realme 8 5G vs POCO M3 Pro 5G vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G: Which one is for you

The market for affordable 5G smartphones grows larger as realme released their realme 8 5G line. With all the possible options, it is hard to tell which one to go for, which is why we present this three-way comparison between the realme 8 5G, the POCO M3 Pro 5G, and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G—all smartphones under the PHP 12K pricepoint. Yes, we are aware of the rebranded POCO M3 Pro of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5G, but stick around as we plot down the key differences. Let’s go!

Summary of advantages:

realme 8 5G:
• Dedicated microSD card slot
• Higher front camera resolution (16MP)
• Lighter

POCO M3 Pro 5G:
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• UFS 2.2 storage
• available RAM options (4GB, 6GB)
• IR Blaster
• Hi-Res Audio certification

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5G:
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• UFS 2.2 storage
• available RAM options (4GB, 8GB)
• IR Blaster
• Hi-Res Audio certification

Display

First up is the display because that is the thing you will constantly be looking at. All three smartphones an FHD+ LCD screen with 405ppi. As for screen refresh rate, all phones support a 90Hz refresh rate for fast and responsive interaction between you and your apps. Both the POCO M3 Pro 5G and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G feature Gorilla Glass 3. No mention of any special glass protection for the realme 8 5G.

CPU and GPU

Powering all three smartphones is the same MediaTek Dimensity 700 and ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, meaning we can expect the same level of performance across the devices. But you can check out the benchmark scores below:

RAM and Storage

The category of RAM is where these phones differ. The realme 8 5G has one configuration of RAM, which is set at 8GB. On the other hand, the rebranded POCO M3 Pro 5G has 4GB and 6GB RAM, while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G has 4GB and 8GB models. Moreover, the realme 8 5G is only set for 128GB of storage for the storage department, while the two phone models have 64GB and 128GB storage options.

Note that the POCO M3 Pro 5G and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G presently has UFS 2.2 storage compared to the 2.1 of its lone competitor. The major difference between the UFS 2.1 and 2.2 is the addition of a Write Booster, which generally loads applications quicker, encodes faster, and ensures better browsing.

Camera

All three smartphones sport the same triple camera configuration with a 48MP main camera and 2MP for the macro and depth camera. When we flip upfront, the realme 8 5G wins the camera department with its 16MP front camera, beating the POCO M3 Pro 5G and Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G’s 8MP selfie camera. Take note that these numbers do not always equate to quality. Luckily, we were able to review the realme 8 5G, the POCO M3 Pro, and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G to give you an idea of how the cameras perform.

The realme 8 5G provides wonderful contrasts in a well-lighted environment, providing good foreground and background differentiation with its balance on sharpness. Upfront, its selfie camera provides softened selfies, canceling out blemishes and rough spots on the subject. Great for quick snaps and instant uploads without the need for much post-editing.

The general rear camera quality of the POCO M3 Pro looks sharp and clear when focused correctly. However, its photos would tend to be overexposed or washed out, which is why it is needed to tap the subject before taking a photo. Better yet, take several photos for good measure. Its selfie camera gives subjects paler skin compared to their natural skin tone but is rather alright for normal usage.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G provides accurate colors for images, but like always, ample lighting environment is needed to get the most quality out of the picture. Its macro camera is good but requires trial and error when factoring distance between the phone and the subject.

Other features

All three smartphones are capable of WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G network capability, and NFC in the connectivity department. However, the POCO M3 Pro 5G and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G features an IR blaster that can be improvised as a remote control for your television sets.

They all also feature a 3.5mm audio jack for your audio peripherals, but again the POCO M3 Pro and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G has the edge over the realme 8 5G with their Hi-Res Audio certification.

Battery

If the battery is your concern, no need to fret as all three smartphones have a 5,000mAh battery with 18W of fast charge, so no winner can be discerned for this category. However, note that each smartphone may handle its battery consumption differently from one another. So check out the results based on our reviews below:

Price

Which one to get?

All three smartphones are neck and neck in terms of features; however, if you want a slightly lighter smartphone with a dedicated microSD slot and a higher-resolution selfie camera, opt for the realme 8 5G for PHP 11,990USD 204INR 17,321EUR 195CNY 1,488.

On the flip side, if you want a Hi-Res audio-certified smartphone with improved UFS storage and an IR blaster, you can choose either the POCO M3 Pro or the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G. However, keep in mind that although insanely similar, the POCO M3 Pro 5G and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G have different configurations and prices.

Between the two, if you have a limited budget and ok with 4G + 64GB, you can start with the POCO M3 Pro 5G, but if you have a bigger budget and want the biggest RAM and storage available, go for the 8GB + 128GB Redmi Note 10 5G.

So what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.