The 5G technology has reached budget phones. However, due to their affordable nature, you really can’t have it all for the price. Chances are, a non-5G entry-level phone may have better features in other departments than those that have this latest connectivity standard.
That’s exactly what the TECNO Camon 17 Pro is. It may not have 5G, but it sure is an appealing device with all the other extra features it got.
Today, we’d be comparing it to the Realme 8 5G. We will see if having 5G connectivity is solely enough to miss the other features. Or maybe, its display, cameras, and other features are actually enough to dominate the Camon 17 Pro further.
So, without further ado, here’s our TECNO Camon 17 Pro versus Realme 8 5G specifications and features comparison.
| TECNO Camon 17 Pro | Realme 8 5G | |
| Operating System | Android 11 HIOS 7.6 | Android 11 Realme UI 2.0 |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual standby | Dual SIM Dual standby |
| Display | 6.8-inch FHD+ IPS 2460 x 1080 pixel resolution 395ppi | 6.5-inch FHD+ IPS 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution 405ppi 90Hz refresh rate 600-nits |
| Processor | 2.05GHz MediaTek Helio G95 octa-core | 2.2GHz MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G octa-core |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MC4 | Mali-G57 MC2 |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB expandable via microSD | 128GB UFS 2.2 expandable via microSD |
| Front Camera | 48-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Rear Camera | 64-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.3) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) 2-megapixel (mono) Quad-LED flash | 48-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) BnW 2-megapixel (macro) LED flash |
| Audio | Headphone jack Stereo loudspeaker | Headphone jack Single loudspeaker |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Side-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 FM Radio USB Type-C | HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.1 GPS, A-GPS, GALILEO, QZSS, GLONASS, BDS NFC USB Type-C |
| Dimensions | 168.9 x 77 x 9mm | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.5mm |
| Weight | 201g | 185g |
| Body | Front: Glass Back: Plastic Frame: Plastic | Front: Corning Gorilla Glass Back: Plastic Frame: Plastic |
| Colors | Malibu Blue California Dream Silver | Supersonic Black Supersonic Blue |
| Battery | 5,000mAh non-removable 25W fast charging | 5,000mAh non-removable 18W fast charging |
| Price | 8GB/128GB: Php9,990 8GB/256GB: Php10,990 | Php11,990 |
Design and Build Quality
Being budget phones, design isn’t the top priority on these devices. Plus, since this part is subjective, we’ll let you decide which one looks better.
Personally, we like the Realme 8 5G better. Since both brands are obviously going with a straightforward look, this device got to that better by having a cleaner look.
We also prefer having the punch-hole on the top-left like what the Realme device has versus having it in the middle like what the TECNO phone has. It’s less distracting so that you can enjoy the screen better.
As for the build, both devices use similar materials. They’re generally constructed in plastic with glass on the front, of course. To Realme’s credit, they officially said that the Realme 8 5G has Corning Gorilla Glass, albeit the exact version was not revealed. On the other hand, TECNO Mobile didn’t mention what glass they used completely.
Display and Audio
You have to decide if which one is more important: size or speed. As you can see, the TECNO Camon 17 Pro has a 6.8-inch FHD+ screen, which is larger than the Realme 8 5G’s 6.5-inch.
It may be smaller, but the Realme device does have a faster 90Hz refresh rate.
What we’re sure of is that the Camon 17 Pro wins the audio department with its stereo speaker setup, easily beating the single speaker that the latter has.
Hardware and Performance
The MediaTek Helio G95 of the TECNO Camon 17 Pro is meant for gaming. A couple of benchmarks reveal that it does offer better performance in gaming than the former.
But, being a newer chipset, the Dimensity 700 should have a slightly better CPU performance, battery efficiency, and of course, bring 5G connectivity to budget phones like this.
This doesn’t mean that the Dimensity 700 is bad at handling games. Since it’s still a mid-range processor, it should run games fine.
Related
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Camera
Here’s where the TECNO Camon 17 Pro clearly wins. This device is from the brand’s line of camera-centric smartphones, so no surprises there.
This one has a sharper 64-megapixel main camera versus the 48-megapixel main shooter of the Realme 8 5G. It also has a more pixel-packed 48-megapixel selfie-snapper than the 16-megapixel of the latter.
It also has an ultra-wide lens, a dedicated depth sensor, and a Quad-LED flash, which the Realme device clearly lacks.
Battery
Both devices share the same 5,000mAh non-removable batteries. But with its faster refresh rate and 5G connectivity, battery life might be shorter on the Realme 8 5G.
Where the Camon 17 Pro shines is in charging technology. It has a 25W adapter, while the latter has the more standard 18W charging.
Conclusion
To help you decide, you must know if 5G connectivity is really important to you. As you can see, besides the newer processor, faster screen, and NFC, the Realme 8 5G is behind the competition.
Meanwhile, the Camon 17 Pro has way better cameras, a larger screen, stereo speakers, slightly better gaming performance, and faster charging — all while actually having a cheaper price tag.
The Camon 17 Pro top-tier model already comes with 256GB of storage and retails for only Php10,990. That’s Php1,000 cheaper than the Realme 8 5G’s Php11,990, which by the way, only has 128GB of storage.