Realme C3 Unboxing and First Impressions
Often, entry-level smartphones are only good enough for handling basic tasks and apps. But, realme isn't contented with just that. They want the masses to enjoy a smartphone with great speed and good cameras without the need for spending so much.
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| Meet realme C3 |
The phone that we are talking about is the realme C3, the first entry-level phone in the world packed with MediaTek's new Helio G70 chip.
Helio G70 is a chip aimed towards more affordable gaming smartphones. It is a 12nm octa-core processor made out of 2x Cortex-A75 2.0GHz power cores, 6x Cortex-A55 n1.7Hz efficiency cores, and the Mali-G52 2EEMC22 820MHz GPU.
In addition, the C3 that we'll get here in the Philippines is different from the C3 in India. It has a triple-cam setup, not just 2. It has an extra macro camera designed to let you take close-up shots.
Unboxing/Accessories
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| Unboxed |
Like new realme phones, the C3 arrived in a bright realme yellow box. Inside the box, you'll immediately see the phone itself with a pre-installed screen protector along with the SIM ejector tool, 5V/2A charger, USB to micro USB data/charging cable, and the paper documents.
There's no case and earphones with a mic included in the package.
Build Quality/Design
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| Sunrise Design with triple slots for dual SIM and microSD card |
Realme C3 has a very similar look to the realme 5i. It sports a unibody polycarbonate body with a textured back and smooth finish on the frame. In front, the screen is made out of glass and it is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 for extra protection.
Textured back with sunlight-like rays design!
The back isn't prone to hairline scratches and fingerprint smudges due to its textured finish. Despite its lack of water resistance (like all budget phones), the overall build of the phone feels solid.
This is a durable-looking handset. I also like that its screen has a screen protector aside from the Gorilla Glass. It would just be better if it has a case inside the package though.
Style-wise, it reminds us of the realme 5i with a "Sunrise Design" at the back that shows reflections sun-like rays on the upper left side.
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| Notch display |
In front, the display is 6.5-inch big and it has a notch. The chin bezel is a bit thick, but overall bezels are considered slim. Realme claims that it goes with an 89.8 percent of screen ratio.
The device measures at 164.4 x 75 x 8.95 mm. It is a bit slimmer than the realme 5i that's 9.3 mm thick.
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| Top |
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| Bottom |
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| Left |
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| Right |
On top, it is a clean slate. The headphone jack, mic, micro USB port, and the speaker grill is found below.
At left, there's the volume keys and the triple-slot (dual SIM + microSD). At right, you'll find the power button.
The phone weighs 195 grams. The device feels quite good to hold overall.
2. Under the hood, I'm pleased that realme added a pretty powerful chip inside. It is a budget phone packed with the 12nm 2.0GHz 64-bit Helio G70 octa-core processor with Mali-G52 MC2 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, and 5,000mAh battery making it a respectable phone that can play demanding games.
On paper, its performance is on par with the realme 5i and realme 5. Arguably, it is the fastest phone for the expected low price tag.
5,000mAh is massive. A lot of mid-range and high-end phones don't even have that battery capacity. If it has the same battery performance coming from the realme 5, then it can easily last for 2 days on a single charge.
With those specs, this could be a great phone for budget gamers.
3. It is the first realme budget phone to run with Android 10 out of the box. Its Android 10 OS is paired with the customized version of ColorOS 7, the realme UI. So far, I find the realme UI to be clean and smooth at the same time. I like that it has easy to use gestures and there's a universal Dark Mode aside from the usual Light Mode.
4. For cameras, it has a total of 3 cameras at the back. The primary camera is a 12MP f/1.8 snapper. It is paired with a 2MP f/2.4 macro sensor and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor.
There's no ultra-wide mode. The Night mode is missing as well. But, it has the Chroma Boost, Portrait, Face Beauty with AI selfie, and a robust Pro camera mode with up to 32s shutter speed.
It uses a 5MP f/2.2 sensor for selfies.
Note: We will put the camera samples here soon!
5. As mentioned, unlike the Indian version of the realme C3, the realme C3 in PH and Southeast Asia sports a fingerprint reader at the back. It has WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5, GPS, and dual SIM slots as well.
Initial findings
1. The display is 6.5-inch big with HD+ resolution only. It is a respectable type of display for the price with an impressive 10 points of touch, but do not expect too much from it. Of course, while I find it decent, it won't be as crisp as screens with FHD+ resolution. It is understandable for a budget smartphone. |
| Strong AnTuTu score |
2. Under the hood, I'm pleased that realme added a pretty powerful chip inside. It is a budget phone packed with the 12nm 2.0GHz 64-bit Helio G70 octa-core processor with Mali-G52 MC2 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, and 5,000mAh battery making it a respectable phone that can play demanding games.
It is a budget phone with mid-range worthy speed!
On paper, its performance is on par with the realme 5i and realme 5. Arguably, it is the fastest phone for the expected low price tag.
5,000mAh is massive. A lot of mid-range and high-end phones don't even have that battery capacity. If it has the same battery performance coming from the realme 5, then it can easily last for 2 days on a single charge.
With those specs, this could be a great phone for budget gamers.
3. It is the first realme budget phone to run with Android 10 out of the box. Its Android 10 OS is paired with the customized version of ColorOS 7, the realme UI. So far, I find the realme UI to be clean and smooth at the same time. I like that it has easy to use gestures and there's a universal Dark Mode aside from the usual Light Mode.
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| Near camera UI |
4. For cameras, it has a total of 3 cameras at the back. The primary camera is a 12MP f/1.8 snapper. It is paired with a 2MP f/2.4 macro sensor and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor.
There's no ultra-wide mode. The Night mode is missing as well. But, it has the Chroma Boost, Portrait, Face Beauty with AI selfie, and a robust Pro camera mode with up to 32s shutter speed.
It uses a 5MP f/2.2 sensor for selfies.
Note: We will put the camera samples here soon!
5. As mentioned, unlike the Indian version of the realme C3, the realme C3 in PH and Southeast Asia sports a fingerprint reader at the back. It has WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5, GPS, and dual SIM slots as well.
Realme C3 Specs
Display: 6.5-inch 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 protected IPS (LTPS) screen w/ HD+ 1600 x 720 resolution at 269 ppi
CPU: 2.0GHz 12nm Helio G70 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-G52 MC2
RAM: 3GB
ROM: 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 12MP f/1.8 + 2MP f/2.4 4cm macro + 2MP f/2.4 depth + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 5MP f/2.2
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 10W charger
OS: Android 10.0 w/ realme UI 1.0
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, FM Radio, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, splash resistance, Dirac HD Sound, Colors: Frozen Blue, Blazing Red
Dimensions: 164.4 x 75 x 8.95 mm
Weight: 195 g
Price: PHP 5,990
CPU: 2.0GHz 12nm Helio G70 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-G52 MC2
RAM: 3GB
ROM: 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 12MP f/1.8 + 2MP f/2.4 4cm macro + 2MP f/2.4 depth + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 5MP f/2.2
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 10W charger
OS: Android 10.0 w/ realme UI 1.0
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, FM Radio, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, splash resistance, Dirac HD Sound, Colors: Frozen Blue, Blazing Red
Dimensions: 164.4 x 75 x 8.95 mm
Weight: 195 g
Price: PHP 5,990
As of the moment
This is a never-before-seen type of device for the expected price. Aside from its design, it impressed me with its speed and overall set of features so far. If the price is right, we have a new budget phone king.For our full review: Realme C3 Review - Best budget gaming phone yet, period!
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