Realme has unveiled its latest budget smartphone in the country, called Realme C33. The new C-series smartphone comes with features such as a Unisoc T612 processor, 50MP AI dual cameras, 5000mAh battery, Android 12 out of the box and more. While budget smartphones are constrained in terms of power, it is the experience that counts, especially in the budget segment, which can make or break the device. Moreover, not all smartphones can achieve this objective, and in the past, we have seen how Unisoc processors struggle to keep up with security and performance as well. So let’s take a look at the best alternatives to the Realme C33, which will provide you with a better experience, both in terms of power and overall usage.
Infinix Hot 12
The Infinix Hot 12 comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. This variant is priced at Rs 9,499. The smartphone comes in Exploratory Blue, Polar Black, Purple, and Turquoise Cyan colour options. This one is from Tecno and is one of the best alternatives to the Realme C33.
The phone features a 6.82-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with 720×1640 pixels resolution. Further, the display comes with a 90Hz refresh rate, 480 nits brightness and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G37 processor and comes equipped with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. A higher refresh rate display and a slightly more powerful processor will result in a better experience. In addition, it includes a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for security.
For photos and videos, the phone comes with a triple rear camera setup with a quad-LED flash. The setup is headlined by a 50-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.6 aperture. The main sensor is coupled with a 2-megapixel Depth Lens and an AI Lens. For selfies and video calls, the device uses an 8-megapixel shooter with an f/2.0 Aperture and a dedicated single LED flash. Cameras always have to be compared in real-world usage to figure out the winner so we’ll skip this one.
As for software, the handset runs XOS 10 based on Android 11. This is where the Hot 12 lacks a little behind than Realme C33. Apart from that, it is backed up by a 6000mAh battery with 18W Fast charging support. While the device may take a good amount of time to charge, it will certainly give you a lot better battery backup so the device can last you more than a day, thereby enhancing the experience.
Pros
- Bigger battery than Realme C33
- Better processor
- Higher refresh rate display
Cons
- Android 11 and not Android 12
- SD card support only up to 256GB and not 1TB
Moto E32s
Moto E32s is another alternative to the Realme C33, which comes at Rs 9,999 for the 4GB + 64GB model. It features a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with 720 x 1600 pixels resolution. In addition, the display has a 90Hz refresh rate and a punch-hole at the centre to house a selfie camera. A higher refresh rate means the content on the screen will look much more fluid when you scroll. This also impacts the experience in a major way.
Next, it packs a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support but comes with a 10W charger in the box. While the battery capacity is the same as Realme C33, a slower in-box charger means it will take more time to charge. However, as the phone runs on MyUX OS, which is close to Stock Android 12, it could be optimised better than Realme C33, which may give it better battery life.
An octa-core MediaTek Helio G37 processor powers this Moto smartphone. This is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with 32GB/64GB of internal storage that’s expanded via a microSD card. The Helio G37 is a processor that is similar to Unisoc T612 in terms of specs, but the MediaTek SoC seems better in terms of security.
For the optics, the Moto E32s sports a triple-camera setup. There will be a 16-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth camera. While the macro sensor isn’t always very useful, it is at least present. At the front, the phone features an 8-megapixel camera for video calls and selfies. It features a side-facing fingerprint scanner and supports face unlock as well.
Pros
- 90Hz display
- Big battery
- Slightly more powerful SoC
- MicroSD card support up to 1TB
- Extra camera sensor
Cons
- Only 10W charger in the box
Redmi 10A
The 3GB RAM + 32GB storage option of the Redmi 10A is priced at Rs 8,499. The other variant with 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage is priced at Rs 9,499. It comes in Charcoal Black, Sea Blue, and Slate Grey colour options.
Redmi 10A sports a 6.53-inch water-drop notch HD+ display with 1600 x 720 pixels resolution. Further, the display comes with 400 nits of maximum brightness and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The display on the Redmi 10A is actually quite similar to that of the Realme C33.
The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio G25 processor coupled with up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage. There is also a microSD card slot for more storage in the phone up to 512GB. While the Helio G25 SoC is slightly inferior to Unisoc T612, MediaTek does handle security better than Unisoc.
Moreover, the phone packs a rear camera system with a 13-megapixel sensor. Further, on the front, the phone has a 5-megapixel selfie shooter housed in the notch in the display. In addition, the device comes with a 5000mAh battery with support for 10W charging. Besides, it runs on MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11 OS. While it is based on Android 11, MIUI is more feature-rich than Realme UI.
It has a micro-USB port for charging and data transfers. The handset also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm audio jack. In terms of connectivity, it offers Dual-SIM, 4G, WiFi (2.4GHz only), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, AGPS, and Beidou. Lastly, the device measures 164.9 × 77 × 9.0mm and weighs 194 grams.
Pros
- Big battery
- Feature-rich software
Cons
- Micro-USB port
- Single-band Wi-Fi
- Single rear camera
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Tecno Spark 9T
The Tecno Spark 9T also comes as one of the practical alternatives to the Realme C33. It comes for Rs 9,499 for the single 4GB RAM + 64GB storage. It sports a 6.6-inch IPS LCD screen that delivers a Full HD+ resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. A higher resolution display means the content will be sharper and the colours will be better.
The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor paired with 4GB of RAM with 3GB of virtual RAM. There is 64GB of internal storage. The storage can be expanded using a microSD card slot.
There’s a triple rear camera setup at the back, including a 50-megapixel main sensor paired with f/1.6 aperture lens and Phase-Detection Autofocus (PDAF). There is a 2-megapixel sensor alongside an AI sensor. At the front sits an 8-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls. Again, cameras will have to be tested side-by-side for a better comparison. Apart from that, the device runs on Android 11 OS with HiOS 7.6 UI out of the box, which is a disappointing factor.
The Spark 9T packs a 5,000mAh battery that has support for 18W fast charging, same as the Realme C33. Additional features include a side-facing fingerprint scanner, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Pros
- Better processor
- Triple rear cameras
- Higher resolution display
- Fast charging
Cons
- Runs on Android 11 and not Android 12
Redmi A1
Another smartphone from Redmi that is one of the alternatives to the Realme C33 is the newly launched Redmi A1 which comes with Stock Android, and that is where it provides a more smoother experience. It is priced at Rs 6,499 for the sole 2GB RAM + 32GB storage variant. It comes in Classic Black, Light Green, and Light Blue colour options.
It sports a 6.52-inch HD+ display with a waterdrop-style notch and is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio A22 SoC, which is coupled with 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage, which is expandable up to 512GB. While the RAM and storage are less than that of Realme C33, the place where it does shine is in terms of software.
For optics, the Redmi A1 has an AI-backed dual rear camera unit comprising an 8-megapixel primary sensor. For selfies and video chats, the phone features a 5-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front. The Redmi A1 has support for more than 20 Indian languages. Xiaomi has equipped the Redmi A1 with a 5,000mAh battery, and it comes with a 10W charger.
Pros
- Stock Android
- MicroSD card support
- Big battery
- Cheaper than Realme C33
Cons
- Slightly inferior processor compared to Realme C33
- Slower charging
