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In a gap of two days earlier this week, the Indian entry-level smartphone market saw the launch of two phones from two of the top 5 phone brands, Realme and Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi. On April 22, Realme launched the ‘Realme C2’ phone, and on April 24, Redmi unveiled its ‘Redmi 7.’ Both phones are aimed at the people who seek a feature-rich device which is light on the wallet. Digit will publish detailed reviews of both the devices in the coming weeks but till then, our detailed spec comparison below might help you with your ongoing research of buying a handset in this price segment. Note that while the Redmi 7 is the successor of the Redmi 6 that was launched last year, Realme C2 follows last year’s the Realme C1.
The Realme C2 sports a 6.1-inch HD+ display with a dewdrop notch. It’s an IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 720×1520 pixels similar to what the Redmi 7’s 6.26-inch HD+ IPS LCD display offers, that has a Dot Notch. It’s totally up to our readers to choose one of the displays because in daily usage, a small difference would rarely make a big difference, but it needs to be highlighted that the Redmi 7 is a bit taller and wider (6.25 x 2.98 x 0.33 in) than the Realme C2 (6.07 x 2.90 x 0.33 in).
The Realme C2 is powered by Mediatek MT6762 Helio P22 processor, which is manufactured using the 12nm fabrication process. The octa-core CPU is clocked at 2.0 GHz and uses PowerVR GE8320 GPU. The phone runs on ColorOS 6 baked on Android 9 Pie. In comparison, the Redmi 7 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 mobile platform manufactured using 14nm fabrication process. Its octa-core (4×1.8 GHz Kryo 250 Gold and 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 250 Silver CPU uses Adreno 506 GPU. It runs on MIUI 9 atop Android 9 Pie.
Both the devices are offered in two variants and essentially covers the Rs 6000-Rs 9000 segment. The Realme C2 is offered in 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, and 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variants, at a starting price of Rs 5,999. The storage can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. The Redmi 7, on the other hand, will be available in a base variant with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage, and a higher model with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, at a starting price of Rs 7,999. Both models’ storage can be expanded up to 512GB.
The camera has become a big selling point for smartphones today, and on those similar lines, both these phones carry a rear dual camera setup, and one selfie shooter. The Realme C2 ships with a 13MP primary sensor having a pixel size of 1.12um, a lens having an aperture of f/2.2. There is a 2MP secondary depth sensor, and an LED flash completes the camera module. On the front is a 5MP shooter with a 1.12um pixel size and a lens having f/2.0 aperture. Realme says that the rear camera can shoot slo-mo videos in 80fps/480p quality, and the front camera comes with AI Facial Unlock feature.
In comparison, the Redmi 7 comes with a 12MP primary sensor with 1.25um pixel size and f/2.9 aperture lens. There is a 2MP secondary depth sensor, and both camera setups come with AI capabilities. On the front is an 8MP camera, with a 1.12um pixel size and a lens with f/2.0 aperture.
It’s a tie. Both the phones carry a 4000mAh battery, and while Redmi 7 comes with an 18W charger in the box, Realme hasn’t revealed the details about the charger. Both of these phone also continue to retain the 3.5mm jack, and have microUSB 2.0 port for charging and transferring files. However, there is a significant difference in terms of options available for biometric authentication. Realme C2 does not offer a fingerprint sensor, while Redmi 7’s fingerprint sensor is situation on the back panel. In the colour options, the Realme C2 is offered in Diamond Blue and Diamond Black colours. And the Redmi 7 is available in Lunar Red, Eclipse Black and Comet Blue hues.