The mid-range segment in the Indian smartphone industry has been the most competitive. It sees the latest innovation from the phone manufacturers and the race is to bring the latest design, latest specs and the best camera features packed in an affordable price tag. This year as well, two of the most popular brands in India have introduced some very competitive devices in this segment. The phones that we are talking about are the Vivo Z1 Pro which comes as part of Vivo’s new Z series and the other is the Redmi Note 7 Pro, which has been dominating the sub-Rs 15,000 price range for a few months now. But, now that the Vivo Z1 Pro is out, there is a need to compare the two phones to see which one fares as a better device.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Vivo Z1 Pro: Design and Display
When it comes to design, there is a clear verdict between the two phones, and it is that the Vivo Z1 Pro is the better looker of the two. The device is more likely to attract glances from the people around rather than the Redmi Note 7 Pro. Considering that the Vivo Z1 Pro features a plastic back whereas the Redmi Note 7 Pro is clad in glass. Even then, the shiny gradient panel on the Vivo phone manages to reflect a lot of light, thus becoming the more attractive one.
Also, on the display front, the Vivo Z1 Pro features a larger 6.53-inch display with Full HD+ resolution, whereas, in comparison, the Redmi Note 7 Pro features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display. The notch on the Vivo Z1 Pro is the punch-hole style one thus being slightly less intrusive as compared to the waterdrop notch on the Redmi Note 7 Pro. This also factors in, while considering gaming on both of these phones as the Vivo Z1 Pro comes off as more suited one for games with its bigger display, less intrusive notch and better sound quality. What’s more, is that the Vivo Z1 Pro also bundles a pair of earphones in the retail box even when it's priced similar to the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Vivo Z1 Pro: Performance
The Redmi Note 7 Pro sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC which is, in reality, better than the Snapdragon 710. The processor has proven to be faster and better. Also, it competes against the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 which comes as part of the chipset in the Vivo Z1 Pro. It is also worth noting that the Vivo Z1 Pro was the official phone for the PUBG Mobile Club Open, thus proving itself when it comes to gaming and hence leaving no doubts in the minds of the users. When it comes to performance, both the phones compete head-on, and there is little for us to differentiate between them.
The two phones even have the same RAM and storage configuration variants. The two devices come in 4 GB/ 64 GB, with 6 GB / 64 GB and 6 GB/ 128 GB variants. Also, when it comes to the micro SD card, the Vivo Z1 Pro and the Redmi Note 7 Pro both support 256GB of expandable storage. The only difference pops up when we look at the card slots as the Redmi Note 7 Pro sports a hybrid card slot, whereas the Vivo Z1 Pro comes with a dedicated card slot, thus giving full freedom to the user in this regard.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Vivo Z1 Pro: Cameras
While the Vivo Z1 Pro sports three cameras as compared to the two sensors on the Redmi Note 7 Pro, this becomes the classic case of less is more. Out of the two sensors present on the Redmi Note 7 Pro, one of the sensors is the Sony IMX586 48MP sensor, which is paired with a 5MP depth sensor. In comparison, the Vivo Z1 Pro sports a 16MP primary sensor with 8MP and 2MP secondary sensors, so when it comes to details and depth, the Redmi Note 7 Pro blows the Vivo phone out of the waters. However, it is also worth considering that the Vivo Z1 Pro replicates very natural colours but then again the clarity which Redmi note 7 Pro delivers stands unmatchable here.
One area where the Vivo Z1 Pro has the lead is selfies, as the phone sports a better 32MP front shooter as compared to the 13MP unit on the Redmi Note 7 Pro. Still, there is the thing to consider about the unrealistic colours which is something we have seen previously on Vivo phones.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Vivo Z1 Pro: Software and Battery
Both of these phones come with some hefty software additions on top of the vanilla Android 9 Pie. While the Redmi Note 7 Pro sports the Xiaomi’s custom MIUI, the Vivo Z1 Pro boots the Funtouch OS. Now although both of these additions ship a lot of functionality to the phone, in an in-depth comparison, the MIUI seems to be better optimised. The interface and the overall experience of the MIUI is more conducive, intuitive, and despite the ads, it stands to stray ahead of Funtouch.
In terms of battery, we have a clear winner, and it is the Vivo Z1 Pro with its 5000mAh pack paired with an 18W charger which it ships in the retail box. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 7 Pro comes with a 4000mAh battery, and it comes with a 10W charger only. However, it is worth noting that both of these phones get through the day easily. Another thing worth noting is the Z1 Pro has a Micro USB port, whereas the Redmi Note 7 Pro offers USB Type-C port.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro vs Vivo Z1 Pro: Verdict
The base price of the Redmi Note 7 Pro is Rs 13,999 whereas the Vivo Z1 Pro starts retailing at Rs 14,990 and the difference of approximately Rs 1,000 is prevalent across all the variants. But, when it comes to deciding between the two, there are minute differences which make these phones very competitive. With that being said, if design, bigger display and much more trendy design is your choice, then the Vivo Z1 Pro would be the better choice. However, if it is about the camera and you would like to have a much better software experience, then the Redmi Note 7 Pro would win the battle. But, if there is one thing that be can be said with surety is that both the phones are totally worth the buck and they won’t disappoint the buyers.
