Realme today launched its newest smartphone Realme U1 in India. The new phone comes with a 25MP selfie camera and a powerful P70 processor. All these features make Realme U1 a strong competitor against the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro which also has good selfie camera and a powerful processor. Here, we are comparing these two phones to help you choose the best option in the mid-range segment.
Realme U1 Vs Redmi Note 6 Pro Specifications
Key Specifications | Realme U1 | Redmi Note 6 Pro |
Display | 6.3-inch IPS | 6.26-inch IPS |
Screen Resolution | FHD+ 2340×1080 pixels, 19.5:9 aspect ratio | FHD+ 2280×1080 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio |
Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.2 | Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 10 |
Processor | Octa-core, Up to 2.1GHz | Octa-core, Up to 1.8GHz |
Chipset | Helio P70 | Snapdragon 636 |
GPU | Mali-G72 MP3 | Adreno 509 |
RAM | 3GB/4GB | 4GB/6GB |
Internal Storage | 32GB/64GB | 64GB |
Expandable Storage | Yes, Up to 256GB | Yes, up to 256GB |
Primary Camera | Dual: 13 MP (f/2.2) + 2 MP (f/2.4), LED flash | Dual: 12 MP (f/1.9, 1.4µm) + 5 MP (f/2.2, 1.12µm), PDAF, dual-LED flash |
Front Camera | 25 MP (f/2.0, 1.8µm) | Dual: 20 MP (f/2.0, 0.9µm) + 2MP (f/2.2, 1.75µm) |
Video Recording | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
Battery | 3,500 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
4G VoLTE | Yes | Yes |
Dimensions | 157 x 74 x 8 mm | 157.9 x 76.4 x 8.3 mm |
Weight | 168 g | 182 g |
Sim Card Type | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM) | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
Price | 3GB/32GB- Rs. 11,999
4GB/64GB- Rs. 14,499 |
4GB/64GB- Rs. 13,999
6GB/64GB- Rs. 15,999 |
Design
The Realme U1 sports a similar design as the previous Realme 2 Pro. The phone with the plastic body is lightweight and compact. It has a shiny back design the company calls Light Pillar Design. It has diffractions on the back with 13 layers of laminated technology. The phone does not look that much premium.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, on the other hand, comes with a metal and plastic body. The phone bears the metal back panel with a plastic frame that looks good. There is a full-screen display with a wide notch. The phone is big and a little heavy in comparison to Realme U1 but it can also be easily used by one hand.
Overall, both the phones look average in terms of design and none of them is that much premium.
Display
The Realme U1 sports a 6.3-inch FHD+ screen with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 90.5 percent screen to body ratio. So, there are fewer bezels on each side and a small dewdrop notch on top. Thanks to the FHD+ panel, the brightness of the display, daylight visibility are good, and the colors are sharp.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro also packs a big 6.26-inch FHD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. So, it also has lesser bezels on each side but a wide notch on the top. The brightness, daylight visibility is good, colors are sharp. Both the displays are almost similar except for the notch.
Cameras
The Realme U1’s dual rear camera setup with a 13 MP primary sensor (f/2.2 aperture) and a 2MP secondary sensor (f/2.4 aperture) clicks good pictures. It also supports Portrait Lighting mode, Slo-Mo video recording, AI Scene Detection, and Bokeh effects etc.
The highlight of the phone is its 25MP selfie camera that comes with 1.8-micron pixels, and 4-in-1 pixels technology with f/2.0 aperture. The front camera supports AI Face Unlock, Backlight mode, AI Beauty+ mode and Smarter Groupie features. It clicks really good selfies in all lighting conditions.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro also has a dual rear camera with a 12 MP primary sensor (f/1.9 aperture), and a 5MP secondary sensor. It clicks some really nice pictures just like its predecessor.
It also sports dual camera set up at the front as well. There is a 20MP+ 2MP front camera set up with 4-in-1 Super Pixel technology. The Redmi Note 6 Pro front cameras support Portrait Mode, HDR, AI, and Beauty modes. The selfies are good in all conditions.
Performance
The Realme U1 is powered by the new octa-core MediaTek Helio P70 12nm processor clocked at 2.1GHz. It is with Mali G72 MP3 GPU and promises to offer improved gaming and multitasking performance compared to its predecessor Helio P60. The Realme U1 has 3GB or 4GB RAM and 32GB or 64GB storage options.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 636 processor with Adreno 509 GPU. The Snapdragon 636 is an old and average performing processor in the mid-range segment. However, it is still quite good for moderate level gaming and other multitasking. The Redmi Note 6 Pro has 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB storage options.
Software
The Realme U1 runs Android Oreo 8.1 with Oppo’s ColorOS 5.2 on top. The ColorOS comes with some new features but it also has some unwanted apps. The Redmi Note 6 Pro also runs Android Oreo 8.1 but with it’s latest MIUI 10 on top. The MIUI 10 also has its own set of features and some unwanted bloatware too. Overall, the choice of custom UI depends on the user’s choice.
Battery and Connectivity
The Realme U1 packs a 3,500 mAh battery and it does not support fast charging. In terms of connectivity, it sports two Nano-SIM card slots and a dedicated microSD slot as well. It also supports both LTE and VoLTE networks and Dual SIM Dual VoLTE feature as well.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro, on the other hand, packs a bigger 4,000 mAh battery that also supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging. In terms of connectivity, it sports hybrid SIM card and microSD slots. It also supports LTE and VoLTE networks with Dual SIM Dual VoLTE feature.
Conclusion
At Rs 11,999, the Realme U1 seems a little affordable of the two devices being compared here. However, the Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with at least 4GB RAM and that is priced below the 4GB model of Realme U1. In terms of looks and display, you can say Realme U1 looks better with its glossy back and a small notch. In terms of performance, the Helio P70 again looks better than SD 636. Talking about the camera, both the phones almost perform similar. Overall, if you are not a fan of any of these brands, Realme U1 is a good option in this price point.