 Pro | Mi Notebook Horizon Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 14-inch 2K (2160 x 1440) IPS LCD | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD | 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD |
| Material | Aluminum | Polycarbonate | Polycarbonate | Aluminum |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor (Dual-core quad-thread) 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor (Quad-core Octa-thread) | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11300H | 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10510U |
| Dedicated GPU | No | No | No | NVIDIA GeForce MX350 2GB GDDR5 RAM |
| RAM | i3 version: 8GB 3733MHz i5 version: 8GB 4266MHz | 8GB 3200MHz | 8GB 3200MHz | 8GB 2666MHz |
| Storage | 256GB PCIe SSD 512GB PCIe SSD | 256GB PCIe NVME SSD 512GB PCIe NVME SSD | 512GB PCIe NVME SSD | 512GB PCIe NVME SSD |
| Ports | i3 version: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 1x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 3.5mm microphone + headphone combo jack i5 version: 1x Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 1x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 3.5mm microphone + headphone combo jack | 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 HDMI 1.4 RJ45 LAN port 3.5mm headphone jack SD Card reader | 1x USB 2.0 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 HDMI 1.4 RJ45 LAN port 3.5mm headphone jack SD Card reader | 1x USB-C USB 3.1 Gen 1 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 1x USB 2.1 1x HDMI 3.5mm microphone + headphone combo jack |
| Connectivity | i3 version: Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 5 i5 version - Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6 | Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5 | Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5 | Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5 |
| Battery and Battery Life | 54Wh Battery Up to 11 hours of video playback 65W USB-C power adapter | 46Wh Battery Up to 10 hours of of battery life 65W power adapter | 46Wh Battery Up to 10 hours of of battery life 65W power adapter | 46Wh Battery Up to 10 hours of of battery life 65W power adapter |
| Additional Features | Backlit keyboard (3-level) Fingerprint scanner (power button) PC Connect | No backlit keyboard No fingerprint scanner | No backlit keyboard No fingerprint scanner | No backlit keyboard No fingerprint scanner Webcam bundled separately |
| Colors | Real Gray and Real Blue | Charcoal Gray | Charcoal Gray | Charcoal Gray |
| Weight | 1.38 kilograms | 1.8 kilograms | 1.8 kilograms | 1.35 kilograms |
| Price | i3 version 8+256GB = ₹46,999 i5 version 8+512GB = ₹59,999 | 8+256GB = ₹41,999 8+512GB = ₹44,999 | 8+512GB = ₹49,999 | 8+512GB = ₹54,999 |
Build
The Realme Book Slim and Mi Notebook Horizon Edition are the only two models with an aluminum body. They are also the lightest, which is no surprise since they are both 14-inch computers.
While Xiaomi (and Redmi) are offering their PCs in just one colorway, Realme provides two, one of which is an eye-catching blue.
Display size
All four notebooks use an LCD display but the Realme Book Slim which has a 14-inch panel has a higher 2K resolution. However, its viewing angle of 170° is lesser than the 178° the Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition boasts of.
Processor and RAM
The Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition is the only one of the four computers with a 10th gen processor, although it is a Core-i7 processor. The advantage it has over the 11th gen CPUs is its lower TDP which should translate to longer battery life. However, Realme cancels this out by shipping its computer with a bigger battery capacity.
The Realme Book Slim also uses a faster type of RAM than the other computers.
GPU
This is one area where the Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition shines. Unlike the other computers with an integrated GPU, it also packs a dedicated GPU via the NVIDIA GeForce MX350. This gives it an added boost in graphic performance and multitasking.
Ports and Connectivity
Xiaomi and Redmi have stuck to USB-A ports for their computers. There are ample ports on all three of them, so you should not need a dock. However, if a USB-C port is important to you, you won’t find them on any of these computers.
Realme, on the other hand, goes for fewer ports, though you do get two USB-C ports that serve for charging and display output. There is no LAN port, so if you require this, you will have to get a dock. The Core i5 version of the Realme Book Slim has a Thunderbolt 4 port that also doubles as a USB 4 port, so you can output 2 x 4K displays at the same time. Realme also gets a plus with the addition of the much faster Wi-Fi 6 and also Bluetooth 5.2.
Battery life and fast charging
The Realme Book Slim boasts up to 11 hours of battery life which is just a little over the 10 hours the other devices claim. All four ship with a 65W adapter, but Realme’s own is a USB-C charger which should also work for your phone. All four boast of fast charging – up to 50% in about half an hour.
Additional features
The Realme Book Slim has extra features such as a backlit keyboard with three levels of brightness and a fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button. There is also PC Connect, a feature that allows you to connect your compatible phone with your PC. Users will be able to preview notifications, open their mobile apps on their PC, and also transfer files from one device to the other by dragging and dropping. They can also use a shared clipboard feature for copying and pasting text from one device to the other.
Price
The RedmiBook 15 e-Learning Edition is the cheapest of them all, which is no surprise since it uses an 11th Gen Core i3 processor. However, the Realme Book Slim’s Core i3 equivalent costs a few thousand more and justifies the increase with features such as a backlit keyboard, fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi 6, and a sharper display.
The importance of the aforementioned features and a Thunderbolt 4 port also comes into consideration when comparing the higher-specced Realme Book Slim to the RedmiBook 15 Pro. Are these features worth the extra ₹10,000 or not?
The Mi Horizon Edition Notebook sits in a tricky spot with its older processor and lack of an integrated webcam. It costs ₹4,999 more than the RedmiBook Pro and for that, you get a dedicated GPU and an aluminum build.
Conclusion
All of these computers are great options for anyone with a budget of ₹60,000, but they might not necessarily be the best. They do have their individual strengths and weaknesses which will determine which one of them you decide to go for.
The Realme Book Slim has a better display, a fingerprint scanner, and a backlit keyboard. There is also Wi-Fi 6, and its slim and lightweight design will also appeal to a lot of people. However, its limited number of ports means you will need to get a dock that adds the ports you need which is an extra purchase on top of a device that already costs more.
The RedmiBook 15 e-Learning Edition doesn’t look as good and is also heavier but has the same processor as the base model of the Realme Book Slim for a lower price tag. It also has all the ports you may need. Even the 512GB version costs less than the Realme Book Slim.
The RedmiBook 15 Pro has all the features of the RedmiBook 15 e-Learning Edition including its demerits (no backlit keyboard, no USB-C, and no fingerprint scanner) but adds a more powerful processor and 512GB of storage. So you get an identical performance to the Core i5 version of the Realme Book Slim but for significantly less.
The Mi Notebook Horizon Edition is the other option for those who want a lightweight computer with a metallic build. It costs a lot more than the Redmi notebooks and has a less powerful processor but its dedicated RAM may appeal to casual gamers.
Which of these computers do you prefer? Let us know in the comments box.
RELATED:
