Affordable smartphones are the main contributors to the huge growth of Chinese manufacturers. It is not a case if sub-brands are literally leading the sales of giants like Xiaomi and Oppo. These companies are currently the ones with the highest success in the affordable segment and they released a lot of devices in the global market this year. In the last days, Oppo came up with the Realme X2 and the Oppo Reno 2Z for the global market, while Xiaomi launched the Mi 9 Lite that is the international version of the Mi CC9. Given that they are among the most interesting mid-rangers which hitten the shelves in this period and among the best value for money phones, we decided to compare their specifications.
Design
The Oppo Reno 2Z and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite boast the most impressive design and build quality. Both have a glass back and an aluminum frame, but they differ in their front side. The former has a notch-less display thanks to a motorized pop-up camera mechanism, while the latter has a classic waterdrop notch. Both have an optical under-display fingerprint scanner, but their rear sides are very different. While the Oppo Reno 2Z has a more original design scheme, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite is very attractive thanks to its light effects. Realme X2 has a more traditional design and its glass back is paired with a plastic frame. Which one do you prefer?
Display
If display quality is one of your main concerns, then Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite is the most correct option for your needs. It is not just a midrange phone with a Super AMOLED screen, but it also supports the HDR standard for improved image quality. It even comes with very high brightness. Oppo Reno2 Z is notch-less and its display is even bigger, but it does not provide the same quality. Even Realme X2 can not reach the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite.
Hardware/Software
While the design and the display of the Realme X2 do not attract me particularly, I define its hardware department simply amazing, especially if you consider the price tag of this phone. It has a gaming-centric high-end Snapdragon 730G chipset which delivers very high CPU and GPU performance while its energy consumption is always very limited thanks to the 8 nm production process. Hardware and performance are the strongest points of the Realme X2 and if you are an advanced user you should give it a shot.
Camera
If you are looking for the best camera experience, then you should go for the Oppo Reno2 Z. It has a very nice 48 MP main sensor with a bright focal aperture contained in a quad camera module which includes even an ultrawide sensor, a depth sensor, and a monochromatic sensor to improve photo quality and features. The Oppo Reno2 Z even features a front-facing LED flash. With its 64 MP quad camera, Realme X2 is undoubtedly more interesting than the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite, especially because it boasts a dedicated macro camera.
Battery
Realme X2, Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite, and Oppo Reno2 Z have more or less the same battery capacity. We still did not test all of them, but on the paper Realme X2 has a more efficient SoC, that is why it should last more in the most demanding scenarios. Further, it has a faster charging technology which is able to charge the phone up to 67 percent in just 30 minutes.
Price
Realme X2 hitten the European market with a €300/$335 price in the 8/128 GB configuration, Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite costs about €260/$290 in the 6/64 GB configuration, and Oppo Reno 2Z 8/256 GB costs €349/$390. At the end of the day, Realme X2 is more attractive due to its higher value for money, higher performance, more efficiency, and pretty nice cameras. But I think the most balanced phone is the Oppo Reno2 Z: despite it comes with a less efficient SoC, it has a very interesting camera setup, awesome design and builds quality, and more. However, Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite is not far and it may be more suitable for some kinds of users. It offers a better display, a more efficient SoC than Reno2 Z, a more advanced UI, and even great selfies.
