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2019 Budget phones Ultimate Comparison: Realme vs Huawei
As the market abounds with top entry level smartphones before the year ends, another pair of budget phones at P5,000 price range are put to the test. We will make a comparison and review between the Huawei Y6 2018 against the newly released Realme C1 (sister brand of OPPO) which retails at the same price. Do they offer the same value too or one Android phone is just better overall? Find out below.
> Read Realme C1 Full Review here
| Huawei Y6 2018 | Realme C1 | |
| Display | 5.7-inch IPS LCD, 720 x 1440, 282ppi, 18:9 ratio | 6.2-inch IPS LCD, 720 x 1520, 271ppi, 19:9 ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Dimensions | 152.4 x 73 x 7.8 mm , 150 g | 156.2 x 75.6 x 8.2 mm, 168g |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 (28 nm) | Qualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 (14 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 308 | Adreno 506 |
| Memory | 16 GB, 2 GB RAM + dedicated microSD, up to 256 GB | 16 GB, 2 GB RAM + dedicated microSD, up to 256 GB |
| Main Camera | 13 MP, PDAF | 13 MP, f/2.2, AF + 2 MP, f/2.4, depth sensor |
| Front Camera | 5 MP | 5 MP, f/2.2 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 /b/g/n/, WiFi Direct, hotspot, BT 4.2, A2DP, LE, micro USB 2.0, headphone jack | Wi-Fi 802.11 /b/g/n/, WiFi Direct, hotspot, BT 4.2, A2DP, LE, micro USB 2.0, headphone jack |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 4230 mAh battery |
| OS | Android 8.0 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.0 | Android 8.1 (Oreo) with ColorOS OS 5.2 |
| Official Price | Php 5,990 | $90 in India, estimated P5,990 Philippine price with a sale price of P5,490 |
Display
The Huawei Y6 has a 5.7-inch IPS LCD, 720 x 1440, 282ppi and 18:9 ratio. It still has a traditional hidden notch and doesn’t have major design changes from its predecessor that may not be appealing to others because notches are the trend. Its black-colored body with lesser bezels that simply looks elegant compensated for the notch and still it looks premium for an entry-level smartphone. The Realme C1 has a 6.2-inch IPS LCD, 720 x 1520, 271ppi, 19:9 ratio, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. In terms of screen resolution, the difference is unnoticeable though their specs vary. Both have yellowish tinge but is not really bothering.
Winner: Realme C1
Design
Realme C1 dominates this section. Both are slim but Realme has bigger screen size because of the notch that added screen space. Both have plastic body type but Realme C1 has glass-like laminate backing by which Realme is claiming to be made of “nanoscale composite material”.
Meanwhile, the Huawei Y6 has a polycarbonate back panel which is advantageous to those who want a clean phone. It repels smudges and fingerprints which is another plus for us. But I noticed that the volume and power button of Huawei Y6 are a bit loose but I didn’t have a problem with it. Realme C1 seems to be catching up with today’s’ design trends while Huawei Y6 is a tad behind but still functions decently too. The Realme C1 weights heavier that Huawei Y6 at 168g and 150g respectively.
Winner: Realme C1
Camera
Both have a 13mp camera with autofocus but Realme C1 is better with its +2mp dual camera. On its front, both also has 5mp Camera but Realme C1 produces more vivid and bright photos like its almost post-processed. Both also have beautified that comes with levels.
Winner: Realme C1 in selfie and main cameras
Realme C1 Camera Gallery
Huawei Y6 2018 Camera Gallery
User Experience
After some time of browsing and doing simple tasks, I find Realme C1 smoother and faster compared to Huawei Y6. Realme C1 is powered by Qualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 with Android 8.1 (Oreo) with ColorOS OS 5.2 while Huawei Y6 is Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 with Android 8.0 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.0. I didn’t expect the Realme C1 to perform that well for its price point but it did. Nevertheless, it’s great for web browsing, casual photography. Both can run graphics intensive games but you can face slight lags or frame drops. Huawei Y6 has more noticeable frame stops than Realme C1. The two has the same memory specs of 16 GB, 2 GB RAM + dedicated microSD, up to 256 GB and facial recognition which is new for entry-level phones.
Winner: Tie
Benchmarks
We tested the Huawei Y6 and the Realme C1 using the following benchmarking tools and here are the results:
| Device | Geekbench(single core; multi-core) | PC Mark |
| Huawei Y6 2018 | 661; 1828 | 3003 |
| Realme C1 | 690; 1941 | 3579 |
Winner: Realme C1
Battery
Realme C1 then again screams with a vast battery pack of 4230 mAh Non-removable Li-Ion battery. On the other hand, Huawei Y6 has Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery. Realme C1 is able to deliver one day of battery life with heavy use (gaming and video streaming). Huawei Y6 with its mediocre battery specs didn’t even last 12 hours. Both carries Micro USB port.
Winner: Realme C1
Audio
When it comes to audio, Huawei Y6’s quality is decent enough to be used in a closed room. Its highs and mids are okay but the lows sounded a bit shabby. The audio can get distorted quite easily in Realme C1 when I tried to max the volume. It should be just fine for playing music and casual streaming.
Winner: Huawei Y6
Conclusion, Price and Availability
With a killer price and top-class budget phone features, the Realme C1 is undoubtedly the best entry-level Android smartphone in its price range. The Huawei Y6 (2016) is may be a good option if the price is below P5,000, however, its dated design shows that it needs a refresh afterall.
Both are priced at P5,990. The Realme C1 will make its debut in the Philippines on December 5, 2018 with the sale price of P5,490 at Lazada and other stores.
Overall winner: Realme C1
