realme Narzo 50A review
The Realme Narzo 50A is an affordable smartphone priced from Rs. 11,999 in India. While it checks all the right boxes on paper, its worthiness of the price tag remains uncertain. Design-wise, the phone sticks to Realme's familiar principles with a simple yet practical back panel made of polycarbonate. The rear camera module extends till the center of the phone and engulfs the fingerprint reader, making it sometimes difficult to find. However, the grooved texture on the back helps with grip due to its big and heavy build at 207 grams. Performance-wise, the Realme Narzo 50A is decent for casual gaming but struggles with heavy games. The Mediatek Helio G85 Soc doesn't always allow heavy games to run smoothly, with Call of Duty Mobile just playable at default low graphics settings. Moreover, the phone warmed up quickly during gameplay. In terms of display, the phone features a 6.5-inch HD+ screen with a water drop style notch that looks outdated compared to punch-hole displays offered by competitors. However, the display looked sufficiently sharp and had decent viewing angles. Battery life is an area where the Narzo 50A excels, lasting two whole days with casual gaming and up to three days on light usage. The cameras, though impressive on paper, failed to impress in real-world scenarios. The primary camera struggled to produce detailed photos, especially when zoomed in. Selfies had good detail but looked over-sharpened, and the portrait mode was subpar. Macros weren't great either, looking over-sharpened and dramatic. In conclusion, the Realme Narzo 50A is a smartphone with reliable battery life and basic features. However, it's not ideal for gamers due to its performance limitations. Its cameras also fall short of expectations. Overall, this phone is best suited for those seeking a budget option with long battery life but can live with average cameras, design, and performance.
Build Quality and Design
The Realme Narzo 50A boasts a refreshing design that is both simple yet practical. The back panel, made of polycarbonate, features a fine groove-like texture that enhances grip, which is essential given the phone's large size and heavy weight of 207 grams. However, this also means that finding the recessed fingerprint reader can be a bit of a challenge. The rear camera module takes center stage, but it doesn't protrude significantly from the rest of the back panel. While this design approach may not be the most visually appealing, it does make the phone easier to handle, especially with one hand. One major criticism of the Narzo 50A's design is its bulkiness. The 6.5-inch HD+ display makes the phone feel chunky in the hand, and the weight doesn't help either. While this may not be a deal-breaker for everyone, it's definitely worth considering if you're planning to use the phone extensively. Overall, the Realme Narzo 50A's design is functional but lacks finesse. The build quality is decent, with a polycarbonate back panel that feels sturdy in hand. However, the phone's size and weight may be off-putting for some users. If you're looking for a budget smartphone with reliable battery life and basic features, the Narzo 50A might be worth considering, but its design may not win it any style points.
Battery Life
In the world of budget smartphones, battery life is often a compromise that manufacturers make to keep prices low. However, the Realme Narzo 50A is an exception to this rule. This affordable smartphone boasts a massive 6000mAh battery that truly delivers on its promise. During our testing, we found that the Narzo 50A's battery life was nothing short of impressive. With moderate use - casual gaming, taking photos, texting, and browsing - the phone easily lasted two whole days on a single charge. Even with light usage, it could stretch to up to three days without needing a recharge. But what really sets the Narzo 50A apart is its ability to charge quickly. While some budget smartphones take an eternity to juice up, this Realme device managed to go from zero to 100% in just three hours and five minutes. This may not be lightning-fast by modern standards, but it's certainly respectable considering the phone's affordable price tag. In short, if you're looking for a smartphone that won't leave you scrambling for a charger mid-day, the Realme Narzo 50A is an excellent choice. Its battery life is truly one of its standout features, making it a great option for those who want reliable power on the go without breaking the bank. 4.5/5
Display
The Realme Narzo 50A's display is a mixed bag. It features a 6.5-inch HD+ screen with a waterdrop-style notch that looks somewhat outdated compared to the punch-hole displays offered by competitors like Samsung and Nokia. However, the viewing angles were decent, and the display was bright enough for outdoor use. One notable limitation of the Narzo 50A's display is its video streaming capabilities. The phone only allows for HD quality playback, which means that videos streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix did not appear sharp. This could be a disappointment for those who enjoy watching high-quality content on their smartphones. In terms of display resolution, the Narzo 50A's screen has a pixel density of around 270 PPI, which is relatively low compared to other budget phones in the market. However, the colors were quite neutral, and the dynamic range was decent. One area where the Narzo 50A's display excels is in brightness. The screen is capable of producing adequate brightness for use in sunny conditions, making it suitable for casual users who spend a lot of time outdoors. Overall, while the Narzo 50A's display has its limitations, it should still be sufficient for most users who don't require high-end visuals on their phone. However, those who are particular about video streaming quality may want to consider other options. The Realme Narzo 50A's design and build quality were also notable during the review process, but that will be discussed in a separate section of this review.
Camera
The Realme Narzo 50A boasts an impressive spec sheet, including a 50-megapixel primary rear camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. But how does it perform in real-world conditions? In daylight, the 50MP primary camera delivers decent results, with good color accuracy and neutral tones. However, upon zooming in, the images lack resolved detail, making them appear soft. The dynamic range is satisfactory, but not exceptional. Selfies taken with the 8MP front-facing camera are a different story altogether. They boast excellent detail and dynamic range, although they can look slightly over-sharpened. One major letdown is edge detection in portrait mode. I found myself being cut off or having my ears blurred on several occasions. This lack of precision makes the feature less useful than it should be. The 2MP macro camera's results are equally underwhelming. Images appear over-sharpened and dramatic, with high contrast that can make them look unnatural. While I managed to cut through glare in low-light situations, the resulting photos lacked depth and sharpness. In poor lighting conditions, the primary camera fares poorly. Images exhibit blown-out highlights, plenty of noise, and murky details. Videos shot in low light are similarly unimpressive, with shaky footage and a lack of stabilization making them less enjoyable to watch. Overall, while the Realme Narzo 50A's camera hardware looks impressive on paper, its real-world performance falls short of expectations. The camera struggles with edge detection, macro photography, and low-light situations, which can be major drawbacks for users who value good image quality. If you're considering purchasing the Narzo 50A solely based on its camera capabilities, I would recommend looking elsewhere. However, if battery life is your primary concern – and it's one of the few areas where this phone truly excels – then the Narzo 50A might still be worth considering for basic feature needs.
Price and Value
The Realme Narzo 50A is priced from Rs 11,999 in India, making it an attractive option for those seeking a budget smartphone. However, its worthiness to the price tag is what's truly important. On paper, the phone ticks all the right boxes with its refreshing design, tall 6.5-inch HD+ display, 50-megapixel primary rear camera, and massive 6000mAh battery. But, is it just a collection of specs or does it deliver in real-world usage? While the phone's performance is decent for casual gaming, heavy games like Call of Duty Mobile struggle to run smoothly at default settings. The inclusion of Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 with pre-installed apps is also worth noting. The camera setup is impressive on paper, but in reality, it fails to deliver. Photos taken in daylight are low on resolved detail, and selfies, while detailed, appear over-sharpened. Low-light photography is particularly disappointing, with blown-out highlights and plenty of noise. Despite its flaws, the Narzo 50A's battery life is a highlight, lasting up to three days on light usage. However, charging takes around three hours and five minutes, which is quite slow. In comparison, the Infinix Hot 11s offers better gaming performance with a Mediatek Helio G88 processor and high refresh rate display. The Redmi 10 Prime from Rs 9,999 also provides an excellent entertainment experience along with a 6000mAh battery. While the Narzo 50A has some decent features, its value proposition is questionable given the competition in this price segment. It's essential to weigh the pros and cons before making a purchase decision.
Performance
The Realme Narzo 50A promises a smooth performance experience at an affordable price point. However, our tests reveal that it falls short in delivering a seamless gaming and overall performance. The device is equipped with the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, which is decent for casual gaming but struggles to run heavy games smoothly. We encountered issues while playing Call of Duty: Mobile, even at default low graphics and medium frame rate settings. The game was only playable, and the phone's temperature spiked quickly during gameplay. If you're looking for a budget gaming device, the Infinix Hot 11S would be a better option. It features a MediaTek Helio G88 processor and a high-refresh-rate display, making it more suitable for gaming enthusiasts. The Realme Narzo 50A runs on Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11. The interface is intuitive, but the pre-installed apps can be annoying at times. Some third-party apps also pushed notifications, which could be distracting. In terms of display performance, the phone has a waterdrop-style notch that looks outdated compared to modern punch-hole displays. However, the screen looked sharp and bright enough for outdoor use. Video streaming was disappointing as it only allows for HD quality playback, resulting in unsharp video on platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. Battery life is one area where the Realme Narzo 50A excels, with a massive 6000mAh battery that can last up to three days with light usage. However, charging takes around three hours and five minutes to reach 100% capacity from zero. The camera performance of the Narzo 50A is average at best, with low resolved detail in daylight photos. Selfies were good but looked over-sharpened, and edge detection in Portrait mode was below average. Macro shots taken with a 2MP macro camera lacked sharpness and depth. Low-light photography and video also showed significant room for improvement. Overall, while the Realme Narzo 50A offers decent battery life, its performance falls short of expectations. It's not ideal for heavy gaming or demanding tasks but may suffice for basic usage.
Pros
1. Affordable Price
2. Long-Lasting Battery Life
3. Good Display
4. Tall and Refreshing Design
Cons
1. Average Cameras
2. Performance Issues
3. Outdated Notch Design
4. Slow Charging