Looking for a midrange phone with capable specs that won’t break the bank? Well, realme has you covered. With each release, the brand quickly built a reputation for value-for-money smartphones and AIoT devices.
Recently, they launched the realme 7 Pro in the Philippines. The spiritual successor of the realme 6 Pro boasts a couple of “most-wanted” features such as an AMOLED display and a stereo speakers.
In this review, we’re going to take a look at what the phone offers and see if it justifies the price tag.
Price
The realme 7 Pro is priced at PHP 17,990, and it is available in stores nationwide. If you buy one between September 30 to October 4, you will get an automatic umbrella and a realme Band worth PHP 2,390.
The handset is available through major credit cards via 0% installment plans of six and twelve months. You can also get one through Home Credit in select branches with 0% installment plans of six and nine months; and Lazada with special freebies.
Design
My first impressions of the realme 7 Pro were positive and my sentiments have not changed. It is a handsome phone that departs from previous designs of the brand. The handset is slimmer at 8.7mm, lighter at 182g, and more ergonomic. It fits the hand better too, making it more comfortable to hold and easier to use and navigate.
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I still think the Mirror Silver colorway is the best color to get. The AG Split Design gives the phone a modern, more mature look. The back panel is made of high quality plastic with a gorgeous gradient design with matte finish that is highly resistant to fingerprints.
The phone has a 6.4-inch display. But thanks to its narrow bezels, it has a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio, and a smaller footprint which measures 160.9 x 75.3 x 8.7 mm. The earpiece is almost invisible, hidden on the top bezel. Its also functions as the other half of its stereo speakers. The punch hole for the selfie camera is on the upper left is noticeably smaller, measuring in at just 3.69mm.
The triple SIM tray and volume rocker are on the left, while the power button is on the right. Both keys are within easy reach. I like the yellow accent they added on the power button, by the way. These small details really add a lot of character and value, in my opinion.
The quad cameras at the back are on a rectangular module which protrudes prominently, necessitating the use of the included case to protect it. Speaking of the case, the one that comes with the phone is also better. The material is softer and it is overall slimmer too.
As a fan of wired earphones, I am happy to report that the realme 7 Pro comes with a 3.4mm audio jack. It at the bottom with the microphone, USB Type-C port, and the main speaker.
Display
The realme 7 Pro fronts a 6.4-inch full HD+ display with 2400 x 1080 resolution. It only has a “regular” 60Hz refresh rate, but it is a Super AMOLED panel which boasts a 98% NTSC color gamut, a 180H touch sampling rate, and a in-display fingerprint scanner.
As an AMOLED panel, the display has punchy colors and deep blacks. Its bright and offers good sunlight legibility. Understandably not good as flagship AMOLEDs, but its close, more so if you factor in the price.
Watching movies and videos is a joy, especially with the stereo speakers. You can even watch Netflix films and TV shows in full HD.
Moreover, realme points out that this, together with the realme 7, are the first smartphones to pass the TUV Rheinland Smartphone Reliability Verification, certifying its quality and reliability.
Performance and Benchmarks
The realme 7 Pro is powered by 2.3GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor with an Adreno 618 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, and 128GB UFS 2.1 expandable storage.
The Snapdragon 720G is the same chip as the one found on the realme 6 Pro that was released last May. There are some who lament that they wish it came with a newer processor, but I assume they need to cut costs somewhere to retain the price.
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In terms of performance, the chip, though, easily gets the job done. The phone is fast and snappy. Apps and games load fast and run with no issues. For those who want a smoother experience, you can activate “Smooth scrolling” by going to Settings> realme Lab.
For benchmark scores, check out the image below. Take note benchmarks only show you a part of what the phone can do, and is not indicative of overall user experience.
Cameras
The realme 7 Pro features four rear cameras comprised of a 64MP main, an 8MP ultra-wide, and two 2MP sensors for black and white and macro.
The main camera uses a second generation 1/1.73″ Sony IMX682 sensor with a f/2.4 lens. The 8MP ultra-wide has 119-degree field-of-view, while the B/W sensor helps improve colors and details. The macro lens has a focusing distance of 4cm.
The phone’s camera app has a wide array of features, which includes the following modes: 64MP Mode, Pro Nightscape, Starry Mode, Super NightScape, Panoramic View, Expert Mode, Timelapse, Portrait Mode, HDR, Ultra Wide-angle Mode, Ultra Macro mode, AI Scene Recognition, AI Beauty, Filter, Chroma Boost, Slow Motion, and Bokeh Effect Control.
The front camera, by the way, has a 32MP shooter.
In good lighting conditions, photos have good quality with vibrant colors and above average details.
Here’s a progression of photos to give you an idea of the image quality from wide all the way to max zoom.
Selfies are flattering with good skin tones. Details are a bit soft, but otherwise looks okay. There are times where a yellow tint seem to wash over the image, but its not that noticeable.
Battery Life
With budget handsets offering 5,000mAh batteries, a capacity of 4,500mAh may seem lacking. But the one on the realme 7 Pro is more than enough. Not only that, but it also offers a blazing fast 65W SuperDart Charge.
During testing, we were able to charge the handset from 50% to a full in just 30 minutes. Charging from zero to 100%, on the other hand, took less than 50 minutes.
Apart from the charging speed, the battery life of the realme 7 Pro also impresses. It can last more than a day with heavy use that includes watching YouTube and listening to Spotify on LTE, browsing social media, a few calls, playing games, and so on. You can actually get a bit more if you scale down your usage.
Wrap Up
The realme 7 Pro is a good phone for watching movies and playing games with an AMOLED display and stereo speakers. Its cameras offer a wide range of versatility. And lets not forget the very impressive 65-watt fast charging that ensures you’re powered up in less than an hour.
I have no problems recommending the device to family and friends. In fact, I enjoyed using it so much that it is now my daily driver for the time being.
realme 7 Pro specs
- Display: 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display, 2400 x 1080, 409ppi, 60Hz Refresh Rate, 90.8% Screen-to-body Ratio, 98% NTSC Color Gamut, Corning Gorilla Glass
- Processor: 2.3GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G
- GPU: Adreno 618 GPU
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x RAM
- Storage: 128GB UFS 2.1 Storage
- Rear Cameras: 64MP f/1.8 Main Sony IMX682 + 8MP Ultra-wide + 2MP B/W + 2MP Macro, Quad Cameras
- Front Camera: 32MP f/2.1 Selfie Camera
- Network: 4G LTE
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Dual Band, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS
- Others: In-display Fingerprint Scanner, USB Type-C, Stereo Speakers
- OS: realme UI, Android 10
- Battery: 4,500mAh Battery, 65W Dart Charge
