This is our review of the realme X50 Pro 5G.
The realme X50 Pro 5G is the latest flagship from the top one smartphone brand in the Philippines. The device comes with a full feature set that includes 5G connectivity, a powerful Snapdragon 865 processor, and a 64MP main camera.
It does miss out on some things, but that’s to be expected given the nature of realme devices. And by nature, we mean maximizing the specs vis-a-vis it’s price.
But don’t get me wrong. The specs are truly top-notch, but how is it as a flagship? And how does the experience differ from other flagships? Let’s find out.
realme X50 Pro 5G review
In the box
- realme X50 Pro 5G
- Protective case
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Fast charger
- SIM ejector
- Documentation
Price
Like most realme phones, the realme X50 Pro has a relatively affordable price given what it offers. At the time of this article, the phone is only available through Smart Signature plans.
According to Smart, the best plan to get the 5G flagship phone is on Plan M 1499 for Php 1,899 per month with a one-time cash-out of Php 6,900 with a 24-month contract. The price includes the monthly service fee of Php 1,499 for the plan and the monthly amortization of Php 400. It also comes with 10GB Data, Unli All-Net Calls, Unli All-Net Texts, and 100 minutes calls to PLDT.
The X50 Pro is also available on Smart Signature Plan S 999 with a one time cash out of Php 19,800 with a 24-month contract. The plan comes with 5GB data, Unli All-Net Calls, Unli All-Net Texts, and 50 minutes calls to PLDT.
Design and Display
The realme X50 Pro 5G looks like what realme phones look during the early part of 2020. It has a clean and simple layout, nothing groundbreaking.
But the back panel, though, is gorgeous. realme used a multi-coating process coupled with their AG glass to create the matte texture. The polish on the glass feels smooth, but not as slippery, and it’s resistant to fingerprints.
My review unit is Moss Green. It kind of resembles a deep green color similar to jade. I actually prefer this color. If you like an edgier color, Rust Red looks good too.
In the hand, the smartphone feels solid and compact. It has the volume rocker on the left with the power button on the right. At the bottom, you have the SIM tray, USB-C port, and one of the stereo speakers. There’s another mic at the top and another speaker on the earpiece.
Unfortunately, the X50 Pro takes after most flagships nowadays with the removal of the headphone jack.
The X50 Pro has a compact form factor with a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with full HD resolution and an in-display fingerprint scanner. It has a 90Hz refresh rate, which keeps things smooth.
It also has Widevine L1, which allows for full HD content on streaming apps like Netflix. Unfortunately, you don’t get to enjoy HDR10+ even though the phone supports it.
Like most AMOLED panels, this one is bright with punchy colors and deep blacks. Coupled with the stereo speakers (which sound good by the way), it’s great for watching content and playing games.
Performance and Benchmarks
The realme X50 Pro boasts a flagship chip in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. It’s paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. On the software side, it runs on realme UI 2.0, a sleek skin on top of Android 11.
It’s no surprise that the phone is blazing fast. The 90Hz display, coupled with some software tricks in the realme Lab tab under settings called Smooth scrolling makes everything run butter smooth.
Apps and games load fast as well. It will run any game at the highest settings without any problems. Plus the addition of a vapor cooling system keeps things cool during intensive operations.
Here are the benchmark scores. Again, no surprises here. It does really well for what it’s worth.
Cameras
The X50 Pro comes with five cameras in total. At the back, you have a 64MP main, a 12MP telephoto, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP depth sensor. While in front, there’s a 32MP main selfie snapper partnered with an 8MP ultra-wide.
The camera app is pretty much standard fare you’d normally find in realme phones. It’s clean and straightforward. You can choose up front what mode to use by swiping across Photo, Night, Video, Portrait, and 64M. Choosing More shows more modes like Pano, Text Scanner, Ultra Macro, Slo-Mo, Time-Lapse, and Expert.
On the main screen of the camera app, you can also toggle the color profiles, AI scene enhancement mode, HDR, and the flash. Personally, I turn the AI off. It does a good job providing enhancements such as boosting colors, but I prefer a more natural look.
As expected, the camera quality is quite good. You get crisp photos with good colors. Exposure is accurate with good details and dynamic range.
It’s not perfect though, as I noticed some issues when taking photos of colorful subjects. At times, the AI over saturates the colors, which make it look unnatural (Hence the reason why I turned it off).
Night mode is good as well, similar to other realme phones. Unfortunately, Starry mode isn’t available, but you do get Tripod mode for longer exposure times.
The X50 Pro also offers wide angle, up to 5x hybrid zoom and up to 20x digital zoom. The images look okay throughout the range, except at max zoom, which muddies the detail and colors, making photos look like paintings.
Selfies on the other hand, look good with accurate skin tones and sharpness. Portrait mode does a good job of separating the subject from the background. Although you do see it struggle around rough and complicated edges every now and then.
Battery Life
The X50 Pro’s 4,500mAh battery can definitely last day with heavy usage consisting of a few hours of Netflix, some YouTube and Spotify, some light gaming, and a few messages. There’s no wireless charging on board (which is a shame), but it does have a high speed 65 watt fast charging which can top-up the phone to full in less than an hour.
I wasn’t able to test the battery with 5G turned on for long durations, so do expect a hit in overall longevity when used.
Verdict
The realme X50 Pro is a proper flagship from realme. The two-year-old company did a great job with the phone, adding all the bells and whistles that make a great device, such as a good design, the powerful Snapdragon 865, the AMOLED display, ample 256GB storage, and the extremely impressive 65W fast charge.
It’s not a perfect device though, lacking some features you’d expect from a flagship. Having no wireless charging may irk some, and the design, while good, is nothing groundbreaking.
Still, it’s a very compelling flagship from the two-year-old company and it’s a good buy for those looking for a powerful smartphone that perform well in many categories, whether you will use 5G or not.
Realme X50 Pro 5G specs
- Display: 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display (2400 x 1080, 409 ppi), 20:9 Ratio, 90Hz Refresh Rate, HDR10+
- Processor: 2.84GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Processor, 7nm+
- GPU: Adreno 650
- RAM: 8GB/12GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB/256GB Storage
- Rear Cameras: 64MP f/1.8 Main + 12MP f/2.5 Telephoto + 8MP f/2.3 Ultra-wide+ 2MP f/2.4 B/W Depth Quad Rear Cameras, 5x Optical Hybrid Zoom, 20x Hybrid Zoom
- Front Cameras: 32MP f/2.5 + 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-wide Selfie Camera
- Network: 5G, 4G LTE
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 Dual Band, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC
- Others: In-display Fingerprint Scanner, USB Type-C Port, Stereo Speakers, Super Linear Speaker, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio
- OS: Realme UI 2.0, Android 11
- Battery: 4,200mAh Battery, 65W Fast Charge
