Redmi 7 vs Realme C2: Design, display, camera, battery and more

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi 7 in India. The new offering from the company is currently its most affordable smartphone that competes with the Realme C2. While Xiaomi has been dominant in the budget smartphone market, Realme’s aggressive pricing and feature-rich C2 is capable of eating a piece of Redmi 7's market share. We look at the specifications and features of these two devices to help you choose which smartphone is a bang for your buck.

Design and Display

Starting with the Redmi 7, it features a 6.26-inch HD+ display with 720*1520 resolution. The smartphone has a dewdrop notch aka “Dot” notch at the top which, when compared to its predecessor, has resulted in a better screen-to-body ratio of 86.83 per cent. The display uses Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for added screen protection from scratches and drops.

The Realme C2, on the other hand, has a slightly smaller 6.1-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 720*1560 pixels. It gets a water-drop notch with a slightly taller 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The Realme C2 has an even better 89.35 per cent screen-to-body ratio compared to the Redmi 7. The diamond-cut design of the Realme C2 gives it a premium feel and appearance. It does not have a fingerprint scanner though.

Processor, Battery and OS

The Redmi 7 is powered by a 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC paired with 2GB/3GB RAM. The Octa-core processor has a maximum clock speed of 1.8GHz and is coupled with Adreno 506 for GPU. In terms of storage, the device gets only a 32GB variant but can be further expanded via microSD up to 512GB. The power backup department is handled by a 4,000 mAh non-removable battery with a 10W charger out-of-the-box. The Redmi 7 runs on MiUi 10 based on Android 9.0 Pie.

The Realme C2 gets a 12nm MediaTek Helio P22 SoC with a peak clock rate of 2.0GHz. It is paired with 2GB/ 3GB RAM and comes with 16GB/32GB storage options. To add some more storage, the Realme C2 has a slot for a microSD card up to 256GB storage. In terms of battery, it has the same 4,000 mAh battery like Redmi 7. Realme has not mentioned any details on the charger bundled in the box. It runs on Android 9.0 based Color OS 6.0.

Camera

The Redmi 7 has a dual-camera setup with a 12MP primary sensor that has an aperture of f/2.2. The secondary camera is a 2MP depth sensor. At the front is an 8MP f/2.0 camera inside the “Dot” notch with support for AI Beautify 4.0, Portrait mode, HDR, and face unlock.

The Realme C2 also has a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP f/2.2 primary lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The notch houses a 5MP AI camera. The camera on the Realme C2 can shoot videos in 720p/1080p at 30fps. The camera can also shoot 480fps slow-motion videos.

Pricing and Availability

The Redmi 7 has a starting price of Rs 7,999 for the 2GB+32GB variant whereas the 3GB+32GB version can be bought for Rs 9,999. It comes in three colour options — Lunar Red, Comet Blue, and Eclipse Black. The device goes on sale starting April 29.

Realme C2’s pricing could make the smartphone a deal-breaker. The company has priced its entry-level smartphone with 2GB+16GB variant at Rs 5,999, making it the most affordable smartphone to have a dual-camera setup. The 3GB+32GB model can be bought for Rs 7,999.

Conclusion

Xiaomi has maintained its reputation as a Go-To manufacturer for budget smartphones. The Redmi 7 comparatively has a bigger screen, dual-cameras, a slightly faster processor and more internal storage on its base variant. The Redmi 7 has both, fingerprint scanner and face unlock.

The Realme C2, on the other hand, has a dual-camera setup, a MediaTek processor that clocks higher, and the same battery capacity as the Redmi 7. Why should you consider the Realme C2 then? The company is offering similar specifications as the Redmi 7 for Rs 2,000 cheaper. However, to cut down costs, the company has ditched the fingerprint scanner at the back, leaving you with face unlock as the only option for biometric authentication.