Realme keeps growing in the Philippines, making their way to the top in just a very short span of time, in fact, they are now the top 4 smartphone brand in the country. One of the most significant contributors to their success is offering budget-friendly devices with excellent value for money. And the recently released Realme C3 is a testament that they will continue to bank in that formula.
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| Realme C3 Review; Affordable and Powerful Gaming Phone |
The Realme C3 is dubbed as the triple camera gaming monster, but does this monicker really stand to what it offers in the real world usage? That is something we will answer in this review, so let's start!
PHYSICAL:
Just like the Realme C2, the new C-series device comes with mini-drop fullscreen, but it has a more prominent 6.5-inch display and slightly higher resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels, albeit the pixel density is lower at 270 PPI versus 282 PPI. Moreover, it still has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for added protection against dings and scratches. And, if that is not enough, there is an added layer of plastic film, which you can remove and replace anytime you feel like doing so.
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| Front |
It measures 164.4mm x 75mm x 8.95mm and weighs 195 grams, which is bigger and heavier than C2's 154.3mm x 73.7mm x 8.5mm and 166 grams, and almost identical and the same to Realme 5i's 164.4mm x 75mm x 9.3mm and 195 grams.
As advertised, the typical maximum brightness is 480 nits, it is actually bright and has good viewing angles. However, it tends to be reflective when under direct sunlight or whenever viewed below a 45-degree angle. If reflectiveness bothers you, just remove the plastic film, and you are good, but we do not highly recommend it to avoid damage to the non-removable glass.
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| Display Settings |
The display settings have lots to offer, users can choose the color temperature to Cool, Default, or Warm, there is also an option to turn on Eye Care that reduces blue light and prevents eye strain, and has system-wide Dark Mode.
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| Back |
Moving at the back, it abandons the Diamond Cut design of the C2, and implements a more stunning Sunrise Design, which is also resistant to fingerprints. It is available in two color options, namely the Blazing Red, and the one we have for review, the Frozen Blue.
At the rear panel, you will find the triple camera set-up, which is one of the highlights of the C3, along with the LED flash. The fingerprint sensor is also here, which unlocks the phone in almost an instant.
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| Triple Card Slot |
Going through the sides, the right has the power button, the bottom is quite busy with the loudspeaker grille, MicroUSB port, microphone pinhole, and the 3.5mm audio jack, while the left holds the volume keys and the triple card slot.
Sadly, just like its predecessor, the retail package still does not come with free clear case and wired earphones, probably to keep the production cost at a minimum. Speaking of which, its retail price tag is pegged at Php5,990.
Realme C3 Unboxing and Hands-on
Overall, the phone looks good, has a nice heft on its, and feels solid even if it has a plastic back and plastic frame.
See Also: Realme C2 Review; Strong Budget Contender
SOFTWARE:
Realme announced their very own OS earlier this year, the Realme UI, and if I am not mistaken, the Realme C3 is one of the firsts, if not the first device to run on this UI out of the box.
The Realme UI looks clean with a youthful and energetic vibe, wherein users can customize almost everything, from icons, system colors, and more. It also comes with notable features such as Dual Mode Music Share wherein users can listen both on wired earphones and external speakers via Bluetooth, Game Space that smartly allocates RAM and resources, and Fraud Prevention that accurately identifies and block viruses, phishing attacks, and other threats to your privacy.
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| Apps In Dark Mode |
As mentioned earlier, it has a Dark Mode, this feature works almost seamlessly, but comes with some minor hiccups. One of which is the Google Chrome remains in dark theme even if you already disabled the dark mode, and restart the phone. The only way to return to the light theme is to select it manually in the Chrome setting itself.
To learn more about Realme UI, you can visit https://www.realme.com/in/realme-ui.
PERFORMANCE:
Around February of 2019, MediaTek launched its latest Gaming Series Chipsets, the Helio G70 and G80, with HyperEngine Game Technology, and the Realme C3 is one of the few devices to equip it. In fact, it is the first smartphone in the Philippines to have this kind of chip. The MediaTek Helio G70 is made from a 12nm semiconductor fabrication process and comes with an octa-core processor clocked up to 2GHz each with ARM Mali-G52MP2 GPU clocked up to 820MHz.
As usual, the C3 went through our favorite benchmarking tools, and below are the scores.
| Benchmark | OPPO A9 2020 | Realme 5 | Realme C3 |
| Antutu | 133,922 | 167,623 | 179,857 |
| Geekbench 5 (Single-Core) | 314 | 314 | 365 |
| Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core) | 1,287 | 1,365 | 1,721 |
| Geekbench 5 (RenderScript) | 373 | 377 | 958 |
| PC Mark | 6,809 | 7,789 | 8,649 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot | 1,748 | 1,760 | 1,619 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot (Vulcan) | 1,040 | 1,050 | 1,180 |
| 3D Mark Sling Shot (OpenGL) | 1,109 | 1,150 | 1,190 |
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| Benchmark Scores |
As you can see in the above table, almost all the C3 scores are better than the more expensive devices like the OPPO A9 2020 and Realme 5, which are both powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipsets.
In real-life usage, navigating the interface and switching between apps is mostly smooth. However, once in a while, we also encountered some delayed reactions when there are plenty of items running in the background, probably because it only has 3GB of RAM and/or the Realme UI still need some optimization. We also suspect the latter because out of the 32GB storage, only 19.9GB available to the users. This simply means that the operating system, along with the pre-installed apps, occupies about 12GB of storage.
The same is true when playing popular games. The titles like PUBG Mobile, NBA 2K20, Call of Duty Mobile, Mobile Legends, and Asphalt 9 run very smoothly when in moderate settings. When in high settings, all are still highly playable, albeit, there few hiccups are felt. That said, we highly recommend to close all apps aside from the one you are using to have the best experience.
By the way, shutting down the phone is fast at 5 seconds or less, while booting up takes about 25 seconds.
Also Read: Realme 5 Review; 5 Cameras, 5000mAh Battery, and More!
CAMERA:
The camera department is one of the key selling points that the Realme is pushing for the C3, and on paper, it looks really promising. At the back, it is equipped with a phase-detection autofocus 12MP primary shooter with f/1.8 aperture paired with 2MP f/2.4 sensor for hardware bokeh, and a dedicated 2MP module for taking macro shots as close as 4cm to the subject.
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| Triple Rear Cameras |
The user interface is similar, if not the same as before. The shutter button is placed at the lower part; to its right is the toggle for between front and back cameras, and to its left is the access to view the shots taken. Directly above them are the shooting modes - Video, Photo, and Portrait along with the "More" button. Pressing the MORE will reveal the other shooting modes, namely Time-Lapse, Ultra Macro, Slo-Mo, Expert, and Panorama.
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| Camera Interface |
Meanwhile, at the upper portion of the UI is where you will find other things, such as the buttons for flash, HDR, Chroma Boost, Filters, and Frame (aspect ratio), Timer, and Settings.
Camera Samples:
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| Swimming Pool, Normal |
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| Swimming Pool, Chroma Boost |
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| Garden Swing, Normal |
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| Garden Swing, Chroma Boost |
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| Night, Normal |
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| Night, Expert Mode |
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| Flower, Close-up (12MP) |
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| Flower, Macro (2MP) |
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| Selfie, Normal |
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| Selfie, Portrait |
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| Selfie, Low Light |
Considering Realme C3's asking price and its position in the market, we can say that the 12MP main snapper gives good outputs that have a nice level of sharpness and color accuracy when there is ample lighting source. In fact, when Chroma Boost is turned on, the images produced are brighter, and the dynamic range is almost on point.
During at night or at low lighting conditions, the images are and grainy, but still usable with little to no editing needed when sharing it on social media. There is no dedicated night mode to brighten up the outputs, but with a little tweak using the Expert mode and several test shots, you'll eventually get the desired image.
The dedicated macro lens also offers better outputs when compared to the main module when taking close up shots. Although the resolved colors are a bit darker, it still has more details, especially when shots are taken at a very close range.
As for the front camera, it is impressive for a 5MP sensor, and more than enough for Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok needs. Moreover, the software bokeh effect is also good too.
However, there are times that there is a delay in saving the image after pressing the shutter, which in turn results in blurry shots. Hopefully, this is just a software issue and will be resolved in a future update.
Related: Realme 5i Review: The Budget Quad Camera and Battery Phone
CONNECTIVITY:
The C3 has a triple-slot card tray, which means that it is a true dual SIM device since the MicroSD card for storage expansion has its own place. The mobile data connectivity supports up to 4G LTE with Bands 1, 3, 5, and 8 for FDD-LTE, and bands 38, 40, and 41 for TD-LTE. Sadly, it has no band 28 or commonly known as the 700MHz band.
When indoor or whenever a wireless connection is available, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n is the way to, albeit its only single band. The Bluetooth version is already 5.0, however, the USB type is still non-reversible - a MicroUSB 2.0. Thankfully, it has USB On-The-Go and supports reverse charging technology.
The other connectivity options are GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS and BDS, 3.5mm audio jack, and FM radio receiver.
BATTERY:
A massive 5000mAh power source gives the Realme C3 more than a whole day of moderate use - that's few minutes of calls, several text messages, checking of social media accounts, browsing the web, and 30 minutes to an hour of gaming.
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| Battery Settings and PC Mark Score |
In PC Mark Battery Test, it scored 17 hours and 50 minutes; this result is actually great. However, it still fell short when compared to Realme 5 that scored 21 hours and 35 minutes, and OPPO A9 2020 with 25 hours and 40 minutes, both of which also have 5000mAh battery.
The C3 supports fast charging, and the supplied wall charger has a 10-watt rating. During our test (phone is off, and the battery is drained), it took 1 hour and 10 minutes for the phone to reach 50%, while it needed 2 hours 40 minutes to be fully charged from 0%.
FINAL WORDS:
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| Realme C3 |
For only Php5,990, the Realme C3 is currently the best option for consumers that are looking for a great balance between camera quality and gaming performance without spending too much. The triple camera set-up, MediaTek Helio G70 chipset, the huge 5000mAh battery, and low asking price are some of the best qualities the C3 have that will surely make it a winner even in the saturated entry-level mobile phone market. In fact, it is already a top contender in our TeknoGadyet Awards 2020 as the Best Value Smartphone.
Realme C3 Specs (Philippines):
- Dual SIM, dual standby, supports 4G VoLTE connectivity
- 6.52-inch HD+ (1560 x 720) display, 20:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- Dimensions: 164.4mm x 75mm x 8.95mm
- Weight: 195 grams
- Realme UI 1.0 based on Android 10
- 2GHz octa-core CPU, ARM Mali-G52 GPU, MediaTek Helio G70 12nm chipset
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB storage, expandable up to 256GB via MicroSD, uses dedicated slot
- 12MP f/1.9 PDAF + 2MP f/2.4 depth + 2MP f/2.4 macro triple rear cameras, 1080p video recording at 30fps
- 5MP f/2.4 front camera
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz
- Bluetooth v5.0
- MicroUSB 2.0 with OTG function
- GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
- Multimedia Player
- FM Radio
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Sensors: fingerprint (rear-mounted), light, proximity, accelerometer,
- Battery: 5,000mAh non-removable; supports Reverse Charging
- Colors: Blazing Red, Frozen Blue
- Price: Php5,990
