Sub-Php 5k Smartphone Comparo: Realme C11 vs Redmi 9A

Realme and Redmi are two brands whose bread and butter is the budget smartphone market, and both brands regularly try to one-up each other in the highly competitive space. Each brand has a phone for every price segment that matter, even in the sub-Php 5K market. With the launch of the Realme C11, we’ll be pitting the new budget phone against the Redmi 9A, as both phones offer large batteries and decently-sized displays for cheap.

In this Realme C11 vs. Redmi 9A review, we compare the two budget phones in this article to see how different they are from one another:

Realme C11 Specs

MediaTek Helio G35 octa-core processor
IMG PowerVR GE 8320 GPU
2GB RAM
6.5-inch HD+ LTPS IPS Dewdrop display, Gorilla Glass, 20:9 aspect ratio
32GB expandable storage
Dual rear cameras: 13-megapixel f/2.2 main camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor; with LED flash and PDAF
5-megapixel f/2.4 front camera
Dual SIM
3G, LTE
WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
AI Face Unlock
5000mAh battery with 10w wired charging
Android 10 with RealmeOS

Xiaomi Redmi 9A specs

MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core processor
IMG PowerVR GE 8320 GPU
2GB RAM
6.53-inch HD+ IPS display with dot-notch, Gorilla Glass; 20:9 aspect ratio
32GB expandable storage
13-megapixel f/1.8 rear camera; with AI, PDAF, LED flash
5-megapixel f/2.2 front camera
Dual SIM
3G, LTE
WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
AI Face Unlock
5000mAh battery
Android 10 with MIUI 12

Realme C11 vs. Redmi 9A Specifics

Build

Both phones come with a polycarbonate frame and back panel, which is typical of budget phones. Both employ dual-texture designs, with the Realme C11 going loud for its branding. As for the camera module, the Redmi 9A goes for more conservative design, while the Realme C11 uses a square-shaped module.

Internals

While both phones come with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, they differ when it comes to the processor: Helio G35 on the Realme C11 and Helio G25 on the Redmi 9A. While both SoCs are based on a 12nm process, the Helio G35 has a higher 2.3Ghz CPU clock speed and a slightly higher GPU clock speed.

Display

Both the Redmi 9A and Realme C11 are virtually identical when it comes to the display, with the former being slightly bigger. Both come with a dewdrop notch, 20:9 aspect ratio, and an HD+ resolution.

Camera

While both have the same front camera, the Realme C11 has a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 13-megapixel f/2.2 main snapper and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The Redmi 9A, on the other hand, settles for a single rear camera setup with a brighter f/1.8 opening.

Battery

Both phones excel in this department with their huge 5000mAh batteries. While both only come with MicroUSB ports and no fast charging, their large batteries are a rarity for the sub-Php 5k segment.

Price

The Realme C11 is priced at Php 4,990, while the Redmi 9A is priced at Php 4,690. For Php 300 more, the Realme C11 gets you a dual rear camera setup and a slightly better Helio G35 processor at the expense of a slower main rear camera.