Realme 2 Pro Review: Is It For Real?

Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Pinterest
WhatsApp
Linkedin
Source: Google

Realme, the sub-brand from the leading Chinese manufacturer, Oppo has recently announced the Realme 2 Pro in India and it has some amazing specifications and very modern design that was never expected this early in this price segment.

Oppo has been doing really well in the offline segment but online was really not their forte until Realme was launched. Realme was made especially for online sales cutting off reseller costs and loaded with features. Realme 1 launched in May 2018  with a great spec sheet and lighter price tag. The sales went rocketing. Not even a half year has passed Realme 2 was announced but it brought disappointment as it was not a follow-up, but a step-down. Then came the Realme 2 Pro, the real upgrade with even better specs, design, and a compelling price. We will see all about Realme 2 pro, its specs, price, and availability in detail along with the real-world usage review.

 

Realme 2 Pro Internals and Performance

The new Realme 2 Pro comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Processor which is a beast in the mid-range segment. It is a class apart from the competing smartphones in the same price. The smartphone comes with 4Gb, 6Gb or 8Gb of RAM and coupled with them are 64Gb internal storage with the top end 8Gb variant getting a 128GB storage. It doesn’t end there you can use external storage up to 256Gb via the removable SIM tray, another good news is the tray can hold two Nano SIM apart from an SD Card slot.

Operations are quick and responsive, with this good specs you don’t expect stutters after all. Apps open very fast and it could run all of the games and apps with ease even at high settings. One thing we felt while our time with the Realme 2 Pro is we couldn’t unleash the full capacity of the underlying chipset because of the heavy skin used on top of Android.

 

Realme 2 Pro Design and Looks

Source: Google

We knew 2018 as the year of notch-ed smartphones but it seems it is time to get rid of them. Not completely but it has shrunk to the small portion for housing the camera alone. If you are wondering how that is possible in a smartphone this cheap that is what Realme had probably aimed at. The design is going to be the Realme 2 Pro’s selling point apart from the processor.

The screen measures 6.3inches diagonally with the smallest chin and a very small notch that the company calls it “teardrop notch”. The FullHD+ display is good with ample colour reproduction and good viewing angles. The back reflects light and looks stunning on first look but ends up gathering fingerprints and looking smudged in a while. The back is made of polycarbonate and the sides are metal. The fingerprint scanner is at the rear, on the centre. For charging you still don’t get USB C. Micro USB port along with speakers and primary mic are present at the bottom. SIM tray and power button are present at the right, volume keys are on the left and the top houses a headphone jack and noise cancellation microphone.

Read About: Upcoming Smartphones in 2019 With Innovative Features

Realme 2 Pro Camera

Cameras have been bumped on paper – the rear gets a 16 MP sensor with a f/1.7 aperture and a 2MP depth sensor. The front teardrop notch houses another 16MP sensor for high-res selfies. The camera application has a lot of advanced features. Auto HDR option is turned on by default and beauty modes is present in various levels to choose from. AI scene optimisation is switchable which helps to bring better shots in low lights. Portrait mode works fine on both the cameras. You get to record 4k 30FPS but there seems to no stabilization for any of the cameras. The overall quality of the image is not on par with its competitors Nokia 6.1 Plus, MI A2 or Redmi Note 5 Pro. You can expect decent images from the sensors and the images tend to get over-processed at times.

 

Realme 2 Pro Battery

Realme 2 Pro has a 3500 mah battery inbuilt which also is not on par with its competition but gets the job done. Single day usage is no problem, the battery can handle one full day of usage with internet connectivity turned on all the time which is good. The provided charger outputs 5v at 2Amps, so no fast charging out of the box.

 

Realme 2 Pro Software

The software is where the phone feels let down. Colour OS 5.2 on top of Android 8.0 Oreo comes out of the box in the Realme 2 Pro. Colour OS is the same used in Oppo smartphones which is heavy skin that has a lot of inspiration from Apple’s iOS. The UI feels cluttered and isn’t the best looking either. It is better to throw in a launcher and customize to your liking.

Source: Google

Realme 2 Pro Price and Availability

Realme 2 Pro is priced very competitively starting at 13,999 INR for 4GB + 64GB variant. The other two variants 6GB + 64GB and 8GB + 128GB are priced at 15,999 INR and 17,999 INR respectively. The price of the 6GB variant is on the same level as it’s exact competitors like MI A2 and Moto One Power. What this phone excels at is the looks and Realme 2 Pro happens to be the only phone in this segment with the 8GB RAM which is a killer feature for gamers.

Read About: OnePlus 6T Review

Verdict

The Realme 2 Pro has a sure edge over its competitors in terms of display and design. Option to get a 4Gb variant for 13,999 INR is a nice addition. Where it loses out is in the camera and software department. The camera is not miserable but the competitors are so good and software, as we said, is non-attractive. If you are looking for the best performer with great looks around the 15k budget and don’t mind mediocre camera and software experience Realme 2 Pro will suit you the best. If camera or software tops your priority list for a new smartphone look elsewhere.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here