Realme 10 Review: Impressive Affordable Smartphone with MediaTek Helio G99 Processor and 8 GB RAM

The Realme 10 has entered the segment of affordable smartphones with a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, 8 GB of RAM or 33W charging. Will it be enough to succeed, or is the competition better off?

Package contents: everything has been thought of

In addition to the phone, the Realme 10 package also includes a silicone case, a 33W adapter and a USB-A/USB-C cable, so future customers do not have to buy anything extra.

Construction: basic, but good

In the price range of the Realme 10, it is not surprising that the phone relies on plastic materials, both sides and back, which have a gradient transition from silver to dark blue in the tested model. This is a rather nice effect, but due to the use of glossy plastics, there are always visible fingerprints on the back (the second color version could be more practical in this regard) and the easiest solution to get rid of them is to put the included case on the phone.

The Realme 10 deserves a lot of praise for the slot on the left side, in which two nanoSIMs and one microSD memory card of up to 1 TB can be inserted at the same time. Also for a fairly solid haptic response. Another feature worth mentioning is the fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, which is fast and reliable, and the entire button is located in an ideal place. The device is comfortable to hold and the only thing that can be criticized is the lack of IP resistance (for example, IP52, which is found in the competition), although it will probably only be a matter of certification, since, for example, the already mentioned drawer has a rather prominent silicone sleeve.

Display: decent brightness and protection

The Realme 10 boasts a 6.4″ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, which can be forced (as well as 60Hz), but also left on automatic. The display can also be considered successful thanks to a sufficiently high brightness for comfortable use even during sunny days or completely sufficient Full HD+ resolution. The protection in the form of Gorilla Glass 5 is slightly above average, which is additionally supplemented with a pre-installed protective film. The phone also supports Always-On, which can display icons of received notifications in addition to the current time, date and battery charge status. Always-On is classic, i.e. it can light up without stopping, but it can also be programmed or left to the phone, which automatically deactivates it if the device is not used for a long time.

Sound: only one, but solid

On the body of the Realme 10, we find only one loud speaker located at the bottom by default. Although it is certainly a shame that the device does not have two speakers, I have to admit that I was quite surprised by the speaker used. In this price category, this is certainly one of the better-performing smartphones, while fortunately the sound does not sound tinny, as is often the case. The alternative is a 3.5 mm jack.

Hardware performance: you can handle it

The MediaTek Dimensity G99 used is generally one of the more powerful chipsets in the given price class, and this can definitely be seen on the Realme 10, because in combination with an above-average 8 GB of RAM (the manufacturer offers the option to expand the operating memory by software by another 8 GB, which the device eats from the storage ) works pretty briskly and never kept me waiting. In addition, this 6nm chipset is also an advantageous choice for gamers, as the Realme 10 does not get particularly warm even during long-term use. The storage size is standard 128 GB, but it can be easily expanded using the already mentioned memory card.

Battery life: 33W charging

If you’re looking for an affordable smartphone with solid durability, the Realme 10 might be the right choice for you. The battery with a capacity of 5,000 mAh will easily last one and a half and with a little effort up to two days on a full charge. Topping up the energy with the included adapter is then relatively quick. Specifically, you charge the first 50% in half an hour, and it is necessary to add approximately another 50 minutes to a full charge. It probably won’t surprise anyone that wireless charging isn’t present.

Connectivity: nothing important is missing

The chipset used does not have 5G. However, I dare to say that there is no longer anything essential for phones in this price category. Future owners can rely on Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS and, of course, NFC for contactless payment or quick pairing.

Camera: only for the undemanding

On the back we find a dual camera consisting of a 50 Mpx main sensor supplemented by an unnecessary 2 Mpx bokeh sensor. It is obvious that for such a cheap device it is not possible to expect any extra high quality, at least for viewing the captured images on the phone screen, which is, after all, the most common way of dealing with mobile photos, but the quality is absolutely without problems. In this regard, it is important to emphasize the pleasing color presentation and higher contrast, which will add attractiveness to the shots. When viewing on a computer screen, one can notice the not-so-good post-processing stemming from artificial sharpening. Photos can also be taken in the native 50 Mpx resolution (by default, photos are taken in 12.5 Mpx resolution), but there is basically no reason for this.

Night images are slightly above average in the given price class, while images from the 16 Mpx selfie camera can be described as pure average. Video can be recorded in maximum Full HD, but at least with 60 FPS, in the case of the selfie camera, the frame rate is capped at 30 FPS. When filming other than static, the lack of stabilization is noticeable, resulting in a shaky image.

Realme 10 Full HD 30 FPS

Software: still on Android 12 for now

Unfortunately, the device still relies on the older Android 12 (the Realme 10 is certainly not the only one in this regard) and the Realme UI 3.0 superstructure. By default, it is rather denser, but, for example, unlike MIUI, it does not have blinds divided into notification and control and also uses a standard overview of open applications. The entire environment runs smoothly and I can also praise the relatively up-to-date April security patches. For some, the add-on may seem a bit cumbersome, unnecessarily extravagant with colors, and there is not much enthusiasm for pre-installed applications such as TikTok, Facebook, Amazon and others (which, fortunately, can be easily deleted). The lowest item in the settings is the so-called realme Lab, which allows you to activate some functions (for example, dual sound mode or sleep capsule), which, however, may not be completely debugged, which the user is warned about.

Evaluation

The Realme 10 is quite a nice smartphone that will please future owners with its performance, nice display, long life and practical slot that can fit a pair of nanoSIM + memory card at the same time. He deserves reprimand perhaps only for the older Android 12 (although in this regard he is far from the only one who deserves it) or the absence of official increased resistance, although even this is not a standard for such a cheap device. In the end, given that this model arrived on the Czech market six months late, it is not a bad purchase at all and I can recommend it to undemanding users.

Competition

An interesting competitor is undoubtedly the Motorola Moto G72, which boasts a 120Hz OLED display or a 5,000mAh battery + offers stereo speakers or a 108MP main sensor. Like the Realme 10, it doesn’t support 5G.

In the price range of around 6,000 crowns, you can find a large number of other competitors, but those who would be willing to pay a little more can go for the Galaxy A33 with guaranteed software support and IP67 resistance. The concession is then a slightly lower charging performance.

Photo: Ioannis Papadopoulos, mobilenet.cz