Android

Realme GT 5G: the true mid-range custom-built [REVIEW]

By Nick Levy

Posted on March 14, 2021

Realme GT 5G: the true mid-range custom-built [REVIEW]

Presented very recently and already in our hands, Realme GT 5G does not betray expectations, with a true top of the range hardware and excellent finishes with a midrange price. Small spoiler: the Snapdragon 888 pushes really hard. Let's find out how it behaves in our review!

REALME GT 5G: UNBOXING Black box, very voluminous and with name in plain sight in satin silver: from the packaging Realme GT looks like a high-end product. Maybe I'm a big box fanatic, but in a market where devices arrive in increasingly skimpy packages, it's good for the heart to find a manufacturer that still focuses on dear old important packaging!

No more chatter and open the box: the first thing we find is the accessories box, with an informal welcome from Realme. A small thing, it is true, but that completes the good impression that the box made.

Immediately below we find our beautiful device, with a classic USB Type-C cable, a translucent black silicone cover and, surprise, a 65W fast charging power supply. Earphones are missing as usual, but at least there is the audio jack, which I personally love on a smartphone.

The transparent plastic cover is good, it does its duty and improves an already excellent grip (thanks to the leather effect finish, but more on that later). I am not a fan of silicone covers, nor of transparent ones, but I must say that it is always nice to find one in the box, in order to keep the device protected while waiting for another cover.

THE DEVICE Realme GT is not a very compact device, but rather light and handy (186g), especially in the version with leatherette cover. The device is also available in the version with rear glass, with a slightly reduced thickness (8.4mm against 9.1mm of the version with leatherette cover), but in this case the grip drops slightly.

The version we tested, the Racing Yellow, has a back cover with a beautiful leather effect texture in yellow color, with a glass band that follows the line of the camera box, with a particular herringbone texture.

The body, with dimensions of 158.5 x 73.3 x 9.1 mm, houses a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED display, with a resolution of 2400 × 1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate

The construction level is very high: no smudges or strange creaks, and everything is perfectly in its place. the side frames are almost non-existent, while the lower one is extremely reduced.

The front of the device houses the selfie cam, positioned at the top left in a special hole in the display, while the audio capsule is expertly set in the upper frame.

The display protection film already installed is very popular, among other things in an almost perfect way.

The attention to detail and the chromatic combination closely recall the world of sports custom-built cars, to which the name of the device also refers. Contrary to what has already been seen on other devices in the same price range, the vegetable leather cover is made really well: thanks to the particular texture it will not collect any type of fingerprint, while the anti-scratch and anti-shock treatment is able to make the device resistant to adverse weather and wear conditions.

The side frames, flat at the top and bottom and curved at the sides to favor the grip of the device even without the cover, are made in a dark gray chrome color.

The left side of the device houses the SIM slot and the two volume keys, while on the right side we find the power key, with a gold-colored internal finish. Another small aesthetic detail, which helps to elevate this device compared to its competitors.

The upper part simply contains the mirrophone for ambient noise reduction, while the lower side houses the USB Type-C port, the 3.5mm audio jack, the speaker and the microphone.

The back is occupied by the photographic compartment, consisting of 3 Sony cameras set in a slightly raised box, which also houses the powerful dual tone flash.

DATA SHEET Operating System Realme UI 2.0 – Android 11 Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G RAM 8 GB Memory 128 GB Display 6.43 ″ Super AMOLED Fullscreen Resolution 1080 x 2400 pixels Rear camera 64 megapixel + 8 megapixel + 2 megapixel Front camera 16 megapixel Battery 4500mAh Dimensions 158.5 x 73.3 x 9.1 mm Weight 186g USB Type-C SIM type Nano SIM

DISPLAY The SuperAMOLED display on board the Realme GT occupies more than 90% of the front surface, thanks to the small hole that houses the front camera and the extremely small frames. The color rendering of the 6.43-inch panel is always accurate, and among the settings there is the possibility to make changes to the color tone as well. The 120 Hz refresh rate is also excellent, which ensures excellent fluidity in any situation.

The brightness is very high, and it is more than enough to set it to about half for pleasant use even outdoors: with maximum brightness the screen will be clearly visible even in strong light conditions or direct exposure to sunlight. Excellent viewing angle, which does not show chromatic aberrations even at maximum inclinations.

The Dual Ambient brightness sensors also always intervene in a very precise and fast way, and make the screen always relaxing for the view.

CAMERA Realme GT is equipped with a triple rear camera with Sony 64 + 8 + 2 megapixel sensors and maximum aperture of f / 1.8 and f / 2.3 for the secondary sensor. The yield, especially of the 64 megapixel main sensor, is really excellent. The wide angle is very good, although as usual of slightly lower quality than the main camera, while the sensor for macros is sufficient. The latter in fact is able to give excellent close-up shots, as long as the lighting conditions are good.

Photos in optimal lighting conditions are truly excellent, with well-defined details (in some cases the software intervenes to increase the sharpness before recording the shot). In low light conditions the excellent algorithm supplied intervenes, returning a good level of noise reduction and a high amount of detail.

Also interesting is the multi-frame algorithm, which combines multiple 64-megapixel shots to obtain a single shot full of details and with very little digital noise.

Unmissable the wide angle and the macro, which we have come to appreciate so much on every latest generation device. The first is excellent, the second is good, they complete what I think is a more than successful photographic sector on Realme GT.

The photographic sector is full of interesting features and above all it can count on the use of artificial intelligence, which intervenes on the image rendering by identifying the type of scene from time to time, very quickly and precisely. In this case, the Sony sensors on board the Realme GT, although present on other devices of a similar range, still manage to return results more and more than a notch higher. From point-and-shoot mode to the more complete PRO mode, passing through the myriad of features available, it is always a pleasure to shoot with this device.

The graphic interface of the camera is very clean and intuitive, with all the elements well organized and the many functions within easy reach.

The front camera is also not bad, equipped with artificial intelligence and portrait mode, which artificially recreates the bokeh effect. Thanks to the f / 2.5 aperture and on-screen flash, you'll be able to get good results even in the dark.

The dual LED flash illuminates the scene well and does not tend to burn colors even in almost total darkness, while the automatic HDR mode works well in the recovery of shadows and lights.

I tried some shots in really harsh light conditions: sun at peak, extreme brightness and strong shadow, and even in this case the result was great with the simple point and shoot.

Excellent close-range performance, which returns a good number of details. The macro mode is entrusted to a dedicated lens, with more than good results. The lighting management is also noteworthy, almost always corresponding to the actual scene.

When the lights go down the noise starts to be heard, even if it is handled really well.

The aperture effect is a lot of fun to use, and will delight any bokeh fan. The wide angle, on the other hand, is indispensable for capturing large scenes or making particular compositions. I'm not a big fan of wide angle photos, but I have to admit that since they are practically standard on all smartphones I have a lot of fun shooting with this lens. Too often, however, the wide-angle sensor is not as good as the main sensor, but this is not the case: Realme GT does not neglect the quality of wide-angle photos, and it is definitely a plus.

Good performance in the video sector, in 4K at 60fps, where the excellent hardware supplied to manage everything works very well.

SOFTWARE & HARDWARE Realme GT arrives in your hands with Realme UI 2.0 on board, based on Android 11 with classic customizations.

The performance is truly excellent, like the modern top of the range: under the hood beats the heart of a latest generation 2.84GHz Snapdragon 888 5G octa core, accompanied by 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 internal memory.

The customization is almost total, with a well-finished interface, always fluid and very pleasant to use.

Realme GT also defends itself very well on the gaming side: it can handle heavy and graphically demanding games well, such as Genshin Impact. Overheating is really minimal: despite the intense heat of these days it manages to manage the temperature well even during charging or intense use.

In fact, on board Realme GT we find an innovative cooling system, formed by a steel and copper structure, able to dissipate heat through steam more effectively than its competitors.

Excellent Wi-Fi reception and certainly appreciated the presence of the 5G module. There is also NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and a fingerprint sensor positioned under the display, fast and precise.

BATTERY Not just a strong point of Realme GT is the 4500mAh battery, capable of ensuring autonomy for well over a day, even in conditions of intense use. Using it as the main device I managed to arrive in the evening with well over 5 hours of screen on.

The 65W SuperDart Charge fast charger can fully charge the battery in 35 minutes. In addition, the algorithm behind the charging system ensures 5 levels of pr overload protection. Also present is the OTG Reverse Charge, which allows you to recharge other devices using Realme GT, such as TWS earphones.

CONCLUSIONS Realme GT is truly a champion, and easily leaves behind all the competitors in its price range and more than a few among the higher ranges.

Top-of-the-range specifications, pleasant aesthetics and excellent build quality, well-optimized software and above-average camera make this device a real best buy. Difficult, if not impossible, to find better at the same price.