POCO M3 vs Realme Narzo 20: Specs Comparison

Who would have thought that entry-level smartphones can become exciting? Thanks to brands like Xiaomi and Realme, consumers on a tight budget now have killer options that can cater to the modern world’s demanding needs.

Recently, Xiaomi released its latest bang-for-the-buck budget phone, the POCO M3. Just like its siblings, this device is more than enough to handle or your day-to-day tasks, camera, and gaming needs. All that while maintaining a below Php10k price tag.

It goes head to head with the Realme Narzo 20, another killer option in this price category.

Both devices are well-equipped with all the features you might need, thus redefining what budget phones used to be.

But the question is, which between these devices is actually better? We find out in our POCO M3 versus Realme Narzo 20 specifications and features comparison.

	POCO M3	Realme Narzo 20
Operating System	Android 10 MIUI 12 for POCO	Android 10 Realme UI
SIM	Dual SIM Dual Standby	Dual SIM Dual Standby
Display	6.53-inch FHD+ IPS 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~394ppi	6.5-inch HD+ IPS 1600 x 720 pixel resolution ~270ppi
Processor	2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 octa-core	2.0GHz MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core
RAM	4GB	4GB
GPU	Adreno 610	Mali-G52
Storage	64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 expandable via microSD	64GB eMMC 5.1 expandable via microSD
Front Camera	8-megapixel Waterdrop notch	8-megapixel Waterdrop notch
Rear Camera	48-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) LED flash AI Scene Detection Night mode 1080p@30fps 720p@120fps slow-mo	48-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide) 2-megapixel (macro) LED flash AI Scene Detection Nightscape 1080p@30fps 720p@120fps slow-mo
Audio	Headphone jack Stereo speakers Hi-Res audio	Headphone jack Single speaker
Security	Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock	Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock
Connectivity	HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, BDS, Galileo, GLONASS FM Radio USB Type-C	HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS FM Radio USB Type-C
Body	Front: Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Back: Plastic	Front: Corning Gorilla Glass Back: Plastic
Dimensions	162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6mm	164.5 x 75.9 x 9.8mm
Weight	198g	208g
Colors	POCO Yellow Cool Blue Power Black	Silver Sword Blue
Battery	6,000mAh 18W fast charging support 22.5W charger included Reverse charging	6,000mAh 18W fast charging Reverse charging
Price	4GB/64GB: Php6,990 4GB/128GB: Php7,990	Php7,990

Design and Build Quality

Just by looking at the pictures, you can already tell which is the winner here. As you can see, the POCO M3 has a more distinct and attractive look over the Realme Narzo 20.

It features a wide backdrop that encapsulates the triple cameras and the large POCO logo. Moreover, upon looking closely, you can notice that it has a textured back panel.

What’s more interesting is its color options. There’s the bright but matte POCO Yellow color, which is a signature of the brand. We also have the Cool Blue and a more subtle Power Black color. I also like how Xiaomi used a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for a cleaner look.

Realme went with a cleaner look on the Narzo 20. It has plain colors that come in Blue and Silver Sword. Unlike the former, it appears to be shinier with V accents as it reacts to light.

Since they are budget devices, neither have waterproof protection or glass/metal build. They are also relatively heavier than other devices, but that’s due to their large batteries (more on that later).

Display and audio

Here’s another obvious win for the POCO M3. Despite their similar sizes, the Xiaomi device has a sharper FHD+ resolution. Having an HD+ screen, like what the Narzo has, is already acceptable for the price, but it’s nice to see Xiaomi going above and beyond.

Another evidence of Xiaomi going above and beyond is adding a stereo speaker and Hi-Res audio on the M3. Definitely earning extra points on this comparison.

Hardware and Performance

Having the best possible performance is important for a budget phone. With that, we gotta hand the win to the Realme Narzo 20 on this one. A couple of Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 vs Helio G85 showdowns reveal that the latter is more powerful than the other

However, the M3 makes up for it by having a faster UFS 2.1 storage and 128GB option for the same price as the 64GB Realme Narzo 20.

Havinga faster storage translates to faster app loading times, taking pictures, watching videos locally, file transfers, and more. Still, raw performance should be better on the Narzo 20.

Camera

Both the POCO M3 and Realme Narzo 20 have the same 48-megapixel main cameras, 2-megapixel macro, and 8-megapixel selfie snappers.

Related

• Realme Narzo 20 vs Realme 6i: Specs Comparison
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However, the Narzo 20 overtakes the M3 thanks to its 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. That’s obviously more useful than the 2-megapixel depth sensor that the former has.

Battery

Just like most budget phones, the POCO M3 and Realme Narzo 20 makes up for their least interesting hardware by having extra-large batteries, 6,000mAh to be exact.

They also have 18W fast charging support. But like most Xiaomi devices, the POCO M3 does come with a 22.5W fast charger in the box.

Although it has a sharper FHD screen, the battery life might be shorter on the M3. That’s one of the very few benefits of having an HD screen, like what the Narzo 20 has.

Conclusion

Knowing which between the POCO M3 and Realme Narzo 20 is best will depend in your preference. If you’re all about entertainment, the sharper screen and stereo speakers of the M3 might suite you better. But if performance is top priority, you’re better off with the Narzo 20.

The pricing favors the M3, but shouldn’t be a big issue since they are similar. For the same price of Php7,9990, the M3 already comes with 128GB of storage, while the Narzo 20 only has 64GB. The POCO device do have the same 64GB option, but at a much cheaper price of Php6,990.