With Poco launching the Poco X5 Pro in India, the competition in the Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 price segment has intensified. The Poco X5 Pro (review), powered by the Snapdragon 778G, competes against the likes of the Redmi Note 12 Pro (review) and the Realme 10 Pro Plus both sporting the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC. If you are looking for a mid-range smartphone under Rs 25,000 and are confused between these three, here's an in-depth comparison between the three devices. Poco X5 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro vs Realme 10 Pro Plus: Design and display The Realme 10 Pro Plus features a glossy plastic back and has a reflective design language. It is one of the few mid-range phones to sport a 6.70-inch 120Hz HDR10+ curved AMOLED display. While the reflective back might not appeal to some, the phone is pretty light, has an excellent grip, and it looks and feels premium. Like Realme 10 Pro Plus, the Redmi Note 12 Pro has a plastic back with a matte finish. While the phone feels and looks premium, in our review we found that the plastic shell picks up scratches quite easily. Redmi has also redesigned the camera island, which now sits on the right side of the phone. The Redmi Note 12 Pro comes with a 6.67-inch 120Hz HDR10+ AMOLED display protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and supports Dolby Vision, a feature usually found on premium devices. The Poco X5 Pro ditches the glass sandwich design found on the Poco X4 Pro and instead features a plastic back with a matte finish, which might be a deal breaker for some. Compared to the Redmi Note 12 Pro, it has a flatter design. The company has also changed the camera island, which now sits on the right side of the phone and looks similar to the Redmi Note 12 Pro. The phone has a 6.67-inch 120Hz HDR10+ AMOLED display which supports Dolby Vision and is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. Poco X5 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro vs Realme 10 Pro Plus: Performance Both Redmi Note 12 Pro and the Realme 10 Pro Plus are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset, whereas the recently launched Poco X5 Pro comes with the slightly older Snapdragon 778G SoC. Compared to the MediaTek Dimensity 1080, the Snapdragon 778G offers slightly more CPU performance, but when it comes to gaming, the Snapdragon 778G wins by a huge margin. However, all three phones rarely hang or freeze when it comes to everyday tasks. If you are someone who is into competitive mobile gaming, the Poco X5 Pro is the clear winner here. While the Redmi Note 12 Pro and the Realme 10 Pro Plus offer up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, the most expensive variant of the Poco X5 Pro is limited to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The Realme 10 Pro Plus is the only phone that comes with Android 13 out of the box, while the Redmi Note 12 Pro and the Poco X5 Pro come with MIUI 13 and MIUI 14 based on Android 12. All phones have a 5,000mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging. Poco X5 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro vs Realme 10 Pro Plus: Camera The Redmi Note 12 Pro gets a 50MP primary camera with OIS support. On the other hand, the Realme 10 Pro Plus and the Poco X5 Pro sport a 108MP primary sensor but miss out on optical image stabilisation. All three phones come with an 8MP ultrawide sensor, a 2MP macro camera and a 16MP selfie shooter which can record videos in Full HD (1080p). Poco has improved the camera with the primary sensor now capable of taking good photos in both outdoor scenarios and low-light conditions. The sensor does a fairly good job of handling most colours and the images don't look over-processed. In terms of camera, the Realme 10 Pro Plus with its 108MP primary camera is one the best camera phones in the price segment. The phone is able to take good photos in bright daylight and manages to preserve most of the details. Night-time shots are also good, the images are pretty detailed and noise levels are minimal. However, the ultrawide sensor is average at best, but that's the case with most phones under Rs 30,000. Poco X5 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro vs Realme 10 Pro Plus: Which is the best phone? While there is no correct answer to the question considering these phones cater to different users, the Realme 10 Pro Plus with its beautiful immersive curved display and excellent camera comes out on top if you want a phone that delivers on almost all fronts. If you are a gamer and are looking for the best value for money phone, the Poco X5 Pro is a no-brainer. The Snapdragon 778G chipset outperforms the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 on almost all fronts, especially when it comes to GPU performance. The Redmi Note 12 Pro sits somewhere in between the two phones. While it misses out on the 108MP camera, the display is on par with the Poco X5 Pro. Those looking for a mid-range device with a decent camera and performance can go with the Redmi Note 12 Pro.
