Since then, numerous manufacturers have each delivered something fascinating for every user, and the OnePlus Nord 2 (review), the new Poco F3 GT (first impressions), and the slightly older Realme X7 Max are three such devices currently on the market (review). Which of the three extremely capable devices on the market should you choose for less than Rs 30,000?
Price comparison: OnePlus Nord 2 vs. POCO F3 GT vs. Realme X7 Max in India
The OnePlus Nord 2 is available in three RAM and storage configurations, with prices ranging from Rs 27,999 for 6GB + 128GB to Rs 29,999 for 8GB + 128GB to Rs 34,999 for 12GB + 256GB.
The Poco F3 GT, on the other hand, comes in three flavours, with prices starting at Rs 26,999 for 6GB + 128GB, Rs 28,999 for 8GB + 128GB, and Rs 30,999 for 8GB + 256GB.
Meanwhile, the Realme X7 Max comes in two flavours: 8GB + 128GB for Rs 26,999 and 12GB + 256GB for Rs 29,999.
Design comparison: OnePlus Nord 2 vs. POCO F3 GT vs. Realme X7 Max
The OnePlus Nord 2 has the most minimalist design of the bunch. It comes with a finely finished matte back panel in three colours: Grey Sierra, Blue Haze, and Green Wood. It has a single drill hole in the top-left corner of the display and, generally, is measured and elegant in terms of design. Its thickness and weight are 8.3mm and 189g, respectively, making it fairly ergonomic by today's smartphone standards.
In comparison, the Poco F3 GT has a significantly more unique design. The ‘Maglev' magnetic pop-out shoulder triggers offer a distinct touch and feel, while Poco claims to have used aerospace-grade aluminium in the F3 GT's construction, implying that it will feel notably metallic to handle. The Poco brand is located in the middle of the camera module, which is slender and elongated. Predator Black and Gunmetal Silver are the two colours available, and it has sharper edges than the Nord 2. The F3 GT is the same thickness as the F3 but weighs 205g more. It also happens to be the tallest of the bunch.
Meanwhile, the Realme X7 Max appears to be the most jazzy and loud of the bunch. At the back, it has a split design language, with a part sparkly, part matte effect. It's almost comparable in thickness (at 8.4mm), but it's the lightest of the bunch at 179g. Mercury Silver, Asteroid Black, and Milky Way are the colour possibilities for the drill hole front camera, which is located on the top-left. The logo on the rear of the phone is fairly prominent, and the camera module is a rounded rectangle that is also quite large.
Display comparison: OnePlus Nord 2 vs. POCO F3 GT vs. Realme X7 Max
The OnePlus Nord 2 has a 6.43-inch flexible AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz, HDR10+ certification, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for screen protection.
By comparison, the Poco F3 GT has a considerably richer display. It has a 6.67-inch turbo AMOLED screen with 10-bit colour rendering, HDR10+ certification, 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling rate, and DC dimming, as well as a 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling rate, and DC dimming. The latter is a useful feature that allows displays to stay on for longer periods of time, which reduces flickering and improves visual smoothness.
The 6.43-inch super AMOLED display panel of the Realme X7 Max, on the other hand, has a 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate, and Asahi Dragontrail protective glass on top.
Performance comparison: OnePlus Nord 2 vs. POCO F3 GT vs. Realme X7 Max
The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 5G SoC in the OnePlus Nord 2 has already shown to deliver decent and strong performance. The Nord 2 comes with 6GB, 8GB, and 12GB RAM, as well as 128GB and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It runs on OxygenOS, which is noted for having a relatively light custom interface in terms of resource usage. The Nord 2 has a fingerprint sensor built into the display.
The Poco F3 GT has the same Dimensity 1200 processor, as well as 6GB and 8GB of RAM and 128GB and 256GB of storage. Although MIUI 12.5 is one of the heaviest interfaces on the Android market, it will include a dedicated ‘Game Boost' option for increased performance optimization when gaming. It's the only one with a fingerprint sensor on the side.
The Realme X7 Max, which comes in 8GB and 12GB models and runs on Realme UI, which is a cross between OxygenOS and MIUI, uses the same SoC. It contains an under-display fingerprint sensor, as well as the usual set of connectivity options, such as wi-fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2.
Cameras: OnePlus Nord 2 vs. POCO F3 GT vs. Realme X7 Max
The OnePlus Nord 2 has three back cameras: a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP monochrome camera. A 32MP sensor is used in the front camera. The Nord 2 can shoot 4K films at 30 frames per second or full HD footage at up to 240 frames per second.
Meanwhile, the Poco F3 GT has an AI triple rear camera. It has a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera, as well as a 16-megapixel front camera. It can capture 4K footage at 30 frames per second or full HD videos at up to 120 frames per second.
The Realme X7 Max have same camera setup as Poco F3 GT. Surprisingly, video recording can go up to 4K at 60fps and full HD at up to 480fps.
Battery Comparison: OnePlus Nord 2 vs. POCO F3 GT vs. Realme X7 Max
The OnePlus Nord 2 has a battery capacity of 4,500mAh and supports 65W rapid charging. The latter promises to be able to charge a phone to 100% in 30 minutes.
The Poco F3 GT, on the other hand, has a 5,065mAh battery with 67W fast charging and claims to charge to 100 percent in 42 minutes.
The Realme X7 Max comes with a 4,500mAh battery and 50W fast charging, which promises to power the phone to 50% in 16 minutes.
Verdict: OnePlus Nord 2 vs. POCO F3 GT vs. Realme X7 Max
In terms of performance, as well as camera performance, we will pick the OnePlus Nord 2 as the victor. It has the smallest software load of the three in terms of custom interface resource usage, therefore it should be slightly faster on a daily basis than the others. The Nord 2 also has the most minimalist design, yet gaming aficionados should at least try out the Poco F3 GT because it has all of the necessary cosmetics. The Poco F3 GT appears to have the finest display and battery of the bunch, while the Realme X7 Max is the cheapest of the three in terms of overall cost.
OnePlus Nord 2 appears to be the best option for ordinary users.
Poco F3 GT should be the best option for gamers.
Realme X7 Max is budgeted high configured.
Complete hands-on comparison of these smartphones, which will give you a better understanding of how the three phones stack up against each other in the real world.
