REALME GT 5G - He is the killer of Xiaomi Mi 11, iPhone 12 and OnePlus 9 | REVIEW
We have entered a historical moment in which for a top of the range, or a smartphone with high-level specifications, it is necessary to shell out at least 700 euros if not higher figures. A prohibitive expense for many that hijacks the purchase on devices, which must be satisfied. Fortunately, companies like Realme have embraced the philosophy of the Flagship Killer, churning out terminals with a more than honest price without sacrifices. This is the case of the new Realme GT 5G, a real top of the range, in hardware, software and also in the materials and design dedicated to it, which arrives on the market at one of the lowest prices ever required for a high-end device. . Let's find out in our full review.
Realme GT 5G shows its nature as a flagship killer already starting from the packaging, an imposing black box on the back of which the most important specifications of this smartphone are shown, such as the adoption of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 CPU, Super AMOLED display in Full HD + at 120 HZ and fast charging at 65W, as well as offering a complete equipment that will allow us to immediately benefit from the power of this device. In fact, inside the sales box we find:
- Realm GT 5G;
- Plastic film to protect the display already pre-applied by the company;
- 65W fast charging power supply (DART CHARGE technology);
- USB Type-C charging and data transfer cable;
- Pin for removing the SIM tray;
- Silicone cover;
- Manuals.
The design of the Realme GT 5G is definitely iconic, at least in the yellow vegan leather variant (the one we tested) which returns a decidedly premium touch sensation. A black plastic band is then inserted, inside which there are geometric designs that are emphasized when hit by direct light, giving the terminal an even more breathtaking appearance. Also on the back we find the bump camera that houses 3 optics and a dual tone LED flash, a module almost flush with the body and therefore not protruding at all, eliminating any dancers movements if the smartphone is used on a flat surface. If the design in question seems a bit tacky, do not despair because Realme GT 5G is also available in the more sober variant with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 glass back, in this case, however, the design is less iconic and more similar to the many devices that populate the reference market.
The differences between the vegan leather variant and the glass one, in addition to the materials used, also include dimensions and weight: 158,5 x 73,3 9,1 mm (8,4 mm for the glass variant) and weight of 186,5 grams (186 grams for the glass one). In any case, the device was rather ergonomic and pleasant to handle even with a single hand, having to resort to the protective cover only if you actually want to protect the Realme GT 5G from bumps, falls and any dirt that could deposit on the back cover.
Excellent construction, at the expense of profiles made of polycarbonate but still quite resistant. On the right side frame we find the on / off button embellished with a yellow / gold finish and it can also be associated with the quick recall function of the voice assistant. On the left profile there is the volume rocker and the SIM tray, which offers 2 slots for nano SIM cards but no possibility of expanding the internal memory.
In this regard, Realme GT 5G, as the name suggests, offers the new standard of 5G connectivity on both slots and SA / NSA type. I was not able to verify the goodness of this technology as well as the possible battery drain, but I can say that in terms of speed and navigation stability I have always benefited from the 4G + signal and performance superior to the many smartphones I have tried over time. Definitely promoted in this area, also for what concerns the audio quality in call, always crystal clear and with a good listening volume.
Moreover, at the audio level, the terminal can count on a stereophonicity donated by the combination of headset and speaker capsule, which is located in the lower frame, accompanied by the main microphone, 3,5 mm jack and USB Type-C input with OTG support ( no video output), while at the top we find only the second microphone for the reduction of environmental noise.
Oh yes, Realme GT 5G also offers the input for wired earphones, then making the excellent dirac managed by Dolby ATMOS technology available at the software level. Something not so obvious, especially if we talk about top of the range. But if you are a lover of listening without headphones, the stereo sound that comes out of the smartphone is of a good standard, with a good balance of all sound frequencies and an excellent listening volume.
Coming then to the front of the device, we can appreciate a wonderful Samsung display with Super AMOLED technology from 6,43 with Full HD + resolution (2400x1080pixel), 409 PPI, ratio in 20: 9 with total coverage of the available surface of 91,7%. But it does not end there, because we also have a 120 Hz refresh rate while the touch sampling rate is 360 Hz, very respectable specifications especially for the use of multimedia content and in gaming, being able to also benefit from full support. to HDR content and Widevine L1 certification, with the possibility of viewing in high definition on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney + and even Amazon Prime Video, which I emphasize, as often rival brands do not offer support for this latter service. streaming.
Definitely satisfying display thanks also to a 3% DPI-P100 color reproduction, as well as visibility under direct sunlight is guaranteed and optimal, relying on a double ambient light sensor which was rather quick in calibrating the backlight resulting from the passage from dark environments to more illuminated ones. The colors on the screen are well calibrated and faithful to reality without being too saturated, but if you think you need to make some changes, you can do it by acting on the settings dedicated to it.
There is also an optical proximity sensor, also not to be underestimated and the presence of a punch hole in the upper part of the display, in which the selfie camera is inserted, which also allows the smartphone to be unlocked via Unlock Face 2D, with fast and reliable results even in poor lighting conditions. Unlocking the device which will mainly take place using the integrated fingerprint sensor on the screen, whose position is perfect for unlocking with both right and left hands. The biometric sensor is one of the fastest and most precise I could try but what made me literally love it is the fact that, based on the finger with which we unlock the device, we can associate 2 different profiles, thus opting for one of the working type and one dedicated to the tried life, whose change was really lightning-fast.
We can awaken / turn off the panel with a double tap or revive the display with the gesture of lifting the smartphone, but another thing I liked is the deep customization of the graphics, such as the one dedicated to the Always On Display, which will show us on the screen useful information and all notification icons from apps. There are so many customizations that we can take advantage of to further embellish the Realme GT 5G, also making use of the edge lighting when receiving notifications and calls, relying on a theme store that also offers the possibility to change the font, install animated wallpapers and ringtones. animated.
The 120 Hz of the Realme GT 5G display would be nothing if not supported by major hardware and this smartphone has all the credentials. In fact, we are talking about a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, octacore at 5nm with a clock of 2,84 GHz which is flanked by an Adreno 660 GPU, pushed by 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 GB of internal storage UFS 3.1, not expandable via micro SD. There is also the version with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory, but personally I could not have asked for more already with the "basic" configuration, which has been able to give me amazing emotions and performance.
I am not talking about benchmark results only, but precisely about fluidity in general, the speed of opening even the most demanding applications and the excellence in the gaming experience, making the most expensive titles run in terms of resources, as if these were trivial games. With titles like PUBG, Asphalt 9, COD Mobile etc .. the graphic details are at the maximum (Ultra HD, HDR and high fps) without obvious frame drops. In short, Realme GT 5G is a reliable smartphone both in everyday life and in more particular and stressful areas, being able to count in the eventuality also on a specific GT mode, which enhances the performance, leveling some parameters of the smartphone.
No excessive overheating, as the brand has equipped the Realme GT 5G with a cooling system in steel and copper that guarantees a lowering of the internal temperature up to 15 ° C. The haptic feedback of the vibration is also good, not at all annoying. The rest of the specifications then consists of the presence of the aforementioned 5G SA / NSA, Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC and dual-frequency GPS with support for Galileo satellites.
So much power is managed by the Android 11 operating system with the May 2021 security patch, customized by the Realme UI 2.0 interface. The system is always fluid and fast but above all the pleasantness of use is found for the absence of bugs, which generally we have to digest with the devices of direct competition. Moreover, Realme GT 5G is already ready to welcome Android 12, so much so that the beta has already been around for some time. Then there are the many features related to customization, screen gestures for calling functions and / or apps, smart sidebar, game mode, dark mode compatible with all apps, system cloning and much more.
You are probably thinking that Realme GT 5G has saved itself on some aspect and that could be the photographic one. Well the answer is that in reality, although we cannot count on who knows what one thousand thousand megapixels, the device still offers noteworthy specifications. In fact, we have a main sensor of 64 MP, Sony IMX682, f / 1.8, 6P lens which is accompanied by an ultra wide sensor of 8 MP, FOV 119 °, f / 2.3, 5P lens and finally a 2 MP Macro lens, f /2.5, 3P lens.
Point and shoot, UltraWide, Zoom
Then a selfie camera from 16 MP, f / 2.5 is added on the front, but as we all know MP or number of lenses do not count but the difference on a good photo sector and a poor one, is made by the software and in the case of Realme GT 5G we certainly can't complain. There are many functions made available, and some even quite unique, such as the dynamic bokeh effect but also many filters and automatic optimizations such as HDR and AI. The shots obtained in my opinion do not make us regret the so-called camera phones, especially if we think that Realme GT 5G in some cases costs even 3 times less, even in night conditions where the special mode returns shots to say the least. poco surprising and definitely better than many other competitors, with good management of light sources and contrasts.
Standard vs. Night
Even the selfie camera was particularly appreciated for photos, but also for videos, being able to also benefit from a stabilization, of the digital type, but with excellent performance. The only drawback, the HDR which in some cases is too aggressive with the framed subjects, so as to form a sort of white aura around the outline of the subject. The videos with the rear camera, on the other hand, can be shot up to 4K at 60 fps, but to benefit from a cinematic stabilization we have to go down to 1080p 60 fps. Very fast then the autofocus and the audio captured by the microphones. Overall, we are therefore talking about a smartphone capable of equaling devices such as Xiaomi Mi 11 if not even surpassing it in some areas.
Selfie & Bokeh Effects
Macro
I left the aspect linked to autonomy for last, perhaps the only one a bit tight, even if in my case I wanted to stress this area to the maximum of potential, so without benefiting from any energy savings but above all always using the 120 Hz of the display. We are talking about a battery with a capacity of 4500 mAh which overall has always led me to the evening, with very intense use, with a 5/10% of residual charge. I don't know how to give you values related to the hours of active screen, but I can say in any case that I have never worried about being really dry, also because we can count on a super fast charge at 65W which in just 35 minutes will give the full d ' energy starting from 0% and reaching 100%. Moreover, with only 3 minutes of charging you can benefit from at least another hour of use and do not even worry about safety, because the company has integrated 5 levels of protection linked to the super fast charging DART Charge, in addition to the fact that at the level of system there is a function that slows down charging at night to the advantage of battery health.
PROJECTED IMPACT
We must necessarily go through the price first, which in the case of Realme GT 5G is really negligible compared to what we have told each other. The device appeared on the tech scene with a launch price of € 399 for the 8/128 GB variant and at this price you already understand that we can only promote the smartphone with flying colors. The quoted price, however, is not always available, except with some coupons on third-party stores, so I invite you to follow us on our Telegram channel to stay up to date on the latest offer available.
In any case, officially we start with a price of 449 euros, which in any case remains definitely in focus with the philosophy of flagship killer, because he is a true top of the range with zero compromises. And before anyone brings up the absence of IP68 certification or the absence of wireless charging, I personally think these features are useless for most users as well as, if you want to increase photographic performance, you can always focus on the installation of a modded GCam. Therefore, if you are looking for a device suitable for productivity, gaming, with a multimedia sector at the top and no renunciation, Realme GT 5G is the smartphone on which to invest your money.
