Last Update 10/13/2019 – Redmi Note 8 Official PH Price added.
If you’re out looking for a budget quad-camera phone, Realme 5 and Redmi Note 8 are the phones that fit your category. Realme 5 has arrived in the Philippines with a starting price of P6,990. On the flip end, Redmi Note 8 has been released starting at P7,990. That said, here are the differences that you need to know.
Table of Contents
Realme 5 and Redmi Note 8 Differences
Advantages of Realme 5
- 6.5″ screen
- scheduled Android 10 update
- dedicated microSD slot for up to 256GB
- 5000mAh battery
Advantages of Redmi Note 8
- front and back glass with Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- FHD+ resolution
- up to 6GB RAM
- 48MP main sensor
- USB Type-C
- Infrared Port
- 18W fast charging
Realme 5 and Redmi Note 8 Similarities
- splash-resistant body
- IPS LCD panel
- Android 9 Pie
- Snapdragon 665
- up to 128GB internal storage
- four main cameras
- 13MP selfie camera
- audio jack
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Wi-Fi ac
- rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
Which is a better buy between the Realme 5 and Redmi Note 8?
Design and Display
Even though both phones are looking nearly similar to each other, there’s a difference once you have it in your hands. Realme 5 makes use of a polycarbonate back panel while Redmi Note 8 is all about being premium, thanks to its glass back panel (also covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 5). This means Realme 5 will easily suffer from minor scratches. Nevertheless, both can survive a few water splashes.
With both using a teardrop notch, Realme 5 is slightly bigger at 6.5″ vs 6.3″. However, you will appreciate the crisper screen quality of Redmi Note 8 due to its FHD+ resolution. If your usage veers towards video consumption, it’s best to go with Xiaomi’s device.
READ: Realme X2 Pro Confirmed to Feature 64MP Camera with 20X Zoom
Performance
Both are rocking Snapdragon 665 chipset. Although not made for serious gaming, productivity and time-wasting apps should be handled excellently. We do have to mention that Redmi Note 8 can provide up to 6GB RAM, meaning, it will hold out more apps in the background. Based on Android 9 Pie, both, again, are using their respective skinned UIs. While it’s almost sure that Redmi Note 8 will get Android 10 (except we don’t know when), Realme 5 is already scheduled to receive the next major Android update. This means getting the latest features from Google as well as the latest security patches.
Cameras
In late 2019, these two are pioneering the budget quad-camera phone category. Outside the main sensor, both use 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth. Realme 5’s main camera is of 12MP f1.8 while Redmi Note 8 crushes it with a 48MP f1.8 Samsung sensor of its own. But do take note that it’s not all about numbers. Realme has its Chroma Boost feature that outputs well-balanced photos.
Video-wise, both are capped at 4K @ 30fps with up to 960fps slo-mo at lower resolutions. And yes, they do come with electronic image stabilization for smoother footage.
As for the front cameras, it’s a tie on paper. Both are using 13MP f2.0 sensors — difference will come down in post-processing which involves using the phones themselves.
READ: Samsung Galaxy A70s vs Galaxy A70 Specs Comparison – Samsung’s First 64MP Smartphone
Battery and Charging
If you’re looking for longevity on a single charge, Realme 5 may be the best one for you — it features 5000mAh capacity, although you’re stuck with mere 10W standard charging. But if you don’t mind topping up in the middle of the day, Redmi Note 8 can fill up its 4000mAh tank fast with 18W fast charging. You also do get the benefits of using USB Type-C, such as faster transfer speeds and reversible connector.
Conclusion
Realme 5 has a starting price of P6,990(3GB/32GB) and goes up to P9,990(4GB/128GB) while Redmi Note 8 is slated to arrive on October 11th goes from P7,990 (3GB/32GB), P8,990 (4GB/64GB), up to P9,990 (4GB/128GB). From the specs alone, Redmi has the advantage already. You’re getting superior design quality, better camera optics, crisper display quality, up to 6GB RAM, and USB-C with fast charging capability. All the company needs to do is to come up with an aggressive price that will hit the ball out of the park. And they sure did.
READ: Realme X2 vs Redmi Note 8 Pro Specs Comparison – The Better 64MP Quad Camera Phone Is?
| Specs | Realme 5 | Redmi Note 8 |
| Display & Design | 6.5-inch IPS LCD HD+, Corning Gorilla Glass 3+, teardrop notch, all-plastic body, splash-resistant | 6.33-inch IPS LCD FHD+, Corning Gorilla Glass 5(front and back), teardrop notch, splash-resistant |
| Dimensions | 164.4 x 75.6 x 9.3 mm, 198g | 158.3 x 75.3 x 8.4 mm, 190g |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) | Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 610 | Adreno 610 |
| Memory | 3GB/32GB, 3GB/64GB, 4GB/128G + dedicated microSD slot of up to 256GB | 4GB/64GB, 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB + MicroSD slot of up to 256GB |
| Main Camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.9″, 1.25µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm (dedicated macro camera) 2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm, depth sensorup to 4K @ 30fps video |
48 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2″, 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm (dedicated macro camera) 2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm, depth sensorup to 4K @ 30fps video |
| Front Camera | 13 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3″, 1.12µm | 13 MP, f/2.0 |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE Wi-Fi ac, BT 5.0 A2DP, LE, GPS, microUSB, audio jack | 4G LTE Wi-Fi ac, BT 5.0 A2DP, LE, GPS, USB Type-C, audio jack, infrared port |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 5000mAh battery (10W charging) | Non-removable Li-Ion 4000mAh battery (18W fast charging) |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie) with ColorOS 6, scheduled to receive Android 10 | Android 9.0 (Pie) with MIUI 10 |
| Official Price | P6,990 – P7,990 – P9,990 | P7,990 (3GB/32GB), P8,990 (4GB/64GB), and P9,990 (4GB/128GB). |
Nice comparison. I have both Realme 3 and Redmi Note 7, having used both, again, in everything, there are pros and cons. Realme may have an inferior screen compared to Redmi (HD+ vs FHD) in the long run, I will prefer a decent screen that doesn’t eat up the battery like FHD does. Realme 3 has better cameras (especially nightscape) compared to RN7 (which has night mode too, but realme has them beat).
Video wise, the realme 3 sucks compared to rn7. Overall, with these two brands duking it out, trying to outdo each other, in the end, we consumers win. Support both brands.