Honor 8C vs Realme U1 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro: Specs, Price

Karamchand Rameshwar


The Honor 8C, Realme U1 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro launched in the same mid-range segment with distinct advantages, which one will be the best among three?

The latest budget handset of Honor, the Honor 8C, just officially launched in the Indian market. Honor launched this Honor 8C as a new addition to its mid-range phone lineup in India. This handset joins the higher model, Honor 8X, as the second phone in the Honor 8 series, and will be exclusively available in the online stores of Honor and Amazon India from 10 December.

All three phones are in the same mid-range phone segment, Realme U1 (left), Honor 8C (middle), Redmi Note 6 Pro (right)

Honor just launched its Honor 8X on October, and now the Honor 8C. The biggest difference is that Honor 8C will be powered by a Qualcomm SoC instead of its chipset. The phone will join with the Realme U1 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, which were just released this month, in the mid-range segment. If you want to replace your old phone before 2018 ends, you may have a lot of options to choose, and we want to help you narrow down the list.

Here are details of all three handsets

Features Honor 8C Realme U1 Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro
Display 6.26-inch HD+ 6.3-inch Full HD+ 6.26-inch Full HD+
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 632
octa-core
Qualcomm Snapdragon 626
octa-core
MediaTek Helio P70
octa-core
RAM 4GB 3GB/4GB 4GB/6GB
Storage 32GB/64GB
(expandable)
32GB/64GB
(expandable)
64GB
(expandable)
Rear Camera 13MP + 2MP 13MP + 2MP 12MP + 5MP
Front Camera 8MP 25MP 20MP + 2MP
Battery 4,000 mAh 3,500 mAh 4,000 mAh
Connectivity 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
OS Android 8.1 Oreo (upgradable) Android 8.1 Oreo (upgradable) Android 8.1 Oreo (upgradable)
Price Rs 11,999 (4GB/32GB)
Rs 12,999 (4GB/64GB)
Rs 13,999 (3GB/32GB)
Rs 15,999 (4GB/64GB)
Rs 11,999 (4GB/64GB)
Rs 14,499 (6GB/64GB)

Honor 8C vs Realme U1 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro: Specs

Helio P70 SoC is the latest SoC of MediaTek, launched on October this year

The Realme U1’s specs are the most interesting here as it’s the first phone to have the MediaTek Helio P70 SoC. Meanwhile, the Honor features a Snapdragon 632 SoC, and the Redmi handset has a Snapdragon 636 SoC. While the Snapdragon 632 and 636 are only based on the 14nm process, the Helio P70 is fabricated using a 12nm process.

One thing should be noted is that the Helio P70 is a new SoC and may need testing a bit but the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC has already proven to be successful in models like the Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Redmi Note 6 Pro.

In terms of memory, the Honor handset has two variants, one with 4GB RAM/32GB storage and one with 4GB RAM/64GB storage. The Realme comes with two options of 3GB RAM/32GB internal storage and 4GB of RAM/64GB internal storage. The Redmi Note 6 Pro, on the other hand, comes with two choices of 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

These three handsets all support Bluetooth, dual SIM feature, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi as well. Their operating system is Android Oreo 8.1 with their respective customisation, but there is no information regarding these phone getting updates to Android Pie 9. In terms of battery, while the Honor 8C and the Redmi Note 6 Pro are powered by a 4,000 mAh battery, the Realme handset only has a 3,500 mAh battery.

Honor 8C vs Realme U1 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro: Design and Display

All of these three handsets have a full display design with a notch also. This design which was first introduced last year has turned into a trend in just several months. Both the Honor 8C and the Redmi Note 6 Pro features a metal unibody design. However, the Realme device comes with a more appealing design with polymer glass finish that gives it a translucent finish.

The Realme U1

All three phones have a pretty good build quality and considering the average time span which customers look for new phones, these handsets should hold on until you want to upgrade to a newer one. In terms of dimensions, all three phones got a similar display at the front.

The Honor 8C and Redmi Note 6 Pro come with a 6.26-inch screen while the Realme U1 has a slightly bigger 6.3-inch display. The Honor handset’s display is a bit behind because it has an HD+ panel while the Xiaomi and Realme handsets have a FullHD+ panel. While the Redmi Note 6 Pro has a wide notch, the Honor 8C and the Realme only have a small notch with ta teardrop-shaped design.

Honor 8C vs Realme U1 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro: Camera

Every year, camera on smartphones has reached a new standard, and in this year, the mid-range phones have narrowed the gap to high-end handsets. It seems like the Redmi Note 6 Pro owns the best camera setup among three handsets. It sports a dual rear camera system with a 12MP and a 5MP sensors. Its primary 12MP camera supports dual-pixel autofocus and has a wider f1.9 aperture, making photos better even in low light situations.

The Redmi Note 6 Pro is the first Xiaomi phone to come with a quad camera setup

The Honor 8C and the Realme U1 both have a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP and 2MP sensors. They support usual models like beautification mode and portrait effect. However, the Realme U1 comes out on top with a 25MP front-facing camera specifically designed for taking selfies. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 6 Pro has a dual camera setup of a 20MP and 2MP sensors.

This will allow for portrait mode photo from the front-facing camera, and also there is soft light flash for taking brighter pictures in low light situations. The Honor 8C comes with a single 8MP camera for taking selfies.

Honor 8C vs Realme U1 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro: Pricing

While the starting price of the Redmi Note 6 Pro is Rs. 13,999 for the lowest variant with 4GB of RAM/64GB of internal storage. Its higher option with 6GB of RAM/64GB of internal storage costs Rs. 15,999 and the price seems to be justified by the tremendous value for its features. The Realme U1’s price tag is Rs. 11,999 for the 3GB of RAM variant and Rs. 14,999 for the 4GB of RAM variant, making the handset perfect for people who want to take quality selfies. Meanwhile, the Honor 8C’s price tag is Rs. 11,999 for the variant with 32GB of internal storage while it is Rs. 12,999 for the 64GB of internal storage variant.