The Newset buggeted Lauch Of Realme: Realme5
Realme is one of the youngest smartphone brands in the country, with the company celebrating only its first anniversary a few months ago. In terms of stature, the brand today overshadows many of the more established players, and according to a recent CounterPoint Research market report, its short journey has been so impressive, that it has already become the fourth-largest smartphone maker in the country in Q2 2019.
While the driving force behind this growth is Realme's overall strategy of offering best in class specs at the most affordable and aggressive price, the one phone line-up that encapsulates the essence of this strategy best is the recently launched Realme 5 series.
Launched on August 20 in India, this new series brings with it two phones -- Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro. While only a little apart in valuation, the phones target different audiences with slightly varying needs.
Both are available in as many as three variants, with the Realme 5 starting at Rs 9,999 for its entry variant and going all the way up to 12,999 for the top-end one -- with another variant sandwiched in the middle and priced at Rs 11,999.
The Realme 5 Pro, on the other hand, picks up from where the more modest Realme 5 Pro bids adieu. It has been announced in three variants, with the entry variant starting at Rs 13,999 and the top-end one being made available for Rs 16,999.
Realme 5 already went on sale on sale in India while the Realme 5 Pro will be available from September 4. Ahead of them being made available for purchase, we review the two devices to give our readers a fair idea of what they'd be signing up for if they choose to buy either of the two devices.
Realme 5 Pro Pros
Above par cameras for the price
Impressive performance
Aggressive price tag
Realme 5 Pro Cons
Not exactly premium build quality
Realme 5 Pros
Aggressive price tag
Quad cameras at the back
The first phone to sport Snapdragon 665 in India
Realme 5 Cons
Lacks premium build quality
Entry variant comes with only 3GB RAM
Realme 5
Realme 5 Pro and Realme 5 Review: Design
In terms of the design language, and the overall look and feel of the devices, the Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro appear to be cut from the same cloth. At the core of it is a polycarbonate shell with Realme's diamond-cut design.
This not only helps establish the two phones as part of a single series but also draws a link between previously launched popular phones from Realme and the Realme 5 series devices. However, this gradient patterned design scheme is a little different from what we've seen from Realme phones in the past.
But sticking with the two phones, for now, it is interesting to see how Realme has incorporated slight changes to differentiate the two phones from each other. While both essentially feature the same gradient panel at the back, we have an extra chrome ring added around the camera and fingerprint module on the Realme 5 Pro.
The more affordable Realme 5 gets none of this premium treatment, with the phone looking a little less subdued when compared to the Realme 5 Pro from the back. Apart from this, both the devices are held together by what appears to be a hardened plastic frame running across the device.
The frames on both the devices house different keys, which are placed in identical positions, with the volume keys placed on the left of the device and the power button on the right. The 3.5mm jack, speaker grille and the charging ports all finding a place at the bottom.
However, there is one key difference between the design of the two phones: The size.
In terms of the size, the Realme 5 is bigger than the Realme 5 Pro -- which has a more manageable, compact form factor as compared to the Realm 5. This also results in the Realme 5 Pro clocking a more acceptable 184 grams on the weighing scale, as opposed to the Realme 5 which is a little on the higher side at 198 grams.
The difference in size and weight is down to a number of factors, with one of them being the displays on the phone.
Realme 5 Pro
Realme 5 Pro and Realme 5 Review: Display
Talking about the displays on the phone, Realme has gone in with an interesting strategy with the two phones that sees it equipping the more affordable Realme 5 with a bigger 6.5-inch display -- as opposed to a 6.3-inch panel on the Realme 5 Pro.
However, the decision to equip the Realme 5 with a bigger display comes at a cost as the device only gets an HD+ panel with a maximum resolution of 720x1600 pixels. The Realme 5 Pro, on the other hand, gets a 6.3-inch panel capable of churning out Full HD+ resolution.
While both phones offer Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top of their water-drop notch style displays, the slight variation in design means they offer differing screen to body ratios -- 90.8 per cent on the Realme 5 Pro and 89 per cent on the Realme 5.
In terms of performance, both the panels offer excellent performance for the price. Despite not being able to display data at high resolutions, the panel on the Realme 5 doesn't disappoint. It provides excellent brightness, impressive viewing angles, and a wide expanse to watch movies and play games on.
The Realme 5 Pro, on the other hand, offers all this, and then goes on to supplement it with a better dynamic range and what appears to be a sharper pixel density.
Compared to each other, we saw better colour accuracy on the Realme 5 Pro, with images appearing more vibrant on the device. In contrast, visuals appear a bit washed out on Realme 5, which despite performing well for its price point, failed to keep up with the visual performance of the Realme 5 Pro's display.
But overall, we were happy with the performance of panels on both the devices as they gave everything that you'd expect -- except for Wildivine L1 support on the Realme 5 Pro -- from a smartphone in their respective price segments.
Realme 5 Pro and Realme 5 Review: Performance and software
Coming to all things under the hood -- and the code that makes the hardware come alive -- we again have slight differences between the two phones.
Being the more expensive of the two, the Realme 5 Pro brings with it a much powerful chipset -- that's also arguably one of the best you can get on a sub Rs 15k smartphone right now. Powering the Realme 5 Pro is a 712 AIE SoC. The chipset features a Kryo eight-core architecture.
In comparison to the 710 chipsets that this new SoC has been based upon, we now have increased clock speed that Qualcomm claims lead to a stable 10 per cent boost in terms of performance.
However, where the 712 SoC chipset truly shines is in its graphics performance. With Qualcomm equipped the chipset with an Adreno 616GPU, the chipset is claimed to perform up to 35 per cent better than its predecessor when it comes to graphics and energy utilisation.
But does this increased performance help in any way?
Well, in terms of benchmarks, the 712 SoC clad Realme 5 Pro performs quite favourable with the device clocking up a high score of 173053 on AnTuTu. On Geekbench 4 too Realme 5 Pro performed quite well by clocking a single-core score of 1287 and a multi-core score of 4750 during our tests.
Away from benchmarks, the inclusion of a powerful SoC also helps in day to day tasks as well as graphically demanding games such as PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 -- both of which ran well on high graphics on the smartphone.
This chipset has been paired with 8GB RAM on the top-end variant of the device -- with the other two getting 4GB and 6GB RAM. The unit we reviewed excelled at multitasking and switching between 4-5 apps, and we noticed no signs of lags or micro-stutters while using the device casually or putting it through heavy graphic-intensive games.
Although this could be because the review unit sent to us came fitted with an 8GB RAM chip, we believe the other two variants of the device would have performed as well if we were to review them.
A fact that may not be true for the Realme 5 which comes with rather modest core internals paired to lesser RAM on all its variants. For this device that starts at Rs 9,999 and goes all the way up to Rs 11,999, Realme has decided to equip the base variant with only 3GB of RAM and slap a 4GB chip in the other two variants.
This chipset here is a Snapdragon 665 AIE processor that has eight cores, 64-bit architecture and a base frequency that clocks up to 2.0GHz on peak load. While the chipset may not be as powerful as the Snapdragon 712 SoC found on the more expensive Realme 5 Pro, it is quite powerful nonetheless.
At the time of its launch, the Realme 5 was the first device to bring this chipset to India, but since then Xiaomi's Android One warrior, Mi A3, has also been announced to pack within its frame the same chipset.
The chipset is built using an 11nm fabrication process that Qualcomm claims helps it keep energy consumption to impressive levels -- thereby improving heat management and battery drain on the device.
In terms of performance, the device scored a solid 139804 points on AnTuTu. Geekbench 4 scores were also decent as the device achieved a single-core score of 1534 and a multi-core score of 5481 points.
While these scores aren't the highest you'd see on the phone, but compared to the competing devices, they help the phone stand out from the crowd.
This is also the case in terms of real-world usage. While the performance isn't extraordinarily great, it is a shade better than what you'd get on the best devices in the price range — for example, the Redmi Note 7S which comes with a generation old Snapdragon 660 SoC.
In our time with it, the Realme 5 ran PUBG Mobile fine on medium to low graphics, with no discernable frame drops or stutters experienced. Asphalt 9: Legends ran much better, with the game running quite smoothly on the device.
The only qualm that we had while using the two devices is that they come running Realme custom Color OS 6. The operating system is based on Android 9 Pie and is riddled with unnecessary bloatware that we would have been pleased to avoid.
While this custom take on Android has come a long way from its humble beginnings and is currently almost as fast as any other skinned version of Android out there, the fact that it deviates a little from stock Android is a slight annoyance that does take time to get used to.
But hopefully, this will be fixed soon as Realme has already confirmed that it is working on its own Realme OS that is reportedly going to be a solution much closer to stock Android than the current variation of Color OS is.
Realme 5 Pro and Realme 5 Review: Cameras
Cameras are one of the biggest highlights of the Realme 5 devices, and as such have been used quite heavily in all of Realme's marketing campaigns leading up to the launch of the device. Both the devices feature a quad-camera array that differs ever so slightly in the most crucial of aspects.
Realme has been talking up this quad-camera set-up for a few weeks no. But more on that later. For now, let's dive into our review of the cameras, as we attempt to detail our experience with it.
Since we're going to be talking about two phones here, we'll be dividing this section into two parts and talk about both the phones separately.
Realme 5 Pro camera sample
So first, the Realme 5 Pro.
While both the devices share the same quad-camera array, the Realme 5 Pro gets the much-hyped 48-megapixel Sony IMX 586 lens which comes with an aperture of f/1.7. This lens has been paired with an 8-megapixel 119 degree ultra-wide-angle lens, as well as a 2-megapixel ultra macro lens and 2-megapixel portrait lens on the back.
While the rest of the lenses are interesting in what they offer, it is the primary lens that is the real talking point here.
Being a lens that uses Pixel Binning technology, the lens merges four pixels into one to click much sharper images than you'd get on a regular 12-megapixel lens. While the default shooting mode for this lens is in its 12-megapixel form, the Realme 5 Pro can click 48-megapixel resolution images by accessing a dedicated mode that Realme has placed within the camera menu.
The images clicked using the 48-megapixel pixel binning mode are definitely more detailed and overall more pleasing than in the default 12-megapixel form. However, there is a catch. The 48-megapixel mode doesn't allow for HDR with only the Chroma colour boost option available in the model.
Realme 5 Pro camera sample - Night mode
In our time using the device, we found the images clicked using the 48-megapixel mode capture slightly more detail, but crucially maintain lower levels of noise during low light scenes. Talking about the low light performance of the device, the camera software also brings with it a dedicated Nightscape Mode that gives you the option to click from the primary as well as an ultra-wide lens on the device.
If you are a fan of macros, the phone also offers an Ultra-Macro lens which makes use of the Realme 5 Pro's dedicated 2-megapixel macro lens. During our review, we found the device to click some nice macros, but surprisingly they were all products of the phone's primary lens and not the dedicated 2-megapixel lens at the back.
Apart from this, the Realme 5 Pro offers your usual set of camera modes that include Pano, Expert, Time Lapse, Slo-Mo and a dedicated ode for clicking creamy portrait shots. However, as we found out during our review, the results achieved by the latter aren't exactly industry-leading.
Realme 5 camera sample
Moving to the Realme 5
This phone again is heavily marketed for its quad-camera array that sees Realme bring to the table a primary 12-megapixel primary sensor and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Realme has given this phone an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera with a 119-degree field of view, and a 2-megapixel macro camera for closeup shots.
Though not as powerful as the one found on the Realme 5 Pro, the primary lens is still quite good for clicking pictures in well-lit situations. During our review, we found this f/1.8 aperture lens capturing some nice day-time shots.
The level of detail captured wasn't as great as the Realme 5 Pro, but the results felt satisfactory for the budget segment. Low light performance, however, left a little to be desired as there was discernible noise in pictures when shooting low light.
Realme 5 camera sample - Night mode
Realme 5 camera sample - Night mode
Much like the Realme 5 Pro, there is a standalone night mode that does a decent job. Except for the 48-megapixel mode, other features remain the same as found in the Realme 5 Pro. The phone also gets a front camera with a 13-megapixel lens. Realme's added several features to the camera module with HDR and Portrait Mode also making the cut.
In terms of results, the front camera clicks nice selfies with nicely reproduced colour tones and enough detail. However, that's only in daylight. In low light scenarios, this lens fails to impress too much.
The Portrait Mode is also an excellent addition, but the results here are not as pleasing as the blur effect created for the pictures appears a little artificial.
Realme 5 Pro and Realme 5 Review: Battery
Both the Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro are beasts in the battery department. While the Realme 5 brings a massive 5000mAh battery, the Realme 5 Pro sees itself is equipped with a comparatively smaller 4000mAh pack.
In terms of usage, we got over a day's use out of both on a single charge with moderate usage. But that's where the similarities end between the two.
The Realme 5's massive battery, though slow to drain, is also relatively slow to charge. The phone doesn't support any fast charging tech and comes with a 10W charger which fuels the phone using a Micro-USB port. During our review of the device, it took us over 2.5 hours to charge the Realme 5 from almost zero to 100.
The Realme 5 Pro on the hand, brings with it support for the company's VOOC 3.0 fast charge platform. The charging technology uses an 18W charger to fast charge the device. Thankfully, however, the phone gets a USB Type-C port for connecting to the charger.
In our time with it, we found the Realme 5 Pro to perform quite well in terms of battery performance. The performance was almost on par with the Realme 5 and was supplemented by the fact that the phone gets fast charging support to help it go from zero to 100 in less than an hour and a half.
Realme 5 Rating
Design - 7
Display - 7
Specifications and performance - 7
Cameras - 7
Battery - 8
Overall - 7
Realme 5 Pro Rating
Design - 7
Display - 8
Performance - 9
Cameras - 9
Battery - 8
Overall - 9
Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro Review: Verdict
Realme 5 is a nice little mix of impressive hardware and aggressive price. While the device is certainly not as powerful as the Realme 5 Pro in terms of internals, it is quite powerful in its own right.
Realme's decision to include the Snapdragon 665 AIE SoC pt it in a unique position vis-a-vis the competition under the sub Rs 10k segment. The chipset also helps it look favourable against much more expensive competitors such as the Mi A3 which also houses the same SoC.
However, the phone's HD display, poor camera performance in low light situations and its bulky frame are all reasons that may compel you to look elsewhere.
Which is precisely where the Realme 5 Pro steps in.
With more RAM, a better chipset, Full HD+ display and a generally more manageable form factor, the Realme 5 Pro brings with it all that the Realme 5 lacks.
However, it comes at a cost.
The Realme 5 Pro starts at Rs 13,999 and goes up to Rs 16,999, putting it in a direct fight against powerful beasts such as the Vivo Z1 Pro, Xiaomi Mi A3, Redmi Note 7 Pro, Oppo K3 and even the company's flagship, the Realme X.
While the Realme 5 Pro has enough to take on the competition in the segment, it cannot be ignored that all these phones bring with them something different that makes them stand out from the crowd.
But as far as Realme 5 Pro's concerned, its promise of fast performance and above par cameras at a competitive price may be enough to lure buyers into its court.
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