Realme today announced the launch of Realme XT, its first 64-megapixel smartphone. The device starts at Rs 15,999 and offers an AMOLED display, 64MP Quad cameras, Snapdragon 712 and 4,000mAh battery. For around the same price, Vivo is selling the Vivo Z1X with the same processor, a SAMOLED display, triple cameras and 4,500mAh battery. Will the Realme XT be able to beat the Vivo Z1X to become the best mid-range challenger? Let’s talk about that.

Display:

The Realme XT features a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Display with a waterdrop notch design, 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection and in-display fingerprint sensor. The display offers a total of 402 pixels per inch and has a screen-to-body ratio of 84.7 percent.

Vivo Z1X comes with a 6.38-inch Full HD+ Incell SAMOLED display with a screen resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, a waterdrop notch and an in-display fingerprint sensor. There is no mention of glass protection on the front of the device and the screen-to-body ratio of 83.3 percent almost levels up with that of its counterpart.

Winner: Realme XT for better protection through Gorilla Glass 5

Design:

The Vivo Z1X we received for a review came in the Phantom Purple variant which has a shimmery gradient finish that has hues of purple, pink, light blue and dark blue reflecting in different patterns. The device fits right on to the hand and is grippy because of the plastic panel at the back and it also has a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left for easy access.

Realme’s XT comes in a Pearl Blue and Pearl White which we both have in pictures. The finish on the backside isn’t as eye-grabbing as the one on the Z1X but is more toward the subtle end of the spectrum. However, unlike its counterpart, the Realme XT also features a Gorilla Glass 5 at the back as well, which while giving it a premium feel, makes it less durable. That’s because you now have to worry about the phone whether or not it drops on its backside.

Winner: Vivo Z1X for a more attractive finish

Hardware:

Both the Realme XT and Vivo Z1X are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 AIE Processor with Adreno 616 GPU. The Snapdragon 712 offers smooth day-to-day performance with effective multitasking on both phones, although the same can’t be said when the devices are used for running high-end games.

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The only difference here is that fact that Vivo Z1X can only be purchased with 6GB of RAM while the Realme XT is available with 4GB, 6GB and 8GB RAM options for users across all price ranges.

Winner: Realme XT for offering flexibility and for those who need it, more RAM.

Camera:

The Vivo Z1X features a triple-camera setup with a combination of 48-megapixel primary lens with f/1.8 aperture, an 8-megapixel Wide-Angle sensor with f/2.2 Aperture and 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. In our review, the device did a solid job during daylight conditions giving the right amount of dynamic range and delivering fast focus on the subject. While it can record 4K videos at 30 fps, it only supports Full HD recording at 30 FPS as well. There’s a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the front which struggles under low light.

This is where the Realme XT shines brighter as it packs four different cameras at the back. The camera module comprises of a 64-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and electronic stabilisation, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor for portraits. The picture quality is on par and in some cases higher than that of the Realme X. The wide-angle lens offers a larger field of view with good colour reproduction and portrait shots blur out the background by accurately detecting edges.

Winner: Realme XT for offering the only 64MP camera in the segment and an extra macro lens

Software:

The Realme XT runs Color OS 6.0 based on Android 9 Pie. The interface opens apps quickly and offers smooth navigation through UI. There are a few preinstalled apps including DailyHunt, Opera News, UC Browser, Amazon Shopping, Helo and Paytm on the phone but all of them can be removed if not required. There’s also an App drawer which is now available by default and the phone comes with HyperBoost 2.0 technology that consists of System Boost, Game Boost and App Boost for smoother performance.

The Vivo Z1X runs on Android 9 Pie with Funtouch 9.1 OS on top. In our review, we found that the device has a ton of bloatware including the company’s own applications and third-party apps. The UI is missing an App drawer and it’s difficult to find something in the Settings menu.

Winner: Realme XT as it will get an update to Android 10 in Q1 2020 and has an app drawer.

Battery:

The Vivo Z1X is backed by a 4,500mAh battery and is bundled with a 22.5W Vivo flash charge adapter. The Realme XT, on the other hand, gets its juices from a 4,000mAh battery with support for VOOC 3.0 flash charge that charges the phone at 20 watts.

Winner: Vivo Z1X for offering a larger battery with faster charging.

Verdict:

Realme has managed to pack also everything one needs from a mid-range smartphone inside the Realme XT. The device comes with India’s first 64MP smartphone camera, a decent day-to-day performer in the Snapdragon 712 with an option to buy it with 8GB of RAM and an AMOLED display on the front with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. But if an additional camera is not in your alley, you can get your hands on the Vivo Z1X which offers a longer 4,500mAh battery life with 22.5W fast charging.