Having bought it as soon as it was released in 2019, I’ve had this phone for over 2.5 years now. So, I thought it might be the right time to pen my thoughts about the same. I must say it has served me quite well.
KEY FEATURES
BASIC SPECIFICATIONS:
OPERATING SYSTEM & UI: It was released with Android 9 with Realme UI ColorOS 6. It has since been updated a few times, currently sporting Android 11. The UI provides a pleasant appearance and quite a bit of ease in handling. No hassles in updating to necessary latest versions.
PROCESSOR: It has Qualcomm SDM710 Snapdragon Octa-Core ARM Processor with Adreno 616 GPU unit. Quite respectable credentials in the hardware department.
MEMORY: It has a 6 GB RAM with 64 GB internal storage. One can also mount an external memory card, if one wishes to. It is expandable to 128 GB. This is a very good combination to go with the beforementioned technical specifications as far as phone operations go. Especially the RAM. I could feel the improvement in performance, compared to previous phones.
CAMERA: It has a 16 MP, f/1.7, 1/2.6", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF+ 5 MP, f/2.4, (depth) main camera to go with a 25 MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8", 0.8µm Selfie camera.
The main camera video has 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS capabilities to go with the Selfie camera’s 1080p@30fps capabilities. It has HDR and LED flash.
Pretty decent performance within a range of distance and its budget category. This is just before the era of AI powered camera mobile phones sporting 65 MP specifications and what not. However, mobile phones will never really measure up to really good digital cameras owing to the inherent shortcomings of a mobile phone camera and only god knows if you really need a really high MP mobile camera. I suppose it doesn’t really harm one to have one. For "on the go" and "mobile" purposes.
BATTERY: It has a Li-Po 4045 mAh non-removable battery which complements above specifications well. In the early years, it could even last 3 days or more with normal to more usage. Nowadays, it can last 2 days with normal not so heavy usage. It also has a provision of pretty fast VOOC charging. That aspect lives up to the billing.
APPEARANCE:
DISPLAY: It has an IPS LCD screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. At 6.3 inches long and with 409 ppi density (although our eye can perceive much lesser) with 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution.
DIMENSIONS:It has dimensions of 6.17 x 2.92 x 0.33 inches overall with a weight of 172 g.
COLORS: I had selected a Nitro Blue version for the RMX81 model which I had purchased. It also comes in purple or gray colors.
Overall, it came across with a reasonably pleasing appearance in its category and not really heavy for the paraphernalia it contains. Good balance. The display hasn’t really shown any deterioration worthy of note, over the years.
OTHER THINGS TO NOTE:
1]It has dual SIM capability as is the norm nowadays.
2]As far as file sharing options are concerned, it has NFC, bluetooth and WiFi sharing capabilities to go with its basic USB capabilities.
3]Quite a user friendly phone, I don’t think it would be problem for most, navigation wise in most aspects.
4] As far as security goes, there is provision of thumbprint, password and voice protection.
5] It is also water proof, although I haven’t subjected it to some great test.
6]About the not so good aspects,
A)The auto rotation feature of the phone does show some obstinacy sometimes, you have to really twist your hands to make it rotate. It has improved with updates over the years. But the issue is not non-existent.
B)The auto brightness feature lacks consistency and may disappoint at times, which is why I’m using the manual brightness option. It has other modes such as "eye comfort" etc in this category.
C)The shifting of apps between pages is also cumbersome although page switching itself is quite easy. App uninstallation could also be a tad more comfortable.
D) While WhatsApp call is getting connected, the screen may sometimes go completely dark, although it proceeds with its normal functions, otherwise.
7]Other than this, it has the basic functions, one would expect from a phone of its era. No overheating issues observed. It had cost around Rs. 16k /- at the time, inclusive of complete protection warranty for a year.
To conclude, I would mention it is a good all round phone which doesn’t disappoint in most aspects with plenty stamina to complement its other abilities, although a bit stubborn at times. It is nice to use in general and I may yet use it for some time to come.