Realme GT Neo3 150W review

Design and ergonomics

The Realme GT Neo3 has familiar looks as it's closely related to the Realme GT2 and the GT2 Pro. The camera module on the back follows the same design language, while the rest is pretty standard stuff - a glass sandwich build with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and a plastic frame. There are two key differences, though. The GT Neo3 has a centered punch-hole for the selfie camera on the front is one example.

The Neo3 also borrows something from its predecessor - the fancy paint jobs. The device is offered in a total of three color options - Plain Black (Asphalt Black), Silverstone White (Sprint White) and Le Mans Blue (Nitro Blue). Obviously, we have the latter in the office, and it looks a lot like the Neo Green option from last year with the racing stripes.

The phone is somewhat easy to handle since it's not overly heavy or super thick. The curved back panel and the side frame form a noticeable ridge, which doesn't get in the way, but the curvature itself is just right. It's not overly aggressive and helps with the grip. The glass panel, though, feels silky-smooth, and as a result, it's pretty slippery. Smudges remain invisible for the most part as they can only be spotted at a certain angle. They come off super easy, though.

The camera module has a rounded, rectangular shape and sticks out quite a bit. When the phone is placed on a flat surface, it starts to wobble.

As we go around the sides, we find the volume rocker placed on the left while the power button is on the right. The latter has a textured surface for improved tactile feedback.

The top and bottom sides of the frame are flat with a slight indentation. The top has only the noise-suppression mic and a tiny grille probably used as an echo chamber for the secondary loudspeaker that doubles as an earpiece. And as for the bottom, it holds the USB-C connector, the dual SIM card tray (no microSD slot there) and the main speaker grille.

Similarly to other recent BBK Electronics-made phones, the GT Neo3 has advanced NFC antenna tech that allows 360-degree NFC sensing around the upper part of the phone. Makes contactless payments a bit easier with the expanded NFC range and areas.

People obsessed with symmetry will likely find the front of the Neo3 pleasing. Instead of an off-centered punch-hole, the selfie camera sits in a tiny hole placed in the center. The bezels are thin and seem quite symmetrical, with all of them roughly the same size. We haven't measured them, but they look similar enough. In fact, the bezels seem identical in size to those of the flagship GT2 Pro, leaving the vanilla GT2 with slightly thicker bezels. Go figure.

Our only complaint would be the fingerprint reader placement. Just like the GT2, it's too close to the bottom edge making it somewhat uncomfortable to reach for. This is a big phone with a respectably large 6.7-inch display, so placing it higher would have been much better. Interestingly enough, the GT2 Pro had it right, so we are a bit curious of why the GT2 and the GT Neo3 have it placed sub-optimally.