Poco X2 vs Realme X2: Which is the best smartphone under 20,000 rupees?

Xiaomi spin-off brand Poco just launched its first phone as an independent brand. The Poco X2 arrives in India at Rs 15,999 and offers some pretty formidable hardware for its price. The Poco X2 is arguably one of the best smartphones under Rs 20,000. However, what we want to find out is which smartphones make a case for “arguably”.

We narrowed it down to one other phone – the Realme X2.

While design is subjective, the dual punch hole notch on the Poco X2 trump the waterdrop notch on Realme X2. Additionally, the Poco X2 also gets an aluminium frame, which makes it look a tad bit more premium than the Realme X2's plastic frame.

Display

In terms of display, the Realme X2's AMOLED display trumps the Poco X2's IPS LCD panel, when it comes to watching content. However, the Poco X2's 120Hz refresh rate doesn't just make the overall experience smoother but is ideal for games that support the higher refresh rates.

Camera

Both the Poco X2 and Realme X2 get a quad rear camera setup on the back with similar camera modules. The one difference being that the Poco X2 uses a Sony sensor, while Realme opts for a Samsung sensor. On the front, the Poco X2 gets a primary shooter and depth sensor as opposed to the single front camera on the Realme X2.

Battery

The battery on the Poco X2 is bigger than that of the Realme X2. And, while Realme does provide faster charging, the difference is marginal. However, the Realme X2 will offer better power consumption with the AMOLED panel as opposed to the 120Hz LCD screen on the Poco X2.

Software

While the Poco X2 does run on Android 10, we can expect the Realme X2 to get the Android 10 update soon. Moreover, the upcoming Realme UI is promising a much cleaner interface, closer to stock Android, making the software experience on the Realme X2 far better.

Price To Performance

When it comes to price, the Poco X2 starts at Rs 15,999, which is a good 1K less than the Realme X2. However, Poco also offers 6GB of RAM on the entry-level Poco X2, while the base Realme X2 model only offers 4GB of RAM. This translates to better price-to-performance. Additionally, Poco's top-end configuration also provides double the storage as the Realme X2 for the same price.

Verdict

If you can overlook the software aspect, the Poco X2 does seem like a better pick than the Realme X2  with its bigger battery, display with higher refresh rate, modern design and better overall value. Stay tuned for our review on the camera performance of both the smartphones.