Huawei’s latest Nova series device, the Nova 7i, has just been launched. It features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ display, a Kirin 810 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and quad-rear cameras. You may notice that it shares a lot of similarities with the Realme XT – same size display, mid-range chipset, same storage variants, and the same quad rear camera set up. To help you decide between the two devices, we’ve made a quick spec comparison to highlight which device is for you.
| Huawei Nova 7i | Realme XT |
|---|---|
| 6.4-inch FHD+ (2310 x 1080) LTPS display, 398ppi | 6.4-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) Super AMOLED display, 403ppi |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back) | |
| HiSilicon Kirin 810 2.27GHz octa-core CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (10nm) 2.3GHz octa-core CPU |
| Mali-G52 GPU | Adreno 616 GPU |
| 8GB RAM | 4GB, 6GB, 8GB RAM |
| 128GB UFS 2.1 | 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.1 |
| Up to 256GB via NM card (hybrid slot) | Up to 256GB via microSD (dedicated slot) |
| Quad-rear cameras: 48MP F1.8 (main) 8MP (ultra-wide) 2MP (macro) 2MP (portrait) | Quad rear cameras: 64MP Samsung GW1 F1.8 (main) 8MP F2.2 (ultrawide) 2MP (macro) 2MP (depth) |
| 16MP F2.0 front camera | 16MP Sony IMX471 F2.0 front camera |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, Galileo | GPS, A-GPS, BDS, Galileo |
| USB 2.0 Type-C | USB Type-C |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio port |
| Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted) | Fingerprint scanner (in-display) |
| EMUI 10.0.1 (Android 10) | ColorOS 6 (Android 9 Pie) w/ HyperBoost 2.0 |
| 4,200mAh battery w/ 40W Huawei SuperCharge | 4,000mAh battery w/ VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge |
| 159.2 x 76.3 x 8.7 mm | 158.7 x 75.2 x 8.6mm |
| 183 g | 183 g |
| Sakura Pink, Crush Green, Midnight Black | Pearl White, Pearl Blue |
Advantages of each smartphone:
Huawei Nova 7i
Realme XT
Starting with the display, both phones have a 6.4-inch Full HD+ display, with the Nova 7i having an LTPS (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) panel with a 2,310 x 1,080 resolution. On the other hand, the Realme XT has a Super AMOLED display with a slightly larger 2,340 x 1,080 resolution. The Realme XT also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 in the front and back for added protection, while Huawei is yet to announce the protective glass for the Nova 7i. The Realme XT wins in this category thanks to its Super AMOLED panel and Gorilla Glass protection.
Moving over to the device’s performance, the Nova 7i runs on the more powerful Kirin 810 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1. In comparison, the Realme XT comes with a Snapdragon 712 chipset paired with 4GB to 8GB of RAM, and 64GB to 128GB of UFS 2.1. Both devices’ storage can be expanded up to 256GB via external card, with the Nova 7i being compatible with an NM card, and the Realme XT with a microSD card. It is worth noting, that the Nova 7i has a hybrid card slot, while the Realme XT has a dedicated slot for the MicroSD card. We’re giving the Nova 7i a win here, thanks to its more powerful chipset. That being said, users that use the dual-SIM functionality and need more storage may want to opt for the Realme XT instead.
Camera-wise, both devices are almost similar, except for the primary rear camera. The Huawei Nova 7i comes with a 48MP main accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP portrait shooter. The Realme XT, on the other hand, comes with a 64MP main accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP portrait depth lens. Both devices have a 16MP front camera, with the Nova 7i using a punch-hole design to house the camera module, while the Realme XT houses its front camera with a Mini-drop notch. The Realme XT wins in the camera department thanks to its higher resolution main camera. It’s important to note that the pixel count isn’t the be-all and end-all of camera quality, so be sure to check out our review to see how well the cameras perform.
In terms of software, the Huawei Nova 7i comes with EMUI 10 based on Android 10 out of the box, while the older Realme XT comes with ColorOS6 based on Android 9 out of the box. Despite the dated OS, users may update their Realme XT devices to the latest Realme UI 1 based on Android 10. What sets these two devices apart, however, is that the Nova 7i does not have Google Mobile Services, and instead has Huawei Mobile Services.
As for connectivity and battery, both devices offer the same options, including dual-SIM functionality, 4G LTE, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5, and several GPS tracking. Powering the Huawei Nova 7i is a 4,200mAh battery compatible with Huawei’s 40W SuperCharge. The Realme XT, on the other hand, is powered by a 4,000mAh battery with 20W VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge. Though connectivity is the same for both devices, the Huawei Nova 7i has a larger battery and faster-charging capabilities.
Here are the prices of each device:
Huawei Nova 7i (8GB + 128GB) – PHP 13,990
Realme XT (8GB + 128GB) – PHP 16,990
Given the PHP 3k difference between the two devices, should you get the Nova 7i or the Realme XT? People on a budget, power users and gamers may gravitate towards the Nova 7i thanks to its stronger chipset and bigger battery capacity. You can also charge the devices quicker thanks to its 40W Huawei SuperCharge capabilities. While it is tempting to cop the Huawei Nova 7i, its lack of Google Mobile Sevices may turn most users away. Thankfully, Huawei has been working on its own Mobile Services, adding more and more apps to its App Store thanks to its recent release of the HMS Core 4.0.
For the average users, however, we feel that they would appreciate the Realme XT more. Despite the weaker chipset, it has a Super AMOLED display that shows more vivid colors than an LTPS panel, a more premium build thanks to its glass back, higher resolution main camera for those quick snaps and photo ops, and most of all, it comes with the familiar Google Mobile Services.
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jobert_sucaldito says:
Huawei Nova 7i is better, cheaper, google playstore can be sideloaded. Its no going to cost you 3k thats for sure.
kramark says:
The Realme 5 pro is a better match to the Nova 7i IMHO.