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Realme phones you should look at this Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale

(PHOTO: realme)
(PHOTO: realme)

By: Paolo Lacuna

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According to a report by Counterpoint, realme continues its growth streak in spite of the smartphone market decline of 19% due to the pandemic. In Singapore, realme has achieved a growth of 300% and ranks 5th among top smartphone brands.

It’s a simple formula for realme-deliver smartphones with hype-inducing features like - super-fast charging, high refresh screens, robust camera features, reliable performance, encased in an elegantly designed shell. All these in a reasonably priced smartphone. We checked out three of realme’s main models - the X50 5G, X50 5G Pro and the 7 Pro, to help you make that purchase decision this Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale.

Here’s a quick comparison of the 3 phones and their key features:

(PHOTO: realme)
(PHOTO: realme)

The realme X50Pro 5G

The brand’s first 5G flagship phone realme X50Pro 5G lives up to 2020’s flagship phone standards. It is powered by a Snapdragon 865 5G processor that supports Dual-Mode 5G networks. Coupled with 5D Stereoscopic Ice Cooling Pro technology, it should keep the X50Pro 5G cool through cpu intensive operations like gaming.

The X50Pro 5G includes a 65W SuperDart Flash charger in the box, that the brand claims to charge the 50Pro’s 4200mAh dual-cell battery to 100% in just 35 minutes.

The phone impresses with a large 6.44 inch Super AMOLED display that supports 90Hz refresh rate. It may only support Full HD+ (2400x1080 pixels) which is a bit lower than most flagships today at 1440p, but the screen's high colour gamut range and high refresh rate bring this phone on par with other brands within its price range. You can expect great media consumption and gaming from this display.

(PHOTO: realme)
(PHOTO: realme)

Similar to many flagship phones today, the realme X50Pro 5G is covered in glass with an aluminium frame, but has an outer layer of Gorilla Glass 5 giving it extra protection. It feels smooth on-hand and the matte finish keeps it from being too flashy. There’s also an under-display fingerprint scanner, which performs quite well, and unlocks the phones without delays.

As expected of any phone with a Pro moniker, the X50Pro comes packed with a very capable 4 rear camera set which includes a primary 64MP, an ultrawide-angle 8MP, a telephoto 12MP and a depth sensor with 2MP. It supports video capture up to 4K at 60fps, 20x zoom and has an improved Ultra Nightscape mode.

For the selfie camera, the X50Pro 5G sports a 32MP wide camera and an 8MP ultrawide camera housed in a wide, pill-shaped punchole floating at the top left of the phone.

There’s a lot to like about the X50Pro 5G, but there are a few things missing from the phone that many other flagship phones have. The phone does not have wireless charging, and no IP water and dust resistance rating. But for most consumers, this is an acceptable trade-off for a flagship phone at this price.

(PHOTO: realme)
(PHOTO: realme)

The realme X50Pro 5G is available in two colours - Moss Green and Rust Red. It’s priced now at $999, but they are having a Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale from 26 to 30 November, where every purchase of the X50Pro 5G comes packed with a free realme Watch and Buds Q, free gifts with a combined value over $200. You can find this promo in realme’s official stores in Lazada and Shopee.

The realme X50 5G

The realme X50 5G quickly impresses with a larger and strikingly colourful 6.57 inch display with a snappy 120hz refresh rate. Everything feels smooth and quick, in spite of the Snapdragon 765G chipset in the X50 5G, normally found in many upper mid-range phones today.

Not to say that the Snapdragon 765G is a slouch at all, it actually performs better than expected. The X50 5G speeds through the UI with no effort at all and is able to manage CPU-intensive tasks like gaming. Games like Genshin Impact run well even when set to 60fps. There are a few very minor stutters, but nothing game-breaking. The X50 5G does get warm though, which can be expected. It’s not uncomfortable warm, but noticeable.

The X50 5G is also wrapped in Gorilla Glass 5 and built with an aluminium frame. It gives a very flagship feel and finish with a glossy black that reflects light in intricate patterns. It’s very flashy and eye-catching, but be ready to keep wiping the back of fingerprint smudges. The fingerprint scanner lives at the right side of the phone, integrated with the power button. It does take a while to get used to but it is as fast or maybe even faster than any under-display sensor.

The realme X50 5G also ships with 4 rear cameras - a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro and 2MP depth camera. It may be not as impressive as the X50Pro, but still a formidable set that supports 4K video capture at 30fps. Video stability leaves a lot to be desired but the camera array of the X50 performs well for photos. The selfie camera set includes a 16MP wide and 2MP depth camera, which delivers only ok shots.

It is also powered by a 4200mah battery, and includes a 30W Dart charger which can power up this phone to 100% in approximately 57 mins.

There are other trade-offs to keep the realme X50 5G affordable. The display is still limited to Full HD+ (2400x1080 pixels) and the IPS LCD screen isn’t as vibrant as the AMOLED screen found in the X50Pro. But for a 120hz display refresh on a smartphone priced at $599, it is hard to beat.

(PHOTO: realme)
(PHOTO: realme)

The realme X50 5G is available in Jungle Green or Ice Silver and you can get a free realme watch valued at S$149 if you buy it now at Lazada and Shopee during the Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale from 26 to 30 November.

The realme 7 Pro

The newest phone from realme, the 7 Pro claims to be the fastest charging smartphone in its price range. The package includes the same 65W SuperDart charger found in the X50Pro 5G, fully charging the 7 Pro’s already impressive 4500mah battery in 34 minutes.

Keeping true to its “Pro” name, the realme 7 Pro includes a large and vibrant 6.4 inch Super AMOLED screen with Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution. It only supports 60hz refresh rate but still exceptional for media consumption and gaming for a phone in its price range. It’s also equipped with stereo speakers that are quite loud but could use a bit more bass. There’s also a fingerprint scanner under the screen.

The realme 7 Pro is equipped with a Snapdragon 720G processor and daily usage of the usual activities like browsing social media, reading emails and watching media runs smoothly and glitch-free. Gaming also performs surprisingly well with games like Rebel Racing and PUBG.

7Pro camera up-close. (PHOTO: Paolo Lacuna/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)
7Pro camera up-close. (PHOTO: Paolo Lacuna/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)

Another “Pro” feature is the realme 7 Pro’s camera array. The main camera is a 64MP Sony wide camera that is very capable in “point-and-shoot” scenarios. It also includes an 8MP Ultra wide camera, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor. On standard, it delivers above-average photos with accurate colours. It also performs well for ultra-close shots, even in bad lighting. The 7 Pro also support night mode with an interesting set of night filters like cyberpunk, flamingo and modern gold giving night shots a unique character.

(PHOTO: realme)
(PHOTO: realme)

Its selfie shooter is a 32MP camera that can shoot colour accurate and natural-looking selfies. It's usable but there’s really nothing spectacular.

The body of the 7 Pro is wrapped in glass, but the back has a very interesting two-tone design. It is not as flashy as the X50 5G but you can see the difference in the two segments when light reflects on it differently. It’s an interesting design choice and gives the 7 Pro a very unique look from all other smartphones this year.

The 7 Pro is available in Mirror Blue and Mirror Silver, and can be purchased at Lazada and Shopee at an affordable S$499.

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