The realme 6 is the company’s latest mid-range gaming phone to hit the Philippine market.
Armed with a pocket friendly price tag, the handset boasts a powerful MediaTek Helio G90T chipset and a large 90Hz display. But can it compete in a market now filled with affordable mid-rangers? Let’s find out.
Be sure to check out our unboxing for details about the packaging and its contents.
That 90Hz display
The realme 6 features a v-shaped design aesthetic inspired by comets. Our review unit is in Comet Blue and it looks great. I like the way the reflection moves and changes based on how the light hits it, giving an impression that its more premium than its price lets on.
The phone has a large 6.5-inch full HD+ IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The standard refresh rate is 60Hz. The higher number makes movement and animations look smoother and more fluid. It’s not as smooth as 120Hz, but it’s a lot better than the standard.
It also has a punch hole cutout on the upper right. It’s not intrusive and a lot better than a notch, in my opinion. Plus, you can now use these cool wallpapers that hide it (like my Baymax wallpaper).
The side-mounted fingerprint scanner embedded on the power button is fast and easily reached with my thumb or index finger. Its fast to unlock as well.
Also Read: Realme 6 Pro unboxed, hands-on review, camera samples, AnTuTu benchmark
The phone has a single bottom firing speaker. It’s about as good as you might expect in this price range. Its loud and audible for sure, but it does get a bit straining at full volumes.
Gaming chip that punches above its price
A MediaTek Helio G90T is at the heart of the realme 6. The octa-core chip has two 2.05GHz Cortex A76 cores and six 2GHz Cortex A55 cores. Our review unit has 8GB RAM, 128GB UFS 2.1 storage, and realme UI based on Android 10.
With that, the phone is fast and responsive with no lag whatsever. Basic operation is butter smooth thanks to the 90Hz display.
As usual, I played my current favorite game, Call of Duty Mobile, on the realme 6 to see how it fares. I found the best setting for the game is medium graphics at max frame rate. It still looks great with very good response rates.
The phone can run on max everything, mind you, but micro stutters start rearing its ugly head. It’s still playable though, but I find it distracting.
Also Read: Realme 6i review: Bang-for-buck gaming phone
I’m happy to report that I didn’t experience any massive heating issues. It does get warm for long periods, but nothing too serious.
Benchmark scores are impressive, for those who like that sort of thing. I ran another round after a firmware update and pretty much the scores are similar to my first run.
Good cameras on a midrange phone
The Realme 6 has four rear cameras – namely a 64MP main, an 8MP ultra-wide, a 2MP monochrome, and a 2MP macro sensor.
As stated in my initial impressions, the images look good, especially in bright lighting conditions. Colors are punchy and well saturated with above average details.
Nightmode is a little grainy, but it’s good enough for most cases.
Also Read: Realme now Top 7 global brand, boasts 35 million users worldwide
Here’s a look at an ultra-wide shot and one in 20x zoom. As expected, you see a dip in sharpness and quality on max zoom.
For selfies, the 16MP camera does a good job at keeping good skin tone. There are a lot of details, but it’s not as sharp.
Battery life impresses
The 4300mAh battery keeps the phone running for a whole day with casual use with 90Hz refresh rate turned on. I mostly browse the web for news and information, with some social media and YouTube mixed in. In the evenings, I watch Netflix with some gaming.
Thanks to the 30W fast charging, I got to 60% in about 30 minutes. Charging to full takes a bit over an hour.
Final thoughts
For PHP 13,990, the realme 6 offers a lot of value, especially for budget conscious gamers. The 90Hz display offers smooth animations and the MediTek Helio G90T processor can easily drive most games. And the cameras are more than enough for most users.
I highly recommended the realme 6 for those looking for a high performing gaming phone with a 15k budget.
The realme 6 is priced at PHP 13,990 for the 8GB + 128GB model, and PHP 11,990 for the 4GB + 128GB model. The handset is available on Lazada.
Realme 6 specs
- Display: 6.5-inch Full HD+ IPS Display (2400 x 1080, 404ppi), 90Hz Refresh Rate, Corning Gorilla Glass
- Processor: Octa-core MediaTek Helio G90T Processor
- GPU: Mali G76 GPU
- RAM: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB UFS 2.1 Storage, MicroSD Expansion Slot
- Rear Cameras: 64MP f/1.8 Main + 8MP f/2.3 Ultra-wide + 2MP B/W + 2MP Macro Quad Rear Cameras
- Front Camera: 16MP f/2.0 Selfie Camera
- Network: 4G LTE, Dual SIM
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Dual Band, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB Type-C, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
- Others: Fingerprint Scanner (Side), Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio
- OS: Realme UI, Android 10
- Colors: Comet White, Comet Blue
- Battery: 4,300mAh Battery, 30W Fast Charging
