Oppo just launched its sub-brand Realme in the European market. And at the same time, the sub-brand even launched its first flagship: it is Realme X2 Pro and it is one of the best flagship-killers of 2019. Carrying a midrange price tag, it offers the best hardware department you can expect from a 2019 flagship. For this reason, we decided to compare it with the smartphone which we believe is the top flagship killer in Europe before the launch of Realme X2 Pro. We are talking about the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, also known in China as the Redmi K20 Pro. After reading this comparison, you will learn which one offers the highest value for money.
Design
Realme X2 Pro adopts a classic waterdrop design, so it is nothing special if we only consider the aesthetics. But it still offers a premium build quality due to its glass back paired with an aluminum frame. But Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro has a more innovative and beautiful form factor that consists of a notch-less display and a motorized pop-up front camera. Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro is even a more compact handset than X2 Pro, that is what makes me prefer it even more. On the other hand, Realme X2 Pro comes with a taller aspect ratio and a glass back which I consider slightly more elegant. But it is all about taste.
Display
Despite the affordable price, Oppo decided to equip the Realme X2 Pro with a flagship-class display. The handset boasts a 90 Hz refresh rate just like a top-tier flagship, the support to HDR10+ technology and even full DCI-P3 coverage. Just in case it is not enough, its peak brightness is astonishing: it reaches up to 1000 nits. There is no way for Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro to compete, but it still has a pretty nice display with the support of the standard HDR technology. Note that Realme X2 Pro offers a taller aspect ratio, but the display size is more or less the same. Both have an optical in-display fingerprint reader.
Specs & Software
Realme X2 Pro beats Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro again when it comes to the hardware side. It is fueled by the successor of the Snapdragon 855 chipset found on the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, so it is a lot more powerful. We are talking about the Snapdragon 855+ which comes with a higher 2.96 GHz clock frequency and offers 15 percent higher graphics performance. Further, in its two most expensive variants, the X2 Pro offers faster UFS 3.0 storage, while Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro. X2 Pro also comes in a version with 12 GB of RAM, unlike the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro. A lot of people prefer the user interface of the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro to the Color OS found on the Realme X2 Pro, but we think it is a compromise you can accept for such a hardware department. Another better feature of the Realme X2 Pro is its dual speakers with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res ratio (Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro has a traditional mono speaker).
Camera
On the paper, Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro offers a higher-end camera module. It sports laser autofocus and a Sony 48 MP sensor paired with a telephoto lens and an ultrawide lens. X2 Pro offers one more camera (the depth sensor) but likely it will never reach the same photo quality as the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro. Realme X2 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro are not high-end camera phones, despite their high resolutions. If you want the best cameras, you should not go for these devices, despite you can get decent shots in low-light conditions and a lot of detail.
Battery
Both Realme X2 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro have the same battery capacity and components with similar energy consumption, so it is very hard to establish which one may offer the longest battery life. It will mostly depend on software optimization. Realme X2 Pro has a much faster charging technology: it charges up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes thanks to its 50W SuperVOOC flash charge technology. And it is one of the fastest charging phones ever launched in the European market
Price
With a bit of luck, you can find the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro in Europe at just €350 in its base variant. Realme X2 Pro will hit the shelves in November with a €399 starting price. Despite it will cost more, X2 Pro is a way better phone with better hardware and display, so we suggest you spend those €50 more and go for the Realme X2 Pro. The 128 and 256 GB configurations are even more recommended since they have UFS 3.0 internal storage instead of UFS 2.1. So if you can afford at least the 128 GB version, then you will make an even better purchase. X2 Pro wins the comparison.
