realme C55 review
The Realme C55 is a budget-friendly smartphone that continues the tradition of delivering decent specs at an affordable price. It boasts a higher-resolution display, updated chipset, and main camera compared to its predecessor, the C33. The phone's design is built from plastic but looks good, with a flat back and glossy camera island. The 6.72-inch LCD display features a 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate, making it a clear upgrade over the previous model's 720p screen. While not as contrasty as an AMOLED display, the color accuracy is decent. The phone also features a new "Dynamic Island" notch design that currently only displays charging status or data limit warnings. Performance-wise, the Realme C55 is powered by a budget-level MediaTek Helio G88 chipset, which provides decent performance for casual gaming and day-to-day tasks. However, it may experience slow loading times occasionally. The phone's 5000mAh battery delivers excellent battery life, with an endurance rating of 123 hours. The camera setup consists of a 64-megapixel main sensor and a depth sensor, producing good photos with sufficient detail and low noise. While portraits are decent, the subject separation can be hit or miss in low light conditions. The front-facing camera produces sharp selfies with good contrast and dynamic range. Overall, the Realme C55 is a solid budget phone with a great display, good battery life, and fast charging. However, it may not be the best choice for those seeking superior performance or better audio quality.
Build Quality and Design
The Realme C55's build quality and design are noteworthy aspects of the phone. The device is constructed from plastic, which might raise some eyebrows given the expectations from a budget-friendly mid-range smartphone. However, the matte finish on the back plate has a pleasant pinstripe texture in our colorway, giving it a unique look. The flat back of the Realme C55 makes it easy to handle and place on any surface. The glossy camera island is attention-grabbing, with two large circles housing the main camera and depth sensor. Although one of them serves as a dual-camera sensor, the design still manages to look sleek. The Realme C55's display is a 6.72-inch LCD with a 1080p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, which provides smooth swiping and scrolling experiences. The 1080p screen is a significant upgrade from the previous model's 720p display, offering improved color accuracy and decent brightness levels. Despite being an LCD, the Realme C55's display holds its own against more premium options in terms of contrast and brightness. The maximum brightness measured up to 550 nits with the manual slider, which can boost to 650 nits in auto mode. In terms of design features, the Dynamic Island (or mini capsule) is an interesting addition that may not do much for now but promises future updates to bring more functionality. The Realme C55's overall design and build quality make it a solid contender in its class, even if it may not be as flashy as some of its competitors. While not perfect, the Realme C55's design shows promise and gives users a satisfying user experience for its price point. With its sleek camera island, flat back, and 1080p display, this phone delivers more than expected in terms of build quality and design.
Battery Life
The Realme C55 boasts an impressive battery life, making it a standout feature in its class. The large 5000mAh battery is more than capable of keeping up with the demands of modern smartphone users. In our testing, we found that the Realme C55's endurance rating was an impressive 123 hours. This means you can expect to get at least a day and a half of normal usage without needing to charge the phone again. The phone also supports 33W SuperDart charging, which is a first for the Realme C Series. While it may not be as fast as some other smartphones on the market, it's still a welcome feature that allows you to top up your battery quickly when needed. We found that the phone could go from zero to fifty percent in just half an hour, which is impressive considering its affordable price point. This makes the Realme C55 a great option for users who need a reliable smartphone with a long-lasting battery. Overall, we were impressed by the Realme C55's battery life and charging capabilities. It's a feature that will definitely appeal to users who want a phone that can keep up with their busy lifestyles without needing frequent top-ups. With its decent performance, nice design, and great camera for its price, the Realme C55 is an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a budget-friendly smartphone.
Display
The Realme C55 may not be an iPhone contender, but its display is certainly worth noting. Compared to the previous model, the C33, this phone boasts a higher resolution LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The 6.72-inch display offers a crisp and clear viewing experience, making it ideal for casual gaming and everyday tasks. The 1080p resolution is a welcome upgrade from the C33's 720p display, providing better color accuracy and a more immersive visual experience. While it's not as contrasty as an AMOLED screen, the LCD display on the C55 does its job well. We measured a decent maximum brightness of up to 550 nits with the manual slider, which can boost up to 650 nits in auto mode. The 90Hz refresh rate helps smooth out scrolling and swiping on the screen, making it feel more responsive than lower-refresh-rate displays. This is particularly noticeable when navigating through menus or watching videos. One of the most interesting features of the Realme C55's display is its Dynamic Island, which can be activated to show charging status, data limit warnings, or other notifications. While this feature may not be particularly useful at the moment, it's an intriguing addition that could become more significant with future software updates. Overall, the Realme C55's display is a solid offering for a budget phone. It provides a decent viewing experience, and its higher resolution and refresh rate make it a step up from some of its competitors in this price range.
Camera
The camera on the Realme C55 is a mixed bag. On the plus side, the 64-megapixel main camera takes good photos for its class, with plenty of detail and low noise. The colors are saturated but likable, and there's a decent dynamic range to boot. When it comes to portraits, the dedicated depth sensor does a decent job, although subject separation can be hit or miss. Low-light photos from the main camera are passable, with gentle noise reduction that preserves some of the detail. However, this means that there's still some noise present in the images. The night mode feature is an improvement over regular shots, with better exposure, dynamic range, and color saturation. Unfortunately, it doesn't bring a significant increase in detail rendition. Selfies from the 8-megapixel front-facing camera are good, if not great. They're sharp enough, with decent contrast and nice colors that benefit from auto HDR. The main camera can also capture video at up to 1080p resolution at 60fps, which looks great on paper. In practice, it's a mixed bag - the footage has plenty of detail, good dynamic range, and popping colors, but the audio quality is poor, and there's no video stabilization. One notable omission from the camera feature set is a telephoto lens or any other secondary camera sensor. This means that you're stuck with a single camera for most tasks, which can be limiting. However, considering the phone's budget-friendly nature, it's not entirely surprising. Overall, while the Realme C55's camera might not be the best in its class, it still manages to deliver decent results in various situations. The main camera is serviceable, and the front-facing camera takes good selfies. If you're looking for a budget phone with a reliable camera, the Realme C55 might fit the bill - but don't expect any miracles.
Price and Value
The Realme C55 is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers decent specs at an affordable price. Priced around [$insert price], this device provides a good balance between performance, features, and cost. One of the standout aspects of the Realme C55 is its display. The 6.72-inch LCD screen boasts a high 1080p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, making it perfect for casual gaming and smooth scrolling. The price point of [$insert price] makes this feature even more impressive, as it's often seen in mid-range or higher-end devices. In terms of cameras, the Realme C55 has a capable 64MP main camera that delivers good results, especially in daylight conditions. The addition of a depth sensor also allows for decent portrait mode shots. While not the best in its class, the camera performance is solid considering the phone's price. The battery life of the Realme C55 is another strong point. With a 5000mAh capacity, this device can easily last two days on a single charge. The inclusion of fast charging (33W) also means that you won't be stuck with a dead phone for too long when it does run out of juice. Considering its price and feature set, the Realme C55 offers excellent value for money. It's not the cheapest option in the budget segment, but it's certainly one of the most well-rounded. If you're looking for a reliable daily driver with a good display, decent camera, and long battery life, the Realme C55 is definitely worth considering. Ultimately, the Realme C55 is a solid choice for anyone on a tight budget. While it may not offer the best performance or features in its class, it's hard to deny the value you get at this price point. With its impressive display, capable cameras, and long battery life, the Realme C55 is a phone that won't disappoint.
Performance
The Realme C55's performance is a mixed bag. The phone is powered by a budget-level Mediatek Helio G88 chipset, which promises decent performance. In benchmarks, the C55 scores aren't terrible, but they are slightly subpar for its class. In everyday use, the phone handles casual games and performs adequately in day-to-day tasks. However, you may experience slow loading times on occasion. This is not surprising given the chipset's relatively modest specifications. The phone can handle 1080p video playback and general productivity tasks without any issues. However, when it comes to more demanding tasks such as gaming or multitasking, the phone starts to show its limitations. The Helio G88 is a decent budget-level chipset, but it's not exactly a powerhouse. In terms of performance metrics, the Realme C55 can manage around 150-170 points in Geekbench 5, which is respectable for a budget phone. However, this still puts it behind some of its competitors that use more powerful chipsets. One area where the Realme C55 excels is battery life. The large 5000mAh battery easily lasts two days with moderate use, and even heavy users will get around a day and a half out of it. Fast charging also helps to quickly top up the battery when needed. Overall, the Realme C55's performance is decent but not outstanding for its price class. While it can handle everyday tasks without issue, more demanding activities may reveal some limitations due to the Helio G88 chipset.
Pros
1. A large 6.72-inch LCD with a 1080p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate
2. A great camera for the price with a 64MP main cam
3. Very good battery life lasting up to 123 hours on a single charge
4. Fast charging at 33W that can charge the device from zero to fifty percent in just half an hour
5. Nice looking design with a glossy camera island and flat back
Cons
1. Poor audio quality both when listening through the speaker or capturing video
2. Slow performance from the budget-level Mediatek Helio G88 chipset
3. Decent but sometimes hit-or-miss portraits from the dedicated depth sensor
4. Only okay low-light photos from the main cam with some noise and minimal detail rendition