Realme 7

The Realme 7 promises a lot for such a low price tag. With all the competition out there in the budget-friendly price ranges, where does the Realme 7 stack up?

Design

The shape and size of the Realme 7 don’t look all that different from a lot of smartphones. You’re certainly not losing any screen real estate for the price with a 6.5-inch screen.

It does, however, have a primarily plastic shell. There’s also a noticeable camera bump. But it disappears if you use the included phone case.

The back piece is a matte finish similar to frosted glass with a shinier stripe down around the camera bump, leading down to the company’s logo. This means fewer fingerprints and a better grip than most glossy plastic or glass phones. It’s also more rounded than boxy, which adds to the ease and comfort of one-handed use.

Display

To keep the phone’s cost down, the Realme 7 chose an LCD screen. This means blacks look more grey and colors aren’t amazing. Reviewers still thought the display was okay to look. The 90Hz refresh rate makes up for a lot of shortcomings of the LCD panel, as it allows menus to glide smoother and performance to feel extra snappy.

Performance

This isn’t the sort of phone that will compete with Apple or Samsung’s high-end offerings. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not good in its own right. For the price, it performs shockingly well. Again the 90Hz refresh rate is a factor here.

Overall, reviewers had nothing overly negative to say about the performance on the Realme 7. It’s good enough for daily use and reasonable for the price.

Software & Storage

The phone runs Android 10, reasonably up to date for the price. Storage goes up to 128GB with two different card slots for MicroSD and SIMs. This means you’ll probably never run out of space on the phone, and if you do it’s cheap and easy to add more!

Cameras

Camera performance did not thrill reviewers but they were quick to point out that few phones this price feature amazing cameras. Given the budget-friendly nature of the phone, it’s a nice piece of equipment. Again, colors can look washed out and less sharp than they should be and contrast is lacking. But if you’re looking for a cheap phone to snap pictures for Facebook or Instagram, it will probably get you by.

Battery Life

The mid-tier specs and a monstrous 5,000mAh battery saw the Realme 7 blow most battery reviews away. There’s no reason the phone shouldn’t last you all day and well into the night. Better still, it includes a 30-watt speed charger for quick top-ups should you need one.

Audio

Having only one speaker means that the listening experience only gets so good. Reviewers described the audio as plenty loud even if it was flat and lacking any sort of dynamic projection. But thanks to a USB-C port and a headphone jack, you can easily attach your favorite set of headphones to enhance your listening experience.

Specs at a Glance

• Plastic chassis
• 6.5-inch LCD display
• MediaTek Helio G95 processor
• 4/6/8 GB of RAM
• Android 10
• 128GB of onboard storage with MicroSD option
• 48MP camera and selfie punchout
• 5,000mAh battery

Bottom Line

While the Realme 7 isn’t going to win any awards, what it offers — and the price they ask for it — is perfectly acceptable. It may be more suited to someone who isn’t all about the latest games or the ultimate media experience though. It’s more for the buyer who just wants a reliable phone that keeps up with the basics without too much trouble.

Tech Radar says, “Realme has delivered more budget phones in a couple of years than many smartphone makers launch in a lifetime.”

Gadgets 360 states, “The Realme 7 isn’t a major update over the Realme 6, but it’s a good enough refresh with its larger battery and better primary camera sensor. Overall performance is very good, battery life is excellent, and the 90Hz display makes general usage feel smooth and fluid.”