Vivo V15 Pro vs Poco F1 vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018): Price, Features and Specifications Compared

The year 2018 was dominated by mid-range smartphones. Almost every handset maker launched more than mid-range device leaving the consumers spoilt for options. The segment is dominated by Chinese players like Xiaomi, Vivo etc., however tech giant Samsung is trying hard to make a comeback in the segment. The saga continues in 2019 as well. Recently China-based handset maker Vivo launched its Vivo V15 Pro smartphone in India. The highlights of the phone include pop-up selfie camera, fifth-generation in-display fingerprint scanner and a Snapdragon 675 AIE SoC. Considering the specs, the phone is expected to compete against the likes of Poco F1 and Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018). Today we’ll compare the specs and features of the three phones in order to find out which one provides a better return on investment for buyer’s money.

Here are the parameters taken into consideration while doing the comparison:

• Design and Display
• Processor, RAM and Storage
• Software
• Battery Capacity
• Camera Configuration
• Price in India

Vivo V15 Pro vs Poco F1 vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018): Display

In terms of design, the Vivo V15 Pro has a striking design, thanks to its build material and appealing colour. The phone still packs a polycarbonate rear panel, but it doesn’t really feel cheap. The device feels good in hand and provides a firm grip. The Poco F1 features a polycarbonate body to save some cost but it doesn’t look cheap. The phone gets a Gorilla Glass 3 protection which makes it a bit sturdy. The Galaxy A9 (2018) features the standard metal frame, inside a glass sandwich arrangement. But the glass finish attracts a lot of fingerprints, so it’s better to use the device with a case. Overall the device looks quite good for its price tag. Although design is a matter of choice, in our opinion the Vivo V15 Pro is a better looking device out of the three, especially due to its unique pop-up selfie camera which makes it stand out from the other two phones.

In terms of display, the Vivo V15 Pro sports a 6.39-inch full-HD+ Ultra FullView Super AMOLED display panel with screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels and aspect ratio of 19.5:9 aspect ratio resulting into 91.64 per cent screen to body ratio. The screen comes with a fifth-generation in-display fingerprint sensor that is touted to have higher fingerprint pixel density and more sophisticated algorithm. This provides a faster and more secured unlocking experience. The Poco F1 comes equipped with a slightly smaller 6.18-inch full-HD+ (1080×2246 pixels) display along with a 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 protection. While the Galaxy A9 (2018) features a 6.3-inch full HD+ display (1080×2220 pixels) with Always-On support and an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The Vivo V15 Pro gets a slight upper hand in his department due to its slightly bigger display with better screen resolution.

In terms of dimensions, the Vivo V15 Pro measures 157.25 x 74.71 x 8.21 mm and weighs 185 grams. The Poco F1 has dimensions of 155.5 x 75.3 x 8.8 mm and weight of 182 grams, whereas the Galaxy A9 (2018) has dimensions of 162.5 x 77 x 7.8 mm and it weighs in at 183 grams. So, the Galaxy A9 is the slimmest and lightest of the three phones.

Vivo V15 Pro vs Poco F1 vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018): Processor, RAM and Storage

The Vivo V15 Pro draws power from an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 AIE SoC along with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM. The inbuilt storage capacity of the device is 128GB which is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. Under the hood, the Poco F1 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC along with 6GB and 8GB RAM options. In terms of storage, there are three options- 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. All three variants get a 256GB expandable storage by means of a microSD card in a hybrid SIM slot configuration. In India, the Galaxy A9 (2018) has Exynos 7885 SoC underneath to keep things ticking. While it gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC internationally. In terms of memory, there are two options available for the buyers- 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. The storage is expandable up to 512GB via a microSD card. Clearly, the Poco F1 wins this battle, thanks to its flagship grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC.

Vivo V15 Pro vs Poco F1 vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018): Software

In terms of software, the Vivo V15 Pro runs Funtouch OS 9 based on Android 9.0 Pie operating system out of the box. The Poco F1 MIUI 9.6 out-of-the-box based on Android 8.1 Oreo, though it recently got Android 9.0 Pie-based MIUI 10 Global Beta ROM. Whereas the Galaxy A9 (2018) runs Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out of the box.

Vivo V15 Pro vs Poco F1 vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018): Battery Capacity

The Vivo V15 Pro is fueled by a 3,700mAh capacity battery that supports Dual-Engine fast charging technology. It can charge from 0 to 24 percent in 15 minutes as claimed by the company. The Poco F1 packs a larger 4,000mAh battery that supports 18W charging and Quick Charge 3. While the Galaxy A9 (2018) is backed by a 3800mAh battery that has fast charging support via USB Type-C. Once again, the Poco F1 manages to beat the other two devices to emerge out as a winner in this department.

Vivo V15 Pro vs Poco F1 vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018): Camera Configuration

The Vivo V15 Pro gets a triple rear camera set up which aligned vertically and placed at the top left corner of the device. The set up comprises of a primary 12-megapixel (48 Million Quad Pixel Sensor) with f/1.8 aperture + an 8-megapixel secondary AI super wide-angle camera + a third 5-megapixel depth shooter. The rear camera set up supports features such as AI Body Shaping and AI Portrait Lighting. The front gets an impressive 32-megapixel pop-up selfie camera.

The Poco F1 features a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor with dual-pixel autofocus + a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. The front gets a 20-megapixel camera along with HDR and AI Beautify features for selfies. The front camera also doubles up as Face Unlock.

The Galaxy A9 (2018) gets an interesting quad rear camera module. It consists of a 24-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture + a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoon + a 5-megapixel depth sensor + an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera with f/2.4 aperture. For selfies and video calls, there’s a 24-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture that also supports Face Unlock.

It’s a tough call between the Vivo V15 Pro and Galaxy A9 (2018) as both feature a good camera configuration on paper. However, the camera performance on paper may sometimes vary from the actual performance, thus we advise you refer to actual user reviews before making a purchase decision based on camera performance.

Vivo V15 Pro vs Poco F1 vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018): Price

The Vivo V15 Pro is priced in India at Rs. 28,990 for the lone 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. The smartphone comes in Topaz Blue and Ruby Red colour options. It will go on sale in the country starting from March 6. However, the pre-orders have already been started.

The Poco F1 base variant i.e. 6GB RAM + 64GB inbuilt storage is priced at Rs. 19,990 while the mid-variant i.e. 6GB RAM + 128GB storage comes with a price tag of Rs. 22,999. The top variant i.e. 8GB RAM + 256GB inbuilt storage will cost you Rs. 27,999.

The Galaxy A9 (2018) recently got a price cut in India and it now retails with a starting price tag of Rs. 30,990 which is for the base variant with 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. While the top variant with 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage is priced at Rs. 33,990.

CompareRaja’s Verdict

The Poco F1 is a superior handset as compared to the Vivo V15 Pro and Galaxy A9 (2018), thanks to its better processor, display and battery back up. The phone is also better priced as compared to the other two. The Vivo V15 Pro gets the second spot with its good processor and striking looks. While the Samsung’s Galaxy A9 (2018) stands last as it gets beaten in almost every aspect by the other two devices. So, Samsung has a real tough job in hand if it really wants to capture the market share from the mid-range price segment.

Still confused? Don’t worry! here’s a quick specs comparison between Vivo V15 Pro, Poco F1 and Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) which will help you further in your decision making process.