The budget phone segment has gone stale in recent times, which is why it was somewhat surprising to POCO launch a new product for entry-level consumers. The POCO C50 is an intriguing addition to the market when 5G continues to be at the top of everyone’s mind. Poco operates under Xiaomi, so it is evident that the parts will be shared, and so will the software running on the devices.
The budget audience does not have a lot of options these days, which is why we had to use older models to compare their value in the current market. POCO C50 matches up with the likes of Redmi A1 and Realme C30s, but how does it fare when you talk about its design, display, camera and more? We go in-depth with the comparison of these three phones and also tell you what to consider when buying a budget smartphone under Rs 7,000 in India.
Things to consider when buying a smartphone under Rs 7,000
Buying a budget smartphone in the current market is not a hard task, mostly because there are very few options to consider. But even then if you face challenges in picking the best value for the buck, make sure that you keep these things in mind:
Display
The phone should at least carry a 6-inch screen with support for HD+ resolution, which means 1600 x 720 pixels. Additional screen protection is a bonus, and the notch design should be the standard option.
Design
Most of you would say that budget phone buyers can’t be choosy, but looks are equally important for that buying in this segment. Lately, we have seen brands use textured plastic finish for the back panel, and even with the increasing size of the battery, the dimensions are managed in a way to give you a good grip. The phone should have a fingerprint sensor for security, and a headphone jack is always welcome.
Chipset
Budget phones still use a quad-core chipset which might sound outdated, but their performance level is comparable to the basic octa-core SoCs in the market. It is essential that you buy a phone with a minimum of 2GB RAM or 3GB at least to ensure the apps work better.
Battery
These days phones come with a 5,000mAh battery which should be the standard choice for most buyers, even though you don’t have fast charge support and the charging is done via the dated microUSB port.
POCO C50 vs Xiaomi Redmi A1 vs Realme C30s: Price in India
Poco C50 has launched in India in two storage variants, with prices starting from Rs 6,499 for the 2GB + 32GB variant. You also have a 3GB RAM + 32GB variant, which is priced at Rs 7,299.The Redmi A1 comes in a single model of 2GB + 32GB and is priced at Rs 6,499. The Realme C30s is priced at Rs 7,499 for the 2GB + 32GB variant. In contrast, the higher 4GB + 64GB model will cost you Rs 8,999.
POCO C50 vs Xiaomi Redmi A1 vs Realme C30s: Design
Like most budget devices, the POCO C50 has a plastic body along with the frames. The back panel features a faux-leather finish which makes it stand out from the other phones in this range. The fingerprint scanner is also placed at the back, where you have a square-shaped camera module.
Redmi A1 also gets a textured leather finish, and the screen comes with a waterdrop notch placed at the top of the display. As for Realme C30s, this phone has an intriguing choice of style with a suitcase design that we’ve already seen on the Realme C30 previously. The finishing is done in plastic which gives it a glossy look that might not appeal to everyone.Looks are always subjective, but for us, the textured finish makes more sense, which is why the POCO C50 gets our vote in this aspect.
POCO C50 vs Xiaomi Redmi A1 vs Realme C30s: Display
POCO C50 gets a 6.52-inch IPS LCD panel that offers HD+ screen resolution with the standard 60Hz refresh rate support along with a 120Hz touch sampling rate.Redmi A1 also sports a 6.52-inch LCD display with HD+ screen resolution and supports the standard 60Hz refresh rate. The display gets a waterdrop notch.The Realme C30s flaunts a marginally smaller 6.5-inch display giving you HD+ resolution, a pixel density of 269 ppi and 400 nits peak brightness. The screen features a waterdrop notch like the other two.It is difficult to pick one based on the display quality as all of them have identical features.
POCO C50 vs Xiaomi Redmi A1 vs Realme C30s: Performance
POCO has powered the C50 using the MediaTek Helio A22 chipset, paired with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB storage which is further expandable up to 512GB using the dedicated microSD card slot. The phone runs on Android 12 (Go Edition) out of the box, which is compatible with lightweight Android apps.
Redmi A1 is also powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 quad-core chipset which gets paired with 2GB RAM and is offered with 32GB of internal storage, which is further expandable. This phone runs Android 12 (Go Edition) as well.
Realme C30s gets its power from UniSoC SC9863A octa-core processor, which comes paired with up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage. You have a dedicated microSD card slot to expand the memory further by up to 1TB. The smartphone boots Realme UI Go Edition, based on the Android 12 Go version.Hardware-wise, you can rest assured that all three devices operate at the same level, even though Realme has opted for an octa-core chipset, while the other two use a quad-core SoC.
POCO C50 vs Xiaomi Redmi A1 vs Realme C30s: Cameras
POCO C50 comes with a dual rear camera system that comprises an 8MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone also features a 5MP front camera placed within the notch.Redmi A1 also gets a dual-camera setup at the back that consists of an 8MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calls, the A1 has a 5MP front camera.The Realme C30s gives you a single 8MP rear camera with an LED flash and at the front you have a 5MP camera.
POCO C50 vs Xiaomi Redmi A1 vs Realme C30s: Battery
Poco’s new phone gets a 5000mAh battery which supports 10W charging via a standard micro-USB port.Redmi A1 packs a 5000 mAh battery that supports 10W charging speed and you can charge it via a microUSB port as wellThe Realme C30s also comes equipped with a 5,000mAh battery unit with support for 10W charging via the microUSB port.
POCO C50 vs Xiaomi Redmi A1 vs Realme C30s: Verdict
POCO C50 is equal to Redmi A1 and the Realme C30s. Most features are similar to the POCO and Redmi devices, including their prices. Realme has chosen an octa-core chipset but will not outperform the other two by any stretch. Buy the phone which serves your needs based on your budget, the size of the display or the number of cameras.