The battle for the ultimate budget phone continues!
Realme has just thrown the gauntlet against its competitors with the release of their third phone in the Philippines, the Realme 3. This bang-for-the-buck device is slated to do battle with plenty of competitors in both the mid-range and entry-level market thanks to its attractive price point.
One of its eventual rivals is Samsung’s newly launched Galaxy M20. New player vs. grizzled old vet – who makes the better phone?
Samsung Galaxy M20 specs
- Samsung Exynos 7904 octa-core processor
- 3GB of RAM
- 6.3-inch Full HD+ Infinity-V display, Dragontail Glass
- 32GB of expandable storage (up to 512GB)
- 13-megapixel f/1.9 primary and 5-megapixel f/2.2 wide-angle rear cameras with PDAF, LED Flash
- 8-megapixel f/2.0 front camera with Live Focus
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
- Fingerprint scanner, USB-C
- 5000mAh battery with 15W quick charging
- Android 8.1 Oreo
Realme 3 Specs
- MediaTek Helio P60 octa-core processor
- 3GB/4GB RAM
- 6.2-inch HD+ LTPS IPS Dewdrop display, Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- 32GB/64GB of expandable storage
- 13-megapixel f/1.8 and 2-megapixel rear cameras with LED flash, PDAF, Chroma Boost, and Nightscape
- 13-megapixel f/2.0 front camera
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, fingerprint scanner, AI Facial Unlock
- 4230mAh battery
- Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6
Build and Design
As is the case for most phones in their price range, both the Realme 3 and the Galaxy M20 both sport plastic bodies.
Both phones are available in two color variants (black and blue), though the Realme 3 tries to differentiate itself via color gradients, while the Galaxy M20 sticks with a more conventional color scheme.
While both devices fall under the budget category of the market, they both feel solidly built, with no apparent panel gaps or other indicators of shoddy construction visible on their plastic bodies.
Fingerprint scanners are standard on both the Realme 3 and Galaxy M20, as are dual cameras. Both phones have dedicated microSD expansion slots in addition to dual SIM slots.
Display
Both the Realme 3 and the Galaxy M20 have roughly the same screen size: the Realme 3’s panel comes in at 6.22-inches, while the Galaxy M20 measures in at 6.3-inches.
The Realme 3 uses an HD+ display while the Galaxy M20 has a full HD+ panel. Both displays utilize small, water-drop notches on the top that house their selfie cameras.
While Samsung phones usually have the advantage of having brighter, clearer and more aesthetically pleasing Super AMOLED panels, the M20 settles for a TFT capacitive touchscreen, VS the Realme 3’s IPS panel.
Hardware
The Realme 3 comes in two chipset configurations, but for the Philippines, you’re primarily looking at Helio P60 variant.
There are two options for the phone when it comes to RAM and storage configs: you can get either the 3GB/32GB variant or the 4GB/64GB variant if you have more money to spare.
Samsung’s Galaxy M20, on the other hand, comes with the company’s home-grown Exynos 7904 processor and is only available in the 3GB/32GB configuration.
Both chipsets should be roughly on the same page as far as performance is concerned, though the Mediatek’s Helio P60 chipset may have a slight edge over power efficiency (it’s built on a 12nm FinFet process VS the 14nm process on the Exynos 7904), has a higher maximum clock speed of 2.0GHz VS the 1.8GHz on the 7904, as well as possessing certain AI capabilities which is not present on the 7904.
Software and UI
The software is where the Realme 3 has a clear edge over the Galaxy M20, as the new budget phone comes with the latest version of Android Pie (Android 9) with ColorOS 6.
The Galaxy M20 is still stuck with Android 8.1 Oreo, and Samsung’s older Experience 9.5 overlay.
Cameras
Both devices utilize dual cameras on the rear, with the main camera helped by a secondary camera.
The Realme 3 uses a 13-megapixel primary shooter with an f/1.8 aperture lens and a 2-megapixel secondary camera for depth information.
The Galaxy M20 has a different approach to the secondary camera, as it also acts as a wide-angle 5-megapixel f/2.2 camera aside from providing depth information to the primary 13-megapixel f/1.9 aperture sensor.
One of the biggest advantages of the Realme 3 is its low-light and chroma boost shooting modes, which allows the phone to take great photos despite less than ideal lighting.
Battery
Budget phones nowadays have big batteries inside of them to make them more attractive for people looking to get the most out of their devices.
Both the Realme 3 and the Galaxy M20 have higher than average batteries inside their plastic bodies, though the Realme 3’s 4230mAh battery is bested by the Galaxy M20’s large 5000mAh battery.
But despite the Realme 3 having a smaller battery, it has a slight edge in power consumption thanks to the AI battery management inherent in the Helio P60 chipset, which the company says can help squeeze up to 10% more juice out of the battery.
The Realme 3 also still uses the aging micro USB port for charging, while the Galaxy M20 uses a USB Type-C connector.
Price
With all that’s said and done, the Realme 3’s biggest edge is its price. The 32GB/3GB variant of the Realme 3 is priced at a mere Php 6,990, while the higher tier 3GB/64GB and 4GB/64GB variant of the phone comes in at Php 7,990 and Php 9,990 respectively.
Samsung’s Galaxy M20 Pro, on the other hand, comes in at Php 10,990 for the 3GB/32GB variant, considerably higher than the lower-spec variant of the Realme 3.
