Realme has been launching a lot of smartphones in India, citing the value for money factor. And the Realme 5 Pro is no different. With exciting specifications and features on offer, it indeed sets its own place in the segment. But is it worthy enough amidst the tough competition by Xiaomi? Well, let’s check out the same in our full Realme 5 Pro review.
Realme 5 Pro Specifications
Before starting with the Realme 5 Pro review, let’s have a glance at the phone’s specifications, pricing and things we get with the device.
- Display: 6.3-inch IPS LCD display, Full-HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels resolution), 19.5:9 ratio, 409 PPI density
- CPU: 10nm-based octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor(2×2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver)
- GPU: Adreno 616
- RAM: 4GB/ 6GB/ 8GB
- Storage: 64GB /128GB
- Software: Android 9 Pie (ColorOS 6)
- Main Camera: 48 MP Sony IMX586 (f/1.8, 0.8µm, PDAF) +
8 MP ultra-wide (f/2.2, 13mm, 1.12µm) + 2 MP dedicated macro camera (f/2.4, 1.75µm) + 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm) - Selfie Camera: 16MP ( f/2.0, 1/3″, 1.0µm)
- Connectivity: Dual SIM (4G), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, FM radio, micro USB 2.0
- Cellular: Dual SIM
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, rear-mounted
- Battery: 4,035mAh, Li-ion Polymer, non-removable
- Colours: Sparkling Blue, Crystal Green
Price: Rs. 13,999 for 4/64GB | Rs. 14,999 for 6/64GB| Rs. 16,999 for 6/128GB
Box Contents
Here’s a complete list of items you get inside the box:
- Realme 5 Pro
- 20W VOOC 3.0 Charger
- micro-USB cable
- Transparent Silicon Case
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Documentation
Realme 5 Review
Design
Starting off with the design, the Realme 5 Pro looks a lot more premium for a phone priced under 15K, thanks to the beautiful geometric pattern at the rear. The ‘holographic gradient’ aids for a really flashy appeal that’ll surely turn heads when you walk around with the phone in your hands.
The device is available in a total of two colours, including Sparkling Blue and Crystal Green options. The former we have here gets a subtle blue profile at the back which moulds very well with the purple hue on the top. Whereas, the Green version reminds us of the Vivo Z1 Pro with a little more fascination on offer.
However, it’s still made of polycarbonate and hence is susceptible to scratches and smudges if used without a case. Plus, it doesn’t feel very premium in hands. But then again, it doesn’t feel cheap either. The weight is managed very well at 184grams, and the curvy back offers enough grip in day to day use.
Flipping the phone over, you get a typical water-drop notch style display with minimal side bezels and a significant chin at the bottom. We would have loved to see an all-screen panel, but then that’s reserved for the more expensive Realme X (review).
Talking of placements, the power button is given to the right while the volume rockers are placed on the opposite side. There’s a dedicated triple slot to the side, followed by a single speaker, 3.5mm audio jack, and USB Type-C charging port at the bottom. There’s a vertically stacked pair of quad-cameras at the top left on rear, followed by a fingerprint scanner and Realme branding at the bottom.
Display
Realme 5 Pro is using a 6.3-inch FHD+ IPS display with 2340 x 1080 pixels resolution, 90.6 per cent screen ratio, 450 nits brightness and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The screen is more or less similar to the one on Realme 3 Pro. Although, Realme claims that the notch is about 30% smaller than the predecessor.
Now, the display quality is very good with apt viewing angles, vivid colours and the right amount of sharpness on offer. Note that the panel’s maximum brightness is quite average at 450nits and sunlight legibility is just decent, nothing extraordinary.
Thankfully, the phone comes with Widevine L1 certification meaning you can enjoy HD content on services like Netflix and Prime Video. Overall, despite being not as good as AMOLED displays, the panel still makes up for a perfect binge-watching experience.
Performance
Under the hood, the Realme 5 Pro gets powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 AIE SoC which is a 2.3GHz octa-core processor based on a 10nm process. It’s coupled with Adreno Adreno 616 GPU and comes in 4GB, 6GB and 8GB RAM options paired with 64GB and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage options. There’s a dedicated microSD slot for further storage expansion up to 256GB.
The phone performs absolutely great when it comes to day to day use including browsing the web, surfing social media, watching videos, texting and more. Plus, it also handles heavy games without any strain. We played Call of Duty Mobile a couple of times and it ran very well on medium settings without any issues whatsoever. Same was the case with PUBG Mobile. And we didn’t notice any heating issues either.
Software
Like other Realme devices, the Realme 5 Pro runs ColorOS based on Android 9 Pie. And this is indeed one of the most controversial factors of the handset. The UI is a heavily skinned and modified version of Android, which, despite being optimised well, doesn’t offer the same responsiveness as stock Android.
With the latest ColorOS 6, you now get an App drawer which can be revealed by a simple swipe on the home screen. Furthermore, you get to choose between Pixel-styled pill gestures or the new full-screen gestures for a more immersive experience. The UI also includes several motion and screen gestures to play around.
There’s also an excellent file sharing feature dubbed as Realme Share, which is quite similar to Apple’s AirDrop. Plus, there are a couple of other handy features like Smart Driving, Smart Assistant, Game Space, Clone Apps, Private Safe and more. Note that there’s a relatively good amount of bloatware on offer such as DailyHunt, Opera, UC Browser, ShareChat, Web novel, etc. which, fortunately, can be uninstalled in the settings.
Evidently, the UI is quite heavy on resources. Hence, if you’re someone like me who loves stock Android, then you’re going to have a hard time getting used to the ColorOS.
Cameras
The Realme 5 Pro gets a total of four cameras at the rear. This includes a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor with f/1.8 aperture, followed by an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP Macro camera, and 2MP Portrait sensor. For selfies, the phone bears 16MP unit upfront.
The primary camera produces impressive results in daylight, thanks to pixel binning. The images have a lot of detail on offer with punchy colours and warmer tones. Note that using AI mode results in oversaturated images; hence, we’d recommend keeping it off for true to life colours. Low-light images too are reasonably bright and are rescued well by the Nightscape mode, which further helps in enhancing the results.
The wide-angle camera, while not as good as the primary sensor, provides a whole new perspective. Don’t expect it to perform well in low light, though. Portrait mode too goes well, but edge detection often takes a hit in separating complex objects such as hairs. The dedicated macro lens is an added advantage for those who are into macro photography. However, we didn’t like the fact that toggle for the same is buried in a spillover menu.
The selfie camera, on the other hand, offers some crisp and ready to share selfies in daylight. The dynamic range, as well as exposure, is well balanced. However, the ones taken in low light tend to suffer from noise and softer detail.
Battery & More
The Realme 5 Pro gets a 4,035mAh battery that easily lasts for a full working day including use of GPS navigation while commuting, listening to music via Bluetooth, streaming videos on Prime Video and social media. Plus, you get support for VOOC 3.0 fast charging that allows for 0-70% recharge within 30 minutes.
Amongst other things, the fingerprint is really fast, and the face unlock too works reliably well. Network reception is excellent and so is the microphone, as confirmed by the other party while on call.
Pros
- Striking design
- Class-leading performance
- Versatile cameras
- Dedicated microSD slot
- Great battery life
- Fast charging with USB Type-C
Cons
- ColorOS is heavy and annoying
- Camera Bump
- Fairly thick at 8.9mm
- Plastic Build
Realme 5 Pro Review Verdict- Should you buy it?
The Realme 5 Pro is indeed a very compelling option with high performance, versatile cameras and excellent battery life. Plus, it gets fast charging, USB Type-C, and a dedicated microSD card slot amongst other features. However, just like any other phone, it has its own set of cons such as plastic build, camera bump, annoying Color OS and bloatware.
Having said that, if you can pay a little more, we’d suggest checking out the Realme X (review) which offers a notch-less Super AMOLED display, in-display fingerprint scanner and pop-up cameras, for a fairly good price.
