If Xiaomi’s Redmi Note lineup has sold in massive numbers thanks to the value for money these devices offer, Realme’s budget offerings are fast catching up too. Though Realme is guilty of launching phones at a breakneck speed, the company feels that this strategy works in its favour.
We’re about at the end of the third month of this year and have already witnessed the launch of three different series from Realme which is in contrast with Redmi’s policy of launching one or two primary lineups and then adding different variants to it.
Now that both the companies have already introduced their budget line ups for the year – the Redmi Note 10 and the Realme 8 series, it is time for us to quickly compare their top-tiered Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and Realme 8 Pro and see which device deserves your money
Realme 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max – Price and availability
Both the Realme 8 Pro and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max are priced competitively in the Indian market and fall in the sub-Rs. 20,000 price bracket.
The Realme 8 Pro comes in a couple of variants based on storage and memory. The base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage is priced at Rs 17,999 in India and the price goes up to Rs 19,999 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant.
The phone comes in Infinite Blue, Infinite Black and Illuminating Yellow variants and it is available to purchase starting today on Realme.com, Flipkart, and offline stores.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max has already been launched a few days back and has gone through a couple of sales already. Redmi Note 10 Pro Max price in India starts at Rs 18,999 for the base variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the 6GB + 128GB variant is priced at Rs 19,999 and the 8GB + 128GB is variant priced at Rs 21,999 and is sold through Amazon, Mi.com and preferred offline channel partners.
That being said, Xiaomi isn’t keen on offering the 64GB variants for sale as of now, hence all you can get are the pricier versions with 128GB of storage.
Realme 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max – design
In terms of design, the Realme 8 Pro has a familiar gradient design. The rear panel comes with a two-level camera bump housed at the top left corner. While the quad-camera setup looks similar to most other budget smartphones available in the market, the overall setup gives you a Vivo 20 Pro like feel.
Further, Realme has chosen to continue with the bold “Dare to Leap” branding on the rear panel making the rear panel look cluttered and busy. You may find the bold branding hideous or artistic based on your preference. In any case, most people would end up snapping a case, the moment they unbox the device. On the front, you have a flat display with a camera housed in a punch hole cut out and a slightly prominent chin at the bottom of the display.
Xiaomi on the other hand has put a major emphasis on the design of the Redmi Note 10 and the company has left no stone unturned to make users know about it, thanks to the repeated social media shoutouts.
The rear panel on the Note 10 Pro Max also carries a gradient finish and the camera module here as well comes with a two-tiered design. However, since the primary camera is highlighted with a chrome finish, it stands out of the rest few. In terms of branding, Xiaomi has gone for the minimalistic look and has left the rear panel mostly plain.
On the front, you have a flat display with a centrally aligned hole-punch cutout housing the selfie camera and the chin at the bottom is relatively smaller.
Realme 8 Pro vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max – specifications
| Feature | Realme 8 Pro | Redmi Note 10 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 720G | Snapdragon 732G |
| Display | 6.4-inch OLED | FHD+ | 60Hz refresh rate | 180Hz touch sampling | 6.67-inch OLED | FHD+ | 120Hz refresh rate | 240 Hz touch sampling |
| RAM | 6GB | 8GB LPDDR4x | 6GB | 8GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | 128GB | Micro-SD card support | 64GB | 128GB | Micro-SD card support |
| Camera (rear) | 108MP | 8MP ultrawide | 2MP macro sensor | 2MP depth sensor | 108MP | 5MP Super Macro sensor (2x telephoto) | 8MP ultrawide | 2MP depth sensor |
| Camera (front) | 16MP | 16MP |
| Battery | 4,500mAh | 65W charging | 5,000mAh, 33W charging |
| OS | Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 | MIUI 12 based on Android 11 |
| Others | In-display Fingerprint | Hi-Res audio | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner | IP52 certification | IR blaster | dual stereo speakers |
When it comes to specifications, the Realme 8 Pro boasts a Snapdragon 732G chipset coupled with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. And for storage, it has 128GB of UFS 2.1 onboard storage with support of expansion via a Micro-SD card. It comes with a 6.4-inch OLED panel that houses an in-display fingerprint sensor but only offers a 60Hz of refresh rate.
For optics, there are four sensors present on the phone. A primary 108-mp Samsung HM2 sensor, and 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 2MP macro sensor along with a 2MP depth sensor. There is a 16MP sensor for selfies and the highlight of the phone is its 65W fast charging tech that can charge the 4500 mAh battery present on the phone in a matter of minutes.
When it comes to the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, it comes with a Snapdragon 732G chipset coupled with 6 GB and 8GB of RAM. In terms of storage, you have 64GB and 128GB variants, however, getting hold of the 64GB variant looks difficult as of now as Xioami isn’t listing it for sale as of now.
The display on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is slightly larger at 6.67-inches and it's an OLED panel offering a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz of touch sampling rate.
In terms of optics, the Note 10 Pro Max comes with a 108MP Samsung HM2 sensor, a 5MP Super Macro sensor with 2x telephoto capabilities and an 8MP ultrawide sensor coupled with a 2MP depth sensor. A 5000 mAh battery powers the phone but comes with a 33W fast-charging brick.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint sensor but has one underneath the power button mounted on its side and also has an IR blaster at the top apart from stereo speakers.
Verdict
Had the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max not been there, the Realme 8 Pro could have managed to look like a solid mid-range device. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has offered way too many features at a competitive price point which makes the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max too hard to overlook.
When compared head-to-head, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro Max has a lot going in its favour. Right from a mouth full of a name to better display specifications including higher refresh rate and touch sampling rate, better processor, bigger battery, presence of stereo speakers, IR Blaster and most importantly way more powerful camera setup.
Realme for some odd reason has persisted with adding useless camera sensors and the on-your-face branding apart from gimmicky marketing stunts that may not add any value to the device.
While both the phones are 4G capable only which means that you may have to upgrade once 5G is available in the country. Also, while Realme is only slightly cheaper, it is blown apart by the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and only the presence of a 108MP camera or 65W fast charging may not be able to save the device.
As they say, it is now Xiaomi’s game to lose and it may do itself harm by not selling the cheaper variant otherwise the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max can be easily called the best value for money device in this segment.
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