Flagship phones are fancy, lavish and all, but the most impressive innovation in the smartphone space is seen in inexpensive midrange phones.
Smartphone brands like Xiaomi are hard at work to bring high-end features in affordable devices. And we’re seeing their attempts reflected on handsets like the Redmi Note 9S.
Sitting in the sub-Php10,000 price category, the Redmi Note 9S is a step up to some of its competition in this segment.
But other than Chinese brands, prominent names like Samsung also wants to better serve budget-conscious buyers. And devices like the Samsung Galaxy A30s has been created just for that.
So, if you’re looking for an affordable midrange device, our Redmi Note 9S versus Samsung Galaxy A30s specifications and features comparison is here to help you out.
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | Samsung Galaxy A30s | |
| Operating System | Android 10 MIUI 11 | Android 9 Pie Samsung One UI (Android 10 update available) |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution ~394ppi 91% screen-to-body ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | 6.4-inch HD+ Super AMOLED 1560 x 720 pixel resolution ~268ppi 84% screen-to-body ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core | 2.2GHz Exynos 7885 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB | 4GB |
| GPU | Adreno 618 | Mali-G71 |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 expandable via microSD | 128GB expandable via microSD up to 512GB |
| Front Camera | 16-megapixel Punch-hole 120fps slow-mo selfie | 16-megapixel f/2.0 |
| Rear Camera | 48-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) 5-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash AI Scene Detection Ultra Nightscape mode up to [email protected] up to [email protected] slow-mo | 25-megapixel (f/1.7) 8-megapixel (ultra wide) 5-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash AI Scene Detection Night Mode up to [email protected]ps [email protected] slow-mo |
| Audio | Headphone jack Single speaker | Headphone jack Single speaker |
| 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 GPS, A-GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BDS, NavIC IR blaster FM Radio USB Type-C | HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 803.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo FM Radio USB Type-C |
| Others | P2i splash proof | n/a |
| Dimensions | 165.75 x 76.68 x 8.8mm | 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.8mm |
| Weight | 209g | 166g |
| Colors | Aurora Blue Glacier White Interstellar Black | Prism Crush White Prism Crush Black Prism Crush Green Prism Crush Violet |
| Battery | 5,020mAh 22.5W fast charging | 4,000mAh 15W charger |
| Price | 4GB/64GB: Php10,490 6GB/128GB: Php11,990 | Php12,990 |
Despite the expensive option, the Samsung Galaxy A30s easily lost this battle against the Redmi Note 9S. This is not really surprising since Xiaomi is known for their bang-for-the-buck smartphones, and its latest release is no different.
You can already tell who’s the winner just by looking at the display. The Note 9S has a bigger 6.67-inch screen with a sharper FHD+ resolution. On the other hand, the Galaxy A30s settles for an HD screen, which is not only inferior to the Note 9S but simply unforgivable for a smartphone at this price.
The Redmi Note 9S also has a newer and more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor, while the Samsung Galaxy A30s uses an old Exynos 7885 processor.
What’s more, the top-of-the-line model of the Note 9S already comes with 6GB of RAM That’s still cheaper than the lone Galaxy A30s variant that only has 4GB of memory.
The Galaxy A30s also lost in the battery department. It only has a 4,000mAh capacity with 15W charger, easily dominated by the 5,020mAh battery of the former with a faster 22.5W charger included on the box.
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The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S continues its winning streak in the camera round. It boasts a 48-megapixel main shooter, which should take sharper images than the 25-megapixel camera of the latter.
You’re also getting a dedicated 5-megapixel macro camera on the Redmi Note 9S and although they both share a 16-megapixel selfie snapper, the camera features of the Redmi Note 9S, like the 120fps slow-mo selfie, are really fun to play with.
Well, as you just saw, there’s pretty much no point in picking the Samsung Galaxy A30s over the Redmi Note 9S — unless you really like Samsung.
It features a more powerful processor, larger and sharper screen, better cameras, and bigger battery — all that while maintaining a cheaper price tag than the competition.