Poco has made its inevitable comeback in India and their first phone, the Poco X2, has been positioned against the Realme X2 (review). In fact, the brand went out of its way comparing the two from the launch stage. And since Poco is now a separate entity severed from Xiaomi, it will also be up against the Redmi Note 8 Pro (review).
The spec-sheets, for all of these three online-first phones, read so impressive that consumers are bound to be confused and even skeptical. So, which one should you buy? Let’s stack the three against one another and find out.
Poco X2 vs Realme X2 vs Redmi Note 8 Pro: Specs Comparison
Model | Poco X2 | Realme X2 | Redmi Note 8 Pro |
Display | 6.67-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 ProtectionIn-display fingerprint sensor | 6.4-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Protection
In-display fingerprint sensor |
6.53-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Protection
Rear fingerprint sensor |
Chipset | 8nm octa-core Snapdragon 730G | 8nm octa-core Snapdragon 730G | 12nm octa-core MediaTek Helio G90T |
RAM | 6GB/ 8GB LPDDR4x | 4GB/ 6GB/ 8GB LPDDR4x | 6GB/ 8GB LPDDR4x |
Internal Storage | 64GB/128 UFS 2.1; Hybrid card slot | 64GB/128 UFS 2.1; Dedicated card slot | 64GB/128 UFS 2.1; Dedicated card slot |
Software | Android 10 – based MIUI 11 | Android 9.0 Pie-based Color OS 6.1 | Android 9.0 Pie-based MIUI 11 |
Rear Camera | 64MP (f/1.8) + 8MP wide-angle (f/2.25) + 2MP Macro + 2MP depth sensor | 64MP (f/1.8) + 8MP wide-angle (f/2.25) + 2MP Macro + 2MP depth sensor | 64MP (f/1.8) + 8MP wide-angle (f/2.25) + 2MP Macro + 2MP depth sensor |
Front Camera |
20MP, f/2.2 + 2MP, f/2.4 |
32MP, f/2.0 | 20MP, f/2.0 |
Dimensions and weight | 165.3 x 76.6 x 8.8 mm; 208 g | 158.7 × 75.2 × 8.6 mm; 186 grams | 161.4 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm; 200 g |
Battery | 4500mAh, 27W fast charging | 4000mAh, 30W SuperVOOC charging | 4500mAh, 18W fast charging |
NFC | No | Yes | Yes |
Price |
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Design and Build
All the three phones have glass backs and plastic side-frames – so nothing much to choose in terms of built quality. The Realme X2 is relatively the most manageable and the Poco X2 is the least (broader, thicker, heavier). Besides, all the three color options for the Poco X2 are a bit too flashy for our personal taste.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro lies somewhere in the middle. It’s big and quite a handful yet appears premium and is reasonably comfortable to operate.
The Poco X2 is distinguished by its notch style. The elongated dual camera cutout on the X2 looks quite weird in person. We could make out that it’s actually two separate camera holes camouflaged as one wide notch, and the whole module just isn’t very clean. The water-drop notch style on the Redmi Note 8 and Realme X2 is dated in comparison but we’d still prefer it over the X2 cutout.
All three phones have USB Type-C port and retain audio jack. The Xiaomi and Poco phones also have an additional IR blaster, which is apparently a thing young Xiaomi consumers value.
And if it still matters, the Poco X2 has a hybrid SD card slot, while the Realme X2 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro offer a dedicated card slot.
Display and Unlocking
The Realme X2 is the only one among the three that offers AMOLED panel with deep, gorgeous blacks, and the display-type makes an in-display fingerprint sensor feasible. The Redmi Note 8 Pro and Poco X2 both offer good quality LCD panels and include rear-mounted and side-mounted fingerprint sensors, respectively.
Fingerprint sensors on all three of these phones are fast and efficient and the one you prefer should be a matter of personal taste.
Performance and Software
The core performance hardware is what makes these phones stand tall. The Realme X2 and Poco X2 are both powered by Snapdragon 730G octa-core chipsets. The Poco X2 leads in terms of RAM and storage.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro is powered by MediaTek Helio G90T which is also quite capable but can’t quite match up to the Snapdragon 730G. Anyways, all three phones offer better-than-you-can-hope-for performance hardware and you just can’t go wrong with either one. Of course, the Poco X2 offers most RAM + storage per rupee spent and that’s a meaningful advantage.
The Realme X2 will soon be updated to Android 10-based Realme UI (which we hold in high esteem) and the other two offer MIUI 11, which is a feature-rich and stable interface. None of these skins offer stock-Android simplicity but we’d say all offer a decent experience.
Also Read: 16 Realme UI Hidden Features, Tips, and Tricks
Camera and Battery
As far as rear cameras go, the specs are once again quite similar and the real difference lies in the image processing software. But yes, the Poco X2 has Sony’s IMX686 sensor and the Redmi Note 8 Pro and Poco X2 employ the Samsung GW1 sensor in the lead.
None of these three phones manages to be spot on in all lighting scenarios, but overall, the Redmi Note 8 Pro and Poco X2 have an edge, thanks to a more evolved image processing software. The same can be said of the selfie quality you’d get from these phones.
Just as most recently launched and upcoming Xiaomi phones, the Redmi Note 8 Pro and Poco X2 house 4500mAh batteries. The Realme X2 has a relatively smaller, yet adequate, 4000mAh battery.
Realme X2 and Poco X2 offer 30W and 27W fast charging, respectively. The Redmi Note 8 Pro supports 18W fast charging, which is comparatively faster.
Realme X2 vs Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Poco X2: Verdict
If you have been with us till now, it must be clear that all three of these phones are extremely capable. The choice indeed boils down to what you’d personally prefer.
Points in favor of Realme X2
- The Realme X2 has an AMOLED display with deep blacks and high contrast.
- The phone has a trendy optical in-display sensor that’s fast and convenient.
- It’s relatively more compact and comfortable to wield than the other two options.
Points in favor of Poco X2
- The Poco X2 offers a 120Hz refresh rate screen for an unprecedented price.
- The X2 also leads in terms of performance hardware.
- The X2 has a relatively ad-free (MIUI 11) software.
- The camera performance is slightly better than the Realme X2.
Points in favor or Redmi Note 8 Pro
The Redmi Note 8 Pro can’t match up to the Poco X2 in terms of specs, but it offers nearly the same experience – and it has a more manageable and better-designed body.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro also delivers better indoor camera performance and has a significantly better selfie camera than Poco X2.
My choice is Redmi Note 8 pro with Helio G90T processor and the gaming performance is quite good in this.