Two of the biggest Chinese brands in the Philippines, Vivo and Realme, recently launched their latest below-Php9,000 smartphones for those who are looking for value-oriented smartphones without breaking the bank.
First, we have the Vivo T1x, which is one of the first T-series devices to arrive in the country and is a cheaper alternative to the T1 5G.
On the other corner, we have the Realme C35. With its similar price tag, this budget device also wants to lure people in with its acceptable specs list and elegant looks.
Still, at the end of the day, people who are shopping in this price category want the best value they can get for the money. The question is, which of these two devices can provide that? We find out in our Vivo T1x and Realme C35 specifications and features comparison.
| Vivo T1x | Realme C35 | |
| Operating System | Android 12 Funtouch 12 | Android 11 Realme UI R Edition |
| Display | 6.58-inch FHD+ IPS 2408 x 1080 pixel resolution 401ppi 90Hz refresh rate | 6.6-inch FHD+ IPS 2408 x 1080 pixel resolution 401ppi 180Hz touch sampling |
| Processor | 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 octa-core | 2.0GHz UNISOC Tiger T616 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| GPU | Adreno 610 | Mali-G57 MP1 |
| Storage | 64GB expandable via microSD up to 1TB | 64GB/128GB UFS 2.2 expandable via microSD |
| Front Camera | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel |
| Rear Camera | 50-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (Depth sensor) LED flash | 50-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (monochrome) LED flash |
| Audio | Single loudspeaker Headphone jack | Single loudspeaker Headphone jack |
| Connectivity | HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS 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 |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Others | – | – |
| Colors | Space Blue Gravity Black | Glowing Black Glowing Green |
| Dimensions and Weight | 164.3 x 76.1 x 8mm 182g | 164.4 x 75.6 x 8.1mm 189g |
| Battery and Charging | 5,000mAh 18W fast charging | 5,000mAh 18W charging |
| Price | 4GB/64GB: Php8,999 | 4GB/64GB: Php8,499 4GB/128GB: Php9,499 |
Design and Build Quality
As design preferences are subjective, we’ll let you decide which between these two looks good. After all, they have quite similar designs with no flashy accents.
The T1x stays true to Vivo’s design language. The cameras are on an L-shape with the familiar lip on the camera island.
On the front, we have a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera, nothing out of the extraordinary. The screen area of the T1x is similar to the Realme C35.
However, on the back, the camera layout looks uncannily similar to the iPhone 13 series — which should be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. It also has flat edges, just like Apple’s latest.
Being budget devices, you ought to know that neither of the devices have an official water protection rating or Gorilla Glass Protection.
Winner: Tie
Display and Audio
In terms of size, both devices are quite similar. They also both use sharp FHD+ pixel resolution for their IPS panels.
However, the Vivo T1x has a faster 90Hz refresh rate for better smoothness. It’s better than the 180Hz touch sampling of the C35, which only makes the screen more responsive to touch when gaming.
For audio, neither have stereo speakers. We’re yet to see which has a better single loudspeaker setup.
Winner: Vivo T1x
Hardware and Processor
While it’s neck-and-neck, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 of the Vivo T1x may have won this round over the UNISOC T616 of the Realme C35.
As you can see, the Qualcomm chip has a higher clock than the UNISOC one. It was also made from a smaller process for better battery efficiency. Also, the Adreno 610 GPU edges out the Mali-G57 MP1 by a margin in gaming performance and benchmarks.
Winner: Vivo T1x
Battery and Charging
As a standard for below-Php10,000 smartphones, both the Vivo T1x and Realme C35 come with a generous 5,000mAh battery and 18W fast charging.
However, due to its smaller chip process, you might be getting more juice out of the Vivo T1x — if you’re okay with disabling the high refresh rate.
Winner: Tie
Camera
As you can see from the specs comparison table above, the T1x and C35 pretty much have the same set of cameras.
Related
Both models have an ultra-sharp 50-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel macro, and another 2-megapixel helper. On the front, they also share the same 8-megapixel selfie snapper. Sadly, neither has an ultra-wide lens.
Winner: Tie
Conclusion
As said earlier, consumers who are shopping in this price range want the best value they can get for the money. That means a smartphone that prioritizes speed above everything else.
This is why we have to hand the win to the Vivo T1x. Its high refresh rate screen and a more powerful processor mean that it can handle tasks better than the Realme C35 — whether if it’s for work, entertainment, or gaming.
The Vivo T1x is available in a single RAM and storage configuration of 4GB/64GB for a price of Php8,999. Just slightly more expensive than the Realme C35 with the same variant at Php8,499. The latter is also available with twice the storage for Php9,499.
Winner: Vivo T1x