It’s no secret that Oppo’s spinoff Realme was always aiming to dethrone Xiaomi’s Redmi Note series in the mid-range budget segment. This year with the release of Realme 6, they might really be able to claim the crown for themselves.
The fight in the mid-range segment was always fierce between all the competitors, but usually it was the Redmi Note series which was the last phone standing; due to its aggressive price tag and attractive specifications. However, it might be the first time they will be outplayed by a rival.
Buttery Smooth 90Hz Display
The era of notch and water drop displays is finally over; punch holes are the new trend now. Mid-range devices aren’t that far away to capitalize on this. Like most of its counterparts, the Realme 6 comes with 6.5 inches IPS LCD punch hole display. I really like how the punch hole display looks, it maximizes the overall screen to body ratio without the gimmick camera pop-out methods, we have seen on the Realme X. Furthermore, Realme’s decision to put punch hole at the right corner instead of the middle. To me seems like the right choice, as you’ll notice it less often when you play a game or video. But, then again it’s a subjective matter. However, what sets Realme 6 apart from the competition is the 90Hz display refresh rate and the 120Hz touch sensing; the first smartphone in this price range to spot this feature. Compared to its closest rival the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max, the quality of the display might be on par with each other. But, it will be the smoothness of the 90Hz display which will definitely be advantage for the Realme 6.
The double edged MediaTek Helio G90T SoC
Unlike most other smartphone markers, who are considering the Snapdragon 720G as the ideal SoC for the mid-range; Realme decided to go with the octa core MediaTek Helio G90T. It’s the same SoC found on last year’s Redmi Note 8 Pro. The Helio G90T can be considered to be at the same level as the 720G, in terms of performance. But, if you are gamer you’d definitely prefer the G90T over the 720G due to its better GPU. But, few things which make MediaTek a less desirable SoC, is the higher heat it generates while gaming or performing extensive tasks.
Quad Camera Setup is the Norm
With each year passing by, smartphones are starting to pack more cameras. And for mid-range smartphones, four cameras are a must. But, not all cameras are same. Although, the Realme 6 and both the Redmi Note 9 Pro and 9 Pro Max have the same number of cameras; only the Note 9 Pro Max and Real 6 come with a 64 MP main camera on the back. While only the Realme 6 carry a lower aperture version of the 64MP (f/1.8) camera. Other than that, the usually 8MP (119°) Ultra Wide-Angle, 2MP Depth Sensor and 2MP Macro Lens are available on the Realme 6. The front punch hole homes a 16MP wide-angle selfie camera, which is equally good.
In terms of video recording, 4k at 30fps is available and the EIS is just decent. So you might get disappointed with the quality, if you hope too much. Overall, the camera department is just decent and will help you take some really good pictures and videos for day to day life. The area where I think Realme need to work on the most is the macro lens, where it falls behind the Redmi Note lineup.
VOOC 4.0 Charger is What We All Need
Gone are the days when a 4300 mAh battery will take more than an hour to get fully charged. The Realme 6 comes with the 30W VOOC 4.0 charger, which gets the phone from 0% to 100% in nearly an hour time. Compared to the 18W charger of the Redmi Note 9 Pro and even the 33W charger of Redmi Note 9 Pro Max; the VOOC 4.0 seems faster. In my book, this is really a dealmaker for me. It would be really nice if more smartphone markers included such chargers with mid-ranger phones.
Vanilla Android Flavor with Extra Features as Toppings
The Realme UI is a treat for everyone, it gives you the stock AOSP like UI experience at the same time offering all the features the ASOP lacks. Minus all the bloatware and ads, you would find on Chinese smartphones. Seems like Oppo used all its experience from OnePlus’s Oxygen OS and its own Color OS to create the realme UI.
Price and Availability
Realme just entered Bangladesh officially and so far is only offering Realme 5i and Realme C2. Hopefully, we might see them bring in the Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro as early as next month. The expected price can be around BDT 15,000 for the base model.
Conclusion
Realme has come a long way in a matter of just 2 years, the improvement they have done to the lineup is really commendable. The Realme 6 can be considered the best product they have created for the budget line up with all the experience they accumulated over the years. If you are looking for a mid-range which can do all the task and do more. Then the Realme 6 is the smartphone you’re looking for and in most cases, it’s even better than the Redmi Note 9 Pro.