A very good phone that won’t hit you in the wallet.
Mobile Manufacture realme is back with two new handsets the realme 7 & realme 7 Pro. Here at What Gadget, we will be reviewing both as we have been lucky to have been sent both a few weeks ago for a sneaky peek. In this review, we took a look at the realme 7.
The realme 7 as well as the realme 7 pro was launched on the 7th October as mentioned on our site. The realme 7 comes in three configurations:
- 4GB RAM + 64GB Storage – £179
- 6GB RAM + 64GB Storage- £199
- 8GB RAM + 128GB Storage- £239
In this review, we were lucky to be able to review the 8GB option. All three options of the device come in two main colours Mist White and Mist Blue. We have the Mist White version.
First impressions of this phone realme have kept the there strengths with a 6.5-inch screen, 90HZ refresh rate and surprisingly include the new MediaTek Helio G95 chipset. This phone also comes with a massive 5000mAh battery and also comes with 30W fast charging. However, It does come with LCD technology but considering the price point and everything else I have mentioned its shaping up to be a very good budget headset.
Design
The realme 7 just looks cool, the mist white matt finish on the back of the phone looks rich and not what you would expect from realme. Gone are the days of the fingerprint collector of past mobiles. You will notice a vertical stripe that cuts through where the camera sits and just adds to the overall great design. All this is finished off with the realme logo in the bottom left corner.
The camera is raised on the back but is not overly prominent.
If this is a concern simply add the plastic case you’re given within the box and that rise in the camera disappears. Apart from that, the frame is of a plastic design which is a sign of a budget handset.
At the bottom of the phone, you are given the USB-C port & headphone jack and speaker which all add to the overall design and who doesn’t love a headphone jack for that wired connection with your overall headphones.
Moving to the side of the phone you have the side-mounted power/fingerprint scanner. You also get face scanning to unlock your phone so you can decide how to unlock the phone.
On the other side, you have the volume controls and sim card slot that allows for 2 sim cards and microSD card as well for extra storage.
Display
The realme 7 uses a 6.5 inch LCD screen with a 1080×2400 resolution which is actually the same as the previous model. However, its 90Hz refresh rate adds to the experience as you can scroll smoother and everyday activities on the phone feels instantaneous. You are given the LCD display but remember this is a budget handset. However, it’s not that bad yes full brightness on the phone can feel a little grey but overall it’s clarity is acceptable.
Finally, the display is protected with a screen protector that combines Gorilla Glass 3 for that extra protection. To finish off the screen you have a selfie camera in the shape of a hole punch at the top of the phone and I will look into the camera shortly.
Performance
Looking inside the phone it’s powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 chipset and really does create some competition for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G that is in the 7 Pro that we are also reviewing.
This chipset allows for mobile gaming and provides an impressive scale when gaming. If your playing for long periods don’t worry about overheating as the phone comes with a carbon fibre cooling system which is very effective.
If listening to music is your thing it does come with a mono speaker at the base of the phone but the sound quality is not the best I have heard but acceptable for the price point.
Camera
The realme 7 comes with a 48MP sensor that has been seen in many devices over the last year. However, the 7 does not offer OIS meaning the quality won’t be the same as something like an OnePlus 8. The primary sensor comes with an f/1.8 lens which is paired with an 8MP ultrawide camera that comes with an f/2.3 lens. You also get a depth sensor and fixed -focus macro camera that both come in at 2MP.
In daylight, the pictures we took came out great looking full of contrast and depth within the pictures. If the camera quality is important for you at this price the phone’s camera is well worth the investment.
As mentioned you gain that f/2.3 lens sensor and as long as you are in that 1m range. The images will give you a soft-focus allowing for a good image to be uploaded to your social media.
If you’re taking pictures at night you get given Night Mode as a feature. You will notice when you take a picture a prompt comes up telling you to keep the phone still for 3 seconds this helps capture the image.
This allows you to get an image that really does pack a punch when it comes to detail. I found if you had a little light at night it does help when you’re taking a shot. I took an image in the garden when the light was quite poor and it was not the best I have ever taken.
The front camera (Selfie Camera) comes with a 16MP and the images are sharp however if your a selfie taker make sure you have good light of the camera will provide poor quality.
The realme 7 also allows for video and is captured in 4K or Full HD capped at 1080P the footage is smooth when recording footage outside but inside footage does slip and become grainy.
What lets the phone down is the zoom does not come with optical zoom and when you zoom the images are not great.
Battery life
All these features on the realme 7 would be pointless without a good battery and this phone comes with a 5,000 mAh battery. You also get fast charging with 30W speeds allowing for you to get 50% in about 25 minutes.
I used the phone every day and enjoy the odd Vblog and also watch Sky Go lots and this phone could handle it without the battery disappearing. If your a little old school and just use the phone for calls/texts you might get about a day and half of the use otherwise if you like me who uses the phone for a mix of uses it will last the day.
Would I buy the realme 7?
The realme 7 comes with a lot of great features such as the MediaTek Helio G95 Chipset. This offers the handset some speed and when playing some games on the phone you will be impressed by the performance and the 90Hz screen.
I also found this phone very good if you think storage is important and the realme 7 gives you a choice of 64GB or 128GB plus you can also add a micro SD card providing a massive amount of storage. Our review device was the 128GB version and I was very impressed with the storage.
However, with a phone this cost it’s going to have a few problems and the lack of optical zoom is an issue but taking pictures without the zoom come out great. Another issue you might have is the phone is made from a lot of plastic but this is a budget handset so lower your expectations a little.
So if you’re looking for an affordable handset that provides decent performance with a strong battery. Yes, it’s not Qi Compatible but with the 30W fast charging feature, you can live without wireless charging. The realme 7 has a great style to it at £239 for the 8GB RAM + 128 GB of storage it’s well worth considering.
Handset Ratings:
Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Speed: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Camera: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
The realme 7 comes in 3 sizes:
- 4GB RAM + 64GB Storage – £179
- 6GB RAM + 64GB Storage- £199
- 8GB RAM + 128GB Storage- £239
Available from Amazon UK and Realme.com from the 21st October
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