Vivo spin-off brand iQOO recently launched its first smartphone as an independent brand in India. The iQOO 3 is an impressive flagship smartphone that arrives in both 4G and 5G variants. However, the iQOO 3 isn't the only 5G smartphone to arrive in India. Realme's first 5G flagship phone debuted in India yesterday in the form of the X50 Pro 5G.
Before we get into an all-out comparison, it's worth noting that only the top end (12GB/256GB) iQOO 3 variant that costs Rs 44,990 offers 5G connectivity. On that note, let's get into the full comparison between the Realme X50 Pro and iQOO 3.
Realme X50 Pro 5G vs iQOO 3 5G
| Specs | iQOO 3 | iQOO 3 5G | Realme X50 Pro 5G |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 865 | Snapdragon 865 | Snapdragon 865 |
| Display | 6.44-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED, 60Hz, HDR10+ | 6.44-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED, 60Hz, HDR10+ | 6.44-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+ |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 | 12GB LPDDR5 | 6GB/8GB/12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB, UFS 3.1 | 256GB, UFS 3.1 | 128GB/256GB, UFS 3.0 |
| Rear Camera | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 13 MP, f/2.5 (Telephoto) + 13 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 13 MP, f/2.5 (Telephoto) + 13 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) | 64 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.5 (Telephoto) + 8 MP, f/2.3 (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) |
| Front Camera | 16 MP, f/2.5 | 16 MP, f/2.5 | 32 MP, f/2.5 + 8 MP, f/2.2 |
| Software | Android 10; iQOO UI 1.0 | Android 10; iQOO UI 1.0 | Android 10; Realme UI 1.0 |
| Battery | 4400 mAh, 55W Fast-Charging | 4400 mAh, 55W Fast-Charging | 4200 mAh, 65W Fast-Charging |
| Price (Rs) | 36,990 / 39,990 | 44,990 | 37,999 / 39,999 / 44,999 |
Since 'design' is subjective, we'll leave this one up to you after giving you all the necessary details. Both phones are covered with glass on the front and back and have an aluminium frame. The hole-punch notch is also present of both devices. And, while iQOO opts for a more edgy finish, Realme goes the sophisticated route.
Display
Both smartphones have bright FHD+ Super AMOLED panels with Vivo hitting up to 1,200 nits in some scenarios. While iQOO advertises its 180Hz touch-sensing rate, we prefer the higher refresh rate on the Realme X50 Pro. Considering 90Hz refresh rate screens are common for most phones at this price point, it is a big letdown that the iQOO 3 5G doesn't offer this feature.
Performance
In terms of performance, there's hardly anything that separates these two devices. In real-world scenarios, you won't have a problem using this phone no matter how demanding the task at hand is. It is worth noting that the iQOO 3 does have a Monster mode, which pushes the chipset to its limits.
Software
Both phones opt for new custom user interfaces in the forms of Realme UI 1.0 and iQOO UI 1.0, the latter taking a gaming-centric approach. However, if you are looking for a clean, stock Android experience, Realme UI is definitely the better of the two.
Battery
There's not a lot of difference in terms of battery capacity and charging speed on both devices. But the iQOO might still have a slight advantage in power consumption given its 60Hz refresh rate.
Camera
Realme have a clear advantage on the front with an extra ultrawide sensor. While we'll still have to test camera performance on both phones to give you a clear winner, we'd lean towards Realme. Gaming phones don't have the best camera record and the Realme X50 Pro 5G's 64-megapixel primary sensor has a bit of an advantage in terms of megapixel count and sensor size. Realme has also promised a new and improved night mode, which is another big plus. For now, the Realme X50 Pro 5G has a slight advantage on paper, but specs on paper don't translate to real-world results.
Conclusion
Both devices have their ups and downs but in Realme’s case, the “ups” are much more than the iQOO 3. And, while iQOO does bring some gaming-centric features like responsive touch buttons and a 4D vibration motor, the Realme X50 Pro does seem like the better overall package. Additionally, Realme offers 5G connectivity on all three X50 Pro variants, while only the top tier 12GB/256GB iQOO 3 model supports 5G.
