Realme 10 review

The competition

Realme has managed to keep the Realme 10 pricing the same as the Realme 9's. Even better, while the screen and the battery have remained essentially identical, the phone has turned out more powerful, especially when graphics are concerned, thanks to the Helio G99 chipset upgrade.

Something had to give, though - the ultrawide camera is gone now, and the 108MP sensor for the primary has been swapped for a 50MP one.

But even this way, the Realme 10 looks quite attractive with its 90Hz AMOLED, fast performance, storage, and long-lasting battery life.

Having said that, the first competitor that comes to mind is the Realme 9. The previous model may have a less powerful GPU, but it does significantly better when it comes to camera performance - its photos from the main camera are way better, there is even 3x lossless zoom. The Realme 9 also offers a pretty good ultrawide camera, and there is even a 2MP macro eye. The Realme 9 costs the same as the Realme 10, so we'd say get this one for the camera chops or the Realme 10 for upgrades in number-crunching.

The 128GB Poco M5 costs as much as the 64GB Realme 10, offering the same Helio G99 chipset and a similar camera experience. The Poco M5 has a 90Hz screen, too, but it's an LCD. Its selfie camera is inferior, and so is its charging speed of 18W.

The Poco M5s, on the other hand, may have a 60Hz AMOLED instead of 90Hz, but it did impress with performance and a versatile camera with a 64MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro and a 2MP depth sensor. The M5s also offers stereo speakers and a much better 13MP selfie camera. The M5s costs as much as the Realme 10, and while its photo quality is similarly disappointing, we'd really consider it for its stereo speakers, splash resistance, great selfies, and 4K video capturing.

The 128GB Samsung Galaxy A33 5G costs about the same as the 128GB Realme 10, but it's one of the best phones in this price range. The Galaxy is IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, there is a 90Hz Super AMOLED, a capable quad-camera with a 48MP OIS primary with 4K video support, stereo speakers, and an even more powerful Exynos 1280 chipset with a 5G modem. Unless you are hell-bent on having an audio jack, the Galaxy A33 5G seems like the midrange phone to get these days.

Realme 9 • Xiaomi Poco M5 • Xiaomi Poco M5s • Samsung Galaxy A33 5G

Our verdict

The Realme 10 is an attractive offer, one we'd easily recommend for its bang for the buck despite a few shortcomings.

We liked its design; it has a good AMOLED screen and managed to impress us with battery life, charging speed, performance and even stability.

The Realme 10 also comes with fan-favorite features like an audio jack, a standalone microSD slot, and NFC.

The Realme 10 has a downgraded camera since the Realme 9 - there is no ultrawide camera, no 4K video capturing, and the main camera now takes mediocre photos. Some basic splash resistance would have come in handy, too.

We understand the cost-cutting decisions behind the Realme 10, and we think many users will be okay with them. The Realme 10 is a fast phone with a good screen, and long battery life and these are enough for the asking price and easily earnt it our recommendation.

The Realme 9, on the other hand, would be the better phone for photography, while the slightly more expensive Galaxy A33 is the best all-around package in this class. We suggest considering exactly what you need and what fits your budget best. And if that turns out to be the Realme 10, we are sure you will be happy with it as your daily driver.

Pros

• Eye-catchy design, Gorilla Glass 5 front.
• Color-accurate AMOLED, 90Hz refresh, wide color support.
• Outstanding battery life, fast charging.
• Excellent performance and stability for the class.
• Good 1080p videos at 1x and 2x zoom.
• 3.5mm jack, standalone microSD slot, dual-SIM 4G, NFC.

Cons

• No splash resistance.
• Average screen brightness in auto mode.
• No stereo speakers.
• Poor photo image quality.
• No ultrawide camera.