POCO recently released a new budget smartphone with a capable CPU, 4G RAM, triple rear cameras, and a huge 6,000mAh battery, the POCO M3. However, there’s another smartphone in the market that packs similar features, the realme narzo 20. Both smartphones are also priced at under PHP 8K, so which one should you buy? Find out below.
| POCO M3 | realme narzo 20 |
|---|---|
| 6.53-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) IPS LCD, 395ppi | 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) IPS LCD, 270ppi |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 2.0GHz octa-core CPU | MediaTek Helio G85 2.0GHz octa-core CPU |
| Adreno 610 GPU | Mali-G52 MC2 GPU |
| 4GB LPDDR4X RAM | 4GB RAM |
| 64GB UFS 2.1, 128GB UFS 2.2 storage | 64GB storage |
| microSD card (dedicated slot) | microSD card (dedicated slot) |
| Triple rear cameras: • 48MP F2.0, PDAF main • 2MP F2.4 macro • 2MP F2.4 depth | Triple-rear cameras: • 48MP F1.8, PDAF main • 8MP F2.3 ultra-wide • 2MP F2.4 macro |
| 8 MP F2.05 selfie camera | 8MP F2.0 selfie camera |
| Dual-SIM (nano) | Dual-SIM (nano) |
| 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, BDS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| IR blaster | |
| USB-C port | USB-C port |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| FM Radio | FM Radio |
| Dual-Speakers | |
| Hi-Res Audio | |
| Fingerprint scanner (side) | Fingerprint scanner (rear) |
| Face Unlock | Face Unlock |
| MIUI 12 for POCO (Android 10) | realme UI (Android 10) |
| 6,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charge, reverse wired charging | 6,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charge, reverse wired charging |
| 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6mm | 164.5 x 75.9 x 9.8 mm |
| 198 g | 208 g |
| Cool Blue, POCO Yellow, Power Black | Glory Silver, Victory Blue |
Summary of advantage
POCO M3:
• Higher screen resolution
• Gorilla Glass 3 protection
• 128GB storage variant
• Faster memory
• Depth-sensing camera
• IR Blaster
• Dual-speakers w/ Hi-Res audio
• Lower price for the 4GB + 64GB model
realme narzo 20:
• Ultra-wide camera
It looks like a landslide win for the POCO M3 based on the summary above, but let’s take a closer look.
Starting with the display, both almost have the same 6.53-inch screen, with the POCO M3 only slightly larger by 0.03-inch, which is negligible. However, the POCO M3 has a higher Full HD+ resolution with 395ppi, compared to the narzo 20 with an HD+ resolution at 270ppi. The former also has Gorilla Glass 3 for protection, while the latter probably has the standard scratch-resistant glass.
The two devices sport a triple rear camera setup with the same 48MP main and 2MP macro. The POCO M3’s advantage is that it has a dedicated depth-sensing camera, while realme narzo 20 has an ultrawide camera. If you’re into ultrawide shots, you’re better off with the latter.
Memory-wise, both have 4GB RAM, but when it comes to storage, the POCO M3’s 64GB is UFS 2.1 while the 128GB is UFS 2.2. The realme narzo 20, on the other hand, only has 64GB, and based on the speeds we’re getting on AndroBench, it looks like the eMMC 5.1 type. We’re yet to complete our benchmarks on the POCO M3, but we’re expecting faster speeds from it based on the storage type.
Looking at their processors, the POCO M3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 (11nm) octa-core CPU with Adreno 610 GPU, while the realme narzo 20 has the MediaTek Helio G85 (12nm) octa-core CPU with Mali-G52 MC2 GPU. We’re still benchmarking the POCO M3, but in our initial tests, it got a score of 171,316 in AnTuTu. The realme narzo 20, on the other hand, got 202,580. We’ll know more about the POCO M3’s performance in our full review.
Regarding other features, both have 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C ports, and fingerprint scanners. The POCO M3, however, has an IR Blaster, dual-speakers, and support for hi-res audio. Things that the realme narzo 20 don’t have.
As for the battery, both are designed for heavy users with its 6,000mAh capacity with 18W fast charging and support for reverse wired charging.
Let’s talk about the price. The realme narzo 20 is only offered in the 4GB + 64GB configuration at PHP 7,990. The POCO M3, on the other hand comes in 4GB + 64GB at PHP 6,990, and 4GB + 128GB for PHP 7,990. Based on the specs and the budget, the POCO M3 will provide better value for your money.
Realme got destroyed again, sad realme is starting to be just another oppo/vivo. Soon oneplus will also join its ranks.