Smartphone brands Narzo and Cherry Mobile achieved a couple of milestones this year. So today, we’ll be comparing some of their latest offerings in the midrange smartphone segment.
First, we have Narzo, who just launched the Narzo 50 5G as their first smartphone after it became a standalone brand from Realme.
We’ll be comparing that device to the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV, which is one of the first two 5G smartphones from the local tech brand.
Both have 5G connectivity, other fancy specs, and similar price tags. The question is, which of the two devices should you get? We find out in our Narzo 50 5G versus Cherry Mobile Aqua SV specifications and features comparison.
| Narzo 50 5G | Cherry Mobile Aqua SV | |
| Operating System | Android 12 Realme UI 3.0 | Android 11 |
| Display | 6.6-inch FHD+ IPS display 2408 x 1080 pixel resolution 399ppi 90Hz refresh rate 180Hz touch sampling rate | 6.6-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2400 x 1080 pixels 398ppi 90Hz refresh rate Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.4GHz MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G octa-core | 2.4GHz MediaTek Dimensity 810 octa-core Liquid Cooling Technology |
| RAM | 6GB | 8GB |
| GPU | Mali-G57 MC2 | Mali-G57 MC2 |
| Storage | 128GB expandable via microSD | 128GB not expandable via microSD |
| Front Camera | 8-megapixel | 16-megapixel 2-megapixel |
| Rear Camera | 48-megapixel (f/1.8) 2-megapixel (monochrome sensor) LED flash | 64-megapixel 5-megapixel (ultra-wide) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) LED flash |
| Audio | Stero speakers Headphone jack | Single Loudspeaker No Headphone jack |
| Connectivity | HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.3 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS USB Type-C | HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.1 GPS, A-GPS USB Type-C |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock | In-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Others | – | Curved screen |
| Colors | Hyper Black Hyper Blue | Luxxe Green |
| Dimensions and Weight | 163.8 x 75.1 x 8.1mm 190g | 160.5 x 73.8 x 8.8mm 175g |
| Battery and Charging | 5,000mAh 33W Dart Charge | 4,200mAh 30W fast charging |
| Price | Php12,999 | Php11,999 |
Design and Build Quality
Design preferences are always subjective. It will depend on your own taste whether a device looks good or not. But for today’s comparison, we gotta hand the win to the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV thanks to some technicalities.
For starters, this affordable device managed to have a curved screen that’s really attractive to look at. It also has a leather-like plastic material and slimmer body, which are both nice in the hands and looks really premium.
For the Narzo 50 5G, the Realme sub-brand went with a more familiar formula with for-gamers angst, large lenses, and a textured back panel.
Still, the Aqua SV takes the crown for having a fancier design that definitely doesn’t feel cheap.
Display and Audio
A clear win for the Aqua SV, unless you really like having a stereo speaker setup over a better screen. The Cherry Mobile device boasts a more colorful AMOLED panel and is protected by a sturdier Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Oh, and let’s not forget that it is curved.
Those pros make up for it only having a single speaker. And since it is a thin device, it doesn’t come with a headphone jack, either.
Hardware and Performance
Both devices get their 5G connectivity from the trusty MediaTek Dimensity 810 octa-core processor. That means that they also have the same Mali-G57 MC2 GPU to handle graphics in games. In terms of storage, the two also have 128GB of storage.
The Aqua SV lacks a microSD card slot, but it still edged out the Naro 50 5G by having 2GB more RAM and Liquid Cooling Technology for better thermals when gaming.
Cameras
The Aqua SV is equipped with dual cameras, with the main 16-megapixel one even sharper than the Narzo 50 5G’s lone 8-megapixel selfie shooter.
On the back, the SV has 4 shooters while the Narzo 50 5G only has two. What’s more, the main one is also sharper at 64-megapixels, while the latter only has 48-megapixels. There’s also an ultra-wide lens for architectural shots and other bigger subjects.
Battery
Possibly the only win for the Narzo 50 5G. As you can see, the company didn’t bother to make it thin and light as long as they managed to cram a 5,000mAh battery. The Aqua SV only has 4,200mAh.
What’s more, the Narzo 50 5G has a slightly faster-charging adapter with 33W, compared to its competitor’s 30W. Although, with its smaller battery, the Aqua SV can reach 100% faster. Still, longevity will be better on the Narzo device.
Conclusion
Well, I guess we have a clear winner here. The local contender, Cherry Mobile Aqua SV, managed to beat the international phone Narzo 50 5G thanks to its fancier design, better screen, more RAM capacity, and packed camera setup.
The CM Aqua SV is also cheaper with a price tag of only Php11,999, while the Narzo 50 5G costs Php1,000 more at Php12,999. Both models are available in the Philippines in their respective stores both online and offline.