realme GT3 review
The Realme GT3 is a formidable flagship killer that boasts the fastest charging speed in the market with its impressive 240W power delivery. But is lightning-fast charging enough to justify its presence among top-tier smartphones? This device also packs a larger and higher-resolution screen, a new chipset, and a microscopic camera, making it an intriguing option for those seeking high-performance features without the hefty price tag. Let's dive into our review to see if Realme's latest offering can live up to its impressive specs.
Build Quality and Design
The Realme GT3 boasts a sleek design that sets it apart from its predecessors. Gone is the paper-like synthetic back of last year's model; instead, you'll find glass with a smooth, frosted finish. This new material provides a premium feel, but be warned: it can be quite slippery in the hand. One interesting feature of the GT3's design is the transparent window on the camera bump, which showcases a Snapdragon logo when viewed at an angle. It's unclear what this adds to the overall experience, but it does give the phone a unique touch. The build quality is solid, with a plastic frame that complements the glass back nicely. However, it's worth noting that the Realme GT3 doesn't offer ingress protection, which might be a concern for some users who tend to take their phones on rugged adventures. In terms of aesthetics, the GT3 has a large 6.74-inch AMOLED display with a 1240 x 2772 resolution and an extra-fast 144Hz refresh rate. The high-resolution screen produces sharp content with great contrast, but it's worth noting that the refresh rate handling could be improved, particularly in auto mode. Overall, the Realme GT3's design is a step up from its predecessor, offering a premium feel and some unique features. While it may not be perfect, the phone's build quality and design are certainly commendable, making it a strong contender in the flagship killer market.
Battery Life
The Realme GT3 boasts an impressive battery life, despite the reduced capacity of 4600mAh compared to its predecessor's 5000mAh. In our tests, the phone managed to score an overall endurance rating of 117 hours, which is a testament to Realme's efforts in optimizing power consumption. One of the standout features of the GT3 is its incredibly fast charging capabilities. With a 240W charger and special cable, the phone can be topped up from zero to full in just 11 minutes. This is an unprecedented feat, and one that sets the GT3 apart from other flagships. However, it's worth noting that the battery life does take a hit as the phone warms up during charging. In our testing, we found that the charging speed would taper off slightly once the battery reached higher temperatures. Nevertheless, this doesn't detract from the overall experience, and the GT3 still managed to deliver respectable battery life in our tests. While the reduced battery capacity might be a drawback for some users, it's a trade-off for the phone's other impressive features, including its lightning-fast charging capabilities. Overall, the Realme GT3's battery life is more than sufficient for most users, and its ability to quickly top up when needed makes it an excellent choice for those who need a reliable and convenient device.
Display
The Realme GT3 boasts a stunning display that is sure to impress. The device features a large 6.74-inch AMOLED screen with a high resolution of 1240 x 2772 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of around 450 PPI. This translates to sharp and crisp visuals that are perfect for watching videos or browsing through your favorite content. One of the standout features of the display is its impressive contrast ratio, which is made possible by the support for 10-bit color depth and HDR10+ playback. The result is a viewing experience that is rich in colors and details, making it ideal for those who enjoy immersive visuals. The display's brightness is also noteworthy, with a maximum output of 480 nits in manual mode and up to 970 nits in auto mode when exposed to bright sunlight. This makes it easy to see the screen even in direct sunlight, which is a significant advantage over some other smartphones on the market. However, there are some minor drawbacks to the display experience. The refresh rate handling could be improved, as the device sometimes defaults to 60Hz even in system menus. Additionally, enabling the high-refresh-rate mode can cause issues with audio switching. Despite these limitations, the Realme GT3's display is a major highlight of the device. Its sharpness, contrast, and brightness make it an excellent choice for those who want an immersive viewing experience on their smartphone. While some minor tweaks could improve its performance, the display is certainly one of the strongest aspects of the Realme GT3.
Camera
The camera on the Realme GT3 is a mixed bag. The 50-megapixel main camera takes good photos with excellent dynamic range and sharp details. However, the exposure can be off at times, making subjects appear too bright. Portraits taken with the main camera are nice, with detailed and colorful subjects and excellent edge detection. The ultra-wide camera, on the other hand, produces photos that are low in detail and not very sharp. There's some noise present, and the dynamic range is limited. This makes it less desirable for landscape or architectural photography. One interesting feature of the Realme GT3 camera is the microscopic camera, which uses an LED flash to help expose the subject. The native magnification is 20 times, but you can go up to 40 digitally. While the quality isn't breathtaking, it's still a nice touch and more interesting than a generic 2-megapixel macro camera. Low-light photography is where the Realme GT3 really shines. In low light conditions, the phone will automatically apply night mode processing, which produces excellent results with lots of detail and virtually no noise. The dynamic range is wide, and the highlights are well-contained. There's also a dedicated night mode that produces similar results. The selfie camera, on the other hand, takes soft photos with lack of fine details. At least the colors and dynamic range are nice. Video recording capabilities are decent enough, with the main camera able to record in up to 4K resolution at 60fps. Electronic stabilization is always on, which helps reduce shaky footage. However, the ultra-wide camera is limited to 1080p resolution and produces soft videos with washed-out colors and narrowed dynamic range. Overall, the Realme GT3's camera performance is a mixed bag. While it excels in low-light photography, it falls short when it comes to the ultra-wide camera and selfie quality.
Price and Value
The Realme GT3 is an impressive flagship killer, boasting some of the most advanced features in its class, including lightning-fast charging capabilities and a high-performance processor. However, one major concern for potential buyers is the device's launch price. At first glance, the Realme GT3 seems like a steal considering its impressive specs sheet. The inclusion of 240W fast charging, which can top up the battery from zero to 100% in just 11 minutes, is certainly a game-changer in today's fast-paced world. The device's AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support is also a significant upgrade over previous Realme offerings. However, upon closer inspection, the price of the Realme GT3 becomes a major concern. While it may be competitively priced compared to other flagship devices on the market, it still falls short in terms of value for money. The device's lack of ingress protection and relatively small battery capacity (4,600mAh) are notable drawbacks that could make potential buyers think twice. Furthermore, last year's Realme GT2 Pro offers many of the same features at a lower price point, making it an attractive alternative for those who don't need the absolute latest and greatest. The OnePlus 10 Pro is another device that offers similar specs and performance at a comparable price. Ultimately, while the Realme GT3 is certainly a compelling device, its launch price may be a barrier to entry for some potential buyers. Those looking for a high-performance phone with fast charging capabilities will need to weigh their options carefully and consider whether the additional features are worth the premium price tag.
Performance
The Realme GT3 is a powerhouse in terms of performance, boasting a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset that provides Flagship-grade multitasking and gaming experience. The thermal management is excellent, with the phone maintaining high and stable CPU performance throughout our stress tests. While some might have expected a slight boost in CPU clock speeds, Realme has opted for better power efficiency instead. This decision does result in slightly lower raw performance compared to other flagships, but it's still more than sufficient for most users. In terms of gaming, the GT3 performs admirably, with smooth and lag-free experience even during prolonged periods of use. The phone's ability to handle demanding games is further enhanced by its 6.74-inch AMOLED display, which boasts a high refresh rate of up to 144Hz. While some might have expected more consistent performance at this refresh rate, the GT3 does struggle in certain situations. In auto mode, the refresh rate often dips below 60Hz when idling, and even within system menus, we rarely saw the full 144Hz. However, enabling the high refresh rate mode on a per-app basis does allow for more consistent performance. Overall, the Realme GT3's performance is solid, making it an excellent choice for those seeking a Flagship killer without breaking the bank. While there might be some minor quirks and trade-offs in its performance, the phone remains well-suited for demanding tasks and gaming sessions.
Pros
1. The realme GT3 has support for 240 watt charging, which is the fastest charging speed ever.
2. The phone has a large 6.74 inch AMOLED display with a high resolution of 1240 by 2772 pixels and an extra fast 144hz refresh rate.
3. The display is very bright, measuring up to 480 nits, and supports 10-bit color depth and HDR 10 plus for great color accuracy.
4. The phone has a pair of stereo speakers that earned a good score on our loudness chart and provide decent sound quality with clear vocals and highs.
5. The realme GT3 has an IR blaster which allows you to use the phone as a remote to control appliances, and an under-display fingerprint reader for convenient biometric authentication.
6. The phone's software experience is basically the same as recent Realme, Oppo, or OnePlus phones, with the latest Realme UI 4.0 on top of Android 13.
Cons
1. The battery capacity has been reduced to 4600 milliamp hours compared to last year's model, which may be a drawback for some users.
2. The ultra-wide camera produces low-detail and noisy photos, and the selfie camera takes blurry images with lack of fine detail.
3. The phone doesn't have ingress protection (IP rating), which might be a concern for users who want their device to withstand water or dust exposure.
4. The charging speed does taper off as the battery warms up, and the phone's thermal management may not always keep up during prolonged stress tests.
5. The realme GT3 is kind of expensive at its launch price, making it less competitive in the market.
6. The 2-megapixel microscope camera isn't particularly impressive, and the quality of macro shots is not a game-changer.