Which budget phone should you pick up?

It’s no secret that Samsung has been on the offensive as far as winning back its audience in the budget segment is concerned. They killed off their non-performing Galaxy J series, replacing it with a streamlined and expanded A series. The Galaxy A10 was the most affordable offering within the line, which has now been replaced with an updated model, the Galaxy A10s.

The new model now comes with dual rear cameras, Helio P22 processor, bigger battery, and a fingerprint scanner and the same Php 6,990 price tag as its earlier incarnation.

Samsung’s not alone in that price point though – Realme has also recently refreshed their entry-level C2 offering with more storage and is the Galaxy A10s’ direct competitor at the sub 7K price range.

Samsung Galaxy A10s specs

• MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor
• IMG PowerVR GE 8320
• 2GB RAM
• 6.2-inch HD+ Infinity-V IPS display
• 32GB expandable storage (up to 512GB)
• Dual rear cameras: 13-megapixel f/1.8 main camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor; with LED flash
• 8-megapixel f/2.0 front camera
• Dual SIM
• 3G, LTE
• Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• 4000mAh battery
• Android Pie with OneUI

Realme C2 Specs

• MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor
• IMG PowerVR GE 8320
• 2GB/3GB RAM
• 6.1-inch HD+ LTPS IPS Dewdrop display, Gorilla Glass protection
• 32GB/64GB of expandable storage
• Dual rear cameras: 13-megapixel f/2.2; 2-megapixel f/2.4 rear cameras; with LED flash, Chroma Boost, 80FPS slow-motion at 480P, and PDAF
• 5-megapixel f/2.2 front camera
• Dual SIM
• 3G, LTE
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• AI Face Unlock
• 4000mAh battery
• Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6 UI

The Realme C2’s panel is definitely a scene-stealer

Both phones sport polycarbonate back panels with the Galaxy A10s having a typical single color glossy treatment. On the other hand, the Realme C2 sports a fancy geometric pattern back with a matte finish.

While both come in black and blue, the Realme C2’s diamond, geometric design is more eye-catching than the Galaxy A10’s single color, metallic finish. The Realme C2’s matte finish also makes it less prone to smudging. If you want a different color with the Galaxy A10s, Samsung also offers it in green and red.

Identical internals, but the Realme C2 has a higher RAM/Storage variant

Both the Galaxy A10s and Realme C2 come with an Helio P22 processor paired with at least 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Both phones have capable internals that can handle most tasks and light gaming on the side.

The Realme C2 has a slight edge as it offers a 3GB/64GB option for Php 1k more than the base 2GB/32GB variant. If the internal storage is not enough, both phones come with a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion.

As for software, the Galaxy A10s and Realme C2 come with Android Pie out of the box, along with OneUI and ColorOS overlays respectively.

LTPS vs IPS

While both phones come with dewdrop notches and HD+ resolutions, the Galaxy A10s’ display is slightly bigger than the Realme C2’s display, though you will barely notice the .1-inch size difference in person.

Size aside, the Realme C2 uses an LTPS panel while the Galaxy A10s settles for an IPS one. While both use LCD tech, IPS panels normally deliver better viewing angles and more accurate color reproduction than LTPS panels.

Both phones have a sizable chin and come with near-identical screen-to-body ratios: 80.3% for the Realme C2 and 80.07% for the Galaxy A10s.

Better cameras on the Galaxy A10s on paper

Both phones have the same dual rear camera setup, comprising of a 13-megapixel main camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The Galaxy A10s’ main camera comes with a brighter f/1.8 aperture, while the Realme C2 makes up for better software features like Chroma Boost and slow-motion video.

For the front camera, the Galaxy A10s has a higher resolution 8-megapixel f/2.0 selfie snapper, while the Realme C2 sticks to a familiar 5-megapixel f/2.2 front camera.

While it is easy to conclude that the Galaxy A10s wins in this department with better hardware, the software still plays an important role in image processing. We still need to compare photos taken by both phones side by side to see which one produces better photos.

Even ground with battery capacity

Both phones are compelling budget offerings as they come with a hefty 4000mAh battery that should last you at least one and a half-day on moderate use thanks to the Helio P22’s 12nm manufacturing process.

Neither phone has support for fast charging, so topping up may take a while.

It is a tight match between the two

Sporting near-identical internals and competitive prices, both the Realme C2 and Galaxy A10s are in a tight match for the budget segment.

The Galaxy A10s is better than the Realme C2 since it has a fingerprint scanner, a better display panel, a higher-resolution front camera, and brighter main rear camera. The Realme C2, on the other hand, is more affordable than the Galaxy A10s, comes with a more eye-catching back panel design, and offers a 3GB/64GB variant that is Php 500 less than the Galaxy A10s’ lone variant.

While Samsung’s latest budget offering has a competitive price, the Realme C2 is still up for a strong fight in the budget segment.

The Realme C2 retails for Php 5,490 for the 2GB/32GB variant and Php 6,490 for the 3GB/64GB variant, while the Galaxy A10s sells for Php 6,990 for the lone 2GB/32GB variant. Both phones are now available in authorized stores.

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