How does the Vivo U20 fare against the Realme 5s and Redmi Note 8?
Realme and Xiaomi are pioneers in India’s affordable smartphone market. The two brands have dominated the space with several handsets that punch way above their respective prices. But another Chinese smartphone brand is emerging as a strong contender in and around the Rs 10,000 smartphone market space.
The Vivo U20 has made several improvements over the U10 and is arguably one of the company’s best Rs 10,000 smartphone. But how does it fare against the Realme 5s and Redmi Note 8 on paper? Well, let’s find out.| Specs | Vivo U20 | Realme 5s | Redmi Note 8 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 675 | Snapdragon 665 | Snapdragon 665 |
| Display | 6.5 inches HD+ IPS LCD | 6.53 inches FHD+ IPS LCD | 6.3 inches FHD+ IPS LCD |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB | 4GB | 3GB/4GB/6GB |
| Storage | 64GB | 64GB/128GB | 32GB/64GB/128GB |
| Rear Camera | 16 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 + 2 MP, f/2.4 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 + 2 MP, f/2.4 |
| Front Camera | 16 MP, f/2.0 | 13 MP, f/2.0 | 13 MP, f/2.0 |
| Battery | 5000 mAh, 18W Fast Charging | 5000 mAh, 10W Charging | 4000 mAh, 18W Fast Charging |
| Software | Android 9.0 (Pie); Funtouch 9.2 | Android 9.0 (Pie); ColorOS 6 | Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 10 |
| Starting Price | Rs 10,990 | Rs 9,999 | Rs 9,999 |
Performance
In terms of performance, there’s no doubt that the upgraded processor on the Vivo U20 will get you more mileage than the Snapdragon 665 SoC on the Realme 5s and Redmi Note 8. It’s worth noting that the Redmi Note 8 entry-level variant only offers 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage as compared to the 4GB/64GB entry-level models on both the Vivo U20 and Realme 5s but Xiaomi hasn't released that version of the phone in India.
Design and Display
All three smartphone manufacturers opt for a flashier design, with both the Realme 5s and Redmi Note 8 getting Gorilla Glass on the front and back. And, while the Realme 5s might be the better-looking device of the three, its display only sports an HD+ resolution. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 8 and Vivo U20 get an FHD+ resolution, which offers a noticeable difference over the HD+ panel on the 5s.
Camera
While Realme and Redmi offer a similar quad-camera setup, the Vivo goes the triple camera route. Considering the additional sensor on the Realme 5s and Redmi Note 8 are depth sensors, it is hard to judge the three phones on the number of cameras alone. However, the 48-megapixel sensors on the Redmi Note 8 and Realme 5s will help in preserving more details in good lighting.
Additionally, front camera performance on all three phones is what you’d expect on a smartphone in and around this price range. If we had to pick one of the three, we’d go with the Realme 5s, but the difference is not much.
Battery
The Vivo U20 is the clear winner in terms of battery type. Although it equals the Realme 5s in terms of capacity, the U20 offers 18W fast-charging as well as reverse charging support.
Software
All three handsets run on Android Pie with their respective custom skins. In our experience with Funtouch, MIUI, and ColorOS, none of three come close to offering a clean software experience. But of the three, the Realme 5s’ ColorOS 6 is in our view is the best of the lot. Several pre-installed apps can be deleted, not to mention the next version of the software promises an even cleaner software experience.LIVE NOW... Video series on How to Double Your Monthly Income... where Rahul Shah, Ex-Swiss Investment Banker and one of India's leading experts on wealth building, reveals his secret strategies for the first time ever. Register here to watch it for FREE.
