The midrange smartphone market just got more exciting. The devices under this category have become more powerful and are now dressed in stylish designs.
We credit this revolution to a lot of Chinese handset manufacturers. More notably, Huawei and Xiaomi. Both companies have been pushing the envelope of of the smartphone industry in the past couple of months.
As you all know, Huawei has been around for a long time already. Most of their smartphone releases used to be underrated and underappreciated. But now that they became smarter and more efficient in coming up with new products, Huawei handsets are some of the best in the industry today.
However, Xiaomi has a bit of a different story. Since their early beginnings, Xiaomi already knew what kind of devices they want to make. The company wants to build the best possible hardware, for the cheapest possible price. A mantra that’s behind their current success.
In our Huawei Nova 3i versus Xiaomi Mi A2 specifications and features comparison, we aim to see the current state of the midrange devices. Being the most appealing handsets in their category, these two devices will show us how far the budget-friendly options have come. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
| Huawei Nova 3i | Xiaomi Mi A2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo EMUI 8.2 | Android 8.1 Oreo Android One |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby Hybrid | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 6.3-inch FHD+ IPS 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~409ppi 19:9 aspect ratio | 5.99-inch FHD+ IPS 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution ~403ppi 18:9 aspect ratio |
| Processor | 2.2GHz HiSilicon Kirin 710 octa-core | 2.2Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| GPU | Mali-G51 GPU Turbo Technology | Adreno 512 |
| Storage | 128GB expandable via microSD up to 256GB | 64GB non-expandable |
| Front camera | 24-megapixel + 2-megapixel f/2.0 AR Lens/ 3D Qmoji | 20-megapixel f/2.2 LED flash |
| Rear Camera | 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel PDAF f/2.2 AI scene detection LED flash | 20-megapixel + 12-megapixel PDAF f/1.98 AI Photo modes LED flash |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner Face Unlock | Fingerprint scanner Face Unlock |
| Connectivity | HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS FM Radio microUSB | HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS FM Radio Infrared blaster USB Type-C |
| Dimensions | 157.6 x 75.2 x 7.6mm | 158.7 x 75.4 x 7.3mm |
| Weight | 169g | 166g |
| Colors | Iris Purple Pearl White Black | Gold Rose Gold Blue Red Black |
| Battery | 3,340mAh non-removable | 3,000mAh non-removable 10W charger |
| Price | Php15,990 | Php13,990 |
Xiaomi smartphones used the be the best and only option for most people when they want the best smartphone that their money can buy. But this time around, a lot of companies are stepping up to steal that title from them.
Sure, the Xiaomi Mi A2 is cheaper than the Huawei Nova 3i. But the extra Php2,000 that you’d be paying for the latter is really worth it.
For one, the Huawei Nova 3i has a marginally bigger screen which was made possible thanks to the display notch on top. And whether you like it or not, having a display notch seems like a status symbol these days, thanks to its resemblance to the iPhone X.
Speaking of which, the Nova 3i has a flashier design than the monotonous look of the Mi A2 . This part is actually subjective, but I think most people would agree that Huawei’s offering looks far more attractive.
In addition, the Nova 3i has a huge 128GB of internal storage. That’s two times more than the 64GB of storage of the competition. And if it wasn’t enough, the Nova 3i offers storage expandability, while the Mi A2 lacks a microSD slot.
The new Kirin 710 processor on the Huawei Nova 3i has similar performance to the one-year-old Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset of the Xiaomi Mi A2 has. The Mali-G51 GPU is said to be inferior to the Adreno 512. But with Huawei’s GPU Turbo technology, it will soon be able to compensate for it once it gets the software update.
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Moreover, the Huawei Nova 3i has a bigger battery at 3,340mAh, while the Xiaomi Mi A2 is capped at 3,000mAh. It’s 24-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual front cameras are also better than the Mi A2’s single 20-megapixel selfie shooter.
But to the Mi A2’s credit, it does have a better camera setup on the back. This thing utilizes 20-megapixel + 12-megapixel dual rear cameras, while the Huawei Nova 3i settles for a 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel sensors.
The Xiaomi Mi A2 also has an infrared blaster for those who want to control their appliances at home. It also runs on a clean and straightforward version of Android. And lastly, it features a USB Type-C port that’s more futureproof than the microUSB implementation found on the Nova 3i.
At the end of the day, both of these midrange smartphones are some of the best in the market today. So if you really want to save that extra Php2,000, going with the Php13,990 Xiaomi Mi A2 is still a wise choice. But if you think you can still stretch your budget, the Php15,990 Huawei Nova 3i definitely offers better hardware.
Huawei’s UI is just plain terrible, while the Miui from Xiaomi is tons better. Also Huawei has a lot of bloatware on their phones, didnt you notice reviewer? I’d go for a clean android OS anytime.