Realme is a brand that has a name for itself in creating budget smartphones. In 2019, they’ve attempted to go the extra mile with a pseudo-budget-premium device. How? With the Realme 5 Pro. This device is one that serves as a successor to the famous and recent Realme 3 Pro. It improves on the things that made that device great and adds substantial features deserving of its name. Even regardless of the number skip. It does all these great things while maintaining a budget price tag.
Realme 5 Pro Hands-on Review
The biggest change with this device compared to the Realme 3 Pro is in the camera of the device. This device is one that sports a 4 camera setup which is more than the majority of today’s flagship devices. The quad-camera setup is one that will be adapted for all Realme devices in the future.
The other significant upgrade is with the processor which is now the Snapdragon 712 instead of the Snapdragon 710 of the previous iteration. Also, the device is updated with a new back panel that sports a premium and modern look.
Even with all these changes, Realme is providing a device that’s a bang for your buck. The price is one that will help it achieve a high competition in the smartphone market in India. It’s one that’s gunning for the position of the best budget smartphone against the Redmi Note 7 Pro in India.
Realme 5 Pro Release Information
The Realme 5 Pro is a device that sports three different configuration models. The base model is still a powerful device with 4 GB RAM and 64GB storage available. This config comes at just Rs 14,000 or $200. On the other hand, there is a 6 GB RAM and 64GB storage variant that goes for $210 or Rs 15,000. The top of the line model is fully spec-ed out with 8 GB of RAM combined with a large 128GB of storage for a low Rs 17,000 or $240.
The Design of the Realme 5 Pro
With the Realme 5 Pro, the design is aimed towards budget users with a premium image. Its new design and modern look give it a premium look that’s higher than your initial impressions of its price. The device has a crystal design on its back which is diamond-like and solidifies that expensive aesthetic.
Although the design is great, the market is oversaturated with that aesthetic. Today, many smartphones have a blue gradient available. Some brands with this design include OnePlus and Xiaomi.
The device also possesses a plastic material that’s quite durable. However, this material is still prone to scratches that will be visible over time. This is easily solved with a phone case or skin. So, you don’t have to worry about that part of the device.
With the Realme Pro 5, the design looks premium but handling it doesn’t feel like using a premium phone. The body is susceptible to smudges and fingerprints. Granted, the design is still highly functional. Its got the perfect form factor that doesn’t feel bulky or particularly slippery. It’s still a much better design and handling experience than many other budget phones in the market.
Display of Realme 5 Pro
Within this budget range, there are many displays that sound great on paper but fall short with actual usage. Unfortunately, the Realme 5 Pro falls within these devices. With a 6.3-inch full-screen notch display, there is enough screen to interact with. It also comes with an LCD IPS Panel which is situated with a 2340 x 1080p resolution. The notch is a simple waterdrop design that is blended in with the front camera. This notch is actually smaller than the Realme 3 Pro’s notch.
Although the display is quite lacking in some aspects, there is still an extremely color-accurate panel built into the display. The Realme 5 Pro has a great resolution and has a good production of colors.
However, it lacks the definition and cohesion that OLED panels bring to the table. On that note, it’s quite telling why they had to sacrifice some aspects to achieve that sweet price point. The colors are great and are extremely suitable for viewing. But, compared to an AMOLED panel, it lacks the necessary technology for vividness.
The display is quite bright and is great for outdoor viewing. It has discrete maximum brightness levels that don’t hinder the color accuracy of the device. In that regard, it also sports a great minimum brightness level that’s good for viewing in darker environments.
The protection and durability of the screen is decent. It comes with a Gorilla Glass 3+ screen that is strong enough to endure some rigidity. Even better, the device comes with a plastic screen protector that comes with the device which is a nice addition.
Performance of the Realme 5 Pro
With Xiaomi rigorously competing and acquiring India’s smartphone market, there is a higher drive for better processors within the community. Because of this demand, Realme has decided to satisfy this market by creating the new Realme 5 Pro.
The device has a powerful chip with the Snapdragon 712 AIE. At 10nm, the chipset has great efficiency and possesses a powerful and raw processing speed and power. It’s much better than other phones at its price point. Moreover, it can compete with phones at a higher price point.
The Snapdragon 712 is ironically more powerful by 10% than the 710 which powers another Realme device, the Realme X which sits at a higher price point than the 5 Pro.
The Realme 5 Pro is swift with tasks. For all forms of regular use, this device can easily digest these tasks. From social media to texting, calling, multitasking, and photo/video, the Realme 5 Pro does its work problem-free. Unfortunately, the device does not have the most fluid animations for utilization. It comes with a Snapdragon 712 which is a processor capable of handling all 2019 updates and intricacies to Android software.
Components that drive performance
The device has 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM combined with UFS 2.1 storage which is paired with SD 712 and it ensures the performance of the app remains quick with fast opening times.
These specs aren’t only for loading apps by the way. With a large 6.3 inch display, you have enough screen real estate for gaming. The processor is stable and powerful enough for gaming. There aren’t many budget phones that can handle gaming with a consistent and high FPS while keeping the device cool throughout your sessions.
The chipset of this device has great performance that’s well optimized for the Realme 5 Pro. We’ve found other devices that have this same chipset with worse performance.
In the Realme 5 Pro, the ColorOS 6.0.1 is operating on top of Android 9 Pie. ColorOS has many cosmetic changes to the default version of Android. There are various functionalities added to this device beyond the regular Android features.
The icons, notification shade and settings app look different. The many changes are over the stock Android interface. The customization options are visual but numerous. The wallpapers and icons are changeable.
There are many useful features with this device’s configuration. It gives users the option of a private space that’s useful for the more sensitive content. You also get the chance to manage your Hotspot and limit data usage and themes.
The Camera of Realme 5 Pro
With the camera of this device, Realme has made the effort to ensure that we know its Realme 5 phones have the first quad-camera setup on a budget smartphone. The phone has a 48MP f/1.7 aperture main camera, 8MP for its ultra-wide lens alongside a macro lens with 2MP for its portrait lens. This serves as a depth sensor for better image clarity.
The device’s primary camera has a snappy and quick shutter that captures images without lag. It also shoots on the go which helps you to get your shots without blur. The camera has a dynamic range which helps with shooting within low-light conditions.
The Realme 5 Pro has an ultrawide lens that gives a broad FOV. Even with the wide FOV, it still has the color parity that the main camera possesses. The device has a great dynamic range on the ultrawide with good focus. However, they are not as good as the one on the primary camera. Under low light, the Pro 5 produces images that are quite dark.
Battery Performance of Realme 5 Pro
The Realme 5 Pro device has a 4,035 mAh battery which has great battery life. This great battery life is complemented by the optimization options for ColorOS. On top of this, there’s a VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge which helps the phone charge at a rate of 20W. This helps the device gain up to 50% battery life within 30 minutes. In comparison to the Realme 3 Pro, it uses a USB Type-C for charging which is the future of charging on smartphones.
Final Verdict of Realme 5 Pro
The Realme 5 Pro is a great device for budget and mid-range users. It checks all the boxes for a great smartphone and adds some intricacies to that. With all these, the Realme 5 Pro has the chance to be the best selling smartphone. In the smartphone industry, there are more than enough big-name brands absorbing the majority of users. But these days, things are changing. We are personally excited about this new shift in the smartphone industry.