Realme C3 hands-on review

Hands-on - design and user interface

The texture on the back of the Realme C3 is similar to the Realme C2 - slippery, so you better hold on tight to the device. However, now Realme fixed the sides and they aren't like the back panel - it has a smooth feeling making the handling of the phone a tad better.

The display is an LCD with HD+ resolution, but at first glance, the content on the screen was decently visible under strong sunlight. The sun also helps the design on the back - Realme called it Sunrise Design for a reason. The phone looks lovely and appears to have sunbeams shining out of the camera module.

Realme C3

Setting up the device, we were pleasantly surprised to see Face Unlock making its way to the budget lineup. It works fast, just like any other Realme device, and you can prevent the phone from unlocking with your eyes closed. We tried to trick the system and unlocked the phone while winking.

Realme UI screenshots

The user interface looks fresh and "young", as Realme has put it. With the new Realme UI, a lot of system apps were redesigned and there are new features as well. Now you can double-tap the C3 to lock the phone. There are also new looks for the File Manager, the notification center is revamped and Quick Settings has two tabs, unlike the single one in Color OS 6.1.

Realme C3

Benchmarks

Mediatek introduced the Helio G70 chipset back in January as a platform for entry-level gaming devices. The Realme C3 is the first phone to have it, and we decided to put the phone through some benchmarks. We have compared it with other affordable and lower-midrange devices, and the raw data looks impressive.

GeekBench 5.1 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Redmi Note 8 Pro
  1622
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8
  1339
• Realme C3
  1262

GeekBench 5.1 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Redmi Note 8 Pro
  493
• Realme C3
  347
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8
  315

AnTuTu 8

Higher is better

• Redmi Note 8 Pro
  279355
• Realme C3
  192223
• Realme 5s
  168635
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8
  161572
• Xiaomi Redmi 8A
  89901

GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Realme C3
  27
• Realme 3
  26
• Realme 5
  26
• Redmi Note 8 Pro
  24
• Realme 5s
  24
• Realme 5 Pro
  22
• Realme 3 Pro
  20
• Xiaomi Redmi 8A
  13
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8
  11

GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Realme C3
  15
• Realme 3
  15
• Redmi Note 8 Pro
  14
• Realme 5
  13
• Realme 5 Pro
  12
• Realme 5s
  12
• Realme 3 Pro
  11
• Xiaomi Redmi 8A
  7
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8
  5.9

Camera performance

The camera of the Realme C3 includes a main 12 MP f/1.8 snapper with ChromaBoost feature coming out of the box with the Realme UI. You can also take HDR or non-HDR images, and there is a depth sensor for added Bokeh effects - the blur strength can be adjusted - the shots of the flower below shows it at 60% and 80%.

Realme C3 camera samples

When the outdoor light is good, colors are realistic and the shadows are deep. The engine reads the edges very well and images of the flower look lovely for a smartphone that costs only $100. See for yourself in the camera samples we've provided below.

With a price tag starting from INR6,999 and going up only as high as INR7,999 (if you want to get the 4/64 GB option), the Realme C3 is definitely a phone worth considering. Especially if you want a handset that takes decent pictures, is good enough for photos, and looks lovely.

We are eager to see what other manufacturers like Xiaomi (and their brand Redmi) and Samsung have to offer in the competition for the best entry-level smartphone.