The Realme 7 series was recently unveiled in India, brings some powerful specs for the price. While the Realme 7 Pro is priced at Rs 19,999, the standard Realme 7 sits in India sub-15K segment. And for its price, the Realme 7 offers excellent value and is one of the best smartphones under Rs 15,000.
However, the Realme 7 isn’t alone in this price segment, the Poco M2 Pro, Redmi Note 9 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy M21.
Realme 7 vs Redmi Note 9 Pro vs Poco M2 Pro vs Galaxy M21
| Specs | Realme 7 | Poco M2 Pro | Redmi Note 9 Pro | Galaxy M21 |
| Chipset | MediaTek G95 | Snapdragon 720G | Snapdragon 720G | Exynos 9611 |
| Display | 6.5-inch FHD+ IPS LCD (1080*2400 pixels), 90Hz | 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD (1080*2400 pixels), HDR10, 60Hz | 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD (1080*2400 pixels), 60Hz | 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED (1080*2340 pixels), 60Hz |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB | 4GB/6GB | 4GB/6GB | 4GB/6GB |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB | 64GB/128GB | 64GB/128GB | 64GB/128GB |
| Rear Camera | 64 MP, f/1.8 + 8MP, f/2.3 (Ultrawide) + 2MP (Macro) + 2MP (Depth) | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 8MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 5MP (Macro) + 2MP (Depth) | 48 MP, f/1.9 + 8MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 5MP (Macro) + 2MP (Depth) | 48 MP, f/2.0 + 8MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 5MP (Depth) |
| Front Camera | 16 MP, f/2.1 | 16MP, f/2.5 | 16MP, f/2.5 | 20, f/2.0 |
| Software | Android 10; Realme UI | Android 10; MIUI 11 | Android 10; MIUI 11 | Android 10, One UI 2 |
| Battery & Charging | 5,000 mAh battery, 30W Flash Charging | 5000 mAh, 33W Fast Charging | 5020 mAh, 18W Fast Charging | 6000 mAh, 15W Fast Charging |
| Price (Rs) | 14,999 / 16,999 | 13,999 / 14,999 / 16,999 | 13,999 / 15,999 / 16,999 | 13,999 / 15,999 |
In our view, the Realme 7 has the best finish and design of all the four phones. Although design is subjective and depends on personal preference we think the Poco M2 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro have the upper hand in terms of build quality as they feel sturdier.
Display
The Poco M2 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro offer standard LCD panels, while the Realme 7 gets a high refresh rate display. For gaming, the Realme 7’s 90Hz LCD panel certainly has the upper hand. However, Samsung’s AMOLED screen is better for watching movies, shows, and other videos.
Performance
In terms of performance, the MediaTek G95 SoC on the Realme 7 does the best job for gaming, although the Snapdragon 720G is not far off. The Exynos 9611 chipset on the Galaxy M21 is by far the worst chip for gaming. We wouldn’t worry about performance on the Realme 7, Poco M2 Pro, and Redmi Note 9 Pro. However, the Galaxy M21 might fall short in dealing with more demanding tasks.
Cameras
In optics, all four phones have multiple cameras, although the Galaxy M21 has one less camera. However, at this price, consistency across the main and ultrawide camera is pretty much non-existent, while we aren’t big fans of the macro and depth camera sensors. So, only looking at the primary camera, the Realme 7 does have a bit of an advantage with its 64 MP primary sensor. Now, while resolution does not always translate to a better camera, the Sony sensor used on the Realme 7 is slightly better. We haven’t tested the cameras of all these phones, so we’ve gone by specs alone for this comparison.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy M21 features the biggest battery of all the three devices, which, coupled with the low power consuming AMOLED display will offer the best battery life of all four phones. However, Samsung’s charging speed is relatively slower than what the competition is offering.
Software
On the software front, the Galaxy M21’s One UI is not only the best skin here, but arguably one of the best Android skins available. On the other hand, Realme UI is relatively cleaner than MIUI and is getting better by the day.
Which is the best phone under 15,000?
If you are looking for a good software experience and aren’t too concerned about gaming, the Galaxy M21 is the way to go. However, in our view, the Realme 7 is the best overall device and offers the best bang for your buck.
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