Ever since Xiaomi launched it’s Redmi Note 8 in the Indian market there is a huge confusion between the consumers on which phone they should buy. The realme 5 Pro which was launched a few months back in India is the closest competitor for the Redmi Note 8 and it brings in the same 48 MP camera setup. Hence in this article, we are comparing both the smartphones so you can choose what’s the right smartphone for you. Without waiting further, let’s get started.

Design

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 comes in an Aura Fluid Design and looks exactly like a premium smartphone. The glass back has an ‘S’ curve on the back which looks beautiful. On top of that, it is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and back and also has P2i nano-coating which makes it splash-proof. The camera module is placed on the top left corner and you get the fingerprint sensor in the middle.

It is available in three colors and the Moonlight White and the Space Black variant looks quite different when you compare it with the Neptune Blue variant.

On the other hand, the realme 5 Pro comes with a polycarbonate body that features a diamond-cut finish on the back. It is available in two colors – Sparkling Blue and Crystal Green. The camera module and fingerprint scanner placement is similar to what we see on the Redmi Note 8 as the camera module is vertically placed and along with that you get the fingerprint scanner in the middle. The realme 5 Pro also looks premium but when you compare it with the Redmi Note 8 in terms of design, Redmi Note 8 takes the score.

Display

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 comes with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ dot notch display with a resolution of 2340 × 1080 pixels. It comes with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 90% of screen to body ratio. The display touches 500-nits max brightness and it’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the top.

On the other hand, the realme 5 Pro also features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a dewdrop notch on top, offers as much as 90.6% full screen-to-body ratio. The display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top. In terms of display, both the phones are almost the same and produce vivid colors. You won’t face any problems while using them in daylight.

Performance

Redmi Note 8 is powered by an 11nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz and it’s further coupled with an Adreno 610 GPU that handles your gaming needs. The Realme 5 Pro, on the other hand, is powered by a 10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 clocked at 2.3GHz which is further coupled with an Adreno 616 GPU for gaming.

While both the chipsets — Snapdragon 665 and Snapdragon 712 are pretty much the same, the Snapdragon 712 seems to have a slight advantage over Snapdragon 665 when it comes to offering better performance.

The Redmi Note 8 comes in two variants-  4 GB RAM with 64 GB Storage and 6 GB RAM with 128 GB Storage which is further expandable via MicroSD Card. On the other hand, the Realme 5 Pro is offered in three variants – with 4/6/8 GB of RAM and Internal Storage up to 128 GB.

Camera

In the camera department, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 comes with a quad-camera setup at the back. The camera setup on the back features a 48 MP primary sensor with f/1.79 aperture, an 8 MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.2 aperture, a 2 MP macro lens, and a 2 MP depth camera. It has a 13 MP selfie snapper at the front for selfies. On the other hand, the Realme 5 Pro features a  48 MP f/1.79 Sony IMX 586 main camera, 8 MP f/2.25 wide-angle camera, 2 MP f/2.4 depth camera for taking portraits, and 2 MP f/2.4 macro lens for capturing macro shots. The front side has a 16 MP Sony IMX571 camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

Both the cameras perform equally well and you’ll have a good time clicking pictures with both of the devices.

Battery, Pricing, and Verdict

Redmi Note 8 is packed with a 4000 mAh battery whereas the Realme 5 Pro comes with a 4035 mAh battery. Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 comes with support for 18W fast charging, On the other hand, the Realme 5 Pro comes with support for 20W VOOC 3.0 support. Both the companies are providing the fast charger in the box and hence the Realme 5 Pro takes the score here.

When it comes to the pricing there is a huge difference here as Redmi Note 8 starts from Rs.9999 and goes up to Rs.12,999 for the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB Storage variant whereas the Realme 5 Pro starts from Rs.13,999 for the 4 GB RAM and 64 GB Storage variant and goes all the way up to Rs.16,999 for the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant.

Hence if you are on a tight budget and you can’t go up to Rs.13,000 we’d recommend you to stick with the Redmi Note 8 because it offers outstanding performance for the price it comes at. The build quality is better than what we’ve seen on the Realme 5 Pro and there aren’t any major differences in Battery and Camera Quality too. On the other hand, if you have no problem with the budget and you are ready to compromise with the built quality in exchange for the best hardware specs then the Realme 5 Pro will be the right option for you.

When it comes to day to day usage you’ll hardly notice any differences and both the phones perform pretty much the same.