realme C65 full review: A smart investment for the smart consumer

To kick things off, we must first ask two simple questions: “What is a smart investment and what defines a smart consumer?” Through answering these questions, we can uncover in what areas the realme C65 actually shines.

In my opinion, simply put – a smart investment is getting the most out of what very little you choose to pay for. While a smart consumer on the other hand, is someone who knows when and where to spend his hard-earned money. In both cases, the word “smart” can also be used to describe that object as being part of the digital age – ideal since I’ll be discussing how the realme C65 is a bang-for-your-buck smartphone.

The realme C65 is the brand’s latest budget-friendly release that is built for the long-haul. Let’s see how this smartphone can stand the test of time.

Design & build

In terms of its physical profile, the realme C65 comes in an ultra slim design at just 7.64mm. The device is fairly light as well, weighing at 185g.

The smartphone comes in two contrasting colors – Starlight Purple and Starlight Black, the latter of which is the unit provided to me for testing. The matte finish, coupled with that ever-so-subtle pinch of shine truly evoke the starlight feel which looks absolutely classy.

The Starlight Purple option might be better suited for those looking for more vibrancy. Either way, there is a color for everyone.

The realme C65 does not fall short in the durability aspect as well. Its TÜV SÜD 48-Month Fluency Rating (which we will touch on again later) ensures that the device will still perform under harsh conditions such as extreme temperatures and humidity. Additionally, it has an IP54 Dust and Water Resistance rating.

Display & speakers

The device allows for seamless consumption of multimedia. The realme C65 features a 6.72-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The images produced while watching videos were clear and vibrant, right in time for TWICE Nayeon’s solo comeback.

From 500 nits of brightness, the display can go up to 625 nits while in High Brightness Mode (HBM). It can even go down to 1 nit which can be toggled both manually through the brightness slider or automatically when Auto Brightness is switched on.

The display also features Rainwater Smart Touch which allows the user to easily navigate through the device despite some moist hands or a damp screen.

The realme C65 has the Mini Capsule 2.0 as well. This feature is quite popular in smartphones these days, so it’s definitely a welcome addition. Various information can be displayed on the capsule. But for me, the most useful ones are the charging and battery status, mobile data usage and of course, music playback control.

Furthermore, the device has TÜV Low Blue Light Certification that ensures it has the ability to reduce the amount of harmful blue light that it emits.

The smartphone is equipped with a 200% UltraBoom Speaker as well. Honestly, the speaker is nothing too special. I’d highly suggest pairing the device with wireless earbuds. You still have the wired compatibility option with the 3.5mm headphone jack. But let’s be real – with how affordable wireless earphones are these days, does anyone still really use the headphone jack?

Camera

A 50MP AI shooter acts as the device’s main camera system. Photos captured with the main camera are pretty good. The images were clear and quite colorful.

It also features various modes such as Portrait Mode, Street Mode, Night Mode, High-Res and Tilt Shift. A quick word on Night Mode – The images I captured in low light were fairly decent. While it’s definitely not the best, I wouldn’t say it’s the worst either. Passable would be a fair statement to describe the photos.

For videos, the realme C65 can support 1080p@30fps and 720p@30fps.

In front, the smartphone is equipped with an 8MP selfie camera. Again, the photos were decent, and the camera gets the job done.

All-in-all, the camera systems on the realme C65 are satisfactory. This smartphone was never meant to wow us with its photo-taking capabilities. But in terms of everyday usage – capturing memories and posting on social media, you can have no qualms with the device.

Performance & features

The realme C65 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 and features up to 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM (with 8GB of Dynamic RAM). In terms of specs, these are what you would come to expect from an entry-level smartphone.

Gaming on the smartphone was also hitch-free. I’m the type of gamer that tends to lean more towards shooters, so I tested the Call of Duty Mobile on the device. I ran it on the highest graphical settings and experienced no framerate drops whatsoever.

As mentioned earlier, the smartphone has a TÜV SÜD 48-Month Fluency Rating. This also guarantees that it can still run at peak performance over time despite a wide variety of tasks such as app switching and gaming. With proper care, this phone can definitely last you for years to come.

realme UI 5.0, which is based on Android 14, is what makes this smartphone tick. realme UI 5.0 introduces new features that will improve the user’s quality life. These said features are called real Essentials.

The first of these real Essentials is Air Gestures. Using the selfie camera, you can use gestures to either answer or mute a call. These gestures can also be used with apps supported by this feature such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

To further test Air Gestures, I went on TikTok and used my hand to swipe up and down through different videos. Air Gestures might have just introduced touchless doom scrolling, which I don’t mind one bit. I’m also the type of person who loves watching videos while eating. I might never have to touch the screen with my oily hands ever again.

The fingerprint sensor can also act as a Dynamic Button which you can map to perform a specific function such as changing the sound mode for example. You can also map it to open a specific app, which I find very useful.

It’s important to note that you can use both a double tap and/or double press for the Dynamic Button. Either can perform unique actions, but I highly suggest sticking to the latter. The double tap action can be quite sensitive and I found myself often opening the camera (which is the function I mapped out for double tap) unintentionally.

In the area right next to the main camera of the smartphone, you can trigger Smart Code Scan by double tapping it. This will activate the rear camera and instantly scan a QR code. This is especially convenient given the current landscape of cashless payment solutions wherein we constantly utilize mobile wallets such as GCash and Maya.

AI Boost allows the user to choose between two different options: Smooth Boost or Game Boost. This allows the smartphone to prioritize between overall productivity or gaming performance.

Lastly, real Essentials features Riding Mode. It’s an all-in-one window that can access Google Maps, music apps, contacts and Google Dialer so all your non-negotiables while on the road are easily within reach.

However, I cannot stress this enough – as much as possible, please do not use your phone while driving. Maybe your passengers can be the ones to access the Riding Mode window for you.

Aforementioned features such as the Mini Capsule 2.0, Rainwater Smart Touch and Customized Low Brightness are also part of the real Essentials, which can impact how seamless our everyday tasks with a smartphone can be carried out. For me, this is what truly makes the realme C65 shine.

Battery & charging

The realme C65 draws its power from a 5,000mAh battery. With this, you can expect an all-day battery life with various usage scenarios.

The smartphone also supports a 45W SUPERVOOC charge which allows for fast charging. 0-50% can be achieved in just about 30 minutes. A full can be reached in about 75-80 minutes based on experience.

Verdict

Overall, the realme C65 offers all that you need in an entry-level smartphone. But its true shining qualities can be seen in the real Essentials which can vastly improve the efficiency at which we go about our daily lives.

For only Php 9,999, the realme C65 truly exemplifies what a smart investment is. It’s a long-lasting, durable smartphone that has a host of features to improve the user’s quality of life at a very modest price – a smart investment truly made for the smart consumer.

Photos by CJ Lavares