Budget smartphones are designed and shipped to meet the demand for cheaper devices. However, in recent times, ‘budget’ has taken on many new meanings that are relative. Yet, the iTel P36 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi 9A are two devices that stick to the true meaning of affordability while still bringing functionalities.

 

They cover the needs of regular smartphone users without necessarily boring a hole in their pockets. In this article, we compare these two devices to provide details that will guide your decision in choosing either of them.

First, let’s look at the physical appeal of these devices because that is the first thing that people see.

 

Physical appearance

The iTel 36 Pro comes with a plastic rear panel and a glass front. It is bordered at the top and bottom with bezels, while the sides are almost bezel-less. For a slick look, it features curved edges that make handling easier. Its rear cameras and LED flash are arranged in a sideways triangle shape.

Not to be outdone in beauty, the Xiaomi Redmi 9A also comes with a slim width and a plastic rear finish. Its glass front shows bezels, but it is also kept to a minimum to give more screen space. Meanwhile, its rear camera and LED flash are arranged horizontally; this is clear deviance from the common triangle or square arrangement these days.

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Display

As hinted already, the manufacturers of both devices try to maximise display space by reducing the bezels. They also do this by using a teardrop selfie camera design. Another similarity between the iTel 36 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi 9A smartphones are their screen sizes; both measure about 6.53 inches.

Additionally, they offer 720 x 1600 display resolution on IPS LCDs. The screen-to-body ratio of the iTel 36 Pro is 82.2% and that of Xiaomi Redmi 9A is 82.7%, something to rival many higher-spec smartphones. So far, both smartphones appear to be equal.

 

Storage and memory

Here is where the similarities briefly fall apart as iTel 36 Pro offers a memory space of 2GB RAM and storage space of 32GB while Xiaomi Redmi 9As offer memory and storage space of 2GB RAM/32GB, 3GB RAM/32GB, 4GB RAM/128GB, and 6GB RAM/128GB.

This disparity in storage and memory space gives the Redmi smartphone an edge. However, it is worth noting that it also places it at a higher price which can discourage would-be buyers. You will learn more about this in the pricing section. For now, let us take a peek under their hood.

Hardware and network

Both phones also grow apart when it comes to the hardware powering them. The iTel P36 Pro uses a Spreadtrum UniSoC SC9863A chipset with an octa-core processor running at a speed of 1.6 GHz. This pales when compared to the MediaTek Helio G25 processor that powers the Xiaomi Redmi 9A giving it 2GHz speed.

The Spreadtrum UniSoC SC9863A is impressive enough in that it provides LTE network capabilities which the MediaTek Helio G25 processor also provides. However, the speeds are miles apart, giving Xiaomi’s product the advantage once again in this department.

 

Software

It does not get any better for iTel P36 Pro in the software section as it launches with the Android 9 operating system while its counterpart, the Xiaomi Redmi 9A, offers Android 10. Both software differs in that the more recent one brings better security, improved functionalities and more.

Smartphone users are usually on the lookout for newer software, for this reason, if the price difference is not huge, they will always prefer devices that bring them updated operating system versions.

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iTel P36 Pro vs Xiaomi Redmi 9A: Which  should you buy?

Battery

iTel P36 Pro manages to get back on level terms with the Xiaomi Redmi 9A in the battery department as a 5,000 mAh battery powers both devices. Also, they both don’t support fast charging, putting them on equal pedestals.

The 5,000 mAh batteries for both devices is encouraging as it rivals what many other smartphones offer. The lack of fast charging capabilities may also not be enough to discourage buyers who are not heavy users. We now come to the camera section that is one of the most important smartphones’ specifications for users.

Camera

When it comes to the camera, iTel P36 Pro surprisingly edges past Xiaomi Redmi 9A. While the difference may be subtle and not noticeable, it is still a major aspect of this review. The iTel P36 Pro comes with a dual rear camera setup. It uses a 13MP lens as its main shooter while also enjoying support from a 0.3MP depth lens. In contrast, Xiaomi Redmi 9A also uses a 13MP main camera and that is where it ends. It lacks the support of any extra lens for depth or even better wide-angle coverage. Also, note that both devices offer rear LED flash facilities.

Additionally, iTel P36 Pro’s 8MP selfie camera surpasses the 5MP lens that Xiaomi Redmi 9A offers. Thus, if you are looking for a better camera quality device, you know which one to opt for. But just before you proceed, check out the prices.

 

Pricing

iTel P36 Pro costs between N44,900 and N45,290 in Nigeria while the price differs for the various Xiaomi Redmi 9A devices. The Xiaomi Redmi 9A 2GB/32GB costs N44,500, the 3GB RAM/32GB version costs N49,000, the 4GB RAM/128GB costs N51,000, and the 6GB RAM/128GB goes for N55,000.

It appears that the Xiaomi Redmi 9A and the iTel P36 Pro are within the same price range. The price difference begins to emerge when as the storage and memory space increases. Below, we give our summarised verdicts.

Verdict

Physical appearance – both

Display – both

Storage and memory – Xiaomi Redmi 9A

Hardware – Xiaomi Redmi 9A

Software – Xiaomi Redmi 9A

Battery and network – both

Camera – iTel 36 Pro

Pricing – both

 

 

Contributed by Obinna Onwuasoanya for Sidomexentertainment.com