Redmi Note 8 vs Realme 5: Which Phone is Better Under Rs 10,000?

Which is the best smartphone in the budget segment? We compare two popular models to find out.

The Redmi Note 8 (left) vs Realme 5 (right).

(Photo: The Quint/Canva)

A major chunk of the Indian smartphone market is thrifty middle-class people who aspire to have a phone loaded to the teeth with features, but don’t want to spend a lot on it.

The good thing is that smartphone companies understand that sentiment and are offering phones under Rs 10,000 with a more than impressive specification sheet.

The recently launched Redmi Note 8 is a worthy competitor in this segment, while the other option you can consider against the Redmi is the Realme 5 which starts at Rs 8,999.

So, which one should you go for? Here’s a quick comparison between the Redmi Note 8 and the Realme 5.

(Photo: The Quint/Karan Akhter)

Design & Display

The Realme 5 looks good with its crystalline design at the back, but the overall ergonomics carry a lot of bulk at almost 200 grams. One-hand use is going to be a problem for people with small hands.

The Redmi Note 8 comes with Gorilla Glass 5 protection both on the front and the back which gives it extra points for sturdiness. No complaints with the overall ergonomics.

The Realme 5 comes with a 6.5-inch display with full HD+ resolution display but pushes out fewer pixels per inch than the Redmi Note 8.

The Redmi Note 8 also offers an IPS LCD display but smaller in size. Smaller screens might work for some users, but not for all.

Hardware & Storage

While there are more options to choose from in terms of RAM and storage with the Realme 5, the Redmi Note 8 is being offered in only two storage variants – 4GB+64GB and the 6GB+128GB.

The Redmi Note 8 comes with glass both on the back and the front.(Photo: The Quint)

Realme 5 doesn’t come with a 6GB RAM variant which is a big setback. You can expand the storage up to 256GB via a microSD card, but Xiaomi takes this round with the extra RAM variant.

Both phones run on a Snapdragon 665 chipset, which is good for heavy multitasking but not ideal for long gaming sessions.

I believe choosing a user interface to work with is a personal choice. Both the MIUI and Realme’s ColorOS come with their own set of bloatware and customisations that many might like or dislike. The advantage is that both run on Android 9.0.

Camera & Battery

Both the Redmi Note 8 and the Realme 5 come with a quad-camera setup at the back with the Redmi sporting a 48-megapixel primary lens.

It’s truly a megapixel battle between the two that the Redmi (on paper) edges past the Realme by a whisker.

Both phones come with a 13-megapixel front camera with exactly the same configuration. Nothing to separate the two here.

Realme 5 comes with a 5,000mAh battery which supports a 10W fast charger while the Redmi Note 8 has 4,000mAh of battery juice and supports an 18W fast charger. Realme does have a 1,000mAh extra but it will take longer to charge as well.

Which One to Buy?

On one hand, Realme 5 offers more battery capacity and the company is also offering a 3GB+32GB variant that comes in at Rs 8,999 and that’s something worth considering if you don’t want to go anywhere north of that figure.

There is no 6GB RAM variant with Realme which for many is a deal-breaker.

With the Redmi Note 8, you not only get more protection with Gorilla Glass 5, but also a good camera setup and a compact design.

At Rs 9,999, the Redmi Note 8 is a good bargain with very little compromises.