Redmi Turbo3, OnePlus ACE 3V, Realme GT Neo6 SE, these mid-range phones released in recent times, everyone in the gaming circle must have paid attention to them. What do you think of them?
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In my opinion, these new phones priced at 2,000 yuan are quite boring. The configurations are not very bright, the appearance and texture are just the same, and the price is not to mention very good. To describe it in one sentence: there is sincerity, but not much.
The reason why I say this is mainly because their positioning itself is very embarrassing.
You see, these new phones are equipped with either Snapdragon 8s Gen3 or Snapdragon 7+ Gen3. The performance of these two chips is indeed not bad, but it is a bit reluctant for mobile phone manufacturers to call them “Little Snapdragon 8 Gen3”.
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Because their level 3 caches have been cut, which limits CPU performance, the two brothers cannot beat last year's Snapdragon 8Gen2 in terms of game frame rate and energy efficiency.
Actual measurement, highest quality, 30-minute running of Genshin Impact Xumi, the frame rate of Redmi K70 equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen2 is higher than that of Redmi Turbo 3 and Realme GT Neo6 SE equipped with Snapdragon 8s Gen3.
Of course, if there is only this difference, then forget it. When playing games, it does not mean that the game cannot be played if there are such a few frames difference. What is the key?
In terms of peripheral configurations such as signal connection, imaging capabilities, etc., they are still inferior.
Take the most basic signal connection as an example. Currently, none of the mobile phones equipped with these two chips on the market support 5.5G and Wi-Fi 7. They do not support it now, and don’t expect it to be available OTA in the future.
However, some Snapdragon 8 Gen2 models can be supported through OTA. Of course, this is not due to Qualcomm, but to the 5G baseband and WiFi modules used by mobile phone manufacturers for these new models, which are not very new in the first place.
Those models equipped with Snapdragon 8s Gen3 use the 5G baseband Qualcomm X70 released two years ago, while the Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 uses Qualcomm X63. These two basebands themselves cannot support 5.5G.
And the Wi-Fi module they carry is the FastConnect 6700 released four years ago, so there is no Wi-Fi 7, only Wi-Fi 6 and 6E.
Actually,Regardless of Snapdragon 8s Gen3 or 7+ Gen3, they are compatible with up to FastConnect 7800 and can theoretically support Wi-Fi 7. This is purely because the manufacturer does not want to provide it or feels it is not necessary.
So it’s still the same sentence – you get what you pay for. Chip support is one thing, but whether the mobile phone can be used is another matter. Their positioning and price determine which functions can eventually be implemented.
Of course, there is actually nothing wrong with mobile phone manufacturers doing this. After all, you can’t ask me to have all the mobile phones that cost more than 2,000 yuan.
But the problem lies in that the prices of the Snapdragon 8Gen2 models released last year and the beginning of the year, which were originally sub-flagships priced at 3,000 yuan, have now dropped to the 2,000 yuan price range.
If you look at iQOO Neo9, OnePlus Ace3 and Redmi K70, these flagships have received tens of billions of subsidies from major platforms, but they are not much more expensive than these mid-range phones, which makes these new phones very embarrassing.
Take the Redmi Turbo 3 as an example. The 12GB+256GB version of this phone starts at 1,999, but as long as you are willing to spend more than 200 yuan, you can buy the Redmi K70 with the same storage specifications.
One has an all-plastic body, single-frequency GPS, and a 1.5K screen; the other has a glass back cover with a metal frame, dual-frequency GPS, and a 2K screen. It also has higher imaging configurations and faster charging.
Obviously, if it were me, I would bite the bullet and increase the budget, because the K70 almost completely beats the Turbo 3. If there are any advantages of the Turbo 3, apart from being thin and light, probably only AI can be mentioned.
Since Snapdragon 8 Gen2 was last year's flagship, it did not make special optimizations for AI, but Qualcomm did so for these two chips this year. This is why these mobile phone manufacturers will focus on AI at the press conference.
The other two mid-range phones are almost in the same situation. If you are considering the OnePlus Ace 3V and the Realme GT Neo6 SE, you can buy the more balanced and water-resistant OnePlus Ace 3 with just a little more money.
Let me put it this way, the competing products of these new phones are not actually new phones released by other competitors, but sub-flagships that were originally positioned at a higher level than them, but now sell for about the same price as them.
And what’s more embarrassing? Not only are flagships dropping in price, but the mid-range phones released at the same time last year are also dropping in price.
A while ago, we just wrote about three mobile phones (portal): Redmi 12 Turbo, OnePlus Ace 2V and Realme GT Neo5 SE. Their top-end versions are now less than 2,000 yuan. It can be said that they are a good batch. .
If your budget is not very large, I think that with the same budget, instead of buying a new phone with the lowest configuration, it is better to just buy the top configuration of the previous generation. And you can believe that even at the same price, there are still many choices.
Let me give you two random examples.
Redmi K60 Extreme Edition is equipped with Dimensity 9200+, 1.5K direct screen, IMX800 main camera, IP68, independent display chip and 120W fast charging. The back cover is glass and the middle frame is metal. It has all the necessary configurations.
OnePlus Ace 2 Pro is equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen2, 1.5K curved screen, IMX890 main camera, and 0916 linear motor. In addition to supporting rain touch, 150W fast charging, and Wi-Fi 7, it is also very good.
And I don’t know if you’ve noticed that this year’s batch of mid-range phones, except for Redmi, which still offers 1TB options, other manufacturers like Realme and OnePlus have canceled 1TB, and their top-end models only have 512GB capacity.
how to say? The large-capacity popularization storm set off by manufacturers last year was considered to be a lonely one. This year, the price of flash memory particles has shrunk again.
OK, I have said so much before, but I can actually sum it up in one sentence——
The recent batch of mid-range phones is indeed a bit embarrassing. For an extra two hundred or three hundred yuan, there are sub-flagships that are more expensive. Downstairs, mid-range phones have exploded in value for money after the plunge last year. There are also many better options for the price.
Their only two advantages may be the large version system that can be updated for one more year, and some AI functions.
Obviously, it is only a matter of time before their prices plummet.
I do think that when mobile phone manufacturers make mid-range phones next, their thinking should really change. Since the cost of mid-range phones is limited and cannot be special, it is better to just be a specialty player, and what matters is differentiation.
Either equip the phone with a serious flagship chip, which has full performance and can scan QR codes when taking pictures; or equip the phone with a very good camera, with superior image quality and sufficient performance;
There is also a top-notch screen or a super-large battery. There are always some people who pursue the ultimate in display effects and battery life. In short, mobile phones must have a differentiated feature, so that they can stand out among other mobile phones.
If the manufacturer wants to take care of everything, then the phone it makes will most likely be very mediocre. Of course, mediocrity is fine. If it is not sincere in terms of price, then I honestly think this type of phone is quite boring.
Fortunately, some manufacturers are now making differentiation. The 12 Pro+ launched by Realme is a good example. It directly allows thousand yuan phones to use the periscope telephoto lens that was originally only available on flagship phones:
There is also the Z9 Turbo released by iQOO, which packs a 6000mAh battery into the phone under a thin and light body of less than 8mm. Such a large battery is unique among mid-range phones.
I hope there will be more mobile phones like this.
Editor in charge: Shang Shangwen Q