realme GT Neo 3 Unboxing, First Impressions, Camera Samples

On schedule, the Philippines' top mobile maker realme released the GT Neo 3 in the country.

Meet realme GT Neo 3

This is not the first time that we had a chance to hold a GT Neo 3 device as we first had a look at its+ Naruto Edition a few weeks ago and it impressed us. However, it is a China-only device and it is not available for the Philippine market.

Thankfully, the company decided to bring its vanilla Neo 3 to the Philippines.

Why? Based on its specs, it is one of the most attractive phones with a big screen for its PHP 29,999 regular SRP and PHP 25,999 Lazada Payday Sale this July 29 to 31 at Lazada.

The device is boasting MTK's FAST 4nm Dimensity 8100 SoC, 80W fast charging, and the 2021 flagship-grade 50MP Sony IMX766 main shooter with OIS, among others.

Unboxing/Accessories

Everything inside the box

Similar to other realme devices, the GT Neo 3 arrived in a long box with nearly everything you need inside.

The first thing that will greet you is the paper documentation followed by the phone itself. Underneath, you will see the SIM ejector pin, USB-A to USB-C data/charging cable, FREE translucent bumper case, and the big 80W fast charging brick.

The 80W charger is even included in the package!

By the way, we also noticed that the phone has a pre-installed screen protector.

With the exception of earbuds with a mic, this is a near-complete package.

Build Quality/Design

The glass back with premium frosted texture

The device is made with silky smooth 3D curved glass with a frosted-like texture that prevents fingerprint smudges at the back.

Out of the box, the realme GT Neo 3 will immediately give that racing, sporty, gamer-ish vibe. This is due to its paint finish with 2 stripes called the Racing Stripe Design. realme said that this is a tribute to racing legends suggesting that it is a FAST device. It also has the usual "Dare to Leap" slogan of the company.

There is no mention of glass protection at the back, so to be sure, it will be better if you will use the case included in the package.

There is also a camera hump that appears to be made with clear glass for the triple camera setup and the dual LED flash.

Gorgeous display!

In front, it uses a large 6.7-inch AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection against unwanted scratches and other types of damage when dropped.

Insane 94.2 percent screen-to-body ratio!

This is also a very immersive and attractive-looking display due to its tiny bezels on all sides. In particular, realme said that it has a whopping 94.2 percent screen-to-body ratio and this is higher than a LOT of phones even in the high-end segment today.

By the way, the display of this also has a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1, 100 percent DCI-P3, and color accuracy of JNCD ≈ 0.4.

Also, it has a  Dedicated Display Processor. realme said that it intelligently inserts intermediate frames, increasing the frame rate up to 120fps, effectively improving fluidity and clarity. (We will check if this is true in our full review.)

The fingerprint reader is neatly hidden underneath the display as well.

Punch-hole for the selfie cam

There is also a top-center punch-hole for the selfie camera for a more symmetrical look.

The frame of the device is metal and it has chamfered edges making it grippier and more comfortable to hold.

Top, bottom

On top, you will see the speaker grille and the microphone.

Below, it has the primary speaker, USB-C port, another microphone hole, and the SIM card tray slot.

By the way, the SIM tray slot has a rubber gasket suggesting that it is somehow protected against water splashes even if it has no IP rating. Just note that we still recommend that you prevent it from getting wet.

realme also claimed that it has a 39606mm² Cooling Area, 4129mm² Vapor Chamber, and 9 layers which include its "Diamond Thermal Gel" which is said to be 50-60 percent better than standard thermal gel for better thermal management.

Left, right

On the left, you will see its volume up and down keys. On right, you will find its textured power button.

The cameras

Anyway, we also quickly tried its cameras. This device has a 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX766 w/ PDAF, OIS + 8MP f/2.25 119-degree ultra-wide-angle + 4cm macro + dual LED flash at the back. In front, it uses a 16MP f/2.45 Samsung S5K3P9 sensor.

The camera modes and UI have plenty of similarities to the realme 9 Pro+ including Night, Street, Video, Photo, Portrait, Pro, and many more.

First Camera Samples

1x daylight

3.8x zoom

Ultra-wide

Indoor dim

Indoor close-up

Night mode

First selfie (Portrait mode)

As expected from a realme device with strong main camera hardware, shots from the realme GT Neo 3 are generally great in nearly all lighting conditions. Grain is minimal, shots are highly detailed, and exposure is just right.

The ultra-wide cam and macro modes will perform general well in daylight. But, may struggle indoors and in dim situations, especially in the macro mode. The ultra-wide mode thankfully has support for the Night mode.

In the dark, its main shooter takes some of the best images with or without the Night mode. The Night mode is highly detailed, but not overly bright.

The selfie camera is alright and fairly wide. But, don't expect it to be as good as its primary camera.

We also like that it has plenty of modes to try like the Street mode that we will explore soon in our full review. 

Oh, this has a Film mode too that takes cinema-wide videos for both the wide and ultra-wide cameras too.

realme GT Neo 3 Specs

Display: 6.7-inch Gorilla Glass 5 protected AMOLED screen w/ 120Hz refresh rate, Dedicated Display Processor, HDR10+, FHD+ 2412 x 1080 resolution at 394 ppi

CPU: 2.85GHz 5nm MediaTek Dimensity 8100 octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G610 MC6

RAM: 8GB LPDDR5

ROM: 256GB UFS 3.1

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX766 w/ PDAF, OIS + 8MP f/2.25 119-degree ultra-wide-angle + 2MP 4cm macro + dual LED flash

Selfie Camera: 16MP f/2.45 Samsung S5K3P9

Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 80W SuperDart Charge (TÜV Rheinland Safe Fast-Charge System Certification)

OS: Android 12 w/ realme UI 3.0

Connectivity: WiFi 6, 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5),  GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC, dual SIM (nano)

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor w/ heart rate monitor, Super Linear Dual Speakers, Hi-Res Audio, Dolby Atmos, Dual-mic Noise Cancellation, USB-C, Colors: Sprint White, Nitro Blue

Dimensions: 163.3 x 75.6 x 8.2 mm

Weight: 188 g

Price: PHP 29,999

As of the moment

Over 800K AnTuTu score!

The realme GT Neo 3 is one of the best for the price yet, especially during its during the Lazada Payday Sale that will last until July 31 when you can buy it for just PHP 25,999 (from PHP 29,999). Very few can compete or beat it in terms of speed in this range.

The design is premium and solid, the screen is very immersive due to its near bezel-less design, and the phone is blazing fast. MTK's Dimensity 8100 octa-core processor is super good and could match a lot of high-end phones last year in terms of speed and it doesn't get as hot as its Snapdragon counterparts as well.

Moreover, the device has a large battery capacity, super-fast charging, and a solid primary camera. My only gripe so far is they could have used a higher resolution ultra-wide shooter and removed the gimmicky macro camera. But again, that is just a minor gripe as I'm really enjoying my time with this phone so far.

What do you guys think?