Realme U1 is the latest launch by Oppo-spinoff brand Realme, which also introduced the Realme 2 Pro not too long ago. The Realme 2 Pro of course is the current top-of-the-line offering from the company, while the new Realme U-Series is said to be focused on photography, and comes with several features on this front. In many aspects, the Realme U1 and the Realme 2 Pro are very similar, featuring the same battery capacity, sensors, and designs, though the latter is focused on performance, featuring the Snapdragon 660 SoC with up to 8GB of RAM. Let's see how the Realme U1 and Realme 2 Pro stack up against each other.
Realme 2 Pro vs Realme U1 price in India
The Realme U1 price in India starts at Rs. 11,999 for the 3GB RAM/ 32GB inbuilt storage model, and goes up to Rs. 14,499 for the 4GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage model. It will go sale via Amazon India from December 5. On the other hand, the Realme 2 Pro price in India starts at Rs. 13,990 for the 4GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage model, with the 6GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage model priced at Rs. 15,990, and the 8GB RAM/ 128GB inbuilt storage model priced at Rs. 17,990. It is available via Flipkart.
Realme 2 Pro vs Realme U1 display
The Realme U1 sports a 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels) display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 90.8 percent screen-to-body ratio, and a pixel density of 409ppi. It also bears 2.5D curved glass, with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The Realme 2 Pro has an identical display, complete with the same Dewdrop-style display notch that contains the front camera and other sensors (ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, and earpiece).
Realme 2 Pro vs Realme U1 processor
The Realme U1 is the first smartphone in the world with a MediaTek Helio P70 SoC processor, one of its highlights. The octa-core processor is based on the 12nm FinFET process and is clocked up to 2.1GHz. It is paired with an ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU, and features a dedicated AI engine for offloading AI-based tasks - such as the numerous AI-based camera functions. The MediaTek Helio P70 SoC is coupled with 4GB of RAM on the Realme U1.
The Realme 2 Pro on the other hand sports an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. It's based on the 14nm fabrication process, clocked up to 2.2GHz. It features an Adreno 512GPU, and bears a Qualcomm AI Engine as well for offloading AI-based tasks - similar to the MediaTek Helio P70. The Snapdragon 660 SoC is coupled with up to 8GB of RAM on the Realme 2 Pro.
Realme 2 Pro vs Realme U1 cameras
The Realme U1 sports a dual rear camera setup, with a 13-megapixel primary sensor featuring a f/2.2 aperture, and 2-megapixel secondary sensor bearing a f/2.4 aperture. The rear setup is coupled with a LED flash. The company says the Realme U1 also comes with Portrait Lighting, Slo-Mo video (up to 90fps), AI Scene Detection, and Bokeh effect.
On the front, the company has used a 25-megapixel Sony IMX576 sensor, with an aperture of f/2.0, 1.8-micron pixels, and 4-in-1 pixels tech. The company is also touting a Backlight mode, which keeps both the background and foreground in focus despite bright backlighting behind the subject. An AI Beauty+ mode is also being touted, optimised for Indian complexions, featuring 296 identification point. There is also the Smarter Groupie feature that gives customised beautification for multiple subjects in a single photo. There is also an AI Face Unlock feature.
On the other hand, the Realme 2 Pro bears a higher resolution dual rear camera setup - a 16-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.8-inch Sony IMX398 sensor, 1.12-micron pixel size, and 6P lens. The secondary camera is a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The company is touting AI features for portrait mode, multi-frame noise reduction, and scene recognition. The Realme 2 Pro features a 16-megapixel front camera with an f/2.0 aperture, and the company is touting AI Beauty 2.0 for better selfies. The phone also supports AR stickers on both the front and rear cameras.
Realme U1 vs Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro
Realme 2 Pro vs Realme U1 battery
The Realme U1 features a 3,500mAh battery, and comes coupled with a 10W charger. The Realme 2 Pro has the same battery capacity, and the same charger. In our reviews, we found both phones lasted us a full day on a single charge. On the Realme U1, we also got a good runtime in our HD video loop test, where the U1 ran an HD video non-stop for 14 hours and 56 minutes. On the Realme 2 Pro on the other hand, we got a runtime of 10 hours and 22 minutes in our HD video loop test.
Realme 2 Pro vs Realme U1 other specifications
As for other specifications, the Realme U1 sports comes in 32GB or 62GB inbuilt storage options, expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB). The Realme 2 Pro on the other hand comes in 64GB and 128GB inbuilt storage options, expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB). In terms of connectivity options, the Realme U1 offers 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, a Micro-USB port with OTG functionality, 3.5mm headphone jack, and FM radio. Realme 2 Pro has identical connectivity options, except for FM radio.
The Realme U1 bears an ambient light sensor, accelerometer, digital compass, gyroscope, and proximity sensor. The Realme 2 Pro has identical sensors. Both bear fingerprint sensors on the rear panel, apart from supporting face unlock. While the Realme U1 measures 157x74x8mm and weighs 168 grams, the Realme 2 Pro measures 156.7x74.0x8.5mm and weighs 174 grams.
Realme 2 Pro vs Realme U1 design
Both the Realme U1 and Realme 2 Pro bear plastic bodies. The former is available in Ambitious Black, Brave Blue, and Fiery Gold colour options, while the latter comes in Black Sea, Blue Ocean, and Ice Lake colour options. Visually, both smartphones are very similar looking, with the Realme U1 featuring a slightly glossier back panel. As we mentioned, both smartphones have their fingerprint sensors on the rear panel. They both also bear their dual rear camera setups in a horizontal orientation. Both forego the notification LED on their Dewdrop-style display notch. Both also feature their 3.5mm headphone jack, Micro-USB port, and single speaker grille on the bottom, with the tops clean. The power button is on the right, and the volume buttons on the left, on both devices. The dual-SIM trays are on the left panel, which also feature the microSD card slots.
Is Realme U1 essentially Redmi Note 6 Pro on steroids? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
Realme U1 vs Realme 2 Pro comparison
 |  | |
| Ratings | ||
| Overall NDTV Rating | ||
| Design Rating | ||
| Display Rating | ||
| Software Rating | ||
| Performance Rating | ||
| Battery Life Rating | ||
| Camera Rating | ||
| Value for Money Rating | ||
| GENERAL | ||
| Release date | November 2018 | September 2018 |
| Launched in India | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions (mm) | 157.00 x 74.00 x 8.00 | 156.70 x 74.00 x 8.50 |
| Weight (g) | 168.00 | 174.00 |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 3500 | 3500 |
| Removable battery | No | No |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Colours | Ambitious Black, Brave Blue, and Fiery Gold | Ice Lake, Blue Ocean, Black Sea |
| SAR value | 1.31 | 0.83 |
| Body type | - | Polycarbonate |
| DISPLAY | ||
| Screen size (inches) | 6.30 | 6.30 |
| Resolution | 1080x2340 pixels | 1080x2340 pixels |
| Protection type | Gorilla Glass | Gorilla Glass |
| Aspect ratio | 19.5:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Pixels per inch (PPI) | 409 | 409 |
| HARDWARE | ||
| Processor | 2.1GHz octa-core | 1.8GHz octa-core |
| Processor make | MediaTek Helio P70 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 |
| RAM | 4GB | 8GB |
| Internal storage | 64GB | 128GB |
| Expandable storage | Yes | Yes |
| Expandable storage type | microSD | microSD |
| Expandable storage up to (GB) | 256 | 256 |
| Dedicated microSD slot | Yes | Yes |
| CAMERA | ||
| Rear camera | 13-megapixel (f/2.2) + 2-megapixel (f/2.4) | 16-megapixel (f/1.7) + 2-megapixel (f/2.4) |
| Rear flash | LED | Yes |
| Front camera | 25-megapixel (f/2.0) | 16-megapixel (f/2.0) |
| Rear autofocus | - | Yes |
| SOFTWARE | ||
| Operating system | Android 8.1 Oreo | Android 8.1 |
| Skin | ColorOS 5.2 | ColorOS 5.2 |
| CONNECTIVITY | ||
| Wi-Fi standards supported | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11 b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v 4.20 | Yes, v 5.00 |
| USB OTG | Yes | Yes |
| Micro-USB | Yes | Yes |
| Number of SIMs | 2 | 2 |
| Active 4G on both SIM cards | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | - | No |
| SIM 1 | ||
| SIM Type | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| 4G/ LTE | Yes | Yes |
| SIM 2 | ||
| SIM Type | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| 4G/ LTE | Yes | Yes |
| SENSORS | ||
| Face unlock | Yes | Yes |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Compass/ Magnetometer | Yes | Yes |
| Proximity sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
