Redmi Note 7S vs Realme U1 vs Redmi Y3: Price, Specifications & Features Compared

The Indian market is now swamped with great options in the budget segment. With Xiaomi launching the Redmi Note 7S and Redmi Y3 earlier, it is now even harder to choose the perfect smartphone for you. Not only Redmi but also Realme has launched great budget devices like the Realme U1. These three phones offer the best bang for the buck with decent specifications and features for affordable prices. While the Redmi Note 7S is more of an all-rounder phone, the Redmi Y3 and Realme U1 focus more on the youth with a better selfie camera. Let’s take a look at the comparison between the three handsets to see what their differences are and which phone you should buy for the same price.

Redmi Note 7S vs Realme U1 vs Redmi Y3: Price

The Redmi Note 7S is priced at Rs. 10,999 for the variant with 3GB of RAM + 32GB of storage. You can also buy the top-end variant with 4GB of RAM + 64GB of storage for Rs. 12,999. The handset comes in Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Onyx Black color variants. The phone is available to purchase via Mi Home stores, Mi.com, Flipkart, and offline stores.

How about Redmi Y3 vs Realme U1? The Redmi Y3 is priced at Rs. 10,999 for the entry-level 3GB RAM + 32GB storage option. Going up to Rs. 11,999 is the price for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage model. There are three color variants for you to choose,e and they are Elegant Blue, Bold Red, and Prime Black.

Unlike the two Redmi offerings, the Realme U1 is available in three memory configurations. The base variant has 3GB RAM + 32GB of storage while the other two variants are packed with 3GB RAM + 64GB storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, respectively. The entry-level model is priced at Rs. 9,999 while the middle and top-end options are retailed at Rs. 10,999 and Rs. 11,999. It is available in Ambitious Black, Brave Blue, and Fiery Gold color options.

Redmi Note 7S vs Realme U1 vs Redmi Y3: Design & Display

Most of Redmi and Xiaomi offerings these days all feature very attractive design. While the Redmi Note 7S has a standard aura design, the Redmi Y3 features what is called an Aura Prism design. The key difference between the two designs is that the latter is slightly more pronounced. Meanwhile, the Realme U1 has a similar back panel to the one on the Redmi Note 7S.

All three handsets sport a dual camera setup on the rear, a headphone jack, and a fingerprint reader mounted at the back. However, while the two Redmi handsets have the new USB-C ports, Realme still goes for a micro-USB port on the Realme U1. Moreover, Redmi equips its smartphones with a p2i water-resistant coating which help them resist to standard water splashes.

On the front, all three smartphones come with a water-drop notch which seems to be the trend on the budget devices these days. In terms of display, the Redmi Y3 is the only one to come with an HD+ display while the other two pack FHD+ panels. There isn’t a major difference in screen size as both Redmi Note 7S and Realme U1 come with a 6.3-inch IPS LCD panel whereas the Redmi Y3 is equipped with a slightly smaller 6.26-inch IPS LCD.

Redmi Note 7S vs Realme U1 vs Redmi Y3: Specifications & Features

The Redmi Note 7S has the most powerful Snapdragon 660 SoC compared to the other two. It is understandable since it is the latest offering while the Redmi Y3 is launcher earlier in the year and the Realme U1 has been here since last year.

To be more specific, the Redmi Note 7S is powered by a Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor with an Adreno 512 GPU. Its sibling Redmi Y3 is driven by a Snapdragon 632 octa-core processor and an Adreno 506 GPU. Lastly, the Realme U1 is equipped with an Helio P70 octa-core processor and a Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. While the Helio P70 and Snapdragon 660 are not too ahead of each other in both CPU and GPU aspects, the Snapdragon 632 SoC on the Redmi Y3 is clearly the worst of the three. As for the RAM and memory configuration, all three have 3GB and 4GB RAM variants so no difference here.

In terms of software, two Redmi devices ship with Android 9 Pie out of the box with Xiaomi’s MIUI 10 on top while Realme Y3 runs Oppo’s ColorOS 5.2 which is based on the dated Android 8.1 Oreo.

Redmi Note 7S vs Realme U1 vs Redmi Y3: Battery & Camera

Moving to the camera department, all three come with a dual camera setup. The Redmi Note 7S sports a 48MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and a 5MP depth sensor with f/2.2 aperture. Meanwhile, the Redmi Y3 features a 12MP main camera with f/2.2 aperture and a 2MP depth sensor. Lastly, the Realme U1 has a 13MP main shooter with f/2.2 lens and a 2MP depth unit with f/2.4 aperture. You can clearly see that the Redmi Note 7S has the best camera setup of the three.  

However, it is justified by the fact that the Redmi Y3 and Realme U1 are selfie-centric smartphones. While the Redmi Note 7S sports a 13MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture, the Redmi Y3 and Realme U1 boast a 32MP f/2.2 shooter and a 25MP f/2.0 snapper on the front. There is no doubt that the Redmi Note 7S lags behind the two selfie-focused smartphones in this aspect.

In terms of battery, both the Redmi Note 7S and Redmi Y3 are powered by a beefy 4,000 mAh battery. However, the Note 7S can be recharged faster with 18W fast charging solution compared to the 10W charging solution on the Redmi Y3. The Realme U1 is fueled by a smaller 3,500 mAh battery and the same 10W fast charging support as the Redmi’s selfie-focused smartphone.

Redmi Note 7S vs Realme U1 vs Redmi Y3: Verdict

The Redmi Note 7S is undoubtedly the better handset among three smartphones in a few aspects like performance, rear cameras, and battery. However, it still falls behind the two when it comes to the selfie camera. If you are a fan of taking selfies, you should consider either the Redmi Y3 or the Realme U1. The Realme U1 seems to offer a more balance between selfies and performance compared to the Redmi Y3. It also has a higher resolution display on the front as well. In case you're wondering about differences between Realme U1 vs Redmi Note 7 Pro, you can read more here.