Honor 8x Vs Realme 2 Pro: When Competition Gets 8x Times ‘Real’

Honor 8x or the Realme 2 Pro? Which is a better bargain under Rs 20,000. Here’s a comparison.

The other day one of my friends asked me “what would be a good phone to buy under Rs 20,000?”. I really didn’t want to send him to ‘confusionville’ since there are innumerable brands and devices in the market in that price segment.

Usually, a Xiaomi phone ends up being the obvious choice, but there are many consumers in the market who are willing to try other brands in the market as well. Brands like Realme and Honor, just to be different.

The two Chinese smartphone makers recently launched their sub-Rs 20k devices in the market, the Honor 8x and the Realme 2 Pro. Since there is no Xiaomi in the picture this time around we’ll compare these two to find out which is the better deal under Rs 20,000.

Design & Display

Both the Honor 8x and the Realme 2 Pro come with full HD+ displays. However, due to the water drop notch on the Realme the phone gets more display area and therefore pumps out more pixels at 409 ppi.

In terms of design, the duo come with a glass design with the Honor 8x having more of the bulk. Yet, it’s just 1 gram heavier than the Realme. I like the dual textured finish on the back of the Honor 8x while the Realme 2 Pro sports a very plain Jane finish. It might have passed off as an Honor phone if it didn’t have the Realme branding at the back.

The edges on the Honor 8x feel more refined compared to the Realme 2 Pro and I also like the overall finish on the Honor device. Honor has worked well on the design.

Hardware & Performance

The battle between a Kirin and a Snapdragon processor. I think it will never be conclusive, which of the two is better. While the Snapdragon 660 processor on the Realme is a tried-and-tested hardware, the Kirin 710 is the new kid on the block trying to make a name for itself.

Both are average performers and that I got to know after a round of playing PUBG on each. These cannot support graphic intensive games though multi-tasking on heavy applications won’t be an issue.

The 8GB RAM on the Realme gives it the upper edge over the Honor 8x, which comes with 6GB of RAM. Not that 6GB RAM is going to be any less powerful.

Both phones offer hybrid dual SIM capabilities with an option to expand internal storage up to 256GB via microSD card.

It’s disappointing that these phones haven’t upgraded to USB type-C. Despite that, both offer fast charging via a 10W charger. The user interface on the Realme isn’t one of the most organised nor cleanest. Too much of bloatware.

The Honor 8x though keeps the bloatware count to a minimum, although it still has a bit.

Camera & Battery

The Honor 8x comes with a 20+2-megapixel setup on the rear while the front sports a 16-megapixel snapper. I was really impressed with the AI capabilities of Honor’s camera. It reduces the time one would spend on getting the picture ‘instaready’ and adds the appropriate amount of filters to make the picture look more lively.

The Realme 2 Pro comes with a 16+2-megapixel camera on the rear whereas on the front it houses a 2-megapixel sensor. Minus the AI capabilities, the Realme camera proves to be a worthy contender in this shootout.

If you pick either of the two, you’d still end up with a good camera phone. Period!

For the ones who were wondering about the extra bulk on the Honor 8x, well that’s mostly thanks to the 3,750mAh battery inside which is bigger than the 3,500mAh battery inside the Realme 2 Pro.

You’re bound to get a full days’s charge from the two with ease and should also make it through an intensive gaming session with enough battery to get you through the day.

Here are some samples clicked on the Honor 8x.

Here are some samples clicked on the Realme 2 Pro.

Which One to Buy?

The Realme 2 Pro loses out on the design by some margin not to mention it comes with lesser battery juice. Don’t forget that at Rs 17,999 you’re paying Rs 1,000 lesser for that Realme 2 Pro in comparison to the 8x.

Rest assured, the Realme 2 will definitely be lighter on your pockets.

There are certain subtleties you like about the Honor 8x which I feel will be an instant hit with customers looking for a phone under Rs 20,000. It’s got a good design, big battery and a camera setup that is ‘smart’.

The UI might not the best, but it’s something one can ignore for the features the 8x brings to the table. At Rs 18,999, the Honor 8x has you covered in all areas. Definitely the better bargain in this shootout.