Realme arrives less than a year in the Philippines, but they are very much active in the smartphone business and has been the talk of the town lately, especially when they announced the Realme 5 series.
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| Realme 5 Review; 5 Cameras, 5000mAh Battery, and More! |
The Realme 5 series is composed of the Pro and non-Pro variant, both devices have the quad-rear camera setup and colossal battery capacity on top of other great features. We believe you want to know these phones much better, but we cannot accommodate them at the same time in one review. So, for now, let's dig deeper with the Realme 5.
PHYSICAL:
The facade of the Realme 5 has a strong resemblance with that of the Realme 5 Pro as well as its predecessor, the Realme 3. All of them have a mini-drop display, which in layman's term is a screen with a small notch up to, just like the waterdrop displays of OPPO phones.
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| Realme 5 6.5-inch Display |
Among the 3, it has the biggest screen size that measures 6.5 inches diagonally and the highest aspect ratio of 20:9. However, it has the lowest pixel per inch density, which is only 269 PPI or 269.93 to be exact because of its resolution of 1600 pixels x 720 pixels. The amount of pixel is the same as that of the OPPO A9 2020 that we also reviewed recently.
That said, if your eyes are used to 4K displays or even those with FHD+, you will notice the difference in terms of sharpness when you compared them side by side. However, without a phone to compare it with and without closely inspecting what's on the screen, it will be hard to spot the lower pixel count. And, based on our experience with it as our daily driver for more than two weeks, texts and images still look great, and we usually forgot that it only has 720p+ resolution. Don't get us wrong, we are all for high resolution, and it would be more lovely if Realme did not cut corners with this one.
The outer layer of the display is a Corning Gorilla Glass 3+, which makes it resistant to scratches. And, to add another layer of protection, there is also a pre-applied plastic film.
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| New Crystal Design |
Flippling the phone, you will find the new crystal design of the plastic back panel, which, according to Realme, is an upgrade from the typical diamond-cutting. It shines in almost every angle, and give brightly holographic reflections. It really looks beautiful on both the Crytal Blue and Crystal Purple variants. However, its smooth texture also attracts fingerprints and smudges, and one of the ways you can avoid that is to use the free case in the package.
The back houses one of the main features of Realme 5, which is the quad-camera setup placed at the upper left part and stacked vertically. The module is not inline with the surface, and slightly protruding at about 1mm. Here, you will also find the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, the dual-tone LED flash, and the realme logo.
Moving on, the top has nothing on it, the right side has the power button, the left part holds the volume keys and triple card slot, while the bottom is a bit busy accommodating the microphone, loudspeaker grill, MicroUSB 2.0 port, and 3.5mm audio jack.
Realme 5 Unboxing and Hands-on
The Realme 5 has no IP certification, but it is splash-resistant as far as the Real Quality Test is concerned. They mentioned that it has airtight sealings that protect all interior and exterior components, which includes the screen and buttons. However, be reminded that they also said that it is only splash-proof in normal daily usage, and not in extreme situations. So, be careful handling it than be sorry.
SOFTWARE:
The Realme 3 was the first device both from Realme and OPPO to have ColorOS 6 pre-installed out of the box, and it is no brainer that the Realme 5 series will also have the same operating system. It brings lots of improvement in terms of performance, as well as how the UI looks and transitions. But, since we break down what ColorOS 6 has to offer on our Realme 3 review before, we won't be repeating it here. Instead, you can read that post here or better yet visit https://www.oppo.com/ph/coloros6/.
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| Software |
By the way, during the Realme XT launch in the Philippines, they mentioned that they would roll out Android 10 update on Realme 5 in Q2 of 2020.
PERFORMANCE:
The Realme 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset, which is the same chipset that can be found inside the OPPO A9 2020 and A5 2020. It is composed of 2GHz octa-core Kryo 260 CPU paired with Adreno 610 GPU and equipped with 3rd Qualcomm AI Engine. This chip is positioned as the 3rd in the line among Series 6 of Qualcomm's mobile computing family, trailing behind the SDM670 and SD675. It also means, that it is less powerful than the SDM712 found in the Realme 5 Pro, since that chip belongs to higher series, which is Series 7.
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| CPU-Z Info |
In terms of memory, it is available in different RAM and ROM configurations, namely 3GB/32GB, 3GB/64GB, and 4GB/128GB, which is the one that we have for this review. Out of the 128GB of storage, there is 113GB available to the users. You can further save more space by uninstalling several apps that come pre-installed with the Realme 5. Yes, this phone has tons of bloatware, some can be removed, some are there to stay for good.
As usual, we put in under test using our favorite benchmarking tools, and below are the results:
| Benchmark | OPPO A9 2020 | Vivo S1 | Realme 5 |
| Antutu | 133,922 | 147,097 | 167623 |
| Geekbench 5 (Single-Core) | 314 | 346 | 314 |
| Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core) | 1,287 | 1,313 | 1,365 |
| Geekbench 5 (RenderScript) | 373 | 894 | 377 |
| PC Mark | 6,809 | 8,372 | 7,789 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot | 1,748 | 1,469 | 1,760 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot (Vulcan) | 1,040 | 1,106 | 1,050 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot (OpenGL) | 1,109 | 1,086 | 1,150 |
| 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited | 23,261 | 16,655 | 23,113 |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme | Max | Max | Max |
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| Benchmark Scores |
Because it has the same chipset and OS as the OPPO A9 2020, we expect that its benchmark scores will be the same with its cousins, or even lower because of lesser memory. But, to our surprise, it did score higher in almost all the categories. Moreover, it also beat the Vivo S1 and Samsung Galaxy A50s in Antutu and other tests.
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| Game Space |
In day to day usage, the Realme 5 performs well in handling multiple tasks, and the 720p resolution helps in a lot for faster and more responsive computing. Playing popular graphics-intensive games like Call of Duty, Mobile Legends, and Asphalt 9 is really enjoyable because of almost lag-free gaming. Moreover, there is the Realme Game Space that aids in a better gaming experience. In addition, we also never experience severe heating even during more than an hour of continuously playing. Yes, it tends to be slightly warm, but not to the alarming state.
CAMERA:
The quad rear camera setup is one of the main highlights of the Realme 5, and it is one of the most affordable smartphones in the market to have that feature. It has a similar setup with the OPPO A5 2020, except that it has traded the mono sensor to a dedicated 4cm close-up module.
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| Quad Rear Cameras |
The rear-mounted cameras are consist of the 12MP f/1.8 main sensor, 8MP f/2.2 with an ultra-wide lens, 2MP for portrait, and another 2MP for macro shots. Meanwhile, a 13-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture is mounted in the front for taking selfies and video calls.
Camera Samples:
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| 12MP Main Sensor |
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| 8MP Ultra-Wide Sensor |
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| 1x Zoom |
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| 2x Zoom |
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| 5x Zoom |
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| Night, Normal |
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| Night, Nightscape |
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| Ultra Macro |
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| Selfie, Normal |
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| Portrait Selfie |
Just like its predecessor, the Realme 3, it offers lots of shooting modes like Chroma Boost and Nightscape. The former is like an HDR, but it stacks multiple images to have a better dynamic range and vivid colors, especially in bright environments. On the other hand, the Nightscape, as the name suggests, allows users to capture stunning night or low-light shots even without the use of a tripod.
Speaking of Nightscape, the sensor that is used in this mode is the 8MP, and not the 12MP main module. This is quite a surprise for us since the 8MP allows lesser light to pass through since it has an f/2.2 aperture, while the 12MP has a brighter f/1.8 opening. Nevertheless, the shots taken with Nightscape mode is superior when compared to those captured under the normal mode even without a tripod or external stabilizer.
In general, both the primary 12MP and 8MP secondary rear shooters produce high-quality images as long as there is good lighting. The resolved details are great, the separation of shadows and highlights is quite good, especially when HDR or Chroma Boost is on. The 2MP macro sensor is also a welcome addition as it can focus on any subject as closes as 4 centimeters, a feature that the other modules cannot achieve.
Since it has no telephoto lens, zooming is only digital, and the quality of outputs are noticeably lower in this mode even at 2x zoom. The fourth rear camera is again for portrait, which for us is not needed at all, since the software processing alone is enough for this job. And, if we are to ask, we will trade the portrait lens to the telephoto lens any time of the day.
As for the front camera, it produces beautiful self-portray images and group photos with the right amount of applied digital makeup. The portrait mode also does its job pretty well, especially in separating the subject from the background, even without a second camera.
Meanwhile, for the video recording capability, it can capture up to 4K videos at 30fps and up to 240fps slow-motion videos. Realme says it has electric image stabilization, however, outputs are still a little bit shaky.
CONNECTIVITY:
If you are one of those who loves dual-SIM capability without sacrificing storage expansion, then we are happy to report that the Realme 5 has a triple card slot. Mobile data connection is also fast. However, LTE bands are only 1, 3, 5, 8, 38, 40, and 41, there is no band 28 or the 700MHz frequency. If you have no data plan or just saving those precious mobile data, you can rely on its dual-band Wi-Fi.
Other wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth v5.0 and FM Radio receiver. It has no Infrared sensor and NFC. Meanwhile, wired connectivity available are the 3.5mm audio jack, and the popular, yet aging MicroUSB 2.0 port.
Meanwhile, location-based applications work well as it has multiple location sensors, namely GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo. We have tested Waze, Google Maps, and other apps with location permission, and all of them work fine.
BATTERY:
Another key selling point of the Realme 5 aside from its quad-camera setup is the large 5,000mAh battery. As per the mobile brand, it can last for 718 hours on standby, 48.9 hours on call, up to 19.1 hours watching YouTube videos, and up to 8.5 hours playing PUBG Mobile.
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| Battery Test Score and Settings |
It has the same battery capacity as the OPPO A9 2020, however, in PC Mark Battery Test, their scores are not identical or at least near to each other. It registered 21 hours and 35 minutes, which is 4 hours and 5 minutes short than the A9's score of 25 hours and 40 minutes. Nonetheless, it is still pretty impressive, and still one of the highest grades we got since we started reviewing mobile phones.
The wall charger included in the package has a rating of 5 volts by 2 amperes or 10 watts. This is already considered as a fast charger, however, since the Realme 5 has a huge battery, it still takes around 4 hours for the phone to be fully charged. If they equipped it with 20W VOOC 3.0 flash charge like its Realme 5 Pro brother, it would have been awesome.
FINAL WORDS:
Realme has done so many great things in just less than a year of being in the Philippine market, and the Realme 5 is another milestone for them. It offers top of the line features, such as the quad-camera setup and large battery capacity, for the unbelievably low asking price. The 3GB/32GB model is definitely the phone to beat in the Php7,000 and below segment.
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| Realme 5 |
Yes, some will still ask for more with the likes of higher display resolution, a newer USB Type-C port, or the faster VOOC flash charge. But for us, the Realme 5 is one for the books.
Realme 5 Specs (Philippines):
- Dual Nano-SIM, dual standby, supports 4G/LTE connectivity
- 6.5-inch IPS HD+ (1600 x 720) capacitive touchscreen, 20:9 aspect ration, Corning Gorilla Glass 3+ protection
- Dimensions: 164.4mm x 75.6mm x 9.3mm
- Weight: 198 grams
- ColorOS 6.0 based on Android 9.0 Pie, planned upgrade to Android 10
- 64-bit octa-core (4 x 2.0GHz Kryo 260 Gold + 4 x 1.8GHz Kryo 260 Silver) CPU, Adreno 610 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 AIE chipset
- 3GB/4GB RAM
- 32GB/64GB/128GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via MicroSD card, uses dedicated slot
- 12MP f/1.8 PDAF + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 depth quad rear cameras with Chroma Boost and Nightscape
- 13MP f/2.0 front camera with AI beautification
- Multimedia Player
- FM Radio
- 3.5mm audio jack
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. dual-band
- Bluetooth v5.0
- GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
- Sensors: fingerprint, accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
- Others: face unlock
- Battery: 5,000mAh non-removable, 10W fast charging
- Colors: Crystal Purple, Crystal Blue
- Price: Php6,990 (3G+32GB), Php7,990 (3GB+64GB), Php9,990 (4GB+128GB)