Specs Comparison: Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus vs Huawei Nova 2i vs Infinix Zero 5

In this specs comparison, we put three smartphones side-by-side to see which has the upper hand in different aspects. The Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus versus the Huawei Nova 2i is highly requested by the readers but there’s one more that we can add to the mix — the Infinix Zero 5. Let’s start!

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus was released in December last year and it is available in the Philippines for purchase. It has a 5.99″ FHD+ display with 2160 x 1080 resolution, a Snapdragon 625 processor, a 32GB/64GB internal storage, a 3GB/4GB RAM, a 12MP rear camera with dual-tone dual LED flash, a 5MP front camera with soft-light LED flash, and a 4,000mAh battery with fast charging.

The Huawei Nova 2i has been around since last year and is one of the most popular devices in the market. It has a 5.9″ 18:9 IPS LCD FHD+ display with 2160 x 1080 resolution, a Kirin 659 processor, a 64GB internal storage, a 4GB RAM, a 16MP + 2MP rear cameras with LED flash, a 13MP + 2MP front cameras, and a 3,340mAh battery.

The Infinix Zero 5 is the company’s latest smartphone sporting a decent processor and a large RAM capacity. It has a 5.98″ 16:9 FHD IPS display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, a MediaTek Helio P25 processor, a 64GB internal storage, a 6GB RAM, a 12MP + 13MP rear cameras with dual-tone LED flash, a 16MP front camera with LED flash, and a 4,350mAh battery with fast charging.

Here are their detailed specs:

Here are the advantages of each smartphone:

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

+ Largest screen size by 0.01-inch

+ IR Blaster

+ Android 7.1.2 out-of-the-box

Huawei Nova 2i

+ Expandable up to 256GB

+ Highest rear camera resolution

+ Lightest smartphone

Infinix Zero 5

+ Best performing CPU

+ Best performing GPU

+ Largest RAM capacity

+ dedicated microSD card

+ Highest front camera resolution

+ USB Type-C

Here are the rankings of each key aspects:

• Screen Size: Redmi 5 Plus > Nova 2i > Zero 5
• Screen Resolution: Redmi 5 Plus and Nova 2i > Zero 5
• Screen Protection: Redmi 5 Plus and Zero 5
• CPU: Zero 5 > Nova 2i > Redmi 5 Plus
• GPU: Zero 5 > Redmi 5 Plus > Nova 2i
• Internal Storage: Nova 2i and Zero 5 > Redmi 5 Plus (32GB)
• RAM: Zero 5 > Nova 2i > Redmi 5 Plus (3GB)
• Dedicated MicroSD Card Slot: Zero 5
• Rear Camera Resolution: Nova 2i > Zero 5 > Redmi 5 Plus
• Front Camera Resolution: Zero 5 > Nova 2i > Redmi 5 Plus
• Battery: Zero 5 > Redmi 5 Plus > Nova 2i
• Fast Charging: Redmi 5 Plus and Zero 5
• IR Blaster: Redmi 5 Plus
• 4G type: Nova 2i and Zero 5 (VoLTE) > Redmi 5 Plus (LTE)

Display

Users who are fond of watching videos can choose any of these devices since all mentioned smartphones have a large, almost 6-inch screens. The Redmi 5 Plus and Nova 2i have the upper-hand because of their 18:9 screen aspect ratio with a higher vertical resolution.

CPU and GPU

The Snapdragon 625 is the most optimized and power efficient due to its 14nm architecture while the Kirin 659 and Helio P25 both have a 16nm. In terms of clock speed, the Helio P25 has the best performing processor among the three. The Snapdragon 625 is the least performing but it is not that far from the Kirin 659. Overall, all processors are good for mid-range smartphones.

The Mali-T880 GPU of the Zero 5 is the best performing one, with the Redmi 5 Plus’ Adreno 506 coming second and the Nova 2i’s Mali-T830 last. Playing with mid-graphics games won’t pose any problems to all GPUs but the Mali-T830 will fall behind when tested when it comes to graphics-intensive games.

Camera

Basing on camera resolution alone, the highest rear camera resolution among the three is the Nova 2i. As for the front camera resolution, the Zero 5 has the highest one. Be wary that it is not all about having the highest camera resolutions since there are still a lot of factors to be considered when choosing a good camera smartphone. We have taken sample shots from the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus and Huawei Nova 2i that users can check out.

Battery

Zero 5 has the highest battery capacity among the three. The Redmi 5 Plus comes second while Nova 2i goes last. We’re yet to test the battery life of the first and second one so we will be updating this article as soon as our review comes out. Both of them also have fast charging technology in which the Nova 2i lacks.

Price

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, Huawei Nova 2i, and Infinix Zero 5 are priced at Php9,800USD 167INR 14,157EUR 159CNY 1,216 (see price listing here), Php14,990USD 255INR 21,655EUR 243CNY 1,860, and Php13,999USD 239INR 20,223EUR 227CNY 1,737 (see price listing here), respectively. This makes the Redmi 5 Plus the most affordable but this is based on an online store listing without official warranty. The Nova 2i and Zero 5 are close by a difference of less than Php1K.

Here’s our recommendation, if users want to have the best viewing experience, they can choose between the Redmi 5 Plus and the Nova 2i. For performance and gaming potential, they can go for the Zero 5. If they want to have a smartphone with a high camera resolution, they can pick Nova 2i (rear camera) or the Zero 5 (front camera). If budget is a problem, the Redmi 5 Plus is the best option.

What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.