Realme 6 Pro review: Realme 6 Pro is the successor to the Realme X and not the successor to the Realme 5 Pro as many expected. (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
At the pace Realme is moving, the brand is literally unstoppable. The brand has already introduced four phones in India this year including India’s first 5G phone, the Realme X50 Pro, and is now working to enter the smart home space with TVs, soundbars and more.
I have used several Realme phones in the past and feel that the brand is getting better with each new phone. Realme UI is now more refined and no longer feels cluttered. The Realme 6 and the Realme 6 Pro launched in India last week also come with Realme UI based on Android 10 software and overall I feel they are much better than their respective predecessors.
Realme says with the 6 series it has “redefined” the product portfolio and after spending a week with the 6 Pro I agree. For the unaware, the Realme 6 Pro is the successor to the Realme X and not the successor to the Realme 5 Pro as many expected. The Realme 6 that launched alongside the 6 Pro succeeds last year’s 5 Pro.
Realme 6 Pro specifications: 6.6-inch FHD+ resolution screen + 90hz refresh rate | Snapdragon 720G processor | up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage | Dual punch hole camera | Front cameras: 16MP Sony IMX471 sensor + 8MP super wide angle lens | Back cameras: 64MP Samsung sensor + 12MP 20x hybrid zoom telephoto lens + an 8MP ultra wide angle lens + macro lens | Realme UI based on Android 10 | 4300mAh battery paired with 30W fast charging support
Realme 6 Pro price in India: Starts at Rs 16,999
Realme 6 Pro review: Realme 6 Pro comes in two colours: Lightning Blue and Lightning Orange. (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Realme 6 Pro review: What about the design and screen?
The Realme X was a great all-rounder smartphone [read review] and the Realme 6 Pro carries the tag forward. I have always had one issue with Realme phones, the design. Most phones introduced in the last one year (almost) have the same design — they either use gradient finish or diamond-cut — but I’m glad that the Realme 6 Pro is different from others in this regard. The phone sports a fresh gradient design, something we haven’t seen on any Realme phone before.
The Realme 6 Pro comes in two colours: Lightning Blue and Lightning Orange. Both the colours look good, but blue is the one that I liked as it looks subtle. The gradient design looks unique and adds to the overall aesthetics of the phone. Despite using a big battery inside, the Realme 6 Pro has just the right weight and size. It’s easy to hold and use the phone with just one hand. The Gorilla Glass 5 protection on both front and back makes it feel premium for its price tag.
Realme 6 Pro review: The phone offers pretty good viewing angles as well. (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Watching videos and playing games on this Realme phone is a delight thanks to the big sAMOLED display with 90hz screen refresh rate that gets pretty bright indoors but wish I could say the same when using the phone under bright sunlight. The phone offers pretty good viewing angles as well. The dual punch hole could bother sometimes while watching a video or movie but if you’re used to cut out it shouldn’t be so much of a problem.
Realme 6 Pro review: How’s the camera?
For the Realme 6 Pro, the company has optimised the cameras well. I clicked some great looking pictures with the phone in almost all lighting conditions.
In daylight the Realme phone clicks fantastic pictures with the right amount of details and colours. If you like pictures with more contrast just turn on the Chroma boost option before clicking a picture and you won’t need to edit it before uploading on Instagram. The Realme phone also gets the portrait shots right with sharp edges and background properly blurred out. The details on portrait are also on spot.
Realme 6 Pro review: For the Realme 6 Pro, the company has optimised the cameras well. (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
I loved the low-light pictures that this Realme phone clicks. The regular photo mode clicks pretty clear shots even when the light is limited. The Night mode further sharpens the pictures. The phone also clicks great Night selfies. It captures well-detailed and good looking selfies in daylight. Wide angle selfies also get details right and look appealing.
The 12MP 20x hybrid zoom telephoto lens clicks pictures that look good but miss out on details most of the time. Similar is the case with macro lens. Another issue I had with this Realme phone’s camera is with the auto focus. It takes time to focus on the subject and I had to hold the phone steady and a slight move resulted in blurry pictures.
Shot on normal photo mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Shot on selfie normal and portrait mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Shot on normal photo mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Shot on normal photo mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Shot on macro mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Shot on Night mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Shot on ultra wide mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Shot on 5X zoom mode (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Realme 6 Pro review: About the performance
Realme 6 Pro is the first phone in India to come with Snapdragon 720G processor and as Qualcomm claims it manages games very well. I played basic games like Temple Run 2 and also heavy GPU Asphalt 9 game for long duration — say about 40 minutes at a stretch — and the phone never lagged. The Realme 6 Pro manages multi tasking very well. Switching between apps felt smooth. The phone didn’t lag even once despite having numerous apps working in the background. I must also credit Realme’s latest UI which is very easy to use and isn’t cluttered like colorOS.
Realme 6 Pro review: The Realme 6 Pro is a good overall package. (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)
Realme 6 Pro review: How’s the battery?
Realme has always taken battery very seriously and it makes sense given most consumers want phones that offer good battery backup. The new Realme 6 Pro is no different. The phone easily lasts one full day even for people like me who depend a lot on phones. Another good bit is that the 30W fast charger that comes bundled with the box charges the phone very quickly. It takes at maximum of 1 hour to fully charge from 0 to 100 per cent.
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Realme 6 Pro review: Should you buy it?
After a very long time I have personally liked a Realme phone. The Realme 6 Pro is a good overall package that offer almost everything that one would want from an under Rs 20,000 phone. It looks great, offers powerful performance, clicks stunning pictures in almost all lightning situations, and delivers long lasting battery life. At Rs 16,999 the Realme 6 Pro should definitely be your choice if looking for a phone under Rs 20,000.