 "Xiaomi Redmi Y2 vs Oppo Realme 1: How the new AI-powered selfie king compares to the newcomer from Oppo")
Xiaomi has just announced the very selfie-centric budget smartphone, the
Redmi Y2
, in India for a price of Rs 9,999 for the 3+32 GB model and Rs 4+64 GB model. Now this phone has already seen the light of day in China, albeit under a different name. For quite some time, Xiaomi has been perhaps the king of budget smartphones in India and rightly so given its philosophy of providing great hardware for low prices. [caption id=“attachment_4500581” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Redmi Y2.[/caption] However, it would seem that there is a new player in town that, at least on paper, could give Xiaomi a run for its money. We are talking about Oppo’s new sub-brand Realme. There has been a lot of hype currently about the
Realme 1
smartphone and it is tipped to be a more than worthy competitor to rivals Xiaomi and Honor in the under Rs 10,000 price range. Now we haven’t actually tested the Realme 1, but we have reviewed the Redmi Y2, and we concluded that the Y2 has a great selfie camera along with one of the best rear cameras in the under-Rs 10,000 category. In terms of specs, we can see that the Redmi Y2 has a 5.99-inch HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The hardware inside the phone includes a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
SoC and a 3,080 mAh battery along with 3 GB RAM + 32 GB internal storage variant and a 4 GB RAM + 64 GB internal storage variant.
The Realme 1 is a different beast entirely. Down below is a specifications comparison between the Redmi Y2 and the Realme 1. A big point to note here is that this is only a ‘specs’ comparison and not a real world comparison between the two smartphones. We shall have the latter once we review the Realme 1 in real-world conditions.
| Smartphone | Xiaomi Redmi Y2 | Realme 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Display Size (inch) | 6 | 6 |
| Resolution (pixels) | 1440 x 720 | 2,160 x 1,080 |
| Pixel Density (PPI) | 269 | 403 |
| Display Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Dimensions(mm) | 160.7 x 77.3 x 8.1 | 156.5 x 75.2 x 7.8 |
| Weight (g) | 170 | 155 |
| Dual SIM | Yes | Yes |
| SIM Type | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Connectivity Types | GSM / WCDMA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / VoLTE |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 | Helio P60 |
| CPU Cores | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| CPU Clock Speed (GHz) | 8 x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 | 4 x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4 x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Mali-G72 MP3 |
| RAM | 3, 4 GB | 3,4 GB |
| On-Board Memory | 32, 64 GB | 32, 64 GB |
| Expandable Memory | Yes, up to 256 GB | Yes, up to 256 GB |
| Sensors | Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass | Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass |
| Rear Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2 + 5 MP | 13 MP, f/2.2 |
| Autofocus System | Phase detection autofocus | Phase detection autofocus |
| Selfie Camera | 16 MP | 8 MP |
| Video Capture | 1080p | 1080p |
| Flash | LED | LED |
| OS Version | Android 8.1 Oreo | Android 8.1 Oreo |
| AI (Smart Assistant) | Google Assistant | Google Assistant |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot |
| Bluetooth | v4.2, A2DP, LE, EDR | v4.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | No |
| Fingerprint Scanner | Yes, rear | No |
| 3.5 mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| FM Radio | Yes | Yes |
| USB Type | micro-USB | micro-USB |
| USB Standard | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Battery (mAh) | 3,080 | 3,410 |
| Quick Charge | No | No |
| Colors | Rose Gold, Elegant Gold, Dark Grey | Diamond Black, Solar Red, Moonlight Silver |
| Prices in India | Starting at Rs 9,999 | Starting at Rs 9,999 |
What is the verdict? It’s hard to say. On paper, the Realme 1 is more powerful, has a better display and a higher battery capacity. However, it lacks a fingerprint scanner and only offers a single camera on the rear. The Redmi Y2’s selfie camera is also in another league. The Y2 could also take the lead in the camera department with its dual camera. Better still, the smaller battery capacity could be offset by the lower resolution display. There can be no clear winner here, and that in itself should be worrying news for Xiaomi, which has, so far, ruled the budget segment unopposed.