Realme 10 review

Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0

The Realme 10 boots Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0. The third version of Realme's launcher offers an improved and more fluid interface, even richer customization options across the entire system, enhanced privacy dashboard and privacy indications, better floating window, Omojis and more.

The phone supports fingerprint unlock, and the side-mounted scanner works great - it's fast as they come. You can also set up face unlock for an even speedier unlock - though this is not as secure.

Always-on screen is available, and it can show the usual content - clock, date, notifications icons, battery. There are no themes on the Realme 10, just the default. You can opt-out of some of the information like date, battery, or notifications.

The AOD can be battery-saving (hide after a short motionless period), scheduled, or always on.

Biometrics • Biometrics • Biometrics • Always-on display

And while we are talking about personalization, the Realme UI 3.0 is flexible when it comes to this. There is an entire Personalizations page in Settings. You can change, switch to different icon packs, different quick toggles icon shapes, change fonts, and choose completely different colors that will change the entire Realme UI look.

The Realme 10 doesn't appear to support live wallpapers.

Personalization options

The launcher has no-nonsense homescreens, a simplistic and clean notification/toggles area, and an easy-to-use task switcher. An App drawer is available, too, and it is as clutter-free as one could hope for. You can opt-out of the app drawer if you prefer.

Realme UI 3.0

Dark Mode is available, and it supports three different dark styles - black, dark gray or light gray. You can also opt for Automatic Contrast - the Dark Mode will choose its style based on the available ambient light.

Dark Mode

There are many powerful tools within the settings menu if you want full control over your Android OS. Or you can leave everything as is and enjoy a hassle-free Android experience optimized by Realme's AI algorithms and machine learning.

Settings

You can also minimize an app to a floating window, now called a flexible window because it's super easy to resize it on the go. You can exchange files between the full-screen and flexible apps by drag and drop.

Flexible windows are available within the Task Switcher or the Sidebar. If an app is compatible, you can do either of these or use the familiar Split Screen.

Task Manager • Split screen • Flexible window • Flexible window

And speaking about the Sidebar, it's quite familiar - a small visible mark on the edge of the screen that expands into a menu anytime you swipe on it. You can customize the actions for this menu and the app shortcuts that appear there.

Smart Sidebar

The Realme 10 also supports the Dynamic RAM Expansion (DRE) feature. As evident from the name, DRE lets you expand your smartphone's RAM - albeit virtually - by using the phone's internal storage. You can add from 2GB up to 5GB virtual RAM. This feature is active by default, and Realme has chosen 3GB for the default setting.

RAM expansion

Within the Realme lab section, you will find Dual-mode audio and DC dimming. The Dual-mode audio allows you to connect both wired and wireless headphones and listen to music through both. DC dimming reduces the screen flickering at low brightness, but it may cause some issues (hence it's found in the experimental section).

Realme labs • DC Dimming

The multimedia apps such as Photos, Music, and Videos - are provided by Realme. There is also a revamped File Manager and even a Phone Manager app. This completes the non-Google app list.

Photos • Music • Videos • Phone Manager • Phone Manager • File Manager

We liked the Realme UI 3.0. The interface is clutter-free and easy to use, and it feels great when working with 90fp. Yet, it retains plenty of powerful tools should you choose to dig deeper and use them.

Performance and benchmarks

The Realme 10 is the first smartphone we review with the Helio G99 chipset. It's a 6nm chip from Mediatek with a 2+6 core CPU configuration (2x2.2GHz Cortex-A76 and 2x2.0GHz Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. The base storage version has 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of UFS 2.2 storage. There are also 4GB/128GB, 6GB/128GB, 8GB/128GB (ours) and 8GB/256GB versions.

The Realme 10 won't be a chart-topping phone for sure, but with that G99 chip, it's no slouch either. It is a notable step up from the Realme 9's Snapdragon 680 chip.

Let's see some benchmarks now.

The Realme 10 CPU is a notable update over the Realme 9's, obvious in single-core operations, which are crucial for smooth Android operation.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Realme 9 Pro
  2020
• Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
  1900
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
  1873
• Poco M4 Pro
  1836
• Poco M5s
  1831
• Realme 9 5G
  1823
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
  1820
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  1797
• Realme 10
  1762
• Poco M4 5G
  1730
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  1662
• Realme 9
  1601

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
  742
• Realme 9 Pro
  694
• Realme 9 5G
  610
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  597
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
  588
• Realme 10
  567
• Poco M4 5G
  552
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
  526
• Poco M4 Pro
  523
• Poco M5s
  516
• Realme 9
  380
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  376

The GPU is the real strength of the Helio G99 chipset - the Realme 10 is among the best-scoring phone in its price range, as powerful as the Realme 9 Pro. This demonstration of raw power is quite promising for smooth gaming on the go, not with maximum graphic quality, of course.

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
  20
• Poco M5s
  18
• Realme 10
  17
• Realme 9 Pro
  16
• Realme 9 5G
  14
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
  13
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  13
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
  12
• Poco M4 Pro
  12
• Poco M4 5G
  12
• Realme 9
  7.3
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  6.8

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
  35
• Realme 9 Pro
  29
• Realme 10
  28
• Poco M5s
  28
• Realme 9 5G
  25
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
  23
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  23
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
  21
• Poco M4 Pro
  21
• Poco M4 5G
  21
• Realme 9
  13
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  12

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Realme 10
  1320
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  1232
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
  1231
• Realme 9 5G
  1228
• Realme 9 Pro
  1211
• Poco M4 5G
  1186
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
  1101
• Poco M4 Pro
  1099
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  439

AnTuTu 9 puts the Realme 10 on top of all other phones and very close to the Realme 9 Pro.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Realme 9 Pro
  401894
• Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
  394918
• Realme 10
  385829
• Poco M5s
  360681
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G
  360255
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  353663
• Poco M4 5G
  336380
• Poco M4 Pro
  318444
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
  308741
• Realme 9
  290097
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  244526

The Realme 10 and its Helio G99 chipset are a recipe for a smooth Android experience and a more than acceptable game frame rate. Sure, games won't run fine with the best graphics options, but with the automatic settings, we were able to see action games display with about 50fps or more, which is plenty enough for a phone on a budget.

What's even better - the Realme 10 demonstrated outstanding stability. The phone scored 84% on the CPU stress test and 99.3% on the 3D Mark stress test. This means that even when running at peak performance for prolonged periods of time, the Realme 10 won't throttle. The phone doesn't get hot; on the contrary, after an hour of benchmarking, it's barely got warm.

CPU stress test • GPU stress test

Overall, the Realme 10 offers excellent performance and stability for its price bracket.