Realme Philippines has launched its even more budget-friendly version of the Realme 5, the Realme 5i. With a price of just under PHP 7k, we couldn’t help but compare it to one of Xiaomi’s entry-level devices in the same price, the Xiaomi Redmi 8. The handsets have displays measuring past 6 inches, Snapdragon chipsets, and armed with a 5,000mAh battery. See how they fare against each other in this comparison.
| Realme 5i | Xiaomi Redmi 8 |
|---|---|
| 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) IPS Mini-drop display, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | 6.22-inch HD+ (1520 x 720)Dot Notch IPS display, 270ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 CPU |
| Adreno 610 GPU | Adreno 505 GPU |
| 3GB RAM | 3GB/4GB RAM |
| 64GB Storage | 32GB/64GB storage |
| Expandable up to 256GB via microSD | Expandable up to 512GB via microSD |
| 12MP main camera + 8MP ultra-wide camera + 2MP portrait + 2MP macro quad rear cameras | 12MP + 2MP dual-rear cameras |
| 8MP front camera | 8MP front camera |
| Dual Nano SIM | Dual Nano SIM |
| 4G VoLTE | 4G LTE |
| WiFi | WiFi |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| BDS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, AGPS, GLONASS |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| - Face unlock - Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner | - AI Face Unlock - Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner - IR Blaster |
| 5,000mAh battery capacity | 5,000mAh battery capacity with 18W fast charging support |
| micro USB port | USB-C |
| ColorOS6 Android 9 Pie | MIUI (Android 9 Pie) |
Advantages of each smartphone:
Realme 5i
- Slightly larger display
- Mid-range processor
- Quadruple-rear cameras
Xiaomi Redmi 8
- Available in two RAM/storage configurations
- Larger expandable storage size
- 18W fast charging support
- USB-C port
Let’s begin with the display; the Realme 5i comes with a larger-sized panel, measuring at 6.5-inches, while the Redmi 8 has a smaller 6.22-inch one. While both devices have an HD+ resolution, the Realme 5i slightly has more pixels at 1600 x 720, compared to the Redmi 8’s 1520 x 720. The handsets have employed a notch which houses their respective front cameras. For protection, the Realme 5i comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, while the Redmi 8 sports Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Under the hood, the Realme 5i runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset, paired with 3GB RAM. On the other hand, powering the Redmi 8 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor, coupled with 3GB/4GB RAM. While we’ve yet to compare the benchmarks scores on both smartphones, it should be noted that the SD665 is a mid-range chipset and the SD439 is an entry-level one. Indeed, the SD665 is the more powerful chipset between them. As for storage, the Realme 5i has 64GB, expandable up to 256GB. The Redmi 8 has base storage of 32GB and a bigger one at 64GB, expandable up to 512GB via microSD.
When it comes to cameras, the Realme 5i wins in quantity with its quadruple rear setup, consisting of a 12MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP portrait, and a 2MP macro lens. On the other hand, the Redmi 8 sports a dual-rear camera setup, comprised of a 12MP shooter and a 2MP one. Front-camera wise, both devices have an 8MP shooter.
The handsets both come with a 5,000mAh battery capacity. The Redmi 8 has the upper hand here, seeing that it has a USB-C port and that it supports 18W fast-charging technology. Compared to that, the Realme 5i has no form of fast charging support and comes equipped with a micro USB port.
For other features, the Realme 5i and the Redmi 8 both have face unlock and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. A 3.5mm headphone jack is also present in both devices. The Redmi 8 has an IR Blaster as well, which is a feature that the Realme 5i doesn’t have. The two handsets run on Android 9 Pie but differ in their UI skin as the Redmi 8 has the MIUI 10 skin, while the 5i operates on ColorOS 6.
The devices are priced as follows:
Realme 5i
- 3GB + 64GB – PHP 6,990
Xiaomi Redmi 8
- 3GB + 32GB – PHP 6,490
- 4GB + 64GB – PHP 6,990
The Realme 5i has the same price as the Redmi 8’s highest configuration, although it’s also worth noting that the Redmi 8 is available at a slightly lower price and configuration. If you’d like to have a smartphone that has a mid-range chipset, quad-cameras, and a slightly bigger screen, get the Realme 5i. However, if you would like a device with a USB-C port, larger RAM, and bigger expandable storage, go for the Redmi 8.
It is good to get redmi 8 as compared to realme 5i, thanks.