Kicking things off in 2019, Huawei today launched a new smartphone in India. Dubbed Huawei Y9 (2019), the smartphone marks the debut of the company’s Y-series in the country. Given its price tag of Rs 15,990, the Y9 (2019) will compete in the fiercely-contested mid-range segment, rubbing shoulders with smartphones like Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, Realme 2 Pro, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro. While it’s too early to comment about real-world performance, does Huawei’s new mid-ranger stack up well against the competition on paper? Let’s find out.
Design & Display
Huawei Y9 (2019) features a glossy rear panel, a design characteristic that’s been a highlight of many of the company’s recent smartphones. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a similar design as well. As for the Realme 2 Pro, it does have a glossy (albeit plastic) back panel, but it’s not that reflective. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, on the other hand, features a metallic rear that’s more resistant to fingerprints and smudges.
Coming to display, all four smartphones feature IPS LCD panels with notches. Huawei Y9 (2019) has the biggest screen of them all – a 6.5-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 feature 6.26-inch displays with a resolution of 1080×2280 pixels, while Realme 2 Pro sports a slightly-bigger 6.3-inch screen having a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. It’s also worth mentioning that while Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, Huawei Y9 (2019), and Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 all have ‘regular’ notches (albeit of differing widths), the Realme 2 Pro is the only one to come with a funky ‘waterdrop’ style notch.
Hardware & Software
Huawei’s new Y9 (2019) has the company’s homegrown HiSilicon Kirin 710 SoC under-the-hood, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. In comparison, Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro uses the tried and tested Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 silicon, complemented by 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
Both Realme 2 Pro and Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, on the other hand, are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 SoC. The former comes with a choice of 4GB/6GB/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage, while the latter lets you choose between 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage.
Even when it comes to software, all four smartphones are largely similar, as they all run Android Oreo out-of-the-box. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, Huawei Y9 (2019) and Realme 2 Pro have their own custom UI overlays baked on top, but Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 features a near-stock user experience.
Cameras
Huawei Y9 (2019) features a dual-lens camera system at the back, comprised of a 16-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel sensor. It also has two lenses up front – one 13-megapixel sensor and one 2-megapixel sensor. Both camera setups feature a host of AI-based image enhancement features. Talking about Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, it also has a dual-lens rear camera system, comprised of a 12-megapixel sensor and a 5-megapixel sensor. The smartphone has two lenses on the front as well – one 20-megapixel sensor and one 2-megapixel sensor.
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 features a dual-lens camera system on the back, made up of a 12-megapixel sensor and a 5-megapixel sensor, but only one 13-megapixel sensor up front for selfies and video calls. Lastly, Realme 2 Pro’s dual-lens rear camera system is made up of a 16-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel sensor, while the front-facing camera setup is a single 16-megapixel sensor.
Watch: Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro First Look
Battery
Despite being the smallest among all smartphones, Realme 2 Pro’s 3,500mAh battery should be more than enough for all but the most heavy users. On the other hand, Huawei Y9 (2019) and Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro feature 4,00mAh cells. However, it’s Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 that wins with its massive 5,000mAh powerpack.
Price
Huawei Y9 (2019) is priced at Rs 15,990. In comparison, Realme 2 Pro starts at Rs 13,990, and goes up to Rs 17,990. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a starting price of Rs 12,999 that goes up to Rs 14,999. Lastly, Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro starts off at Rs 13,999 and goes up to Rs 15,999.
Huawei Y9 (2019) vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 vs Realme 2 Pro: Comparison table
| Features | Huawei Y9 (2019) |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro |
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 |
Realme 2 Pro |
| Display | 6.5-inch Full-HD+ | 6.26-inch Full-HD+ | 6.26-inch Full-HD+ | 6.3-inch Full-HD+ |
| Processor | HiSilicon Kirin 710 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB/6GB | 3GB/4GB | 4GB/6GB/64GB |
| Storage | 64GB (expandable) | 64GB (expandable) | 32GB/64GB (expandable) | 64GB/128GB (expandable) |
| Rear Camera | 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel |
12-megapixel + 5-megapixel |
12-megapixel + 5-megapixel |
16-megapixel + 2-megapixel |
| Front Camera | 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel | 20-megapixel + 2-megapixel |
13-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 4,000mAh | 5,000mAh | 3,500mAh |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 4G LTE, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Android OS | Android Oreo | Android Oreo | Android Oreo | Android Oreo |
| Prices | Rs 15,990 | Starts at Rs 13,999 | Starts at Rs 12,999 | Starts at Rs 13,990 |
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