Samsung recently launched the Galaxy A51 in India. The successor to the Galaxy A50 comes with a tonne of improvements in camera quality and performance. But owing to its hefty Rs 23,999 price tag, the A51 has some stiff competition from brands like Realme, Redmi and Honor.
Three phones, in particular, the Redmi K20 Pro, Realme X2, and Honor 20 pose a serious threat to the success of the Galaxy A51.
| Specs | Galaxy A51 | Realme X2 | Redmi K20 Pro | Honor 20 |
| Chipset | Exynos 9611 | Snapdragon 730G | Snapdragon 855 | HiSilicon Kirin 980 |
| Display | 6.5-inch Super AMOLED (1080*2400 pixels), 20:9 ratio (405 ppi density) | 6.4-inch Super AMOLED (1080*2340 pixels), 19.5:9 ratio (403 ppi density) | 6.39-inch Super AMOLED (1080*2340 pixels), 19.5:9 ratio (403 ppi density) | 6.26-inch IPS LCD (1080*2340 pixels), 19.5:9 ratio (412 ppi density) |
| RAM | 6GB | 4GB/6GB/8GB | 6GB/8GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB | 64GB/128GB | 64GB/128GB/ 256GB | 128GB |
| Rear Camera | 48 MP, f/2.0 + 12 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 5 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) + 5 MP, f/2.2 (Depth) | 64 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.3 (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4, (Depth) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 13 MP, f/2.4 (Ultrawide) + 8 MP, f/2.4 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 16 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Depth) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (Macro) |
| Front Camera | 32 MP, f/2.2 | 32 MP, f/2.0 | 20 MP, f/2.2 | 32 MP, f/2.0 |
| Battery | 4000 mAh, 15W fast charging | 4000 mAh, 30W fast charging | 4000 mAh, 27W fast charging | 3750 mAh, 22.5W fast charging |
| Software | Android 10.0; One UI 2 | Android 9.0 (Pie), ColorOS 6 | Android 10 (Pie); MIUI 11 | Android 9.0 (Pie); Magic 2.1 |
| Price (Rs) | 23,999 | 16,999 / 18,999 / 19,999 | 24,999 / 27,999 | 22,999 |
DisplayThe Realme X2, Redmi K20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy A51 all get FHD+ Super AMOLED displays, while the Honor 20 opts for an IPS LCD panel. While the Galaxy A51 does have an excellent panel, it isn’t the best. The Super AMOLED panel on the K20 Pro doesn’t just offer maximum screen real estate, it also supports HDR10 and 100-percent DCI-P3 coverage, making it the best for consuming entertainment.
PerformanceWhen it comes to performance, Samsung and Realme offer mid-range performance, while the Honor 20 and Redmi K20 Pro pack flagship-grade performance. The Snapdragon 855 SoC on the Redmi K20 Pro does tend to outperform the Honor 20’s Kirin 980 chipset in terms of raw performance.
CameraAll phones expect the Redmi K20 Pro feature quad-camera setups. But despite the four cameras, we prefer the 8-megapixel telephoto shooter on the K20 Pro over the fourth macro cameras on the other three handsets. All four phones do a pretty good job with their primary rear camera. But the Redmi K20 Pro is undoubtedly the standout performer here. Not only is the Redmi K20 Pro the most consistent of the four devices, but it is also the only one that offers 4K video capture at 60 fps. And while the Realme X2’s 64-megapixel primary sensor puts up quite a compelling argument for the best primary camera, the Redmi K20 Pro is the best overall offering.
SoftwareIf you are looking for a phone with the best software, there is no competition. Android 10 over Samsung’s One UI 2.0 skin on the Galaxy A51 is the best software experience you can hope four out of these four phones. And, while the new Realme UI does promise a clean user interface, it will still take some time to reach the level at which One UI operates. Moreover, the experience on the Redmi K20 Pro and Honor 20 is anything but clean.
BatteryIn terms of battery size, all four phones are evenly matched except the Honor 20, which gets a slightly lower battery capacity. However, the Honor 20 and Redmi K20 Pro feature 7nm chipsets that deliver better power efficiency and battery management than the 8nm and 10nm chips on the Realme X2 and Galaxy A51, respectively. However, the Redmi K20 Pro with its bigger battery and AMOLED display will deliver better battery life than the Honor 20 as well as the other two devices.
PriceThe Samsung Galaxy A51 and Honor 20 are priced at Rs 23,999 and Rs 22,999, respectively, while the Redmi K20 Pro will set you back by Rs 24,999. The Realme X2 is the cheapest of the three devices with a starting price of Rs 16,999, while the higher end X2 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB models cost Rs 18,999 and Rs 19,999, respectively.
While the Realme X2 offers the best value proposition for a sub-20K smartphone, the Redmi K20 Pro offers the best value of any smartphone on this list. For the extra, 5K to 6K, the Redmi K20 Pro provides a better display, better performance, a more premium design and lastly, a telephoto camera.
