Realme 3 vs Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Redmi Note 7: Will Realme 3 Be Able to Combat?

Oppo’s sub-brand Realme recently launched the Realme 3 smartphone which is successor to company’s popular Realme 2 smartphone. The budget-centric device is company’s first offering for 2019 and is a significant upgrade over Realme 2. It is powered by powerful Helio P70 chipset along with a beefy 4,230mAh battery on the inside. The starting price of the device is Rs. 8,990. The phone went on sale via sale on Flipkart.com on 12th March and company claims that it has managed to sell over 2.1 lakh units during the first round of sale.

Considering the price and specifications, the Realme 3 is expected to compete against the market leader Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 and Samsung Galaxy M20 which is part of Samsung’s new series M series, the other two being Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M30. With the response received so far for the Galaxy M series, Samsung seems to have taken steps in the right direction in order to capture the lost market share in the budget segment. Whereas Xiaomi is already a market leader in this segment. Let us compare the three phones to find out if the Realme 3 will be able to combat the threat posed by Samsung and Xiaomi.

The comparison will be based on following parameters:

• Price and Availability in India
• Design and Display
• Processor, RAM and Storage
• Battery Capacity
• Software (Operating System)
• Camera Configuration

Realme 3 vs Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Redmi Note 7: Price and Availability in India

Price is one of the key factors when it comes to picking the right device in the budget friendly smartphone segment. The Realme 3 comes with a competitive price tag of Rs. 8,999 for the base variant with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. While the 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage variant is priced at Rs. 10,999. The phone is sold via sale on eCommerce giant Flipkart.com as well as Realme.com (the next sale is on March 19). So, in terms of availability, the it is relatively difficult to get your hands on the Realme 3.

The Galaxy M20 is priced in India at Rs. 10,990 for the 3GB RAM + 32GB inbuilt storage variant, while its 4GB RAM + 64GB inbuilt storage variant is priced at Rs. 12,990. It is sold via Amazon.in and Samsung India e-Store.

The Redmi Note 7 gets a starting price tag of Rs. 9,999 for the 3GB RAM + 32GB internal storage configuration, while its 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage model is priced at Rs. 11,999. The phone went on sale in India yesterday (i.e. 13th March) via Flipkart.com, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores in the country alongside the Redmi Note 7 Pro and both the devices went out of stock very soon. Xiaomi claims to have sold over 2,00,000 units of the Redmi Note 7 “in a few minutes” in its first sale, and in its second sale too, the smartphone quickly went out of stock. So, you’ll need some luck along with the money to get grab the Redmi Note 7 just like the Realme 3. thanks to its high demand. The next sale is scheduled for March 20.

Realme 3 vs Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Redmi Note 7: Design and Display

In terms of design, the Realme 3 is an all-plastic smartphone which looks and feels good but not great. The Galaxy M20 gets a polycarbonate body with glossy finish which is likely to attract a lot of smudges. While the Redmi Note 7 is a better-looking device of the three as with a flat glass body which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The Redmi Note 7 comes in three colour options- Onyx Black, Ruby Red, and Sapphire Blue. While the Realme 3 comes in Radiant Blue and Dynamic Black gradient colours. The Galaxy M20 gets two colour variants- Charcoal Black and Ocean Blue.

The Realme 3 sports a 6.2-inch HD+ (1520×720) display with a 19:9 aspect ratio resulting into screen-to-body ratio of 88.3 per cent. It features a water drop shaped notch at the top which houses the selfie camera and allows for a larger screen-to-body ratio. The display also gets a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for protection against scratches. The Galaxy M20 comes equipped with a 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) Infinity-V Display along with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Whereas the Redmi Note 7 bears a 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) LTPS LCD display along with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It is a tough call between Galaxy M20 and Redmi Note 7, but our vote goes to Galaxy M20 as we believe its TFT panel is still one of the best displays present in this price band.

In terms of dimensions, the Realme 3 measures 156.1 x 75.6 x 8.3 mm and weighs in at 175 grams. The Galaxy M20 has dimensions of 156.4 x 74.5 x 8.8 mm and weight of 186 grams, while the Redmi Note 7 has dimensions of 159.2 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm and it weighs about 186 grams. So, the Realme 3 is the slimmest and the lightest of the three devices.

Realme 3 vs Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Redmi Note 7: Processor, RAM and Storage

The Realme 3 has an octa-core MediaTek Helio P70 SoC underneath to power the device along with 3GB and 4GB of RAM. There are two options in terms of onboard storage- 32GB and 64GB, both of which are expandable up to 512GB via microSD card.

The Galaxy M20 draws its power from Exynos 7904 SoC, paired with 3GB and 4GB RAM options and Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. The phone has 32GB and 64GB of onboard storage options, both of which are expandable via microSD card up to 512GB.

The Redmi Note 7 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, paired with 3GB and 4GB RAM options. There are two options in terms of inbuilt storage- 32GB and 64GB.

In terms of performance, we’ll call it a tie between Realme 3 and Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 as both feature equally powerful chipsets.

Realme 3 vs Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Redmi Note 7: Battery Capacity

The Realme 3 is fueled by a 4,230mAh capacity battery with 10w cable charger in the box. It uses the older micro-USB port for charging. The Redmi Note 7 packs a 4,000mAh battery with support for fast charging. Whereas the Galaxy M20 is backed by a massive 5,000mAh battery that supports fast charging via USB Type-C. Needless to mention, it is the Galaxy M20 that emerges out as the winner in this department. Although Realme 3 has slightly better capacity battery as compared to Redmi Note 7, it lacks support for fast charging.

Realme 3 vs Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Redmi Note 7: OS

The Realme 3 runs Google’s latest Android Pie operating system on top of ColorOS 6.0. The Galaxy M20 Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out of the box based on Samsung Experience 9.5 UX. The company is also providing also providing apps like a Game Launcher and Samsung Max with a promise to save mobile data and privacy. While the Redmi Note 7 runs Android 9 Pie with MIUI 10 on top with a slew of customisations and features.

Realme 3 vs Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Redmi Note 7: Camera Configuration

The Realme 3 comes equipped with a dual camera setup on the rear which consists of a 13-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture + a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. The camera set up features Nightscape and Chroma Boost functionalities which comes handy in low light conditions. For selfies, there’s a 13-megapixel snapper on the front. The front camera supports features such as AI Beautification, HDR, and AI Face Unlock.

The Galaxy M20 also features a dual rear camera setup which comprises of a 13-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.9 aperture + a 5-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. The front hosts an 8-megapixel sensor along with an f/2.0 aperture for selfies and video calls. The camera app lets you switch between the standard field of view and an ultra-wide field of view with a simple tap.

The Redmi Note 7 has a dual camera set up on the back consisting of a 48-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL GM-1 as the primary sensor (the Chinese variant gets 12-megapixel primary sensor) and 2-megapixel secondary sensor. The phone gets a 13-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls.

On paper, of course the Redmi Note 7 seems to have a better primary camera. While the Realme 3 seems to be a good option for selfie lovers. The camera performance on paper can be different from the real, so we leave it up to you to decide. You can refer to actual user reviews before you take the final purchase decision.

CompareRaja’s Verdict

Although Samsung has finally produced a good budget smartphone in the form of Galaxy M20, it still needs to cover some ground as the Chinese counterparts are offering more value for money. Both the Realme 3 and Redmi Note 7 have more positives and thus manage to beat the Galaxy M20. It is a tough call between the two devices, but our vote goes out to Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 due to its impressive battery, good processor, excellent camera and aggressive price tag.

Here’s a quick specs comparison between Realme 3, Samsung Galaxy M20 and Redmi Note 7 which will help you further in your decision-making process…