Both OPPO and Redmi have released midrange devices this month, namely the Reno3 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max. Both devices sport a Full HD+ display, fast RAM and storage, quad rear cameras, and come with Android 10 out of the box. Today, we pit them against each other to see which midrange device offers better value based on its performance and more features.
| OPPO Reno3 Pro | Redmi Note 9 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS Display |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| MediaTek Helio P95 CPU | Snapdragon 720G CPU |
| IMG PowerVR GM 9446 | Adreno 618GPU |
| 8GB LPDDR4X RAM | 6GB, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM |
| 128GB, 256GB UFS 2.1 | 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.1 |
| MicroSD up to 256GB (dedicated slot) | MicroSD up to 512GB (dedicated slot) |
| Quad rear cameras: 64MP F1.8 main 13MP F2.4 telephoto 8MP ultra-wide 2MP mono lens | Quad rear cameras: 64MP F1.89 main 8MP F2.2 ultra-wide 5MP macro 2MP depth |
| Dual front cameras: 44MP F2.4 2MP F2.4 depth of field | 32MP front camera |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 4G LTE | 4G+ LTE |
| WiFi 802.11 ac | WiFi 802.11 ac |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, GPS | GPS, A-GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, NavIC |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| In-display fingerprint scanner | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
| ColorOS 7 (Android 10) | MIUI 11 (Android 10) |
| - | P2i splash-proof nano-coating |
| 4,025mAh battery w/ VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 support | 5,020mAh battery w/ 33W fast charging |
| 158.8 x 73.4 x 8.1mm | 165.75 x 76.68 x 8.8mm |
| 175 g | 209 g |
Advantages of each phone:
- Super AMOLED display
- Higher storage variants
- 13MP telephoto camera
- Higher front camera resolution
- Additional front depth of field lens
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
- Larger display
- Better chipset
- Higher expandable storage compatibility
- 5MP macro camera
- P2i splash-proof nano-coating
- Larger battery with slightly faster charging
Starting with the display, the Reno3 Pro sports a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display while the Note 9 Pro Max sports a 6.67-inch IPS display. Both phones have the same Full HD+ resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection for the display as well. Despite the larger size, we’ll be giving the Reno3 Pro the win here due to its panel type. Super AMOLED displays will offer more vibrant colors, deeper blacks while consuming less power compared to IPS panels.
As for the performance, the Reno3 Pro is powered by the recently announced MediaTek Helio P95 paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and up to 256GB of UFS 2.1. Meanwhile, the Note 9 Pro Max comes with a much stronger Snapdragon 720G paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and up to 128GB of UFS2.1. Both devices also have a dedicated MicroSD card slot for heavy users, although the Reno3 Pro is compatible with only up to 256GB, while the Note 9 Pro Max can use SD cards of up to 512GB. Since both devices have dedicated storage expansion slots, the Note 9 Pro Max is the clear winner in the performance category, as the Snapdragon 720G can outperform the Helio P95’s CPU and GPU.
Moving over to the cameras, the Reno3 Pro is equipped with a 64MP main, 13MP telephoto, 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP mono lens. The Note 9 Pro Max, on the other hand, comes with a 64MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor. As for the selfie cameras, the Reno3 Pro comes with a dual front camera set up comprised of a 44MP primary and 2MP depth of field lens housed in a pill-shaped punch-hole module. Meanwhile, the Note 9 Pro Max comes with a single front 32MP front shooter housed in a punch-hole module.
People who take pictures from far away may opt for the Reno3 Pro due to its telephoto camera, while those who like to take close up shots would go with the Note 9 Pro Max for the macro camera. When it comes to the front camera, though, the Reno3 Pro is undeniably better with its higher resolution shooter with an accompanying depth of field lens.
Connectivity, ports, and biometrics are identical between the two, although the Reno3 Pro employs an in-display fingerprint scanner, while the Note 9 Pro Max uses a side-mounted one. Both devices are also on Android 10; however, the Reno3 Pro comes with OPPO’s ColorOS skin on top, while the Note 9 Pro Max comes with Xiaomi’s MIUI 11. Where the Note 9 Pro Max beat the Reno3 Pro, is its use of P2i splash-proof nano-coating.
As for the batteries, the Note 9 Pro Max trumps the Reno3 Pro with its massive 5,020mAh battery with 33W fast charging support, whereas the Reno3 Pro only comes with a 4,025mAh battery with 30W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 support.
Lastly, let’s take a look at the prices of each phone:
- 8GB + 128GB – INR 29,990 (or around PHP 21,000)
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max:
- 6GB + 64GB – INR 14,999 (or around PHP 10,400)
- 6GB + 128GB – INR 16,999 (or around PHP 12,000)
- 8GB + 128GB – INR 18,999 (or around PHP 13,200)
On paper, the Reno3 Pro does not offer much over the Note 9 Pro max. Users should really like using Super AMOLED displays and taking selfies to justify the PHP 7,000 price premium that the Reno3 Pro is asking for.
Overall, the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max offers stronger performance, better protection, and a larger battery while offering the device at a lower price. Unfortunately, though, we haven’t gotten word when the Note 9 Pro Max will arrive at our shores, while the Reno 3 Pro is set to launch in the Philippines soon.
