Samsung launched the Galaxy M40 (review) in the mid-range segment, which is densely populated by several phones. Of these, Realme 3 Pro (review) and the Redmi Note 7 Pro (review) would be the top competition to the newly launched M40. In this triple threat match, all the three contenders stand neck and neck in terms of their specs and performance. So, if you’re in a tough spot to decide your next phone among the three, let’s make the decision easier for you.
Samsung Galaxy M40 vs Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Realme 3 Pro Specs
| Model | Samsung Galaxy M40 | Redmi Note 7 Pro | Realme 3 Pro |
| Display | 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340 px,LCD, Infinity-O | 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340 IPS LCD with Dot Notch | 6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340 pixels IPS LCD with dewdrop notch |
| Processor | 2.0 GHz, Octa Core, Snapdragon 675 chipset | 2 GHz, Octa Core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 | 2.2 GHz, Octa Core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 |
| RAM | 6GB | 4GB/6GB | 4GB/6GB |
| Internal Storage | 128GB(expandable up to 512GB), Hybrid card slot | 64GB/128GB, Hybrid slot, expandable up to 256GB | 64GB/128GB (expandable up to 256GB) Dedicated card slot |
| Software | Android 9 Pie, One UI | MIUI 10 (Android Pie) | Color OS 6.0 (Android Pie) |
| Rear Camera | 32MP (F1.7) + 8MP (f/2.2, 12mm ultrawide sensor) + 5MP (f/2.2, depth sensor) | 48MP (f/1.8) + 5MP (f/2.4) | 16MP (F/1.7) + 5MP (F/2.4) |
| Front Camera | 16MP (F2.0) | 13MP (f/2.0) | 25MP (f/2.0) |
| Others | 4G Dual VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type-C port, Type C earphone, proximity sensor, light sensor, and accelerometer | 4G Dual VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type-C port, 3.5 mm audio jack, proximity sensor, light sensor, and accelerometer | 4G Dual VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, micro-USB port, 3.5 mm audio jack, proximity sensor, light sensor, and accelerometer |
| Battery | 3500mAh, 15W fast charging | 4000mAh, 18W Quick Charge 4.0 Support, bundled 15W only | 4045mAh, 20W VOOC fast charging |
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Display, Design and Build Quality Comparison
Holding the devices, Redmi Note 7 pro feels to be on the heavier side. While it weighs around 186g, Samsung Galaxy M40 is the lightest of the lot with 168g and Realme 3 Pro stands in between with 172g. Samsung Galaxy M40 manages to cut weight by using an all plastic body and a smaller battery.
Note 7 Pro still looks and feels rad thanks to its glassy back panel. In the design segment, our next pick would go to the slim and sleek Samsung Galaxy M40, followed by Realme 3 Pro.
Samsung’s decision to ditch 3.5mm jack might upset some. However, we appreciate the Type-C earphone bundled within the box. Realme’s design choices such as flashy gradient colors and concentric chrome rings on the camera feel less premium in contrast. The lack of micro USB Type-C port, clicky buttons, and a comparatively feeble vibration motor also attribute to a third position in the design ranking. Finally, in the case of Note 7 Pro, we wish its camera bump was a little less obtrusive, especially since the bundled case too fails to cloak it.
Samsung scores for the punch-hole display that’s eyeful in our books. It calls its LCD display as Infinity-O which stretches to 6.3 inches and 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution, same as Redmi’s Dot-notch (U-shape) display and Realme’s Dewdrop (V-shape). While both of them offers color and contrast correction, the default white tone is more neutral in case of Realme display. M40’s display also acts as a speaker and earpiece thanks to Screen Sound technology.
Performance and Software comparison
Samsung Galaxy M40 and Redmi Note 7 Pro runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC (11nm), which outruns the relatively older Snapdragon 710 SoC (10nm) in benchmark scores of Antutu and Geekbench.
Samsung Galaxy M40 vs. Redmi Note 7 Pro vs. Realme 3 Pro Benchmark Scores
| Benchmark Score | Samsung Galaxy M40 | Redmi Note 7 Pro | Realme 3 Pro |
| AnTuTu | 170333 | 179459 | 157920 |
| Geekbench 4 Single-core | 2273 | 2391 | 1445 |
| Geekbench 4 Multi-core | 6303 | 6559 | 5849 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot | 1772 | 1786 | 2648 |
Now that you’ve glanced the scores, here’s our real-life day-to-day experience as a daily driver. During our testing, all three fared well in gaming, multi-tasking, and overall performances. Realme 3 Pro wins the overall gaming performance considering the auxiliary factors such as heat dissipation and battery endurance, and the performance is also better on the Realme 3 Pro.
ALSO READ: Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy A50 Comparison: Which One To Buy?
Samsung offers the phone in a single 6GB RAM plus 128GB storage variant. You get more memory options and the lower variants would cost you less. M40 carries a hybrid slot, one of which you could use to expand storage up to 512GB. The dedicated slot on the other two, albeit with a smaller 256GB still gets a thumbs up.
A major winning factor for Samsung M40 is its One UI software, which is a joy to use. This would be followed by MIUI 10, which is plagued by intrusive ads and lack of an app drawer. The feature-packed ColorOS 6.0 is clumsy. However, if you don’t like the software interfaces of these skins, you could anytime slap on a launcher and still use the nifty features in the mix.
Coming to media consumption, especially Netflix bingeing, the Realme 3 Pro as well as M40 could be your pick as they support Widevine L1 certification. Redmi Note 7 Pro on the other hand, though supports L1 DRM rating, still doesn’t run Netflix and Amazon Prime HD streaming.
Camera Specs and Software Comparison
Resolution-wise, Redmi Note 7 Pro’s 48MP sensor leads, followed by Samsung Galaxy M40’s 32MP primary sensor, and finally, Realme 3 Pro’s 16MP sensor. Since the former two uses pixel binning technology to produce 12MP and 8MP output, they would effectively fall behind the Realme 3 pro.
ALSO READ: Realme 3 Pro vs Redmi Note 7 Pro comparison: Price, Specs, and Features
The selfie snapper of Realme 3 Pro with a 25MP sensor is ahead of 16MP of M40 and 13MP of Note 7 Pro. Realme 3 Pro also features a multi-frame synthesizer technology with which you could click Ultra HD 64MP shots.
In real-life situations, Redmi Note 7 Pro still outperforms the Realme 3 Pro as well as the new entrant. While in low light and especially as the night falls, Realme shines. Samsung lacks a dedicated night mode and thus it struggles in unfavorable lighting conditions.
Battery Comparison
This is one area where the Realme 3 Pro’s 4045 mAh and the Redmi Note 7 Pro’s 4000mAh outplays the Samsung Galaxy M40’s 3500mAh by a margin. When it comes to the charging tech, Redmi and Samsung bundle a 15W fast charger in the box. Notably, Redmi supports 18W Quick Charge 4.0 Support. Realme 3 Pro’s 20W VOOC 3.0 fast charging has a massive advantage.
Samsung Galaxy M40 vs Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Realme 3 Pro comparison: Which One To Buy?
The three phones compete with fairly impressive specs in the budget price range. When it comes to real-life usage, three of them perform on a similar note.
Points in favor of Samsung Galaxy M40
- Punch-hole display
- Trendy looks and compact form factor
- One UI software
- HD Streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime
- Samsung branding and after sales support
Points in favor of Realme 3 Pro
- Better gaming performance
- VOOC 3.0 fast charging
- Better lowlight camera performance
- Option for Android Q Beta
- Retains headphone jack
Points in favor of Redmi Note 7 Pro
- Solid build quality
- Better daylight camera output
- Highly customizable MIUI
- USB Type-C port and headphone jack
At a glance, Samsung gets the pick for its leading-edge looks. It’s slim and sleek albeit at the cost of a mediocre battery. Samsung must be applauded for the inclusion of One UI software, which gives a smart and smooth experience.
Next up, Realme 3 Pro with its SD710 chipset’s GPU has an advantage in gaming performance. It ensures longer battery life backed by VOOC 3.0 fast charging. It produces better nightlife photos.
Redmi Note 7 Pro still has better camera experience (particularly in proper lighting). Even, the in-hand feel and build quality of Redmi Note 7 Pro is superior due to glass peripherals. Except for minor nitpicks like Ads in the MIUI and lack of Widevine L1 certification, there is very little less to complain here.
Now that we have laid down the pros and cons related to the three, which of these do you prefer? The easy thing would be to pick one, whose cons you find tolerable.
