Realme 3 Vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: here’s how the two budget phones compare

Xiaomi has literally stumped both critics as well as competition with the Redmi Note 7 Pro – a budget phone that’s no less a flagship than a typical flagship that costs 2X, 3X more. But Xiaomi has also launched the Redmi Note 7 alongside - that might just have been overshadowed by the Redmi Note 7 Pro’s too good to be true spec-sheet. That’s not to say that the Redmi Note 7 is not a capable phone, although there will be some who will be disappointed that Xiaomi decided to launch an updated version in India as opposed to what it is selling in China. 

The most noticeable difference is that the Redmi Note 7 India version comes with a 12MP rear camera – the Redmi Note 7 China version ships with a 48MP rear camera (with Samsung GM1 sensor, and not the Sony IMX586 found inside the Redmi Note 7 Pro). Xiaomi says, it needed to cut some corners, in order to keep the price down – it wanted to price the Redmi Note 7 starting at Rs 9,999 (same as the Redmi Note 5 before it) by all means. 

Again, that’s not to say that the Redmi Note 7 is a big downgrade – the Redmi Note 7 in fact punches way above its weight at its low price. 

But enough about the Redmi Note 7. While the Redmi Note 7 Pro may not have a direct competitor yet, Realme believes its newly launched Realme 3 can take the Redmi Note 7 and give Xiaomi’s phone a run for its money. Realme is also working on a Realme 3 Pro to take on the Redmi Note 7 Pro that will arrive sometime in April. 

Here’s a step by step breakdown of what the Realme 3 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 have to offer – and how they compare basis of paper specs: 

• Both the Realme 3 and the Redmi Note 7 boast of a gradient design – but Xiaomi’s phone uses more premium materials. The Redmi Note 7, like the Redmi Note 7 Pro, has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as on the back - Xiaomi says the phone is designed to survive 12-15 falls from 1m height. The Realme 3 in sharp contrast is an all-plastic phone.
• Both the Realme 3 and the Redmi Note 7 come with a waterdrop/teardrop-style notch on the front – but Xiaomi’s phone offers a better screen. The Redmi Note 7 has a 6.3-inch LTPS 1080p+ display. The Realme 3 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with a 720p+ resolution.
• The Realme 3 is powered by a MediaTek Helio P70 – a processor that Realme says offers more value for money at its price point over the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (that is inside the Redmi Note 7). Based on a more efficient 12nm process, the Helio P70 offers 40 per cent lower power consumption in heavy loading games and 3 per cent better CPU performance in multi-core tasks over Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 which is a 14nm-based processor. Xiaomi meanwhile says that it is using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660’s full 2.2GHz clock speed unlike rivals that have been using a ‘lite’ version of this processor.
• Both the phones will be available in two configurations – 3GB RAM/32GB storage and 4GB RAM/64GB storage. Expandable storage is supported by both the phones.
• The Realme 3 runs Oppo’s new ColorOS 6 which is based on Android 9 Pie – which brings among other things, an app drawer. The Redmi Note 7 runs Android Pie-based MIUI 10. 
• The Redmi Note 7 packs a 4,000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 through USB Type-C – it is in fact the most affordable phone in India to come with USB Type-C. The Realme 3 packs a larger 4,230mAh battery but charges through micro-USB (no fast charging).
• The Realme 3 has a dual rear camera system consisting of a 13MP f/1.8 sensor and another 2MP sensor for depth sensing aka portrait photography. On the front, the Realme 3 comes with a 13MP camera. The Redmi Note 7 has a 12MP plus 2MP depth rear dual camera system. On the front, the Redmi Note 7 comes with a 13MP camera. 
• Realme has launched the Realme 3 in India at a starting price of Rs 8,999 for the base variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, going all the way to Rs 10,999 for the top-end variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The Redmi Note 7 starts at Rs 9,999 for the base variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, going all the way to Rs 11,999 for the top end version with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.