Redmi Y3 vs Redmi Note 7 vs Realme 3: Which is the best budget smartphone under Rs 10,000?

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Y3 in India that competes with the Realme 3 and its counterpart Redmi Note 7. The three smartphones are priced under Rs 10,000 and offer excellent value for money. We look at the specifications and help you decide which one of the three devices could suit the best for you.

Display and Design

Starting with the Redmi Y3, the latest offering from Xiaomi features a 6.26-inch HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19:9 and a screen resolution of 720 * 1520 pixels. The device has thin bezels which have resulted in a screen-to-body ratio of 86.83 percent.

The Redmi Note 7 has a marginally bigger 6.3-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1080 X 2340 pixels. It has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and brightness up to 450 nits. Xiaomi has protected the screen with Durable Scratch Resistant Glass. 

The Realme 3 has the smallest screen of the three with a 6.2-inches HD+ (720*1520 pixels) dewdrop display with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It has an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 88.3 percent with an aspect ratio of 19:9. 

Processor and Battery

The Redmi Y3 gets powered by a 14nm Octa-core Snapdragon 632 SoC clocked at 1.8GHz with Adreno 506 GPU for graphics. It comes paired with 3GB and 4GB RAM options coupled with 32GB and 64GB variants, expandable up to 512GB. The smartphone has a 4,000 mAh battery and with a 10W charging support.

The Redmi Note 7 has a better Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC clocked at 2.2 GHz and an Adreno 512 GPU for graphics. The SoC comes paired with 3GB and 4GB RAM along with 32GB and 64GB storage, expandable using microSD up to 256GB. It has the same 4,000 mAh battery like the Redmi Y3 but comes with support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4 fast charging technology. 

The Realme 3 has a 2.1GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P70 SoC at heart. It comes paired with 3GB/ 4GB RAM and 32GB/ 64GB internal storage. The storage can be increased using microSD up to 256GB. In terms of battery, the Realme 3 is powered by a 4,230 mAh battery which supports 10W charging.

Camera

All three smartphones come with dual camera setup. The Redmi Y3 has a 12MP primary sensor with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 2MP depth sensor. The front camera has a 32MP sensor inside the Dot notch with an aperture of f/2.25. It supports face unlock, Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS), Portrait mode, and Auto HDR.

The India variant of the Redmi Note 7 gets a 12 MP f/2.2 primary sensor with 1.25-micron pixels and a secondary 2 MP depth sensor. On the front is a 13MP camera that features AI Portrait mode, AI Scene detection, HDR, etc., and supports facial recognition.

The Realme 3, has a 13MP f/1.8 primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. It supports Nightscape, Hybrid HDR mode, Portrait mode, Chroma, PDAF, scene recognition and more. At the front, there is a 13MP front camera (f/2.0 aperture) housed in the waterdrop notch. The selfie snapper is capable of shooting selfies with features like AI beautification, HDR and also supports face unlock.

Pricing and other specifications

All three smartphones come with a fingerprint scanner at the back. The Redmi Y3 and Redmi Note 7 run on Android 9.0 based MiUi 10. The Realme 3 boots on a custom Color OS 6 skin on top of Android Pie.

The Redmi Y3 is priced at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB + 32GB variant and is available in Prime Black, Elegant Blue, and Bold Red colour options. The Redmi Note 7 starts at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB + 32GB variant and is available in three colours — Sapphire Blue, Onyx Black, Ruby Red. Lastly, the Realme 3 is the most affordable of the three with a starting price of Rs 8,999 for the 3GB + 32GB variant. It is available in Dynamic Black, Radiant Blue, and Classic Black.

In conclusion

If you are someone who clicks many selfies, the Redmi Y3's front 32MP camera would be the right choice for you.

The Redmi Note 7 has a slightly faster processor with better clock speeds. This would surely be beneficial for quick actions and heavy usage. Add to it, Qualcomm's Quick Charge fast charging support which would juice up the Redmi Note 7 faster.

The Realme 3 has a MediaTek P70 Helio SoC which is not known to be one of the best performers during heavy usage. But the smartphone costs Rs 1,000 less compared to its competitors. For Rs 8,999, the Realme 3 does seem to be a good option if on a tight budget.