The return of the Pocophone - How does it stack up against realme’s 7 Pro? - Xiaomi POCO X3 NFC vs realme 7 Pro

With the successor to the POCO X2, the POCO X3 NFC brings some more great features for an incredibly low price, but how does it stack up against the popular realme 7 Pro? In order to keep the prices unimaginably low, Xiaomi and realme have been very clever in deciding which flagship-level features to give their new smartphones. This article explains what each of these two much-anticipated smartphones do best to help you decide which is the right choice for you.

Designs

These phones both come in two different colour options. The POCO X3 NFC is available in a pretty bold Cobalt Blue and a stealthy Shadow Grey finish; whereas, the realme 7 Pro comes in two very stylish Mirror Blue and Mirror Silver finishes.

Looking at these devices, it is clear to see the size difference. With its more expansive display, the POCO X3 NFC comes in larger in every dimension compared to the realme 7 Pro, but most importantly is noticeably heavier, at 215 grams compared to 182 grams, making the 7 Pro slightly better to hold and use in one hand.

Displays

Both the POCO X3 NFC and the realme 7 Pro include displays at an identical 1080p resolution, but that’s where the similarities end. With the POCO X3 NFC, you get a slightly larger 6.67-inch panel compared to the 7 Pro’s 6.4-inches. As well as utilising stronger Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for its display, the POCO X3 NFC’s standout feature is its 120Hz refresh rate panel. Being a technology primarily used in more expensive flagship smartphones, the 120Hz refresh rate display makes scrolling ultrafast, improving the overall touchscreen experience massively.

On the other hand, the realme 7 Pro’s display excels in overall image quality. With the realme 7 Pro you get a Super AMOLED panel, which displays much more vivid colours and deeper blacks compared to the X3 NFC’s IPS LCD panel. As well as superior colour reproduction, the 7 Pro’s display features an Always-on capability, allowing for easy + secure unlock with its under-display fingerprint sensor.

Battery Life

The POCO X3 NFC features a larger 5160mAh battery compared to the realme 7 Pro’s 4500mAh battery; however, with the larger and power-hungry 120Hz display of the POCO X3 NFC, these two phones have very similar battery life despite the difference in battery sizes.

What is worth noting between these two phones is the fact that the 7 Pro features realme’s famous ultrafast 65W SuperDart Charge, allowing you to charge the device from 0 to 100% in just 34 minutes. Although the POCO X3 NFC features fast charging capabilities, it is only up to 33W, and with the added battery size of the phone, charges at just less than half the speed of the realme 7 Pro.

Prices, Storage & RAM

Coming in two different storage variants, the POCO X3 NFC provides a bit more choice than the realme 7 Pro, and more importantly, comes in an even lower-cost version. For £199 you can get the baseline POCO X3 NFC with 64GB and 6GB RAM, and for £249 you can get the 128GB variant with the same 6GB memory. At the same storage capacity of 128GB and 6GB RAM, the realme 7 Pro is available at just £279. Despite the different storage options available, both phones’ storage can be expanded via a microSD card.

Cameras

If you’re looking for great cameras at a low price, then these smartphones are great and also closely matched. Both phones feature quad rear camera setups, including near identical 64MP primary, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensors allowing for great portrait photos. One advantage the POCO X3 NFC has over its rival is its ultrawide camera, coming with a 13MP sensor, compared to the 7 Pro’s less sharp 8MP ultrawide.

In addition, the POCO X3 NFC features super-impressive slo-mo capabilities, being able to record up to 960fps at 720p resolution. In this category, the realme 7 Pro is limited to 120fps at HD resolution. The camera advantage the realme 7 Pro has is in its front camera, allowing for super-sharp 32MP selfies compared to 20MP on the POCO X3 NFC, as well as 120fps slo-mos for super-fun front camera videos.

Overview

Overall, if you don’t require much storage then the Xiaomi POCO X3 NFC is probably the better phone with the 64GB variant’s sub-£200 price. If you do need more than 64GB included storage then your decision becomes more dependent on what you want from your smartphone. The 128GB POCO X3 NFC’s main advantages include its slightly larger and smoother display, faster processor, and better rear ultrawide and slo-mo capabilities. If you want a slightly more compact device, a stunning Super AMOLED display, superfast charging, a superior selfie camera, and an under-display fingerprint sensor, then the realme 7 Pro is the better choice.

You can buy the Xiaomi POCO X3 NFC from only £199 here https://www.efones.com/products/xiaomi-poco-x3-nfc.

You can buy the realme 7 Pro for just £279 here https://www.efones.com/products/realme-7-pro.

Want to pay in smaller payments? By purchasing direct from eFones.com you can take advantage of the Klarna service, allowing you to split the cost of the device over your choice of 3, 6, 12 months interest free or 24 months at just 18.9% APR.