The Battle of Budget Smartphones under $300
Recently, the new trio of smartphones in the market has garnered a lot of attention. Some online users have been complaining: isn’t it worth buying the Snapdragon 8 Gen2 phone at this price? This argument indeed makes sense, but eventually, the Snapdragon 8 Gen2 will be phased out, and the options are becoming limited. Therefore, the Redmi Turbo3, OnePlus Ace3V, and Realme GT Neo6SE are destined to be the top choices in terms of performance within the $200 price range this year.
Now, the question arises — can we really determine the strength and weaknesses among these three smartphones? If we focus on a particular selling point of a product, then yes, it’s possible. However, when discussing overall user experience, it may not be that straightforward. In the same supply chain system, the principle of “you get what you pay for” holds true for smartphones. It’s highly unlikely that a product would be over-specced without compromises being made elsewhere.
The Redmi Turbo3, OnePlus Ace3V, and Realme GT Neo6SE are all equipped with either Snapdragon 8s Gen3 or Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 processors, scoring around 1.5 million on AnTuTu Benchmark, with similar prices. While there might be slight differences in specifications, the overall performance is quite comparable. Let’s take a closer look at what sets each phone apart.
Starting with the display, the Realme GT Neo6SE’s 6000 nits dual-screen has left a lasting impression on many, although the actual overall brightness is 1600 nits, making it indeed bright but not significantly brighter than the other two models. All three phones feature a 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, full eye protection, and narrow bezels, showing improvements from the previous year. However, the Ace3V and Turbo3 have flat screens, while the GT Neo6SE comes with a curved display, potentially providing a different user experience.
When it comes to aesthetics, all three models released this year are quite stylish. This is because they all adopt a minimalist design approach, avoiding excessive elements. It’s like drawing three circles on a rectangle – hard to look bad. However, the material used differs; the Turbo3 and GT Neo6SE feature composite materials, while the Ace3V boasts a glass body.
In terms of battery life, both the Realme GT Neo6SE and OnePlus Ace3V come with a 5500mAh battery and 100W fast charging, while the Redmi Turbo3 has a 5000mAh battery with 90W fast charging, making it the weakest among the three. However, when it comes to real-world battery performance, the differences between the three are quite noticeable. According to third-party rankings, the GT Neo6SE meets expectations, while the Turbo3 exceeds expectations due to the efficiency of the Snapdragon 8s Gen3 processor.
Lastly, let’s talk about the price-to-performance ratio. If you’re looking for affordability, the Realme GT Neo6SE is the top choice. Not only is it the cheapest in the 12GB+256GB and 16GB+512GB variants, but it also offers an 8GB+256GB variant at a price of only 1699 yuan. However, if you require more storage, the Turbo3 is the only model among the three to provide a 16GB+1TB variant for 2799 yuan, which is also a decent option.
To sum up, it’s evident that each of the three models has its own strengths. This comparison is not exhaustive; factors like camera quality and other details have not been considered. However, even with a thorough comparison, the ultimate choice may vary. Nowadays, fans of these three brands are often found engaging in debates online, discussing issues like poor sales of certain models. However, at this price range, if one model is facing poor sales, the others are unlikely to be thriving either. Therefore, such unverified rumors are not worth taking seriously.