The Ultimate Mid-Range Showdown 6 Phones, 2 Brutal Tests
When it comes to mid-range smartphones, the number of models available in the market can drown even the smartest person. Going through this maze, the consumer ends up not knowing which of these devices performs the best per dollar. Today, we dive into the hazy, confusing marketing and get into the nitty-gritty with a showdown of six hits in the mid-range segment. We are going to put them through their paces, testing for the ultimate winner in base power and endurance under harsh stress.
Meet the Contenders
Equip today are six different devices of prominent brands, all powered by a new 4-nanometer processor. Our lineup is as follows:
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4
- Poco X7 Pro: MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra
- Xiaomi 15T: MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra
- Infinix Note 50S: MediaTek Dimensity 7300
- Vivo V60: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
- Realme 14 Pro+ 5G: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
Test 1 Raw Power - The AnTuTu Benchmark
To begin with, we compared the peak capabilities of each processor according to the industry's preeminent benchmark, AnTuTu. The test, without argument, supplies an eminent figure representing the theoretical maximum power of each device, and a higher figure indicates a more powerful chipset to host such activities as launching apps and quick but intensive processes.
AnTuTu Benchmark Results
| Device | AnTuTu Score |
|---|---|
| Poco X7 Pro | 1,940,902 |
| Xiaomi 15T | 1,934,681 |
| Realme 14 Pro+ | 1,337,321 |
| Vivo V60 | 1,277,268 |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ | 1,200,134 |
| Infinix Note 50S | 941,020 |
Analysis: it's pretty clear indeed. The Poco X7 Pro and the Xiaomi 15T are in a league of their own, boasting scores that are flagship quality and running the Dimensity 8400 Ultra. The rest of the pack follows at a distance, with the Infinix Note 50S trailing waaaay behind. But raw power is only one-half of the story.
Test 2 On the Heat - CPU Stress & Thermal Test
Heavy processor is of no use if it sizzles and throttles down its performance. The next test measures the capabilities of each phone for sustained performance under heavy, continuous load, simulating a long gaming session. The test runs until the internal temperature of the device is at 45°C, then stops automatically. The last phone standing will be crowned as the champion of thermal management and sustained performance.
Thermal Test Results The Elimination Order
- Xiaomi 15T - Elimination happened at ~8.5 minutes.
- Poco X7 Pro - Eliminated shortly afterward the 15T.
- Vivo V60 - At around just 10.5 minutes, was eliminated.
- Infinix Note 50S - Fails after liaising with an expected ~16.5 minutes.
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ - Fails at ~17.5 minutes.
- Realme 14 Pro+ - Very impressive in surviving for 27.5 minutes before thermal punishment.
The analysis: Here it goes well interesting. Both the winners of AnTuTu, Poco X7 Pro and Xiaomi 15T, actually failed at the first round, indicating very poor thermal management. In a remarkable role reversal, however, its rival Realme 14 Pro+, owing to its vastly superior cooling and software optimization techniques, lasted nearly 10 minutes longer than its closest one. This shows that how a brand fine-tunes its cooling system is just as important as the chip itself.
Individual Breakdown of Each Phone Pros, Cons, and Final Rating
Finally, our score for each device based on tests.
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Realme 14 Pro+ (Endurance Champion)
Pros: Fantastic thermal management and sustained performance, perfect for a gaming device. Scored very fairly on AnTuTu and shows power and stability.
Cons: Not on paper the highest peak performance when compared to Dimensity 8400 Ultra devices.
-
Poco X7 Pro (Sprinter)
Pros: Phenomenal raw performance, much more than topping AnTuTu, so it is really best for a user looking for speed in short tasks.
Cons: Extremely poor thermal performance. It throttles very quickly under sustained load raising the bar on should be the performance threshold for serious entrants into mobile gaming.
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Xiaomi 15T (The Other Sprinter)
Pros: Just like the Poco, it offers incredible peak performances due to the same awesome chipset.
Cons: Worst yet, it became the first phone to fail, meaning that thermal management here was poorer even than its Poco counterpart. Again, it does not fare well for prolonged gaming sessions.
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Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ (A Middle)
Pros: Indicated a little bit better endurance than the leaders in high performance, holding well up for 17.5 min. Decent amount of power with stability.
Cons: Master of none, significantly least raw powers held by Poco/Xiaomi and in thermals by Realme.
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Vivo V60 (Under-performer)
Pros: Not a super score, but decent, better than that of the Redmi.
Cons: Poor thermal performance-fails within 10.5 minutes in the stress test. The decent score on the benchmark does not reflect out in real uses under sustained usage.
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Infinix Note 50S-the Outsider
Pros: Outlasted all top performers in the thermal tests, which is, quite honestly, an unexpected result.
Cons: Based on a very pronounced margin, it was the lowest in AnTuTu scores, which means daily use would seem slower than others.
Final verdict Performance vs. Stability
The really deep dive pulls out one critical lesson every cellphone buyer should know: benchmark numbers can hardly tell the whole story. While the numbers of Pocox7 Pro and Xiaomi 15T are by no means shabby, the lack of heat management makes them unusable for very demanding users. The winner, clearly in this battle, would be Realme 14 Pro+. It promises to deliver a potent, but most importantly, stable and reliable performance when you need it the most. Next time you buy something, check the numbers; be informed about how a device is expected to perform under duress.
