The Galaxy A70 is the latest offering from Samsung that is about to go on sale in India in the coming days. This is an upper mid-range smartphone that boasts in-screen fingerprint sensor. It happens to compete with the Vivo V15 Pro (review), a smartphone that is priced the same, also offers an in-screen fingerprint sensor, and takes it a step further with its notch-less display and pop-up selfie camera. However, when there are offerings such as the POCO F1 (review) available in the market that offer flagship performance for cheaper, it raises the question of what’s more important, raw performance or cutting-edge features. Today we shall try to answer that very question.
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy A70 vs Vivo V15 Pro vs Xiaomi POCO F1: Price in India
Both the Galaxy A70 and Vivo V15 Pro are priced at INR 28,990 for their 6GB RAM + 128GB storage configurations. While the Xiaomi POCO F1 offers the same storage setup for INR 21,999, there is an even cheaper option with 64GB of storage for just INR 19,999. You do have the option of spending INR 28,999 by going with the 8GB RAM + 256 GB storage variant of the POCO F1 if you so choose.
Samsung Galaxy A70 vs Vivo V15 Pro vs Xiaomi POCO F1: Design, Build
Both the Galaxy A70 and Vivo V15 Pro offer in-screen fingerprint sensors. As amazing as this technology is, there is the fact that capacitive sensors like the one found on the back of the POCO F1 are faster and more reliable.
With that said, the V15 Pro manages to cram one more innovative piece of tech inside, and that is its pop-up selfie camera. It is also the most attractive phone here thanks to its gradient design. The A70 would come next in the design aspect with its glossy plastic rear panel. Then we have the F1 which goes for a more industrial look with its carbon fiber back panel if you opt for the expensive Armoured Edition. The more affordable options offer cheap plastic bodies.
Samsung Galaxy A70 vs Vivo V15 Pro vs Xiaomi POCO F1: Display
Courtesy of its pop-up selfie camera, the V15 Pro manages to offer a completely unobstructed view of its 6.39-inch, Full HD+ AMOLED screen. The A70 also offers an AMOLED display that measures 6.7-inches, but you do get a waterdrop notch at the top. As for the POCO F1, you get a standard IPS LCD screen that measures 6.18-inches and bears a wide notch and sizeable bottom chin.
Samsung Galaxy A70 vs Vivo V15 Pro vs Xiaomi POCO F1: Performance, Software
Performance is the one aspect where the POCO F1 shines thanks to its flagship-grade Snapdragon 845 chipset. That’s not to say the Snapdragon 675 chipsets found on the Galaxy A70 and Vivo V15 Pro are bad by any means, but they just lack the same oompf the POCO F1 is capable of delivering.
As for software, all three phones run Android 9.0 Pie, albeit with a software update required for the POCO F1 as it is a year-old smartphone that ships with Android 8.0 Oreo. As far as their UIs are concerned, Samsung’s One UI is perhaps the most mature. Then we have Xiaomi’s MIUI 10 with some POCO enhancements that has its own appeal. Vivo’s Funtouch 9, however, is where the V15 Pro has a lot of room to improve.
Samsung Galaxy A70 vs Vivo V15 Pro vs Xiaomi POCO F1: Camera
The Vivo V15 Pro manages to beat its competition in the imaging department with its 48MP + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 5MP (depth) rear and 32MP front cameras. The Galaxy A70 offers the exact same configuration apart from its primary rear sensor offering a 32MP resolution. The POCO F1 falls short here with its 12MP +5MP rear and 20MP front cameras. The F1 did get 4K 60fps video recording capability with a recent software update, but the image quality trade-off for such a niche feature is not worth it in our opinion.
Samsung Galaxy A70 vs Vivo V15 Pro vs Xiaomi POCO F1: Battery Life
The Galaxy A70 is capable of providing the best battery life here thanks to its 4500mAh cell that supports 25W charging over USB Type-C. The POCO F1 also gets a type-C charging port, but with a 400mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0). Then we have the Vivo V15 that gets a nominal 3700mAh battery that does support 18W charging but over the outdated microUSB standard.
Samsung Galaxy A70 vs Vivo V15 Pro vs Xiaomi POCO F1: Verdict
The POCO F1 is still the best option for those looking for an absolute powerhouse on a budget. Other than imaging and aesthetics, it offers a reasonable package that is ideal for heavy users. If you are not a power user and have the money to spare, the Galaxy A70 is likely to be your next best option. It has a great imaging setup, a magnificent display, and decent overall performance. The A70 also has the best battery performance in this comparison. The Vivo V15 Pro is for those looking for a beautiful handset that offers the wow factor of a bezel-less screen and a pop-up selfie camera – that is as long as you are willing to put up with its small battery, microUSB charging, and unappealing UI.
