Realme X review: X marks the spot

Realme has built quite a reputation for itself in a very short span of time – Realme is barely a year old in India - on back of affordable phones that almost always punch way above ir weight. On Monday, Realme anunced Realme X, which is its most ambitious smartphone to date. It is ambitious in terms of specs, of course, but it is also very ambitious in terms of pricing – Realme X is Realme’s most expensive smartphone to date in India. phone starts at Rs 16,999 and goes all way up to Rs 19,999. re’s also a limited Spider-Man: Far From Home edition of Realme X tagging along, for Rs 20,999, for Marvel fans.  

So, what does that kind of money get you? 

• Large 6.53-inch AMOLED screen with optical in-display fingerprint scanner
• 48MP rear camera with Sony’s IMX586 sensor 
• 16MP pop-up selfie shooter 
• Up to 8GB RAM and 128GB stor 
• 20W VOOC 3.0 fast charging with compliant fast charger and proprietary cable in box 

One look at Realme X’s spec sheet and you’re bound to check that pricing again – does this thing really cost as much as is does? Realme X may be Realme’s most ambitious smartphone to date, but those keeping a check will kw, it’s still pretty much business as usual. You see, every product that Realme has come up with since May 2018 – since it me its India debut – has been mighty ambitious. And even though Realme X takes things to a whole new level, it’s still t very different from say, Realme 3 Pro – which was Realme’s most expensive phone until Realme X happened. That’s both a good thing and b.  

On one side it’s nice to see Realme trying out something different, something more premium, and on or, it’s also a risk. It’s hard to change typical Indian buyer’s perception after all. same reason why more expensive Mi phones have failed to attract m, applies to a phone like Realme X as well because much like Xiaomi, Realme also started off as an affordable brand trying to offer all latest in tech at rock-bottom prices. And it does t help that Realme alrey has a very capable Realme 3 Pro in market to spoil Realme X’s party – at an even more affordable price. 

Realme believes it’s a risk worth taking though, and I couldn’t agree more. 

Design - A Realme phone with a OnePlus twist 

For those unaware, Realme is an Oppo spin-off brand which in turn is owned by BBK Electronics – Chinese tech giant that’s also behind OnePlus. OnePlus phones have almost always borne some or or similarity to devices from Oppo – which is hardly surprising. But even though Oppo and OnePlus have a lot in common, both brands have carved out ir own distinct identity – as also, ir own select clientele. 

same is true about Realme. And Realme X is proof of this sparkling legacy. Realme X is a Realme phone with a OnePlus twist. This starts with core design. 

Realme X looks a lot like OnePlus 7 Pro, from front as well as from back – it’s almost as thick and as bulky too. Realme X has a glossy, iridescent posterior while front is dominated by a large near bezel-less screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. re’s also a motorized pop-up selfie camera, only Realme has placed it de center, which is where se things should be in first place.  

Coming back to that glossy, iridescent posterior though, I really like how this thing has been designed – how this thing is a grual step-up from Realme 3 Pro even though both se phones seem to have been designed from same mould. Realme X isn’t me of glass, like Redmi te 7 Pro, but you’ll be hard-pressed to make out difference – especially from afar. multi-layered plastic that Realme is using in Realme X exudes an almost glass-like confidence especially in way it reflects light. It looks a lot like Realme 3 Pro, yes, but it’s just better – in both look and feel. 

Realme is launching Realme X with a new Polar White grient finish – that's color to buy, if you ask me. It’s got this elegant, understated, shimmery look you’d rmally find in more expensive phones. Realme’s signature S-shaped pattern that’s visible at specific angles on here, may look anything from pink to purple depending on how light bounces off its surface - it’s one of those things where you’ll need to see it to believe it. Ar interesting thing about this colorway is faux stainless-steel outer frame which ds ar dash of premium to whole pack. 

re’s also a Blue flavor more suitable for those who like it a-bit-louder. 

re are also options for those seeking a matte finish – this may be first time a brand is offering a phone in as many finishes, and it’s t even a flagship phone. Realme is also bringing "Garlic" and "Onion" Master Editions of Realme X to India. Garlic and Onion editions of Realme X feature artwork of Muji's iconic designer, Naoto Fukasawa. t only do phones have a colour palette that closely resembles a garlic/onion (in dition to ir smooth matte finish), Master Editions of Realme X also have Naoto Fukasawa's signature printed on back. Realme says distinct colour scheme of se phones was achieved after 72 grient tests – and over 300 protos were used to get to final look.     

build of phone is again, what we’ve come to expect from Realme – although, it’s high time w that Realme thinks about making an all-glass phone too. Realme X is t unibody, but it’s got just right amount of curves so it sticks comfortably in your palm – even though back can be t slippery to hold. power button on right and volume rocker on left are well positioned so reaching m is hassle – also, y offer good tactile feedback. optical fingerprint scanner that sits at bottom of screen is fast and accurate.  

Display - As full screen as full screen gets, and Realme’s first shot at AMOLED 

Realme X has a 6.53-inch 1080p+ AMOLED display which is a first for Realme. pop-up selfie cam (and in-display fingerprint) setup on-board Realme X allows Realme to offer a screen-to-body ratio of a whopping 91.2 per cent. In short, re’s a lot of screen real estate here for thorough immersive multimedia experiences. And it’s a high-quality screen too – with punchy colours and great viewing angles. It can get substantially bright too and because it’s t as prone to smudge as say Realme 3 Pro, viewing content on it is a pleasurable experience when you’re out and about in direct sunlight. 

review unit that I have been testing does t support Widevine L1 which is necessary to stream HD content on a mobile device – but Realme says, final retail units will ship with Widevine L1 support out-of--box. 

Hardware – If it ain't broke, don't fix it 

Realme X has same core hardware as Realme 3 Pro – although, it does boast of more RAM and more stor which is always nice. Like Realme 3 Pro, Realme X is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor. This is paired with up to 8GB RAM and up to 128GB stor which is sly t expandable.  

While it’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 (found inside Redmi te 7 Pro) in terms of raw CPU performance, Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 inside Realme X has its own vants. Snapdragon 710 is based on a 10nm manufacturing process and has an 8-core CPU (2x2.2GHz Kryo 360 Gold and 6x1.7GHz Kryo 360 Silver) and re 616 GPU – it offers more efficiency and a better GPU.  

While rmal efficiency (and long-lasting battery life) seems to be a standard across most mid-tier phones w, a more powerful GPU surely goes a long way in ensuring smooth frame rates while playing graphically demanding games like PUBG. A phone like Realme X is better suited to play PUBG for longer durations and without breaking a sweat – at high settings. And it does, as vertised. Realme X also has a thing called game , that helps allocate resources on a per game basis. 

Moreover, it helps that Realme X is slouch eir in terms of day-to-day us suggesting Realme has been able to well optimise hardware with its software – that's always a big plus. Realme X is generally a fast phone with fluid performance unless you have multiple RAM chugging apps running in background – and even n, experience is fairly satisfactory rar than being frustrating. re’s of course an option with 8GB RAM available for those looking for more, but I feel, a 6GB RAM variant would have also been nice.  

Software – re are more ways you can customise your phone w 

While I am t a fan of Oppo’s ColorOS, I like direction in which it is going lately.  Realme 3 runs Oppo’s ColorOS 6 which is based on Android 9 Pie. An all-new ‘borderless’ design with lighter colour schemes and newer fonts and app drawer interface are major highlights. Also, that OLED panel allows Realme to offer an always-on ambient light mode in Realme X – it’s very basic but at least you get option.

More importantly, software in Realme X is a lot cleaner and more efficient from one found in past Oppo/Realme phones that were simply a cornucopia of unnecessary settings and features. Also, I can’t stress eugh – Realme X doesn’t show any s. It does need to re-work on its tifications though, and while at it, maybe it could also get rid of many duplicate apps on offer here. 

A unique thing about Realme X is that it marks official debut of Realme’s in-house me store, so re are more ways you can customise your phone w. 

Camera(s) – One of best we’ve seen in this price range 

Realme X packs a lot of megapixels in camera department and n puts m to good use, is how I'd like to define it. Hardware-wise, Realme X is pretty well stacked – like a gazillion more phones in and around its price point. re’s a dual camera system on rear consisting of a 48MP (with Sony’s IMX 586) sensor with f/1.7 aperture and ar 5MP sensor for depth sensing aka portrait photography. On front, Realme X comes with a 16MP camera with a Sony IMX471 sensor. 

While Realme X’s dual rear camera system (and front camera) supports AI-based scene recognition, Realme is touting two features as highlights. One being Nightscape which is Realme’s take on night mode we’ve come to see on many phones lately - for cleaner low-light photos with more detail. or being Chroma Boost – for achieving greater dynamic range and more balanced exposure under different lighting scenarios. 

And w, about im quality. While Realme 3 Pro was all about playing catch up, with Realme X, Realme finally has an answer to Redmi te 7 Pro – a segment leer in this regard. 48MP main camera (that uses pixel binning to produce 12MP photos by default) can capture some great photos in ideal lighting with lots of detail and punchy colours that don’t seem exaggerated or artificial. dynamic range, which is ability of sensor to differentiate between light and shows, is one of best we’ve seen in this price segment. Chroma boost, when enabled, can bump up dynamic range a bit furr.  

Realme X excels particularly in shooting macros or close-up shots and can capture one of best portraits (using secondary 5MP camera) in this price segment – even more so in case of n-human subjects.  

Realme X can also capture good photos in tricky light as well – and brighter, more detailed photos in low light courtesy Realme’s Nightscape. But surely, low light camera performance could be better on this one, what with that impressive hardware.

Realme X can shoot n-stabillised 4K videos @30fps and electronically stabilised 1080p videos @30fps – results are far superior than Realme 3 Pro, and one of best, in this price segment. Realme X, in dition, can also record 960fps (at 720p) super slow-motion videos – but it’s more like a parlor trick than one you can usually put to good use. 

16MP front camera of Realme X also shoots great selfies with lots of details in all sorts of lighting conditions.     

Battery life – Outstanding 

Realme X may t have a 4,000mAh+ battery as Realme 3 Pro, but it’s still a one-day phone for even most demanding users. Toning things down furr should get you even more. phone also supports Oppo’s VOOC 3.0 flash charge through USB -C (which is also a first for Realme) and ships with a 20W fast charger (and proprietary cable) in box that can charge whole thing from 0-100 per cent in around 1 hour 15 minutes. 

Should you buy Realme X? 

X clearly marks spot for Realme. Realme X takes everything I loved about Realme 3 Pro and puts it inside a pack that’s a step-up in almost all departments. A true upgre is what it is. With a modern design, near full-screen AMOLED display, dependable performance, great all-round cameras, and a battery that refuses to die, Realme has come up with yet ar winner.  

Remember how I was going on and on about pricing – and how Realme X is Realme’s most expensive smartphone to date – in beginning? Well, let me tell you that it’s all worth it, but you should totally get 8GB/128GB model only and only if you’re looking to get Onion/Garlic Master editions of phone – and t specifically for more RAM. 4GB/128GB model strikes right balance of features and affordability and going by Realme’s track record, it won’t be surprising if it comes up with a 6GB RAM variant in days to come. Realme has been keeping Xiaomi on its toes since arrival and if Realme X is any indication, it's going to stay that way for a long time w. 

Photos by Saurabh Singh