Which is the better pick? Realme X7 or Xiaomi Mi 10i
With the launches of 5G smartphones in the flagship smartphone segment, many manufacturers are now providing the ease of 5G in the mid-range smartphones. So now you have a good option to buy an affordable 5G smartphone and many mid-range smartphones like the OnePlus Nord, Xiaomi Mi 10i, Moto G 5G have the support for 5G.
Realme now came up with the X7 series with the Realme X7 and the Realme X7 Pro. While Realme X7 Pro being a premium smartphone, we see that the Realme X7 with the newer Mediatek Dimensity 800U chipset makes it the cheapest 5G smartphone on the market.
On the other hand, Xiaomi Mi 10i is one of the best 5G smartphones and has some features like a massive display, 108MP cameras, stereo speakers, and a good design. The Realme X7 has an AMOLED display, a good set of cameras, and supports 50W fast charging.
Which is the better pick of the two and see whether Xiaomi has enough to beat the Realme or will Realme X7 set itself the best 5G smartphone out there? Let’s find out in the full comparison.
Realme X7 vs Xiaomi Mi 10i Design:
This is the first area there are some differences between both smartphones. The Xiaomi Mi 10i (Review) has a glass sandwich design whereas the Realme X7 has a polycarbonate back. On the front, both the displays are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and Xiaomi Mi 10i gets it on the back also.
At the back, the Realme X7 (Review) comes either in two color options which are Nebula or the Space Silver out of which the Nebula looks like a mixture of different colors and the Space Silver is the more sophisticated looking of the two as the Nebula has a massive Dare To Leap logo.
The Xiaomi Mi 10i has a Pacific Sunrise color variant which is a combination of light blue and orange and looks better compared to the Realme X7’s either the Nebula or Space Silver color.
Other than the Pacific Sunrise, there are some other colors that include Midnight Black and Pacific Blue on the Xiaomi Mi 10i. The camera modules look different on both as the Xiaomi Mi 10i has a circular setup of cameras located at the top center whereas the Realme X7 has a rectangular setup of cameras in the top left corner.
Both the smartphones have a matte finish which does catch up a lot of fingerprints and it is better to use a case for protection. To the sides, both have a power button and volume buttons and to the bottom, we have a USB Type-C port, a primary microphone, and a loudspeaker grille. On top both have a secondary microphone and the Xiaomi Mi 10i gets an IR Blaster.
The Realme X7 has a dual SIM card slot which is not a hybrid slot as there is no support for a microSD card for storage expansion whereas the Xiaomi Mi 10i has a dual hybrid SIM card slot, so you are getting an option for storage expansion. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack present on the Xiaomi Mi 10i which is not present on the Realme X7.
The Xiaomi Mi 10i gets an IP53 rating for protection which is better compared to the P2i coating on the Realme X7 and in terms of weight, the Xiaomi Mi 10i weighs 215grams which is slightly heavier compared to 176grams on the Realme X7.
If you want a lighter smartphone, then the Realme X7 will be a good option but considering the overall build and design, presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, support for microSD card expansion, and better protection, the Xiaomi Mi 10i is the clear winner of the two.
Realme X7 vs Xiaomi Mi 10i Display:
On the front, the Xiaomi Mi 10i has a larger 6.67 inches display compared to the 6.4 inches display on the Realme X7. Both have Full HD+ resolution (1080 x2340) pixels but the display technology is different on both. Both have slimmer bezels on the sides and slightly thick at the bottom and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Xiaomi Mi 10i has an IPS LCD display whereas the Realme X7 has a Super AMOLED display. Clearly, the AMOLED is superior compared to the IPS LCD displays in terms of brightness and viewing angles. Here comparing both the displays, the color reproduction on both are good but the blues and blacks look much better on the Realme X7.
Under direct sunlight, the brightness levels are good on both but the Realme X7 looks brighter as it has 600nits of brightness compared to 450nits on the Xiaomi Mi 10i, Under dark or low-light, the display on the Realme X7 can go very low and has better readability than the Xiaomi Mi 10i. Both have their reading modes and blue light filter.
The one big difference is the Xiaomi Mi 10i has a 120Hz refresh rate whereas the Realme X7 has a standard 60Hz one. As putting a higher refresh rate on an AMOLED display costs more, so Realme has not opted but the 120Hz display on the Realme X7 does ensure smooth scrolling, multi-tasking and also makes playing games much better.
Both the displays have support for Widevine L1 and HDR10+, so streaming HD videos from Netflix, Youtube was no issue on both. In terms of colors, the Realme X7 is better compared to the Xiaomi Mi 10i. The Realme X7 also has an optical in-display fingerprint scanner which is quite fast but slower compared to the side-mounted one on the Xiaomi Mi 10i.
So clearly, the display is a personal preference so if you watch a lot of videos and do not want a higher refresh rate, then the Realme X7 is the one to go but if you want smooth scrolling on webpages or plays a lot of games, the Xiaomi Mi 10i is the better one.
Realme X7 vs Xiaomi Mi 10i Performance:
In terms of performance, both smartphones have powerful mid-range chipsets where Realme X7 has the newer Mediatek Dimensity 800U chipset whereas the Xiaomi Mi 10i has the Snapdragon 750G chipset. Coming to the daily performance that includes multi-tasking between different applications, scrolling through webpages, and playing games felt equally good on both.
Comparing both chipsets side by side, the Snapdragon 750G chipset feels superior to the two as it has the newer Cortex A77 cores compared to Cortex A76 cores in the Mediatek Dimensity 800U chipset. But all heavy games like Call of Duty, Asphalt 9, etc ran smoothly on both at the highest graphics settings.
Though there were some frame drops noticed on both at the highest graphics settings but after a long gaming session, the back of the Xiaomi Mi 10i feels slightly warmer compared to the Realme X7. This may be also due to the glass back on the Xiaomi Mi 10i over the polycarbonate back on the Realme X7.
In terms of benchmarks, in Anutu v8, the Xiaomi Mi 10i scored 335049 compared to 333782 on the Realme X7 as the scores are very close to each other. Both the smartphones have 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB storage variants where the Xiaomi Mi 10i has UFS 2.2 speeds which is slightly faster compared to UFS 2.1 on the Realme X7.
The Xiaomi Mi 10i also comes with a hybrid SIM card slot for storage expansion which the Realme X7 lacks. So overall, if you playing a lot of games, both will handle it easily but with a higher refresh rate display, a set of stereo speakers, and a slightly powerful Adreno GPU, the Xiaomi Mi 10i is the better one.
Realme X7 vs Xiaomi Mi 10i Software:
Both the smartphones run on their respective software skins where Xiaomi Mi 10i runs on MIUI12 and the Realme X7 runs on RealmeUI 1.0 with Android 10 running on both. This seems to be disappointing as Android 12 is about to come soon and the smartphones are not shipping with Android 11 either.
When it comes to the software experience, both have bloatware present but the bloatware on Realme X7 is lesser compared to the Xiaomi Mi 10i. Both have ads present on the UI and have Stock Google applications like a dialler, messaging, and calendar. Swiping from the left of the home screen reveals the Google Feed on both smartphones.
But compared to the MIUI12, the RealmeUI is a lot better and provides an almost a Stock Android-like software experience. Both have a lot of third-party applications and offer a system-wide dark mode, Digital Wellbeing, navigation gestures, etc. Both smartphones will be updated to Android 11 and on an overall basis, the RealmeUI provides a better software experience compared to the MIUI.
Realme X7 vs Xiaomi Mi 10i Camera:
Here both the cameras are completely different from each other as the primary camera used on the Xiaomi Mi 10i is the larger 108MP Samsung sensor whereas the Realme X7 has the 64MP Samsung sensor for the primary camera.
The Xiaomi Mi 10i has quad cameras at the back which includes a 108MP f/1.8 Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor for the main camera, an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera, 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth camera whereas the Realme X7 gets a triple camera setup that includes a 64MP f/1.8 Samsung ISOCELL GW1 main camera, another 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera.
Comparing both the main cameras, the Xiaomi Mi 10i has a larger 108MP sensor compared to the 64MP sensor on the Realme X7. The images taken from both the cameras come out with good details and the dynamic range works well on both. But there is a slight color difference between both images.
The images from the Xiaomi Mi 10i have a more natural look and it has handled the exposure and white balance much better than the Realme X7. The Realme X7, on the other hand, has slightly washed-out colors and there is a lot of noise in the images when you zoom into it. Still, you get good contrast on the Realme X7.
At night, this is where the Xiaomi Mi 10i outshines the Realme X7 as the larger 108MP sensor captures in more light thus bringing out better details and dynamic range compared to the Realme X7 which tends to look just average with a larger amount of noise and the colors look oversaturated.
Both have their respective Night Modes and turning them on does make the image look brighter and it reduces noise considerably. The images from the Realme X7 come out with much better details but still compared to the images taken by the Xiaomi Mi 10i with the Night Mode, it is not so good but still, the images are good.
With Night Mode turned on:
Both have the same 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera and here also the ultrawide camera on the Xiaomi Mi 10i has some better details and dynamic range compared to the Realme X7. But still, the color reproduction is good on both but not as good as on the main camera. There is a lot of noise around the corners on both.
At night, the images come out with an average dynamic range and good details on both smartphones. There is a lot of noise present and softness is clearly noticed on both. The color temperature though looks most consistent on the Xiaomi Mi 10i compared to the Realme X7.
Both the ultrawide cameras have support for Night Mode which when turned on, reduces noise and also brings out better details but on the Realme X7, a yellowish color seen in the background, and the noise is quite prominent compared to the ultrawide images on the Realme X7. The Xiaomi Mi 10i has better details when you zoom the images taken from the ultrawide camera.
The third camera on both is a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera which does a good job in close-up images which has an average dynamic range with washed-out colors. There is a lot of noise so instead, you can use that main camera on both the smartphones that crop in for better results.
The Xiaomi Mi 10i has an extra 2MP depth camera so, in terms of portraits, it provides better details and edge detection compared to the Realme X7. The colors look much more natural on the Xiaomi Mi 10i compared to the Realme X7 which does over-saturate colors.
The background blur can be adjusted on both and here also the Xiaomi Mi 10i provides better subject separation from the background. And when you zoom into the portraits, the dynamic range and details are much better on the Xiaomi Mi 10i due to that larger sensor.
On the front, both the smartphones get a single 16MP camera which takes good selfies on both the smartphones. The images from the front camera have a slightly wider field of view on the Xiaomi Mi 10i and here the skin tones look more natural compared to Realme X7 which tends to apply skin smoothening thus resulting in images with a slightly yellowish color.
The dynamic range on the selfies of the Xiaomi Mi 10i is better and also in terms of portraits, the Xiaomi Mi 10i has better background blur and edge detection compared to the Realme X7. The portraits on the Realme X7’s front-facing camera is good but there is some amount of noise present.
In terms of videos, both smartphones can record 4K videos at 30fps. The video stabilization is not so good but in terms of color reproduction and dynamic range, the Xiaomi Mi 10i is better compared to the Realme X7. The 4K videos on the Realme X7 have slightly more noise and the dynamic range is above average.
Switching to 1080p resolution at 60fps or 30fps, EIS kicks in and both smartphones had stable videos with good dynamic range and details. The ultrawide camera can also record 4K videos on both smartphones, but the results are not so good as the details are soft and the colors look natural on both.
There is a Super Stable Mode for better stabilization also but it is restricted to 1080p only.
On the front, both smartphones can record up to 1080p at 30fps. The videos are equally good on both smartphones in terms of skin tones and dynamic range also. The Xiaomi Mi 10i has a slightly wider field of view and the dynamic range is slightly better than the Realme X7. The portrait videos were better on the Realme X7 compared to the Xiaomi Mi 10i in terms of better edge detection.
To conclude the camera comparison, the Xiaomi Mi 10i is better compared to the Realme X7 but the difference is not so huge and definitely, Realme could improve many things in the software update.
Realme X7 vs Xiaomi Mi 10i Battery Life:
The Xiaomi Mi 10i has a larger 4820mAh battery compared to the 4310mAh battery on the Realme X7. Both smartphones can easily last for a single day with heavy usage and up to one and half days with normal usage. Since both chipsets are built on a 7nm and 8nm process, the power efficiency is good on both.
The standard screen on time on the Realme X7 was around 6-7 hours compared to 6 hours on the Xiaomi Mi 10i. Though the Realme X7 has a lower capacity battery as it has an AMOLED display which consumes less power compared to the Xiaomi Mi 10i that has a 120Hz LCD display and plus the Mediatek Dimensity 800U is built on an 8nm process.
Since there is no higher refresh rate display on the Realme X7, so the battery life is better on the Realme X7. Both have their respective Power Saving modes also. MIUI12 on the Xiaomi Mi 10i though provides better battery optimizations.
In terms of charging, the Realme X7 supports 50W SuperDart charging compared to the 33W fast charging on the Xiaomi Mi 10i. Realme has provided a 65W fast charger with the Realme X7 but still with support for 50W fast charging, the Realme X7 can charge from 0 to 100 percent in 45mniutes whereas the Xiaomi Mi 10i takes around 75 minutes for a full charge from 0 to 100 percent.
So, with an AMOLED display, better battery life, and faster charging, the Realme X7 holds a clear advantage over the Xiaomi Mi 10i.
Realme X7 vs Xiaomi Mi 10i Audio Quality:
Here clearly, the Xiaomi Mi 10i holds the edge as it has a set of stereo speakers compared to the single downward-faced speaker on the Realme X7. The sound is much better on the Xiaomi Mi 10i in terms of bass and loudness and at the highest volume settings, the sound on the Realme X7 feels slightly muffled which is not there on the Xiaomi Mi 10i.
Both have support for Dolby Atmos which provides enhanced sound effects on both smartphones and plus Xiaomi Mi 10i has another advantage in the form of a 3.5mm headphone jack which the Realme X7 lacks. The audio output from the 3.5mm headphone jack is good on the Xiaomi Mi 10i.
In terms of audio, the Xiaomi Mi 10i has a clear edge over the Realme X7.
Verdict:
Both are very good smartphones in the mid-range segment and support 5G. However, it is difficult to choose a particular winner as each of them to have a lot going on.
Let’s consider the Xiaomi Mi 10i which is a solid offering in the mid-range segment as it has a 120Hz display, 108MP camera, stereo speakers and has a premium build and design. It also provides good performance with the Snapdragon 750G and supports 33W fast charging also.
The Realme X7 is the new entrant into the mid-range segment as brings along a newer Mediatek Dimensity 800U chipset that has very good performance and gaming. This too also supports 5G. The big highlights are the AMOLED display, faster 50W charging, and a good software experience with the RealmeUI when compared to MIUI on the Xiaomi Mi 10i.
Though both have some bloatware present, so if you want a bloatware-free Stock Android experience, then the Moto G 5G could be a better pick. To sum it all up, if you want to consume videos, a good set of cameras, need good battery life with fast charging and good software experience, then the Realme X7 would be the better pick.
If you are serious about gaming and especially need a smooth display with a higher refresh rate and stereo speakers, a great camera setup, and a premium build and design, the Xiaomi Mi 10i is the better option so it all depends on your requirements which is the better one.