Chinese midrangers are very good

Realme’s phones have been available in the Netherlands for a while and since the end of last year they are also officially available with a subscription. But what can you expect from this relatively new brand? We have tested two devices for you: the Realme 7 Pro and Realme X50 5G.

Get started with two Realme phones

The name Realme will not ring a bell with many Dutch people, but the necessary smartphones of the brand have already appeared. Since the end of last year, the devices are officially available in the Netherlands (also with a subscription) and that is why we have tested two extensively.

It concerns the Realme 7 Pro, a smartphone of about 300 euros, with an AMOLED screen and super-fast 65 Watt charger. The Realme X50 5G, which you also get for around 300 euros, has to rely on its fast hardware and the 120Hz screen. In this review we will tell you everything about the pros and cons of the phones and whether they are worth it.

Striking design

The Realme phones have a beautiful design, with a particularly striking back due to the colors and pattern. The 7 Pro has a plastic back, but nevertheless feels sturdy and luxurious. The same goes for the Realme X50 5G. The devices are relatively heavy (182 and 194 grams), but I don’t find that a problem myself.

An important difference is that the Realme 7 Pro has a headphone jack and the X50 5G does not. Furthermore, both phones have a USB-C port, the volume buttons on the side and reasonable speakers. It is a pity that the screen edge at the bottom is quite thick. This is not necessarily disturbing, but it does make the front look less symmetrical.

Significant difference in screen quality

The screens of the Realme 7 Pro and X50 5G differ considerably from each other, although the resolution is the same: 2400 by 1080 pixels. First of all, the 7 Pro’s display is slightly smaller (6.4 inches) than that of the X50 5G (6.57 inches). More importantly, the Realme 7 Pro has an AMOLED screen, which looks much nicer than the LCD display of the X50 5G. Colors splash off the screen, the contrast is very high and black is really black.

You have to make a clear concession for that. The 7 Pro has a 60Hz screen, but that of the X50 is much smoother due to the high refresh rate of 120Hz. You notice that immediately in practice and the difference in ‘fluidity’ is enormous: everything simply looks much finer and faster on the X50. If you have doubts between the two phones, you have to choose between a better image quality or a higher refresh rate.

Furthermore, the edges of both phones are thin and there is a camera hole for the selfie camera (s). The Realme 7 Pro has a single front camera of 32 megapixel, but the X50 5G has two sensors. In addition to a regular 16-megapixel selfie camera, there is a 2-megapixel depth sensor for portrait photos.

That depth sensor is fun in itself, but useless in practice. The Realme 7 Pro adds the same bokeh effect to your selfies through software and it works just as well. The depth of field effect is more subtle with the X50 5G and the front camera delivers slightly sharper pictures, but the differences are otherwise small.

Hardware and software: the X50 5G is slightly faster

The Realme 7 Pro and X50 5G have excellent hardware for smartphones from 300 euros. Under the hood of the 7 Pro is a Snapdragon 720G chip, with the X50 5G this is the Snapdragon 765G. The latter is faster and can also be found, for example, in the more expensive Google Pixel 5 and OnePlus Nord. It also has 5G support, which makes the Realme X50 more future-proof.

However, this is not to say that the Realme 7 Pro’s performance is bad. During daily use, the smartphone runs smoothly and quickly with almost any app or game. However, the X50 5G feels faster due to the more powerful processor, but the 120Hz screen also contributes to this. The Realme 7 Pro does have more RAM (8GB vs 6GB) than the X50.

The fingerprint scanners work well on both devices, although that of the Realme X50 5G is noticeably faster. With these devices, the scanner is located on the side of the device and unlocking is always good and smooth. The Realme 7 Pro has a ‘more modern’ fingerprint scanner under the screen, but it needs a little more time to unlock the phone. During my test period, however, the fingerprint scanners of both devices performed excellently.

Android 10 with Realme software

Then the software of the Realme phones. Chinese manufacturers have a hand in adjusting Android considerably and cramming it with unnecessary functions and options. Fortunately, with the Realme phones, which run on Android 10 and the RealmeUI skin, this is not so bad. In fact, the appearance of the software remains close to stock Android, the settings app is clear and the software is very nice to use.

Realme’s update policy is unfortunately unclear, as the manufacturer does not provide any information about this. We expect the phones to update to Android 11 anyway, but it’s hard to say if they’ll get an Android 12 update as well. Security updates seem to appear regularly; during my test period I received several on both devices.

Cameras are reasonable

Unfortunately, the cameras of the Realme 7 Pro and Realme X50 5G are not convincing. Both devices have a four-fold camera on the back and therefore seem very versatile, but are not really. Two cameras – the macro camera and depth sensor (both 2 megapixel) – are very limited and do not really add anything.

• 

• 

• 

The Realme 7 Pro has a primary camera of 48 megapixels and the X50 5G even has one of 64 megapixels. Both cameras merge pixels for more detail and better photos in low light conditions. The results are reasonable, but sometimes inconsistent.

With enough daylight you can take excellent photos, with lots of detail, beautiful colors and a good dynamic range. The smartphones sometimes have a tendency to blow up colors a bit, making photos look less realistic. In the dark the Realme’s take mediocre photos. The camera software isn’t great and the night mode on board – which makes photos a bit brighter and sharper – works a bit, but not enough.

• 

• 

• 

The 8 megapixel wide-angle lens, which makes wider photos, is useful in many situations. You do notice a difference in photo quality between the wide-angle lens and primary camera, but we see that more often with cheaper smartphones. The detail is less and everything looks darker. All in all, the cameras on the Realme phones are nice, but they certainly don’t stand out.

Large batteries charge (very) quickly

The Realme phones do convince with the battery life. The 7 Pro has a 4,500 mAh battery, while the X50 5G has to do with 4,200 mAh. Both phones last a full day without any problems, even if you use them intensively. During my test period, I only had to put both the Realme 7 Pro and X50 5G on the power after a day and a half, and that is neat.

Especially cool is the charging speed of the 7 Pro. The smartphone has a 65 Watt adapter, which allows the device to fully charge in just over half an hour. If you put the smartphone on the charger for ten minutes, it will be 50 percent full again and you can go forward for many hours. Thanks to this fast charging speed, you never have to worry about the battery of the Realme 7 Pro: if the phone is almost empty, it will be full again in no time.

The Realme X50 5G charges with a maximum of 30 Watts and although that sounds a lot less impressive, it is still very neat for a smartphone of about 300 euros. Charging for half an hour fills the smartphone for about 70 percent and charging from 0 to 100 takes about an hour. That is also neat.

Conclusion Realme 7 Pro & X50 5G review

The Realme 7 Pro and X50 5G are great midrangers and have enough to offer for relatively little money. The 7 Pro is mainly dependent on its screen and the charging speed and stands out a little more than the X50 5G. This smartphone does have a 120Hz display, faster hardware and 5G, but is a little less exciting.

Clear downsides are the mediocre cameras and Realme’s unclear update policy, although the software is nice to use. Nevertheless, the base is perfectly fine and therefore you can consider these two Realme’s fine if you are looking for a smartphone and do not want to pay too much.

Buy Realme 7 Pro or Realme X50 5G?

Have you become enthusiastic after reading this review and do you want to buy the Realme 7 Pro or X50 5G? Both devices are available at Belsimpel. Check the buying links and price comparison below for the current deals.

→ View and order the Realme 7 Pro at Belsimpel (299 euros)
→ View and order the Realme X50 5G at Belsimpel (289 euros)

Realme 7 Pro-2020

Which Realme 7 Pro-2020 do you want?

Realme 7 Pro-2020 with subscription

Device once € 0.00

€ 18.00 p / m Abo: € 7.00 p / m Device: € 11.00 p / m

Need a SIM only?