Oppo Realme 1 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro: Which One Should You Buy?

Oppo and Vivo have been prioritizing offline markets for years and the strategy did pay off well. Meanwhile, the online behemoth Xiaomi grew unchallenged and has now further consolidated its position with multi-channel retail and has started intruding in Vivo and Oppo’s offline territories.

The only rational thing to do for offline brands is to challenge Xiaomi in its own turf. That’s where the Realme 1 comes in. The first offering from Oppo’s online exclusive deliver’s Oppo’s expertise at competitive prices. So, let’s see how the Realme 1 compares against Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 Pro (review).

Realme 1 Vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Specs (Side-by-Side)

Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Realme 1: Design and Build

The Redmi Note 5 Pro has a quite a few things working in its favour, but the design isn’t one. The phone still flaunts a triple-layer back that has been overdone over the last few years and feels dated. The overall feel is quite clunky, which is why it doesn’t take much for Reame 1 to gain an edge.

The mirror pattern on the back adds to its appeal and the handset feels a tad more present day. Apart from Dimond Black, the RealMe 1 also comes in Solar Red color that too looks exquisite. Xiaomi continues to use metal-plastic on its Redmi Note series, the challenger – RealMe 1 gets an all fibre-glass back which looks trendy and truly stands out in its price band.

Also Read: Nokia 7 Plus vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Specs Comparison

Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Realme 1: Display

There is not much of a difference in displays of these two phones. Both get to flaunt a 6-inch tall screen which has 18:9 aspect ratio and 1080p+ resolution. However, the RealMe 1 has a comparatively better screen-to-body ratio.

The Redmi Note 5 Pro, on the other hand, comes with some sort of Gorilla Glass which is missing in the RealMe 1 case. Both phone displays deliver excellent viewing angles and colours reproduction capabilities.

Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Realme 1: Hardware and Software

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro rocks a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset which is a proven performer. The RealMe 1, on the other hand, employs a MediaTek Helio P60 chipset which scores slightly better on benchmarks. As far as real life performance is concerned there is hardly any difference in CPU and GPU performance of these two devices.

The RealMe 1 comes in three RAM and ROM combinations: 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM and 32GB/64GB/128GB storage. The Redmi Note 5 Pro, on the other hand, is only available in 4GB/6GB RAM and 32GB/64GB options.

The RealMe 1 also scores over the Redmi Note 5 Pro connectivity and storage expansion capabilities. It supports dual SIM with active 4G VoLTE support and a microSD card slot for storage expansion up to 256GB. In comparison, the Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with a hybrid SIM tray that only supports one 4G SIM at a time.

Also, you can use two SIM cards or one SIM card and one microSD card at any given time. At present, the Note 5 Pro also lacks dual VoLTE feature but Xiaomi can enable it in the future update as the chipset and modem are capable of supporting dual VoLTE networks.

On the Software front, both these phones come with a heavily customized version of Android. While Xiaomi is shipping the Redmi Note 5 Pro with an Android 7.1 Nougat based MIUI 9, the RealMe 1 comes running on Color OS 5.0 which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo. All in all, the RealMe 1 seems to have a slight advantage over the Redmi Note 5 Pro in this segment.

Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Realme 1: Camera and Battery

The Redmi Note 5 Pro seems to have an upper hand here ever so slightly (on paper). The Redmi Note 5 Pro features a dual-camera setup of 12MP+ 5MP at the rear end and an 8MP selfie camera on the front.

The RealMe 1 on the other hand, only gets a 13-megapixel rear shooter and an 8-megapixel selfie camera on the front. What’s interesting to note here that, both phones are able enough to capture images with bokeh effect.

On battery front too the Redmi Note 5 Pro pins down the RealMe 1 with sheer its battery size. The Note 5 Pro packs a 4000mAh battery whereas the challenger only comes with a 3410mAh.

Also Read: 9 Best Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 phones you can buy

Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Realme 1 Price Comparison

Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Realme 1 Comparison Verdict

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and Oppo Realme 1 are way too close and its hard to call either one a clear winner here. While the Redmi Note 5 Pro has a proven record, the Realme 1 has made a promising start.

Both of these phones are excellent value for money phones and your decision should be based on what you value more and what software you’d be more comfortable with. The Realme 1 does score a few more brownies points with a dedicated microSD card slot, dual 4G dual VoLTE support, a more appealing design and latest Android version.