The era of performance-centric phones with upwards of 7,000mAh batteries is here, thanks to silicon carbon tech. The Indian market has seen two launches in the same category, with the Poco F7 launched recently, as well as the Realme GT 7, which also launched last month in May. Now, both phones more or less follow the same key formula: maximum specs for a minimum price.
This is why both are performance-centric. Both are designed to pack in a lot of hardware for budget to mid-range pricing. We have used both phones for a solid while: the Realme GT 7 for almost a month and a half and the Poco F7 for a couple of weeks as well. Now I can take you through what I liked about both phones, how they compare, and where they go ahead of each other. So, if you are confused between the two, considering they are priced quite similarly, with the Poco F7 coming in at ₹31,999 and the Realme GT7 coming in at ₹39,999.
Realme GT 7 vs Poco F7: Performance
Both phones pack new chipsets from rival companies. The Poco F7 gets the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, while the Realme GT 7 gets the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e. Now, both are 4nm chipsets, but it’s worth noting that the Realme GT7 comes with up to 16 GB of RAM, while the Poco F7 in India is limited to 12 GB.
The storage type also differs, with the Realme GT 7 having UFS 4.0 storage, while the Poco F7 gets UFS 4.1 storage. In terms of synthetic benchmarks, we have taken both phones through them. The Realme GT7 scored a multi-core score of 7,238 and a single-core score of 2,210 in the Geekbench 6 CPU Benchmark, while the Poco F7 with its Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip scored a multi-core score of 6,210 and a single-core score of 1,978. So, in terms of both, the Realme GT7 is a little ahead in terms of the Geekbench scores, but in terms of real-world performance, you will have no problems using either.
Both fly through their respective operating systems. But one thing worth noting is that the Realme GT 7 supports 120 FPS in games like BGMI, while the Poco F7 supports 90 FPS for now. Having said that, during the press briefing conducted by the brand, they mentioned that they were working with Krafton to bring 120 FPS support.
Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Camera
Now, when it comes to the optics, both phones sport different setups, with the Realme GT 7 offering a triple camera setup compared to the dual camera setup of the Poco F7. This difference is majorly attributed to the addition of a telephoto lens with the Realme GT 7, which the Poco F7 misses out on. So, the Poco F7 gets a 50MP main wide camera and an 8MP ultrawide shooter, while the GT 7 gets a 50MP main wide camera, a 50MP telephoto 2x camera, and an 8MP ultrawide shooter.
Now, on paper, the Realme GT 7 certainly has an advantage when it comes to the possibilities you have with it. It makes for a more diverse camera setup. But talking about the images from the main camera, both phones offer reliable output. In daylight, both offer sharp results, in mixed lighting as well. But we’ve observed that the Realme GT 7 often results in photos with much less noise, especially while shooting in extreme low light.
Having said that, the colours do look better on the Poco F7. The highlights, although, are better controlled on the Realme GT 7. All in all, both feature quite competitive camera setups, but if we have to pick one, the Realme GT 7 wins it.
Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Build quality and display
Coming to the build, we have had access to the Realme GT 7 in both its special edition Aston Martin Edition, as well as its IceSense Blue colour. And the Poco F7 we have is in the limited edition colourway. From what we can tell, the Poco F7 certainly feels more premium out of the two. It has Gorilla Glass 7i on the back as well as the front, and the sides are metal. Whereas the Realme GT 7 has a plastic back as well as a plastic frame, so it certainly misses out on the premium feel. But the Realme GT 7 is more comfortable in the hand because of its lighter weight.
Both phones have large displays, with the Poco F7 getting a 6.83-inch panel and the Realme GT 7 sporting a 6.78-inch panel. As for the display itself, we think the Realme GT 7 goes ahead with its LTPO AMOLED panel, which can reach a whopping 6,000 nits of peak brightness. We feel it also renders colours better. Both also have Gorilla Glass 7i protection. Both are also protected using IP ratings. The Poco F7 gets an IP68 plus IP69 rating, and the Realme GT 7 also has an IP69 rating.
So, all in all, it depends on what you prefer. If you want something more comfortable in the hand, the GT 7 certainly takes it. But if you want premium materials, the Poco F7 is certainly ahead in this regard, but you should know that it is quite heavy, coming in at above 220 grams for the Indian variant.
Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Battery life
Now, finally addressing the elephant in the room, battery life with both phones has been excellent. Both phones are the latest entrants in the 7,000 mAh battery club in India. The Realme GT 7 gets a whopping 7,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery and supports 120W wired fast charging and 7.5W reverse wired charging. While the Poco F7 certainly one-ups this with its huge 7,550 mAh battery for the Indian model. It is also silicon-carbon and supports 90W wired charging and 22.5W reverse wired charging.
Now, both have large batteries, but in terms of real-world testing, we think the Poco F7 certainly has an advantage of 10 to 15 percent in real-world use. While the GT 7 could go on easily for two days, we typically had to plug it in by the end of the second day, but with the Poco F7, it could go beyond that, and consistently at the end of the second day, we ended up with around 10 to 15 percent battery life left. But again, both are excellent performers, and you can’t go wrong with either.
Poco F7 vs Realme GT 7: Verdict
Now, after using both the phones, there are two key areas where both phones differ. The first one is the software, and the second one is the camera setup. When it comes to software, both phones are running on their respective skins on top. The Realme GT 7 runs on Realme UI 6.0, based on Android 15, while the Poco F7 runs on Xiaomi HyperOS 2.0, based on Android 15. Now, what I feel is that the Realme UI 6.0 is definitely lighter and more pleasing out of the two. The haptic feedback is also better integrated.
Plus, there is a lot less bloatware that comes with Realme UI compared to the Poco F7. So, in terms of software, I think the Realme GT 7 takes the win here. But Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 isn’t far behind either. It is quite feature-rich, but Xiaomi should have got rid of the bloatware to begin with. Yes, it is uninstallable, but it does present a jarring experience when you just boot the phone.
Finally, the cameras. Here in this regard, the Realme GT 7 does offer more thanks to its telephoto camera, but it is worth noting that the Realme GT 7 is also the more expensive out of the two. The Realme GT 7 costs ₹39,999, while the Poco F7 can be bought for around ₹32,000. So, if the camera is not a priority for you, the Poco F7 could be a better option. It sports a premium display, a premium design, and certainly the best-in-class battery life and performance.
So, there you have it. If you want to save money and opt for a phone that costs around ₹30,000, go for the Poco F7. But if you want a good camera experience alongside performance, pay the extra premium for the Realme GT 7.
