If there is one price-range which is seeing a huge cut-throat competition in the Indian smartphone market right now, then that is the sub-9k segment. Although, there far too many great devices in this price range but we are focussing on two of the latest entries in this price category. These two devices belong to two of the most reputed and venerable smartphone manufacturers Xiaomi and Lenovo. You have guessed it right, the devices we’re talking about are the very recently launched Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime and the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus.
Both of these devices have been launched very recently. The Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime was launched along with the Xiaomi Redmi 3S on August 3, while the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus was launched along with the Lenovo K5 Note on August 1. Both of these smartphones are targeted towards the budget audiences and have a very slight price difference. Both the devices offer great specs and it is a difficult job to choose from one of those. However, we have simplified your job by giving a detailed comparison between the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime and Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus, so that you can choose which one of these is most suited for you.
Design and display: The design and build of a smartphone are one of the most crucial factors behind any device’s success. Both Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime and Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus flaunt an impressive and premium metal unibody design. Although both have different designs, but both of these have a solid build and feel good to hold in the hands.
The display size of both the Redmi 3S Prime and Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus are also identical, however, the resolution varies. Both these smartphones have a 5-inch display, but while the K5 Plus sports an FHD(1080p) display with a pixel density of 441ppi and a 178-degree wide view angle, on the other hand, the Redmi 3S Prime sports a lower resolution display. It offers an HD(720p) display with a lesser pixel density of 294ppi. The K5 Plus clearly trumps the Redmi 3S Prime in this department with a sharper and more vibrant display.
Performance: The Redmi 3S Prime is powered by a 64-bit 1.1GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC coupled with 3GB of RAM. The device offers 32GB of inbuilt storage which can be further expanded via a microSD card.
The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus, on the other hand, is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor with each core clocked at 1.2GHz coupled with 2GB of RAM and an inbuilt storage of 16GB which can be further expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card.
The K5 Plus slightly outsmarts the Redmi 3S Prime in this department too with a snappier processor, however, the Redmi 3S Prime offers more internal storage and RAM. But internal storage shouldn’t matter much considering that both the devices support microSD card.
Camera: In the camera department, the Vibe K5 Plus sports a 13MP primary rear shooter with a 5-piece lens and a 5MP lens on the front for selfies and video chat. The Redmi 3S Prime, on the other hand , sports a somewhat similar primary 13MP rear shooter with aperture f/2.0 ,a 5-piece lens and some additional features like PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus). There is a 5MP camera on the front with aperture f/2.2 for selfies. The front camera of the Redmi 3S Prime is equipped with 36-intelligent self-portrait selfie styles.
We would give the edge in the camera department to the Redmi 3S Prime, that said, Vibe K5 Plus isn’t bad either.
Others: Among other notable features, the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime packs a 4,100mAh and runs on the latest Android 6.0.1. It offers dual-SIMs with 4G LTE support and sports a fingerprint sensor placed on its rear. The Vibe K5 Plus, on the other hand, packs a comparatively smaller 2,750mAh battery and runs on Android 5.1. It also offers dual-SIMs with 4G LTE support, but sadly there is no fingerprint sensor.
Pricing & Availability: The Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime has been priced Rs. 8,999 and will go on sale exclusively on Flipkart and Mi.com starting August 9. The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is somewhat cheaper than its rival and costs Rs. 8,499. It is currently available on Flipkart without any flash sale.
Final Verdict: Both of these devices are very promising and offer somewhat similar specs. While the Vibe K5 Plus has a snappier processor, the Redmi 3S Prime offers a better front camera, a fingerprint sensor and larger memory. So it is up to you now to select which of these devices are best suited to your needs. Stay tuned to Mobipicker for more news and updates.