Realme startled the mid-range smartphone market when the company released the Realme 2 and Realme 2 Pro last year. We previously did a review for the Realme 2 Pro and the device was able to deliver decent performance at an entry-level price. Earlier today, the new Realme 3 was officially launched in Malaysia, and the phone looks like it would do its predecessors proud.
The Realme 3 retains a handful of design cues from its predecessor. The buttons are placed at the right spot, and despite its 6.2-inch form factor, the phone is still pretty comfortable to hold and operate with a single hand. On that note, the phone also feels pretty solid, albeit looking a bit chunky.
On the front, the Realme 3 sports a 6.2-inch HD+ teardrop notch display, which has a resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels. I like that Realme chose to use a teardrop notch instead of a bar initially introduced with the Apple iPhone X, and ultimately emulated by nearly every major Android smartphone vendor back in 2018.
For connectivity, the Realme 3 still uses a micro USB port rather than a USB-C port. For the audiophiles, you’ll be happy to know that the phone does have a 3.5 headphone jack. There’s also a fingerprint sensor that can be found around back.
In terms of design, the Realme 3 is aesthetically clean-looking. It has a glossy black and blue gradient back panel with a tinge of purple that almost seems like its shining. The overall design of the device blends well together as a whole.
As previously reported, the Realme 3 runs on a MediaTek Helio P60 SoC, and comes in either a 3GB/32GB or 4GB/64GB memory and internal storage configuration.
Moving forward, the dual camera array on the Realme 3 performs surprisingly well. The 13MP main shooter could capture relatively sharp and vivid images under ideal lighting condition. At the front, the teardrop notch houses a 13MP camera sensor.
Realme also included a handful of camera modes for users to choose from for different scenarios, including Nightscape and Chroma Boost.
The problem with the camera bump still persists on the Realme 3. I’m not particularly bothered with it protruding out of the back, but I understand that it can end up irking some users. Luckily, Realme was kind enough to pack a protective case with each unit and using it definitely hides the bump, making it less obvious and allowing it to actually lie flat on the table.
The Realme 3 is definitely a worthy opponent competing in the mid-range smartphone market. As for performance and living with it, you’ll have to wait for our review of the phone to find out if it’s shelling out RM599 for the phone.
