realme 10 review
The Realme 10 is a mid-ranger that promises significant performance upgrades over its predecessor. Priced aggressively, the phone boasts a new Helio G99 chipset, which delivers notable improvements in CPU and GPU tasks. The phone's interface, based on Android 12, feels smooth and clutter-free, with customization options available through the personalization page. The Realme 10 features a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution, fast refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass protection. While not record-breaking in terms of brightness, it's decent for this price range. The phone also supports 33W fast charging, which can charge the battery from 0 to 48% in half an hour. However, the Realme 10 takes a step back with its camera setup, downgrading from a triple-camera configuration to a dual one. The 50MP main camera produces mediocre results, with over-sharpening and artificial processing making images appear overly processed. Portraits are solid, but there's no advanced zoom processing. The phone also features a 16MP front-facing camera, capable of taking decent selfies, but limited video recording is available at 1080p resolution at 30fps without electronic stabilization. Overall, the Realme 10 offers plenty of bang for your buck, making it a worthy consideration over its predecessor if you prioritize chipset performance and gaming capabilities.
Build Quality and Design
The Realme 10 is a mid-range smartphone that promises to deliver plenty of bang for your buck. While it may not be a clear upgrade from its predecessor, the Realme 9, this device takes a different approach with a focus on chipset performance. In terms of build quality and design, the Realme 10 feels fairly light in the hand and is made from plastic with a glossy gradient finish. Both the back and frame are flat, giving it a clean and minimalist look. The matte-finish frame adds a bit of grip to the device, making it easy to hold onto. One notable design choice is the presence of two camera bumps on the back, despite only having a dual-camera setup. This may seem redundant at first, but it actually helps to create a more visually appealing design. Unfortunately, the Realme 10 doesn't offer any splash proofing, which is something you can find in some competitors. However, this device's lightweight and compact design make it easy to carry around. Overall, the build quality and design of the Realme 10 are solid for its price range. The glossy gradient finish and matte-finish frame give it a premium look, while the flat design makes it easy to use and navigate. While there may be some minor drawbacks, such as the lack of splash proofing, this device's overall build quality and design make it a compelling option in the mid-range market. If you're looking for a phone that offers great performance and a smooth user experience, then the Realme 10 is definitely worth considering.
Battery Life
The Realme 10 promises a lot, but its battery life is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's impressive that the phone can last for an overall endurance rating of 126 hours in our proprietary tests. This indicates that the device can easily get through a day and a half of moderate use without needing to be recharged. On the other hand, this isn't record-breaking battery life like we've seen on some of Realme's previous offerings. The Realme 9, for example, managed to eke out an impressive 146 hours in our tests. The battery capacity is also a concern, with the phone packing a relatively modest 5,000mAh cell. This might not be enough to see you through more intense usage patterns or longer periods of time without charging. Fortunately, the Realme 10 does support fast charging, with a 33W charger included in the box. We were able to charge the device from 0-48% in just half an hour, which is decent for the size of the battery. Overall, while the battery life on the Realme 10 isn't outstanding, it's still respectable and should be enough to get most users through their day without needing to worry about running out of juice. Just don't expect it to be a marathon runner – this phone will need some TLC if you want to keep it going for longer periods of time.
Display
The display on the Realme 10 is a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel with a 1080p resolution, Gorilla Glass protection, and a 90Hz refresh rate. The fast refresh rate is a welcome feature, smoothing out movements on screen and providing a seamless viewing experience. In auto mode or when using the 90Hz refresh rate, the display can dial down to 60Hz when idling to save energy, which helps to prolong battery life. The display itself is plenty sharp, with vibrant colors and good contrast. The AMOLED panel provides excellent picture quality, with accurate color representation depending on the color mode chosen in settings. The Realme 10's display also supports widevine L1 DRM for full HD streaming, but unfortunately, it does not support HDR streaming. In terms of brightness, our measurements showed a maximum of 430 nits with manual brightness slider, and up to 610 nits in auto mode when in bright conditions. One notable omission from the Realme 10's display is the lack of support for HDR content. While this may not be a deal-breaker for everyone, it's worth noting that some users may prefer the added visual fidelity provided by HDR displays. Overall, the display on the Realme 10 is a solid offering in its price range. The fast refresh rate and vibrant colors make for an enjoyable viewing experience, even if it lacks support for HDR content. While not perfect, the display gets the job done, making the Realme 10 a decent choice for those seeking a budget-friendly device with a good screen.
Camera
The Realme 10's camera setup is a notable downgrade from its predecessor, despite the improved chipset. Gone are the triple cameras of the previous model, replaced by a dual-camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel main sensor and a depth sensor. The main camera produces photos with decent contrast, dynamic range, and colors, but the detail level is mediocre, and sharpening is overdone, resulting in an artificial, over-processed look. The default image resolution is 12.5 megapixels, which is less than what we expected from a phone of this caliber. Portraits are captured using the depth sensor, and they're solid, with good subject detail and exposure, as well as decent separation between the subject and background. However, there's no advanced zoom processing, just a simple crop and upscale of the 12.5-megapixel photos. In low-light conditions, the Realme 10 applies Night mode processing to its photos, which results in bright exposure, good contrast, and decent dynamic range. However, the detail level is poor, and sometimes smeared-looking. Disabling Night mode produces passable photos with a more realistic look, but they're overrun by noise. Selfies taken using the 16-megapixel front-facing camera are okay, with low noise, accurate colors, good dynamic range, and decent detail level. However, video recording is limited to 1080p resolution at 30 FPS, with no electronic stabilization available. Overall, the Realme 10's camera performance is a disappointment compared to its predecessor. While it's still capable of capturing some great shots, the quality isn't great, and it lacks versatility. If you're looking for a phone with exceptional cameras, the Realme 10 might not be the best choice. Despite this, the phone offers plenty of bang for your buck, especially if gaming performance is your top priority. The Helio G99 chipset provides a notable step up from the previous model, and the 90Hz AMOLED display makes for a smooth user experience. However, the camera downgrade might be a deal-breaker for some users. In conclusion, while the Realme 10 has its strengths, the camera performance is a major letdown. If you're willing to compromise on cameras for a gaming-centric phone with improved performance and battery life, then this might still be worth considering.
Price and Value
The Realme 10 is a mid-ranger that promises to deliver plenty of bang for your buck, but does it live up to its promise? With a new, more powerful Helio G99 chipset, the phone seems like an exciting upgrade over its predecessor. However, in order to balance out the price, Realme has made some compromises. One such compromise is the camera department. Gone are the days of triple-camera setups; instead, we have a dual-camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera and a depth sensor. The results are disappointing, to say the least. Photos lack detail, and heavy sharpening gives them an artificial look. Portraits are decent, but low-light conditions see the phone struggling to capture quality shots. The price of the Realme 10 is where things get interesting. At around $200-$250, it's a very competitive mid-range smartphone. The Helio G99 chipset delivers smooth performance, and the 90Hz AMOLED display is a joy to use. The battery life is decent, with an overall endurance rating of 126 hours. Considering its price, the Realme 10 offers great value for money. It's not perfect, but it has some notable strengths that make it a compelling choice for those who prioritize gaming performance and a smooth user experience over camera quality. If you're in the market for a mid-range smartphone with great battery life and decent cameras, the Realme 10 is definitely worth considering. Ultimately, the Realme 10's value proposition lies in its ability to deliver a high-performance experience without breaking the bank. While it may not be perfect, it's a solid choice for those looking for a budget-friendly mid-range smartphone that gets the job done.
Performance
The Realme 10 boasts a Helio G99 chipset, a significant upgrade from its predecessor's Snapdragon 680. This new processor delivers impressive performance, outshining the previous model in CPU tasks and dominating the competition in graphics tests. The phone's score among mid-range devices is one of the best, making it an excellent choice for gaming on a budget. The Helio G99's prowess extends beyond gaming, providing a seamless user experience with fast app launching and smooth multitasking. In our stress test, the phone performed admirably, with no thermal throttling observed even under intense usage. This means that the Realme 10 can handle demanding tasks without compromising its performance or battery life. The 5,000mAh battery is more than sufficient to power the phone's demands, and we measured an impressive overall endurance rating of 126 hours in our tests. The inclusion of 33W fast charging ensures that the phone can quickly recover from a depleted state. While not particularly exciting, the charging speed is decent considering the size of the battery. However, it's worth noting that the Realme 10 doesn't quite match its predecessor's record-breaking battery life. Nevertheless, the phone still offers an impressive runtime, making it suitable for daily use without worrying about running out of power. The Helio G99 chipset, combined with the efficient Android 12-based software and a capable display, makes the Realme 10 a compelling choice for those seeking a reliable mid-range device. While not perfect, this phone's performance is certainly among the best in its class, making it an excellent option for anyone seeking value without sacrificing too much.
Pros
1. The phone has a powerful Helio G99 chipset that provides smooth performance.
2. The display is a 6.4-inch AMOLED with a 1080p resolution, gorilla glass protection, and a 90Hz refresh rate.
3. The battery life is impressive with an overall endurance rating of 126 hours in our proprietary tests.
4. The phone supports 33W fast charging and comes with the charger in the box.
5. The Realme UI 3.0 interface is clutter-free and easy to use, with plenty of customization options.
6. The phone's performance is among the best in its price range for gaming on a budget and fluid UI experience.
7. The Realme 10 has a good camera performance in portrait mode and decent video recording quality.
Cons
1. The main camera resolution was downgraded to 50MP, which results in mediocre detail and over-sharpening.
2. There is no support for HDR streaming on the display.
3. The loudness of the single bottom-firing speaker is average, with excessive boosting of highs at maximum volume.
4. The phone lacks splash proofing and ultrawide camera compared to its competitors.