realme C53 Unboxing, First Impressions, Camera Samples - A new budget champ?
realme Philippines announced that the new C53 will be available in the Philippines on June 22.
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| The box and everything inside |
It is the follow-up to the realme C55 and is being touted as the company's newest budget champion.
As a quick recap, the device was first announced in Malaysia. It features a super-slim boxy design, a 6.74-inch 90Hz HD+ LCD panel, a 12nm UNISOC T612 chip, a 5,000mAh battery capacity with fast charging, and a large 50MP main camera.
We were able to secure a unit ahead of launch. So, let's have a quick look at it.
Unboxing/Accessories
Nothing much to say here. It arrived in the same neat-looking realme yellow box.
Inside, you will see a smaller carton container with a translucent gray case and paper documents. When you open it, you will next find the SIM ejector tool.
After that, the phone itself will greet you.
Unlike other realme smartphones we unboxed before, this one has no pre-installed screen protector.
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| It has a 33W power brick |
Underneath, it has the 33W SUPERVOOC USB power brick and the USB-A to USB-C data/charging cable.
There are no other freebies like earphones with a mic here.
Build Quality/Design
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| Full back design |
In terms of materials used, the device is very similar to the realme C55. It is a unibody design mostly made with polycarbonate (plastic). In front, it uses glass.
Note that there is no water and dust resistance. But, the general build feels quite durable like most realme budget phones.
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| Inspired by Apple's iPhone? |
Design-wise, nobody can't deny that this has similarities with an iPhone with a boxy overall feel.
iPhone-like camera layout at the back
The unit we got is the Mighty Black colorway with a glittery star-like finish. It is also available in Champion Gold with Gold Filament Gradient Coating Process.
As mentioned, the device looks like an iPhone. Why? The camera hump and layout at the back are almost the same.
With a case, the camera island won't protrude anymore and the device won't wobble on flat surfaces anymore.
I liked that it is not that prone to fingerprint smudges as well.
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| Large screen with slim top and side bezels |
In front, it has a large 6.74-inch panel with a notch for the selfie camera. The side bezels and top bezels are very slim, but the chin bezel is a bit thick as expected from an entry-level Android device.
The top-notch has a dynamic-island-like effect called Mini Capsule that you will see when charging percentage and when it is fully charged.
The screen-to-body ratio is listed at 90.3 percent and that's fair in this category.
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| Top, bottom |
On top, it is flat. Below, you will see the bottom-firing UltraBoom Speaker speaker (up to 150 percent loudness), USB-C port, microphone hole, and a 3.5mm headphone jack slot.
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| Left, right |
On the left, it has pinhole access to the SIM card tray (dual SIM + microSD). On the right, you will see the power key/fingerprint reader and the volume up and down keys. The fingerprint reader is fairly responsive so far.
Super-slim build!
The device measures 167.3 x 76.7 x 7.49 mm and weighs 182 grams.
Going to the cameras, the device is boasting a large 50MP camera at the back paired with a depth sensor and an LED flash. The selfie camera is 8MP.
We tried its cameras, so see the first few shots we took below.
First Camera Samples
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| Daylight |
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| Close-up |
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| Indoor 1 |
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| Indoor 2 |
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| Indoor 2.5x zoom |
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| Indoor selfie |
We have yet to fully explore its 50MP main camera, but based on the initial shots, it is respectable for a budget device. I enjoyed that it has super-fast autofocus speeds and it can take images with accurate colors in daylight. Indoor shots are also not bad and pretty crisp overall. The 2.5x zoom has minimal grain, but that's more than acceptable for an entry-level smartphone.
For selfies, it has a usable 8MP shooter. There is face beauty by default. The first shot we took is a bit soft even if I have steady hands.
We are excited to try the camera filters that realme is boasting about and its Night mode.
realme C53 Specs
Display: 6.74-inch LCD (IPS) w/ 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, HD+ 1600 x 720 resolution at 260 ppi
CPU: 1.82GHz 12nm UNISOC T612 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-G57
RAM: 6GB
ROM: 128GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 2TB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8 + depth sensor + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.0
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 33W SUPERVOOC
OS: Android 13 w/ realme UI T Edition
Connectivity: WiFi (2.4GHz/5GHz), 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, GPS, dual SIM (nano)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, UltraBoom Speaker, USB-C, Colors: Sun Shower, Rainy Night, Rainforest
Dimensions: 165.6 x 75.9 x 7.9 mm
Weight: 189.5 g
Price: PHP 7,999
As of the moment
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| Mini Capsule |
The realme C53 is showing some promise. It is interesting and intriguing.
We enjoyed that it has a super-slim design with a nice paint job and it has features that you don't normally see on an entry-level Android smartphone like the 33W SUPERVOOC fast charging and the 50MP f/1.8 main camera.
Its back design which is clearly inspired by Apple's high-end smartphone could also be attractive for some. However, I won't be surprised if some won't like it and will say that it is just a copycat or an iPhone clone.
So far, the handset is fairly snappy. The RAM is expandable virtually up to 6GB (total of 12GB Dynamic RAM), it has ample storage, and the cameras are decent.
Depending on its price, it could be a hit or miss.
We will keep you guys posted. See you in our full review.
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