Xiaomi Mi A3 or Redmi Note 7 Pro: Why Android One smartphone is a better buy

Has Xiaomi Mi A3 overthrown Redmi Note 7 Pro as the best mid-range smartphone in India? Here’s a detailed comparison between the two phones.

Xiaomi Mi A3 launched in India (HT Photo)

Xiaomi Mi A3 is finally here. The third-generation Android One smartphone comes with big improvements over the predecessor, Mi A2. The camera has been bumped to 48-megapixel while the back panel has been upgraded from metal to glass. Mi A3 also undercuts Xiaomi's another mid-range and quite a popular phone - Redmi Note 7 Pro. Let's take a closer look at the two phones.

Design and display

Xiaomi embraced glass panel with Redmi Note 7 Pro to offer more premium experience. The smartphone comes with a 2.5D gradient reflective glass back panel with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The rear panel features vertically aligned dual-camera setup and fingerprint sensor ring. On the front, Redmi Note 7 Pro has a 6.3-inch dot notch display with full HD+ resolution.

Xiaomi Mi A3 borrows Redmi Note 7 Pro's glass to offer a similar gradient reflective back panel, touted as 'dynamic holographic design'. The noticeable change is the vertically aligned triple-rear camera setup. There's no fingerprint sensor ring on the back as it has been moved to the front (embedded in the screen). The Mi A3 has a more compact 6.08-inch Super AMOLED display with full HD resolution.

While the looks can be subjective, features such as AMOLED panel, in-screen fingerprint sensor make Mi A3 a better smartphone.

Winner: Xiaomi Mi A3

Camera

Xiaomi Mi A3 overthrew Redmi Note 7 Pro for the cheapest smartphone to offer 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor. Xiaomi's latest Android One phone also offers a triple-rear camera setup including a depth sensor. Let's compare the camera specifications.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro offers 48-megapixel and 5-megapixel dual rear cameras. The rear camera setup supports PDAF, HDR, EIS, and 4K video recording at 30fps. For selfies, it has a 13-megapixel front-facing camera.

Xiaomi Mi A3 has a triple-rear camera setup featuring 48-megapixel primary sensor, 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle 118-degree sensor, and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Mi A3 comes with similar PDAF, EIS, and 4K video recording. The selfie camera has been upgraded to a 32-megapixel sensor.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro has been one of the best camera phones in the mid-range category. Based on specs, Mi A3 looks a much better proposition thanks to the additional hardware-driven addition.

Winner: Xiaomi Mi A3

Software & Performance

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is also one of the best performing phones in its category. The phone can easily handle graphic-intensive games such as PUBG Mobile and delivers day-long battery backup on moderate to medium usage. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor with 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB RAM and storage options. The phone has a 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0 support. Redmi Note 7 Pro runs on Android Pie-based MIUI custom ROM.

Xiaomi Mi A3 comes with slightly inferior Snapdragon 665 processor with 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB RAM and storage options. The phone has a slightly bigger battery at 4,030mAh and supports Quick Charge 3.0 and 18W fast charging. Xiaomi Mi A3 runs on Android One which means users get guaranteed software updates from Google. It will also be among the first phones to get Android Q.

While we're yet to test Mi A3, the phone has more or less same performance capacity. The biggest difference is the pure Android experience. So if you're an Android purist and don't like heavily customised UIs, Mi A3 is for you.

Price & Bottomline

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro 4GB is available for ₹13,999. The top-end model featuring 6GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB are priced at ₹14,999 and ₹16,999. Xiaomi Mi A3 4GB/64GB model is available for ₹12,999. The top-end model with 6GB and 128GB storage will go on sale for ₹15,999.

Xiaomi's latest Mi A3 is not only cheaper than Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro but also offers more features such as AMOLED display, triple-rear camera setup, vanilla Android, and in-screen fingerprint sensor.