Since its entry in the market just over a year ago, realme has brought us devices that have always brought the bang for their buck. So far it has always left us impressed—from the budget all-arounder realme 3 to their more recent 64MP quad camera entry, the realme XT. Now, I have another budget contender that’s said to be a gaming machine but its price tag had me have to try it for myself to believe it.
Bold Looks
Before anything, the realme C3’s a real stunner. Like the 5i, the brand forgone the usual glossy holographic back that went in vogue last year and instead used a brushed metal case back in statement colors. The metal finish was an excellent design choice from the brand that instantly takes it beyond its price point.
My test unit came in a sharp red tone that I absolutely love. Its eye-catching looks with the sun ray design can also double as a fashion accessory. Its 6.5-inch dewdrop screen is also a good medium to stream or game on and it’s bright enough to use outdoors. Though, I feel that the colors are a bit duller than I would prefer.
Great Performance
I’ve learned not to expect that much from entry-level devices but once in a while, some always manage to surprise me and this is one of those moments. The realme C3 packs in the new octa-core MediaTek Helio G70 processor that been made specifically for entry- to mid-range gaming devices. It promises a high frame rate experience with a clock speed of 2.0 GHz that’s one of the fastest in its category, which it delivers. Playing Call of Duty Mobile on it proved to be a crisp, lag-free ride. Of course, don’t expect to play on the highest settings—but graphics- and performance-wise, there’s nothing to fault.
Benchmarked on 3DMark’s OpenGL 3.0 test, it scored 1,731, better than most devices in its category. Its 5,000 mAh battery was also able to last a whole day’s work and some more, while two to three games a day got me nearly a week of juice. On PCMark, it lasted 11 hours and 8 minutes.
The C3 is also the first from the brand to come with realme’s very own v.1.0 UI based on Android 10 out of the box. The new UI is quite similar to the old ColorOS UIs that used to come with realme phones and also has the much-requested system-wide dark mode feature that you can toggle from the notification shade.
Good for the ‘gram
The realme C3 features a triple rear camera setup comprised of a 12MP main shooter + 2MP portrait + 2MP macro lens. I got some pretty good shots on it but it admittedly does take a bit of patience, especially if you’re a picky shooter.
It’s got all the basics like HDR and beautification tools. It struggles a bit on focusing and colors sometimes come out dull. But generally, photos taken in good light are good enough for the ‘gram. Night shots are decent, though expect some noise to show up. Up front, its got a 5MP selfie camera. Its beauty mode is just a slider that lets you adjust the amount of filtering you want and does its job well, albeit a little too well. One cool feature that you can do on the front camera is take a pano-selfie that gives you a wider view of the scenery or fit more people into the shot. Check it out:
Here are other sample shots taken from the C3:
Our Opinion:
The realme C3, like its predecessors, does not disappoint. It brings a lot into the table with a price tag of just P5,990. Those looking for a gaming device that doesn’t burn a hole in the pocket should definitely check this one out.
Full Specs:
Display: 6.5” HD+ mini-drop multi-touch display, 1600 x 720 resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
SIM: Dual nano
Operating system: realme UI 1.0, based on Android 10
Processor: Mediatek Helio G70
GPU: Mali-G52
Memory: 3 GB RAM
Storage: 32 GB internal, expandable up to 256 GB via microSD
Cameras: Rear – 12 MP (f/1.8) main camera + 2 MP (f/2.4) macro lens + 2 MP (f/2.4) bokeh lens, HDR, PDAF, EIS, LED Flash; Front – 5MP
Connectivity: & I/O ports: Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot; 4G/4G+; Bluetooth 5.0, LE; A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, GALILEO, BDS; Magnetic Induction sensor; FM Radio; Micro USB; rear-mounted fingerprint sensor; 3.5 mm audio jack
Battery: Non-removable 5,000mAh, 10W charging
Dimensions & weight: 164.4mm x 75 mm x 8.95 mm , 195g
Color: Frozen Blue, Blazing Red
Price: P5,990
