Realme 5i vs Realme 5 Specs Comparison – Upgrade or Downgrade?

Last year, we included Realme 5 as one of the best budget phones to get. And today, it still is. It has quad cameras and a large 5000mAh battery that can easily last up to two days. Now that Realme 5i is out in the wild, here are the differences that you should know.

Realme 5i and Realme 5 Differences

Advantages of Realme 5i

1. 195g (slightly lighter)
2. 6.52″ screen (slightly larger)
3. gradient hue finish
4. green color

Advantages of Realme 5

1. 13MP f2.0 selfie camera
2. crystal hue finish
3. purple color

Realme 5i and Realme 5 Similarities

1. 9.3mm
2. plastic body
3. Corning Gorilla Glass 3+
4. splash resistant
5. 720p+ resolution
6. IPS LCD
7. Snapdragon 665
8. Android 9 Pie with scheduled Android 10 upgrade
9. dedicated microSD slot of up to 256GB
10. up to 64GB eMMC storage, up to 4GB RAM
11. four main cameras
12. single selfie camera
13. audio jack
14. Wi-Fi ac
15. Bluetooth 5.0
16. micro USB 2.0
17. rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
18. 5000mAH battery
19. 10W standard charging
20. blue color

Which is a better buy between the Realme 5i and Realme 5?

Design and Display

For the most part, Realme 5i will feel like it’s Realme 5. The size and weight are nearly the same, however, it’s the finish on the back that identifies the two. The latter device has that hallmark finish on the back that started with Realme 3. As for the former device, it goes back to the classic gradient hue that has an elegant look to it.

Not much has changed in the display area. For what it’s worth, the new budget phone is ever-so-slightly bigger being at 6.52″ vs 6.50″. It’s still the same IPS LCD with 720p+ resolution. So, don’t expect drastic changes.

READ: OPPO Find X2 Teased to Use Samsung 120Hz QHD+ OLED Display

Performance

Realme decided to stick with Snapdragon 665. It’s a reliable chipset that focuses on battery efficiency above all. The same amount of RAM is also expected, up to 4GB. However, we’re not entirely sure if there’s going to be a 128GB version of Realme 5i.

Cameras

Realme 5i | Realme 5

• 12MP f1.8 vs 12MP f1.8 – main
• 8MP f2.3 vs 8MP f2.3 – ultrawide
• 2MP f2.4 vs 2MP f2.4 – macro
• 2MP f2.4 vs 2MP f2.4 – depth
• 8MP f/2.0 vs 13MP f/2.0 – selfie camera

For the cameras, both are using quad cameras. However, Realme 5 has the advantage, at least on paper, when it comes to the selfie camera. It has a 13MP f2.0 which means it can take more detailed shots than the 8MP f2.0 of Realme 5i.

Audio

The same south-firing speaker and audio jack remain.

Battery and Charging

You still get 5000mAh battery and 10W standard charging via micro USB.

Verdict

Realme 5 is retailing for P6,990(3GB/32GB), P7,990(3GB/64GB), and P9,990(4GB/128GB). With a design change and a selfie camera downgrade, we expect Realme 5i to launch somewhere around those numbers. We’re not entirely sure why the company decided to release the device instead of going for a slight refresh that they could’ve easily named Realme 5s.

READ: Fujifilm X-T200 Mirrorless with 4K 30fps Video Priced at P45,990