Honor, a sub-brand of the mobile giant Huawei, has unveiled its affordable gaming smartphone in the Philippines – the Honor Play. Packed with flagship-like specs, the brand wowed consumers as it tagged the device with a low asking price.
 |
| Pocophone F1 versus Honor Play |
The Honor Play was impressive enough that all of its stocks were sold out at Shopee and Lazada Philippines in just one day.
On the other hand, Xiaomi recently launched its budget-centric sub-brand named as Pocophone. To formally introduce it, the Chinese mobile manufacturer released the first device to bear its flag – the Poco F1. Geared with powerful features, the handset is set to arrive in the local market on September 6. Interestingly, the device is just a bit more expensive than the Honor Play.
Both engineered to handle heavy tasks, let’s dig deeper and see which phone can better accompany you. Let’s get it on!
| Device | Pocophone F1 | Honor Play |
| Dual SIM | Yes, Hybrid | Yes, Hybrid |
| Display | 6.18-inch FHD+ (2246 x 1080) capacitive touchscreen, 18.7:9 aspect ratio, 403 ppi | 6.3-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) capacitive touchscreen, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 409 ppi |
| Dimensions | 155.5mm x 75.3mm x 8.8mm | 157.9mm x 74.3mm x 7.5mm |
| Weight | 180 grams | 176 grams |
| O/S | Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9.6 (POCO customization) | Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 8.2 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 | HiSilicon Kirin 970 |
| CPU | 64-bit 2.8GHz octa core (4x2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold + 4x1.8GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | 64-bit 2.4GHz octa core (4x2.4GHz Cortex-A73 + 4x1.8GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Mali-G72 MP12 with GPU Turbo |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB RAM | 4GB |
| Memory | 64GB/128GB/256GB | 64GB |
| Storage Expansion | up to 256GB | up to 256GB |
| Main Camera | 12MP f/1.9 + 5MP f/2.0 with dual-LED flash | 16MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 with PDAF, LED flash, AI |
| Front Camera | 20MP f/2.0 | 16MP with 3D Portrait Lighting |
| Radio | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS | Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| Data | GSM, HSPA, LTE | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | v4.2, A2DP, LE, ER, aptX HD |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| USB | Type-C | Type-C |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Face Recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 4000mAh Li-Po, non-removable | 3750mAh Li-Po, non-removable |
| Fast Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Charging | No | No |
| Price | Php17,990/Php19,990 | Php15,990 |
Putting the Pocophone F1 and Honor Play on our battle sheet, it’s evident that these two devices are the best mid-range phones today. Moreover, it’s kind of awkward to tag them as a mid-ranger for they both have high-caliber offerings, allowing them to torture other devices on its price segments.
Having different edges to win this battle, our goal is to see which phone is mightier to be tapped as the real beast. So, let’s begin!
In terms of its display, the Pocophone F1 and Honor Play both have Full HD+ panel. However, an extra point will be given to the Honor Play as it has a slightly bigger 6.3-inch screen compared to its rival. Also, it gives off a 19.5:9 screen aspect ratio translating to 409ppi.
Under the hood, both of them are powered by a chipset usually found on flagship devices. But technically, the Poco F1 is much faster as it loads a Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor clocked at 2.8GHz. Paired with Adreno 630 graphics, it is also coupled with a larger RAM and internal storage than its opponent.
Nevertheless, carrying a Kirin 970 chip and GPU Turbo technology, there’s no doubt that the Honor Play can still deliver a smooth and fast performance even when running heavy applications.
See Also: Honor Play versus Huawei Nova 3i
Jumping off to our photography department, the two devices gave us a tricky match. The Honor Play comes with a better dual-rear camera setup. Honor equipped its pick with 16-megapixel f/2.2 and 2-megapixel f/2.4 sensors with PDAF, LED flash, and A.I. capabilities. But for selfie, the Pocophone F1 bounced back through its more capable 20-megapixel f/2.0 snapper.
Moving on to its stamina, the Pocophone F1 was able to claim its lead with its 4000mAh battery that supports 18W Quick Charge 3.0.
Also, the Poco F1 has more features to offer than the Honor Play, as it has IR Face Unlock, stereo speakers, and LiquidCool technology. On the other hand, the Honor Play offers 4D Gaming technology, and 3D audio.
The Honor Play is priced at Php15,990, while the Pocophone F1 has a starting price of Php17,990.
Mentioning all these things, it became clear that the Poco F1 was able to battle out the Honor Play. However, we all know that the latter is also a good gaming smartphone. Hence, if you want to settle for a cheaper device with a powerful performance, you can still go for the Honor Play. But if you have extra bucks on your pocket, simply choose the Pocophone F1.
What do you think? Tell us which side are you on!
VERDICT:
Pocophone F1 - Faster processor, bigger RAM and ROM, larger battery, IR Face Unlock
Honor Play - Bigger screen, better main camera setup, 4D Gaming Experience, lower asking price