Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Different shades of Blue
We, of course, get matters underway with that skin-deep quality: beauty. And here we must confess that it is a no-brainer as far as we are concerned. We had stated in our review that design was perhaps not the strongest suit of the Realme X2 Pro and it really gets shown up against the OnePlus 7T. Both phones come with a glass front and back, and both have a gradient finish. And by some coincidence, we got blue editions of both – Neptune Blue for the Realme and Glacier Blue for the OnePlus. The difference between the two was stark, to say the least – the Realme X2 Pro is more glossy and shiny while the OnePlus 7T is more subtle and well, classy.
The spherical camera unit on the back also gives the 7T a more distinct look. Top that off with the fact that the 7T is more compact – 160.94×74.44×8.13 mm – and lighter at 190 grams as compared to the Realme X2 Pro – 161 x 75.7 x 8.7 mm and 199 grams, and you see why we think that the OnePlus 7T wins this round easily. Even the back feels more premium. Once again, it is not as if the Realme X2 Pro looks bad – it just looks more mid-segment than premium. Perhaps its Master’s edition could stand up against the 7T in the design department, but the regular ones cannot. Winner: OnePlus 7T. For them premium feels.
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Rating those refreshing displays
Both phones come with AMOLED with 90 Hz refresh rates and full HD+ resolution, which deliver excellent graphics and colors, and are a joy to scroll through, thanks to those high refresh rates. The OnePlus 7T has a marginally larger display 6.55-inch against 6.5 of the Realme X2 Pro, but the Realme has a Super AMOLED display, as against the fluid AMOLED one of the OnePlus. We are not going to delve into the technical aspects of this, but will stick to our experience – we felt that while the OnePlus had a more realistic representation of colors, the Realme X2 Pro seemed a little more saturated (default settings in both), but the Realme also seemed more bright. So which one is better? It is not easy to pick one, but we will go out on a limb and pick the Realme, simply because it looks more pleasant and for the brightness factor. Winner: Realme X2 Pro. But it is so close that it is nits-picking.
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Those Snapdragon chips, and those memories
Both phones come loaded with top-end hardware. Both are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chip (which is even faster than the super fast 855 released earlier). And there is RAM and storage aplenty to go with it. Both phones come with 8 GB RAM at the very minimum, and storages of 128 GB and 256 GB to go with it. But while the Realme X2 Pro’s top variant is a 12 GB /256 GB one, the OnePlus 7T’s is 8 GB/ 256 GB (and both use UFS 3.0 too). So this is another one for the Realme, although again the difference is not a massive one! Winner: Realme X2 Pro. Those extra gigabytes are memorable!
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Zooming into cameras
The camera round is a fascinating one. Statistically, you would think the Realme X2 Pro would have this one wrapped up – it has four cameras at the back and a 64-megapixel main sensor, as against the three with a main 48-megapixel sensor on the OnePlus 7T. The OnePlus 7T, however, has a Sony IMX 586 as the main sensor, with an f/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS), while the Realme has a Samsung GW1 sensor, with an f/1.8 aperture and no OIS. While the Samsung sensor is larger than the Sony one, we found the latter delivering more realistic colors and better detail – the OIS made a difference in low light shots and videos especially. However, the Realme offers much more variety, with a 8 megapixel ultra-wide sensor, a 13 megapixel telephoto that delivers 5X hybrid zoom and 20X digital zoom, and a dedicated 2 megapixel portrait sensor; while the OnePlus has an 8 megapixel telephoto with a zoom that tops out at 10X and a 16 megapixel ultra-wide sensor. Both phones have special macro modes that let you get within 2.5 cm of the subject. We think the OnePlus 7T takes this one because it scores over the Realme in normal shots, ultrawide ones and in macros. The Realme wins in telephoto, but the OnePlus gets ahead again in low light and videos. Both phones sport 16-megapixel selfie snappers. And once again, we thought the OnePlus had a slight edge here in terms of detail. We can see some folks liking the slightly richer colors that the Realme X2 Pro delivers and well, the phone’s cameras do offer more variety, but we are giving this round to the OnePlus 7T. Once again, though, the difference is so small that we can see people switching. Winner: OnePlus 7T, but by a mega-whisker, rather than a megapixel.
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: What are you game for
With the sort of hardware the two devices sport, it is hardly surprising that both are gaming powerhouses. You are unlikely to ever confront a lag or a stutter while playing on either of them. The displays are excellent, and whether you are taking on foes in PUBG or Call of Duty, racing along in Asphalt or even do some very basic Alto’s Odyssey skiing, you will get a super smooth experience. Both phones also come with modes to facilitate better gaming. Some might think that the Realme’s slightly more saturated display gives it some sort of edge as it makes colors pop a little more. While a few might argue that the 7T feels smoother to play than the X2 Pro. We, however, are calling this a tie. Winner: Tie. Game so on!
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: The sound of music…and other things
When it comes to sound, both phones come with dual speakers with support for Dolby Atmos. We felt that while the Realme had the edge in terms of volume, the quality of sound seemed marginally better on the OnePlus 7T. Both phones also do well in handling sound over earphones, but the Realme X2 Pro gets our vote here because it has a 3.5 mm audio jack, something the OnePlus has done away with for whatever reason. That said, we felt the OnePlus handled calls better than the Realme, with greater clarity and better volume levels. Still, we think that audio jack gets it for the Realme X2 Pro. Winner: Realme X2 Pro. Jacked up by a 3.5 mm port
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Warp charge just got Batter(y)-ed
If you had told us a few months ago that OnePlus’ famed Warp Charge 30T would get not just defeated but decimated by another phone, we would have directed you to the nearest tech mental asylum. However, that is actually what has happened. In terms of sheer battery life, the 3800 mAh battery of the OnePlus 7T and the 4000 mAh of the Realme X2 Pro petty much match each other – both will see out about a day of usage. But when it comes to charging, there is only one winner – the OnePlus 7T’s Warp Charge 30T with 30W charger takes the phone from 0 to 70 percent in half an hour, which is very impressive indeed. The problem for it is that in that very time, the Realme X2 Pro gets charged from 0 to 100 percent, courtesy a 50W charger with VOOC technology. Case closed. Winner: Realme X2 Pro. Woot woot, VOOC!
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Color me Oxygen…Really!
When it comes to UI, both phones are as different as can be. The Realme X2 Pro comes with Color OS 6.1 running on top of Android 9, while the OnePlus 7T has Oxygen UI 10 on top of Android 10 (it was the first phone in the world to come with Android 10 out of the box). Both interfaces are about as similar as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs – while Color OS packs in features and apps to give the users much more right out of the box, Oxygen UI does not go too far from stock Android, giving you an uncluttered experience. While purists will love the cleaner Oxygen UI, mainstream users might prefer Color OS and the features it brings to the Android Party. Yes, it is a matter of opinion, but we are going to vote for OnePlus 7T here because of the brand’s excellent track record in delivering updates to their OS, a department in which Realme has started doing well of late, but where it still has some catching up to do. Winner: OnePlus 7T. Dat whiff of Oxygen!
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Speaking generally
In terms of overall user experience, it is difficult to pick one device ahead of the other. With all that cutting edge hardware, both phones get through multi-tasking and routine tasks like Web browsing, social networking, mail and messaging without even remotely breaking into a sweat. Both phones have in-display fingerprint scanners, but we felt the Realme scored over the OnePlus in this department. That said, we love the alert slider on the OnePlus 7T that allows us to switch modes. Perhaps it was the cleaner Android interface, but we felt our experience just felt a little more polished on the OnePlus 7T. The Realme X2 Pro did get a little cluttered at times. Winner: OnePlus 7T. Settling everyday usage.
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: A price to (never) settle for?
All of which brings us down to the final parameter out there – price. And here the battle seems a fairly simple one – the OnePlus 7T starts at Rs 37,999 for a 8 GB/ 128 GB edition (the 8 GB/ 256 GB variant adds Rs 2,000 to the price) although it sometimes gets price cuts and special offers online… whereas the 12 GB/ 256 GB edition of the Realme X2 Pro is priced at Rs 33,999, while its 8 GB/ 128 GB variant is priced at Rs 29,999. That’s quite a gulf in prices, isn’t it? Only one winner here. Winner: Realme X2 Pro. Because you don’t always have to dare to spend!
Realme X2 Pro vs OnePlus 7T: Dare to Leap or Never Settle?
So at the end of the day, which device should one go for? Statistically, Realme wins five of the ten rounds, OnePlus wins four and one remains even. But we would not advise going by those numbers alone. As always, it is a matter of what you consider important. If you are on a tight budget, the Realme X2 Pro is a no-brainer – you can get its 12GB/ 256 GB avatar or even its master edition at a lower price than the base 8 GB/128 GB version of the OnePlus 7T. And you would not be losing out too much by your decision – both phones run each other close in most departments. The only areas where there are clear winners are design, UI, battery, and price, with the OnePlus 7T winning the first two easily and the Realme taking the latter two with similar ease. And even there, the differences are not deal breakers – the OnePlus 7T might not charge as fast as the Realme X2 Pro, but it does not charge slowly either. Similarly, just because the Realme X2 Pro does not look as subtly classy as the OnePlus 7T does not mean that it looks bad.
Given how close the battle is, some might even wonder why anyone would spend about Rs 6,000 – 8,000 extra for the OnePlus 7T? Well, for that money you do get a very classy and distinct design, slightly better cameras (if with less variety) and a clean UI that has a great update record running on the latest version of Android. But then, if it is great hardware you are seeking, then you can a device with 12 GB/ 256 GB RAM and storage, a top of the line processor, an excellent display and quad cameras for a mere Rs 33,999. We think the geek crowd will be a little more inclined towards the design and UI aesthetic of the OnePlus 7T, while those chasing sheer value for money would prefer the Realme X2 Pro. Whether you Dare to Leap or Never Settle, your regrets are likely to be minimal.
