The market for 5G-enabled smartphones keeps getting bigger and bigger; however, it may be hard to find the right one for you with all these options. With the recent unveiling of the POCO M3 Pro, it begs the question of how well it fairs against other phones with similar chipsets. Hence why we are pinning the POCO M3 Pro against the realme 8 5G for this specs comparison—here we go.
| POCO M3 Pro | realme 8 5G |
|---|---|
| 6.5-inch FHD+ , LCD, 405ppi | 6.5-inch FHD+, LCD, 405ppi |
| 90Hz refresh rate | 90Hz refresh rate |
| MediaTek Dimensity 700 | MediaTek Dimensity 700 |
| ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU | ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU |
| 4GB, 6GB LPDDR4X RAM | 8GB LPDDR4x RAM |
| 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.2 storage | 128GB UFS 2.1 storage |
| dedicated microSD | |
| Triple rear cameras: | Triple rear cameras: |
| • 48MP F1.79 (main) | • 48MP F1.8 (main) |
| • 2MP F2.4 (macro) | • 2MP F2.4 (macro) |
| • 2MP F2.4 (depth) | • 2MP F2.4 (depth) |
| 8MP front camera | 16MP front camera |
| Dual-SIM (nano) | Dual-SIM (nano) |
| 5G, 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE |
| WiFi 5 | WiFi 5 |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| NFC | NFC |
| IR blaster | |
| GPS, A-GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou | GPS, A-GPS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, GLONASS |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| Hi-Res Audio certification | |
| Fingerprint scanner (side) | Fingerprint scanner (side) |
| MIUI 12 (Android 11) | realme UI (Android 11) |
| 5,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charge | 5,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charge |
| 161.81 x 75.34 x 8.92 mm | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.5mm |
| 190g | 185g |
Summary of advantages
Xiaomi POCO M3 Pro:
• available RAM options (4GB, 6GB)
• UFS 2.2 storage
• IR Blaster
• Hi-Res Audio certification
realme 8 5G:
• Higher RAM option (8GB)
• Dedicated microSD
• Higher front camera resolution (16MP)
• Lighter
Table of Contents
Display
First up is the display. Both smartphones sport an FHD+ LCD screen with 405ppi. If you are looking for a snappy phone, both offer a 90Hz screen refresh rate for a buttery-smooth experience for applications and games.
CPU and GPU
Powering these two smartphones is the same MediaTek Dimensity 700 and ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU so that we can expect the same level of performance between these two. However, do note that we can only determine the extent of their performance and thermals once we have both units for a review.
RAM and Storage
In the category of storage, both the POCO M3 Pro and the realme 8 5G sport a 128GB storage capacity; however, the latter does have a higher RAM configuration of 8GB. The edge realme has over its POCO competitor is its dedicated microSD option for more storage—earning an extra point from us.
On the other hand, the POCO M3 Pro presently has a UFS 2.2 storage compared to the 2.1 of its 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
Both phones are neck and neck for the camera department, sporting a 48MP main camera and 2MP for their macro and depth camera. But, the race is won with the front camera of the realme 8 5G at 16MP, beating the POCO M3 Pro 5G’s 8MP. Take note, though, that these numbers don’t always equate to quality. Luckily, we were able to get our hands on both the POCO M3 Pro and the realme 8 5G to give you a camera comparison.
The general rear camera quality of the POCO M3 Pro looks sharp and clear when focused correctly, however, its photos would have a tendency 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 as compared to their natural skin tone, but is rather alright for normal usage.
For the realme 8 5G, it 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.
Other features
Both smartphones are capable of WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G network capability, and NFC in the connectivity department. However, the POCO M3 Pro 5G features an IR blaster that can be improvised as a remote control for TVs.
If you have wired Audio peripherals, do not worry, as both phones also have access to the trusty 3.5mm audio jack. However, the POCO M3 Pro may have the edge over its competition with its Hi-Res Audio certification.
Battery
The POCO M3 Pro 5G and realme 8 5G both have a 5,000mAh battery with 18W of fast charge; hence no winner can be named for this category.
Which one to get?
The local price of the POCO M3 Pro is at PHP 8,990 and PHP 11,990 for its (4GB + 64GB) and (6GB + 128GB) variant. On the other hand, the realme 8 5G is priced at PHP 11,990.
If you want a Hi-Res Audio certified smartphone with better UFS storage and an IR blaster, choose the Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro. You can get these features and still have a choice between the PHP 8,990 and PHP 11,990 option—choose according to your budget.
However, if you want a slightly lighter smartphone with a higher RAM option, a dedicated MicroSD slot, and a better selfie camera, opt for the realme 8 5G at PHP 11,990.
So what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Poco m3 pro price in Pakistan