Realme C3 Review: Worthy Upgrade Over Its Predecessor

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The budget smartphone segment is one of the most competent in the Indian market. And ever since the Chinese brands started their ventures in the country, we have been presented with some capable smartphones at affordable prices. Realme is one such brand which has come a long way since its debut in the Indian market.

 

Rating:
3.5/5

Realme C3 Review: Worthy Upgrade Over Its Predecessor

Catering to budget consumers, the company has introduced a whole lot of capable smartphones. The Realme C is amongst those lineups. The company recently extended this series with the launch of the Realme C3.

Succeeding the popular Realme C2, the latest entrant is launched with features like dual-rear cameras, a big 5,000 mAh battery, and a new firmware. Also, this is the first budget offering by the Oppo's former subsidiary that has debuted with the company's in-house Realme UI.

Also, starting at Rs. 6,999 for the base model with 4GB RAM, this device goes up against the Redmi 8A which has been quite popular in the sub Rs. 7,000 segment. After using this handset for a couple of weeks, we are giving our feedback on its overall performance and will help you decide if you should buy this handset or not.

Realme C3 Review: Design And Display
 

Realme C3 Review: Design And Display

The Realme C3 brings a new sunrise-design which we first saw on the Realme 5i. It has a gradient rear panel. And thanks to the textured surface, it doesn't pick up fingerprints and smudges easily as other devices with shiny surfaces do.

It is available in Blazing Red and Frost Blue color options. We received the latter and would like to add that it appears quite funky. Besides, Realme has kept the design basic, yet the device manages to look good with the protruding dual-camera module at the rear.

You only get the Realme logo beside the vertically-positioned camera module on the rear panel. Now, you might be wondering where the fingerprint scanner is placed; if not at the rear or the sides. Then, you will be disappointed as you will have to rely on Face Unlock and other standard security measures such as PIN and password protection.

The placement of the keys is well-laid out. The volume keys are placed alongside the SIM card tray on the left, while the right edge packs the power key. I personally find this positioning of power and volume keys on either side more convenient.

This is because it prevents me from locking the handset accidentally while adjusting the audio levels. At the bottom, the handset consists of the 3.5mm audio jack placed alongside the microUSB 2.0 port and the speaker grille.

The overall form factor of this handset is good. Even though, it is a big device it doesn't slip away from the palms easily. Also, using it with a single hand is easy when the tasks are limited to texting, calling or web-surfing. But, you will need to use both hands if you plan on playing games.

Moving to the front, its 6.5-inch LCD display is slightly bigger than what its predecessor offered. It has a tall 20:9 aspect ratio, offers 720 x 1600 pixels HD+ resolution and has a waterdrop notch housing the selfie snapper.

While the bezels on the sides are narrow, they are considerably thick at the top and chin. But, that can be overlooked considering the display is tall enough and has a smaller notch; providing a bigger area for media consumption.

The display isn't something super classic, but is apt for daily media consumption. It can't render 1080p videos on streaming platforms. But that okay, considering this device starts under Rs. 7,000 price label.

But, you won't be left disappointed with its performance. Rather, you will find it suitable for binging shows and movies, thanks to the big form factor. The color temperature seems on the cooler side by default, but you can further tweak it from the settings menu.

Its brightness levels are average and it isn't too bright even at the maximum setting. Under direct sunlight, the visibility isn't that great. And you might struggle a bit viewing content if the sunlight is harsh outsides.

Realme C3 Review: Hardware And Battery Performance

Realme C3 Review: Hardware And Battery Performance

Starting with the drivers, the Realme C3 uses the octa-core MediaTek Helio G70 processor which has a 2.0GHz clock speed. The handset is released in two configurations - 3GB RAM+ 32GB storage and 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage. With the help of the dedicated microSD card slot, you can use two SIM cards and a microSD card for storage expansion simultaneously.

It is worth noting that the company had equipped the Realme C3's predecessor with an entry-segment MediaTek chipset, but has loaded a powerful processor in the latest entrant. This chipset has been used on some high-end phones such as the Oppo Reno 2F, Oppo F15, and the Vivo V15. It is good to see Realme going a step ahead to power its new budget offering. Its performance is satisfactory, no complaints as such.

It does a fine job of rendering high-end games like PUBG and Asphalt 9. But, don't expect superfine gameplay at the highest settings. Besides, I could feel the device warming up a bit with continuous gaming.

The temperature rose even when I was running benchmark tests. But, it isn't something concerning. There were no specific lags when there were two and more apps running in the background. Also, app loading is swift; there are no delays here as well.

A 5,000 mAh battery is what drives the Realme C3. As this is a budget smartphone, there is no support for any kind of fast charging. But, the device gets refueled from zero to 100 percent under two hours. Moreover, it delivers a backup of more than a day with a single charge.

This is when you use it with day-to-day tasks such as playing HD videos in a loop, occasional social-media access, and mild gameplay. You won't be disappointed with the backup at all.

Realme C3 Review: Software And Benchmark Performance

Realme C3 Review: Software And Benchmark Performance

Firmware is what gives Realme C3 an edge over its competitors in the budget smartphone segment. This is one of the few smartphones under Rs. 10,000 price label which ships with Android 10 OS out-of-the-box.

Also, it's the first affordable Realme handsets to launch with the Realme UI. While the UI offers features similar to the Color OS 7, its stock Android-like appearance is something that I liked.

However, it isn't free of bloatware and comes preloaded with a number of third-party apps. But, that isn't a big deal, you can always uninstall unwanted apps manually. Swiping up on the home screen will open up the app drawer.

There is a smart slider as well which will allow you to take a screenshot, record screen, access File Manager and perform various other tasks. Similar to other

Realme smartphones, this one also has a dedicated Game Space mode whose primary function is to block notifications and calls while gaming. Also, the device has a dedicated Dark Mode which we have seen on high-end Realme smartphones earlier.

The Realme C3 has performed satisfactorily in the benchmark tests. Starting with the PCMark Work 2.0 benchmark test, the device logged 8628 points. In the 3DMark's Sling Shot Extreme test, it has scored 1182 points, while in AnTuTu it has achieved 191921 points.

Realme C3 Review: Average For Photography

Realme C3 Review: Average For Photography

The Realme C3 houses two cameras on the rear panel comprising a 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 2MP sensor for bokeh effects. It is worth noting that its predecessor has a bigger primary camera (13MP) sensor. We aren't sure why Realme used a downgraded lens on the new smartphone. It could be a move to keep the pricing in check.

Talking about the camera features, you will be able to record Slow-motion videos and also Time-Lapse. The camera app is similar to what other Realme handsets offer. It also has Pro Mode and allows capturing Pano shots. Additional features include HDR mode and Chroma Boost for enhanced colors.

You can toggle between the aforementioned modes easily from the camera app. If you want to use additional settings or set timer and frame size, then you need to click on the menu option on the top left corner of the app.

The rear cameras work well with capturing details when there is ample light all around. But, don't expect super clear images and you will be able to see the images pixilated after zooming in on them.

The bokeh effect captured by the camera is good; it doesn't look gimmicky. Do note that you can manually set the blur intensity manually before clicking an image. For this, you will have to locate the small yellow ring on the top-left of the app.

Its performance with low-light isn't too great as well. The absence of a dedicated Night Mode is quite evident here. The low-light images don't have high-levels of clarity and they appear grainy. As for the front camera, the 5MP snapper with an f/2.0 aperture is what takes care of video calls and selfies. It's a basic setup which clicks average image quality.

Realme C3: Final Verdict

Realme C3: Final Verdict

The Realme C3 is the freshest of the lot in the budget segment. It has brought some major upgrades over its predecessor, i.e, the Realme C2. The octa-core MediaTek Helio G70 processor is the biggest highlight.

This mid-range chipset allows the device to deliver a nifty performance and makes it a suitable daily-driver. While you will like the overall design and form factor, its underwhelming cameras is what will let you down. But, if photography isn't your priority and you can work around with a better processor and display under Rs. 10,000, then this is the device you can go for.

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