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 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.
Realme X3 SuperZoom | POCO F2 Pro | |
Operating System | Android 10 Realme UI | Android 10 MIUI 11 |
SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
Display | 6.6-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 |
Processor | 2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus octa-core Liquid Cooling | 2.84GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Vapor Chamber Cooling |
RAM | 12GB LPDDR4x | 6GB LPDDR4x 8GB LPDDR5 |
GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 650 |
Storage | 256GB UFS 3.0 non-expandable | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.0 non-expandable |
Front Camera | 32-megapixel (f/2.5) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide) | 20-megapixel 120fps slow-mo |
Rear Camera | 64-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 |
Audio | No headphone jack Single Super Linear Speaker Dolby Atmos Hi-Res Audio | Headphone jack HiRes Audio certified Single Super Linear Speaker Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus |
Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock | In-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
Connectivity | HSPA+, 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 |
Others | Punch-hole | Pop-up camera |
Dimensions | 163.8 x 75.8 x 8.9mm | 163.3 x 75.4 x 8.9mm |
Weight | 202g | 218g |
Colors | Arctic White Glacier Blue | Cyber Grey Electric Purple Phantom White Neon Blue |
Body | Front: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Back: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Front: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Back: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
Battery | 4,200mAh 30W Dart Charge | 4,700mAh 30W fast charging 33W charger included |
Price | Php24,990 | 6GB/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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.