Emerging tech giant realme is on a roll in introducing new devices in the market, and among the latest in their offerings is the realme GT Master Edition. We have used this smartphone for more than a month, and here’s what we have to say about it. Is it fitting to carry the word “master” in its name? Read on to find out.
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| realme GT Master Edition review; Mastery Mystery |
DESIGN and DISPLAY:
The realme GT Master Edition was introduced to the world with a uniquely designed gray version, dubbed as Voyager Grey, made by no less than a famous Japanese artist, Naoto Fukasawa. This special variant of the said smartphone is clothed in concave vegan leather, which is a more sustainable and environment-friendly option since it’s not made from animal skin. It resembles a suitcase with horizontal accent lines for a sturdier grip.
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| Daybreak Blue |
The said smartphone also comes in a simpler yet still elegant Daybreak Blue variant for those who would prefer a more timid and minimalist look for a smartphone.
If you’re one to use your smartphone often one-handed, then the realme GT Master Edition might require some time getting used to since it has a relatively bulky body. The good thing about this, though, is that its size is ideal for binge-watching sessions as you get a big screen. Plus, it weighs only 174g. It also has round edges and is nearly bezel-less, so it’s adorable to look at. The punch hole camera is located on the left side instead of the middle, which we like since it makes the screen even more maximized for viewing.
You get the volume buttons and the card tray for two nano-sized SIM cards (yep, there’s no microSD slot which means that the storage of the realme GT Master Edition is, unfortunately, not expandable) on the left side, while on the opposite side is the power/lock button. Below are the USB-C port for charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a speaker grille.
We’re pretty lost as to why realme didn’t put any kind of water or dust resistance for the realme GT Master Edition, especially now that this feature is almost like a standard for new smartphone models. Plus, it just doesn’t make sense for them to put out a smartphone with a Fukasawa-crafted design but skip on adding something to keep the device in good shape for a longer time.
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| Super AMOLED FHD+ Display |
We’ve mentioned earlier that the sizeable 6.43-inch screen of the realme GT Master Edition is a good display for multimedia consumption. To add to this, it’s also a capable screen for gaming as it comes with a 120Hz high refresh rate, which means that you can expect this smartphone to deliver smooth frames and lesser stutters. On top of this, the realme GT Master Edition has a 360Hz touch sample rate, so it’s very responsive to taps and swipes. Plus, its panel is a Full HD+ Super AMOLED one, so bright and vivid images are what await you when you have this device.
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| Retail Package |
You can adjust the frame rate between 120Hz, 60Hz, or auto. Using the 120Hz more often would lead you to shorter battery life, so it’s up to you if that’s something you’re willing to compromise in lieu of an immersive gaming experience.
See Also: Five Top Features of the realme GT Master Edition
PERFORMANCE and BATTERY LIFE:
Under the hood, the realme GT Master Edition comes with either a combination of 6GB RAM/128GB storage or an 8GB RAM/256GB. It runs on a Snapdragon 778G chipset with an Adreno 642L GPU. Compared to its predecessor, the standard realme GT, which carries the flagship Snapdragon 888, the realme GT Master Edition is lower in terms of internals.
This is not a problem, though, as the device is fairly capable of handling games like COD: Mobile, Genshin Impact, and Mobile Legends Bang Bang, and it also didn’t fail us in terms of multitasking. There’s a GT mode that boosts the phone’s performance when activated, but again, it will consume more battery.
Out of the box, it comes with realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11. There are a lot of customization options for more convenient use. There’s also a dark more, parental controls, intelligent driving, digital wellbeing, and a floating window for upgraded multitasking as it allows you to view certain apps on a mini window on your screen while another app is also working in the background. Bloatware is present, but you can always easily uninstall all the apps that you won’t need.
One thing that we liked about the realme GT Master Edition is its in-display fingerprint sensor that never once faltered in doing its purpose of swiftly unlocking the device in our one-month use.
The realme GT Master Edition’s battery is commendable. Its 4,300mAh juice can last over a day and a half in moderate use and with the 120Hz refresh rate activated every now and then. Fast charging is also available with the realme GT Master Edition, and in our experience, it was able to equate a 30-minute charge to 93% of battery life. There’s no wireless charging support, though, but this is not really a deal-breaker, at least for us, especially if we get that performance in terms of fast charging.
Here are the benchmark results that we got from testing the realme GT Master Edition to put things into perspective:
Here are the benchmark test results we got with the realme 8 5G.
- Antutu - 535,930
- Geekbench Single-Core - 788
- Geekbench Multi-Core - 2,751
- Geekbench Compute - 2,231
- PC Mark Work Performance 3.0 - 12,737
- PC Mark Work Storage 2.0 - 26,082
- 3D Mark Wild Life - 2,488
- 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme - 690
- 3D Mark Sling Shot - 6.364
- 3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme - 5,020
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CAMERAS:
The realme GT Master Edition carries a triple rear camera setup with a 64MP, f/1.8 primary sensor; 8MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide shooter; and a 2MP f/2.4macro lens. For selfies, you have a 32MP front camera.
With the realme GT Master Edition cameras, outdoor shooting produced images with clear texture and details; however, color saturation looks overwhelming in some of the photos that we took, and there’s not much of a difference when the AI and HRD features are used or not. This might not be an issue, though, for those who like their snaps a bit saturated.
Low-light photography isn’t its strongest suit at normal shooting mode, as details appear muddy and colors look muted. But things get a whole lot better when Night Mode is activated as if you are shooting with a different camera. The images produced are clear and got a lot of details on them.
Moreover, the realme GT Master Edition does take good portrait shots with a natural-looking bokeh effect, and we liked the performance of its macro camera. Here are some sample photos shot using the realme GT Master Edition.
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| Playground, Normal |
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| Playground, AI Scene |
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| Flower, Normal |
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| Flower, Macro |
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| Selfie, Normal |
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| Selfie, Portrait |
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| Playground, Night, Normal |
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| Playground, Night, Night Mode |
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| Driveway, Night, Normal |
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| Driveway, Night, Night Mode |
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| Selfie, Night, Normal |
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| Selfie, Night, Portrait |
In terms of videos, the realme GT Master Edition can record up to 4k at 60fps, while its Ultra Steady stabilization is rated at 1080p.
FINAL WORDS:
The realme GT Master Edition offers many solid points that still appeal to some users - from creative design to overall outstanding performance.
However, for its Php18,990 (128GB) and Php21,990 (256GB) price tags though, some users might be expecting more, especially having a "Master" on its name.
How much is the realme GT Master Edition price in the Philippines?
- The realme GT Master Edition prices in the Philippines are Php18,990 for the 8GB+128GB variant and Php21,990 for the 8GB+256GB.
- Get yours via Lazada at https://bit.ly/realmeofficialstoreph or in nearly 500 realme stores and over 4,000 partner dealers nationwide.
When will be the realme GT Master Edition available in the Philippines?
- The realme GT Mater Edition is now available in the Philippines since September 24.
realme GT Master Edition Specs Philippines:
- Dual SIM, dual standby, supports 5G connectivity.
- 6.43-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ (2400 x 1080) 120Hz refresh rate
- Dimensions: 159.2mm x 73.5mm x 8.0mm or 8.7mm
- Weight: 174 or 180 grams
- Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11
- Octa-core (4x2.4GHz Kryo 670 + 4x1.9GHz Kryo 670) CPU, Adreno 642L GPU, Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G 6nm chipset
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB/256GB UFS internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via MicroSD card, uses dedicated slot
- 64MP PDAF f/1.8 main + 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 2MP f/2.4 macro triple rear cameras with LED flash, 4K video recording at 30fps
- 32MP f/2.5 front camera, 1080p video recording at 30fps
- Multimedia player
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Hi-Res Audio
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band
- Bluetooth v5.2
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
- USB 2.0 Type-C with OTG function
- Sensors: fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, light, proximity, gyroscope
- Battery: 4,300mAh lithium-ion polymer, non-removable, 65W fast charging
- Colors: Voyager Grey and Daybreak Blue
- Price: Php18,990/Php21,990