Welcome to the triple threat match that is the Redmi 10C vs Pova Neo vs Galaxy A12. The budget segment is chock-full of phones. There are so many devices to choose from. In this Redmi 10C vs Pova Neo vs Galaxy A12 comparison, we’ll be looking at three of these options.

The Redmi 10C is the new kid on the block. Advertised as a budget phone, this device has very capable specs.

The Tecno Pova Neo is also another new device. This one is part of Tecno’s battery-centric lineup. It is mostly advertised as a budget device.

The last on the list is Samsung’s Galaxy A12. It is a device from 2021 that still has a lot of admirers today.

This Redmi 10C vs Pova Neo vs Samsung Galaxy A12 comparison was suggested by two readers. So if you have any comparison that you would like me to do, please leave it in the comments or join our telegram conversation.


Redmi 10C vs Pova Neo vs Samsung Galaxy A12

SpecsRedmi
10C
Pova
Neo
Galaxy
A12
BodyPlastic
190g
Plastic Plastic
205g
SoC SD 680
(6nm)
Adreno 610
Helio G25
(12nm)
PowerVR
GE8320
Helio P35
(12nm)
PowerVR
GE83200
Soft
ware
Android 11
MIUI 13
Android 11
HiOS 7.6
Android 10
One UI 3.1
Mem
ory
LPDDR4x
UFS2.2
SD card
support
LPDDR4x
eMMC 5.1
SD card
support
LPDDR4x
eMMC 5.1
SD card
support
Disp
lay
6.71" IPS-
LCD, HD (720p)
268ppi
6.8" IPS-
LCD, HD (720p)
263ppi
6.5" TFT-
LCD, HD (720p)
270ppi
Cam
era
50MP JN1
(main)

2MP
(depth)

5MP
(selfie)
13MP
(main)

Unknown


8MP
(selfie)
48MP GM2
(main)

5MP Ultra
wide

2MP
(Macro)

2MP
(depth)

5MP
(selfie)
Video1080p
@30fps
1080p
@30fps
1080p
@30fps
Ba35000mAh
18W
6000mAh
18W
5000mAh
15W
Conn
ectiv
ity
Dual 4G,
BT5.2, WiFi 6, 3.5mm, OTG
Dual 4G,
BT5, WiFi 5,
3.5mm, OTG
Dual 4G,
BT5.2, WiFi 6, 3.5mm, OTG
Sensor Rear FP
sensor, GPS,
NFC, ambient
light sensor, accelerome-
ter, proximity sensor,
infrared sensor
Rear FP
sensor, GPS, ambient
light sensor,
accelerome-
ter, proximity sensor
Side-mounted
FP sensor,
GPS, ambient
light sensor,
accelerometer, proximity sensor
Price4/64GB
₦74,000

4/128GB
₦84,000
4/64GB
₦72,500
4/64GB
₦82,500

4/128GB
₦88,800


Body

All three phones are made of plastic. There’s no IP rating or glass body here. This is understandable due to the price range.


Read: Top 100 Smartphone SoCs in the world


Performance

In terms of performance, i.e. handling apps, games, etc. The R10C with its Snapdragon 680 SoC is far superior to the other two. Absolutely no question about that.

The A12 comes in second place with its Helio P35, whilst the Pova Neo finishes in 3rd place. The Pova Neo has a Helio G25 processor.


Read: Redmi 10C


Software

The R10 and Pova Neo both run Android 11 with their respective skins. The A12 on the other hand is older and runs on Android 10.

In terms of support, Xiaomi and Samsung tend to do better than Tecno.


Display

The displays on all 3 phones are virtually the same. They’re essentially 720p on LCD panels.

This as earlier stated is due to the price point.


Read: Samsung’s Isocell Image Sensors


Cameras

In terms of cameras, the Redmi 10C has the better main camera. This is due to a combination of a very good ISP + image sensor. The image sensor on the R10C is the Samsung JN1.

The A12 does have a very good main camera as well as a decent Ultrawide + Macro setup. The image sensor on the A12 is the Samsung GM1. That being said, it is hamstrung by the weak image processing from the Helio P35.

The Tecno Pova Neo is dead last. It uses the weakest image sensor as well as the weakest ISP among these three.

All three phones record videos of 1080p @30fps.


Battery

The Tecno Pova Neo has the biggest battery here. It also has a decent charging speed (18W) but the R10C has better battery management. This is due to the SoC on board (6nm to 12nm).

The A12 comes last as it has a smaller battery and a slower fast charge (15W).


Connectivity

The R10 being the newer phone has the more modern Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6. The older two phones have to make do with Bluetooth 5 and WiFi 5.


Read: Redmi 9C vs Samsung Galaxy A12


Sensors

All three phones have the usual suspects. These are fingerprint (FP) sensors, ambient light, accelerometer, and proximity sensors.

In addition, the R10C has an NFC and an infrared sensor. The A12 also has NFC. The Pova Neo has none of the above.


Price

The R10C 4/64GB is priced at ₦74,000 ($178) while the 4/128GB is priced at ₦84,000 ($202).

The Tecno Pova Neo sells at ₦72,500 ($174) for the 4/64GB variant courtesy of Slot Nigeria.

The Samsung Galaxy A12 sells for ₦82,500 for the 4/64GB model while the 4/128GB model sells for ₦88,800. All prices are courtesy of Pointek Nigeria.


Conclusion

Whilst all three phones on here are good…

The Tecno Pova Neo is battery-focused. That’s all it offers. If battery is your thing, go for it. However, I find that ₦72,500 for just battery performance is rather high, especially for a Helio G25 phone.

The Samsung Galaxy A12 is a very well-rounded phone and has average specs all around. The one problem I have with it is that it is too overpriced.

The Redmi 10C for my money offers the most decent specs on the list, especially in terms of performance and photography. It’s bang average for the other specs.


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