A flagship smartphone experience can cost a fortune. But these Chinese brands prove that you don’t have to go broke just to own a powerful, feature-packed smartphone.

The devices we’ll be comparing today only costs below php30,000. One of them is the newly released Realme X3 SuperZoom. It features a flagship-level processor, smooth screen, great cameras, and a couple of extras that make it one of the most appealing devices in this category.

Realme-X3

Realme is going head to head with Xiaomi, who also brought the POCO F2 Pro in the Philippines a few weeks earlier. Just like the former, this one offers a complete smartphone experience that costs almost half of a traditional flagship device.

With that, here in our Realme X3 SuperZoom versus POCO F2 Pro specifications and features comparison, we’ll see which one is actually better and offer the best value for the price.

POCO-F2-Pro-NoypiGeeks-5541
Realme X3 SuperZoomPOCO F2 Pro
Operating SystemAndroid 10
Realme UI
Android 10
MIUI 11
SIMDual SIM
Dual Standby
Dual SIM
Dual Standby
Display6.6-inch FHD+ IPS
2400 x 1080 pixel resolution
~398ppi
120Hz refresh rate
90.5% screen-to-body ratio
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED
2400 x 1080 pixel resolution
~394ppi
100% DCI-P3
HDR10+
180Hz sampling rate
sRGB
Corning Gorilla Glas 5
Processor2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus octa-core
Liquid Cooling
2.84GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Vapor Chamber Cooling
RAM12GB LPDDR4x6GB LPDDR4x
8GB LPDDR5
GPUAdreno 640Adreno 650
Storage256GB
UFS 3.0
non-expandable
128GB/256GB
UFS 3.0
non-expandable
Front Camera32-megapixel (f/2.5)
8-megapixel (ultra-wide) 
20-megapixel
120fps slow-mo
Rear Camera64-megapixel (f/1.8)
8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.3)
8-megapixel (Periscope, 5x optical, 60x digital, OIS)
2-megapixel (macro)
AI Scene Detection
Starry Night
Super Nightscape
up to 4K@60fps
UIS Max Video Stabilization
PDAF
LED flash
64-megapixel (f/1.8)
13-megapixel (ultra-wide)
5-megapixel (macro)
2-megapixel (depth sensor)
LED flash
Super Night Scene 2.0
AI Scene Detection
up to 8K@24fps
up to 1080p@960fps slow-mo
LED flash
AudioNo headphone jack
Single Super Linear Speaker
Dolby Atmos
Hi-Res Audio
Headphone jack
HiRes Audio certified
Single Super Linear Speaker
Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus
SecuritySide-mounted fingerprint scanner
Face unlock
In-display fingerprint scanner
Face unlock
ConnectivityHSPA+, 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.0
Dual-frequency GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
USB Type-C
5G
4G LTE
VoLTE
WiFi 6, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.1
dual-frequency GPS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS, A-GPS
NFC
USB Type-C
OthersPunch-holePop-up camera
Dimensions163.8 x 75.8 x 8.9mm163.3 x 75.4 x 8.9mm
Weight202g218g
ColorsArctic White
Glacier Blue
Cyber Grey
Electric Purple
Phantom White
Neon Blue
BodyFront: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Back: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Front: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Back: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Battery4,200mAh
30W Dart Charge
4,700mAh
30W fast charging
33W charger included
PricePhp24,9906GB/128GB: Php26,990
8GB/256GB: Php29,990

Design

As we always say, design is subjective to everyone’s taste. So at the end of the day, it will be up to you to decide. But for you to make the right decision, let us give you the facts.

POCO-F2-Pro-colors-NoypiGeeks-5521

Both devices are almost the same size with their 6.6-inch screens. However, the POCO device is a bit heavier at 218g. This is probably due to the fact that the F2 Pro has a mechanism that enables its pop-up camera.

The pop-up camera allowed the handset to have an almost bezel-less look, although I know that some people have a sketchy feeling of having a moving part on their phone.

Realme-X3-NoypiGeeks

On the other hand, the Realme X3 SuperZoom uses a less sketchy punch-hole for its dual selfie cameras. It may be a bit distracting when watching movies, but it should be more reliable than having a pop-up mechanism.

Moreover, both phones are sandwiched with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 in front and back. Neither have any waterproof rating, but the moving part on the F2 Pro makes it more prone to water penetration.

Display

Here’s an easy win for the Realme X3 SuperZoom. As what you just saw, it packs a 120Hz refresh rate. We were able to test it out in our hands-on review (see video below) and you can really tell the difference from a regular 60Hz screen like what the F2 Pro has.

But to POCO’s credit, the F2 Pro does use an AMOLED panel, which should offer more vibrant and contrasty colors. It also enables the device’s in-display fingerprint scanner, while the former relies on a side-mounted one.

Performance

The POCO F2 Pro is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 flagship processor, which is considered as the most powerful mobile chipset in the market today. Meanwhile, the Realme X3 SuperZoom uses the predecessor of the 865, the Snapdragon 855 Plus.

POCO-F2-Pro-NoypiGeeks-5542

Since both are fairly new, both processors shall provide fast and seamless performance. Although, the X3 SuperZoom shall feel faster thanks to its 120Hz screen, and a much larger 12GB of RAM.

It’s also worth noting that the Realme option is Php2,000 cheaper, but more on that later.

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Camera

Another win for the Realme X3 SuperZoom. As the name suggests, its main highlight is the cameras. There’s the 8-megapixel sensor with a periscope-style lens, a feature found on more expensive flagships like the Huawei P40 Pro.

Realme-X3-SuperZoom-Review-NoypiGeeks-5733

It also has a 32-megapixel selfie camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide next to it. On the other hand, the POCO device only has a single 20-megapixel front camera.

However, the POCO F2 Pro do come with an identical 64-megapixel main camera and a sharper 13-megapixel ultra-wide rear lens. The newer processor also allows it to shoot 8K videos and 960fps slow-mo.

Battery

As you can see on the comparison table above, the POCO F2 Pro wins this round. It has a 4,700mAh battery, which should give a few extra hours of screen-on time than the 4,500mAh battery.

POCO-F2-Pro-NoypiGeeks-5547

However, both devices do come with 30W fast charging support. Although, Xiaomi is including a 33W fast charger on the box for some reason.

Others

Thanks to its newer chipset, the POCO F2 Pro gets to have 5G, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1 — making it futureproof as we enter the new era of wireless technology.

POCO F2 Pro: Snapdragon 865 processor, Pop-up camera, 4700mAh battery

But if you really want to be practical, the antennas on the Realme X3 SuperZoom are still very reliable to this day.

And based on our experience, a physical fingerprint scanner like what the X3 SuperZoom has works faster and more reliable than the in-display one of the POCO F2 Pro.

Conclusion

If having 5G connectivity, WiFi 6, and the newer Snapdragon 865 processor are really important, then go with the POCO F2 Pro. It’s available for a starting price of Php26,990.

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But if you want something more practical, then go with the Realme X3 SuperZoom, which is Php2,000 cheaper at Php24,990. With this device, you’re still getting a powerful performance with its Snapdragon 855 Plus processor. What’s interesting is, it has a smoother 120Hz refresh rate, extra RAM, and a more appealing set of cameras.

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