Realme GT 6 review

Realme UI 5.0 + Android 14

Of course, the Realme GT 6 runs on the latest Realme UI 5.0 software based on Android 14. Realme usually promises 3 years of major software updates and 4 years of security patches, so we expect the same for the GT 6.

The latest Realme version isn't all that different from the previous one, at least aesthetically-wise. You can find our full review of the software here. It essentially identical to Oppo's ColorOS and OnePlus OxygenOS.

And even though the company doesn't market this as a generational upgrade, a few notable additions to the software debut with the Realme GT 6, namely AI-related features.

Realme UI 5.0

There are two new major additions to the software - AI Smart Loop and AI Screen Recognition. You can activate both with a simple gesture and let the AI algorithm analyze the content on the screen. It can read English and Chinese and extract images. The AI Smart Loop allows you to send selected elements to other apps, say images.

AI features

In a sense, it works like Google Pixel's content recognition after taking a screenshot, but we found it to be considerably slower. It's also quite limited too. You can make it work only in select apps. there's also the AI Smart Removal, which is Oppo's version of Google's Magic Eraser tool. It can intelligently remove certain objects from photos.

Benchmark performance

The Realme GT 6 is one of the first Snapdragon 8s Gen 3-powered handsets to enter our office. And although it may sound like a binned Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Soc, it's actually a fundamentally different chip. The 4nm manufacturing process is the same, though.

First off, the SoC employs a 1+4+3 CPU. The main Cortex-X4 core is still at the helm, ticking at a lower 3.0 GHz frequency (compared to the original SD8 Gen3), while the cluster of 4 Cortex-A720 cores runs at 2.8 GHz. The high-efficiency 3x Cortex-A520 cores are clocked at 2.0 GHz. The GPU on board is the Adreno 735 and the model name implies it sits lower than the Adreno 740 found in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

Qualcomm also lowered the cost by using an older modem, but it's still offering a high-end ISP as well as next-generation connectivity such as Wi-Fi 7.

The handset offers up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, but the default option is 8GB/256GB in most markets. In either case, you get a speedy UFS 4.0 storage.

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3-equipped Realme GT 6 shows excellent performance against other competitors in its class and even outperforms other devices using the same SoC. It outpaces the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and the Dimensity 9200+ with ease but falls short of matching the Exynos 2400-powered Samsung Galaxy S24. That's to be expected, though, as the Exynos 2400 is a flagship chip, whereas the SD8s Gen 3 is an upper-midrange chip with slightly less powerful GPU.

Sustained performance

As per usual, Realme worked on the thermal management as well. The GT 6 features a 10,014mm2 3D tempered dual vapor chamber (quite the mouthful). The VC is also aided by a large copper foil sheet, right beneath the screen and a 9-layer sheet that includes graphite. The results show a pretty good sustained performance too.

CPU and GPU stress tests

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is a relatively demanding and powerful SoC, so seeing the GT 6 maintaining 78% of the CPU's theoretical performance at 100% load for an hour is solid.

The GPU stress test returned a rather unimpressive result, though. The 3DMark Wild Life stress test showed 56% stability, which isn't ideal in most cases.