Realme GT Explorer Master & GT Master hands-on review

Introduction

Following the release of the Realme GT 5G, the company has announced a duo of Master edition variants that offer an interesting feature disparity, to say the least. There's the Realme GT Master and Realme GT Explorer Master. A bit of a mouthful, yes. The GT Master is positioned as a capable midranger while the Explorer Master can be considered a proper flagship killer.

Even though the Explorer Master doesn't run on the top-tier Snapdragon 888 like the proper GT, it stands out from the lineup with a larger and better display, a more competent camera setup and a tad better build too. The standard GT Master, on the other hand, keeps things simple and aside from the different design and chipset, it's closely related to the original Realme GT 5G.

Realme GT Explorer Master specs at a glance:

• Body: 159.9x72.5x8.0mm, 184g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, vegan leather or glass back, metal frame; 8.0 mm, 185 g - White, Aurora, 8.8 mm, 183.5 g - Gray, Apricot.
• Display: 6.55" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G (7 nm): Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 650.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS.
• OS/Software: Android 11, Realme UI 2.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, omnidirectional PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 16 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 123˚, 1/3.09", 1.0µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 65W, 50% in 13 min, 100% in 33 min (advertised).
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC.

Speaking of design, both Master edition handsets aim to break the mold and bring a truly unique design. The two devices stand out with the industry's first concave vegan leather and the Japanese designer, Naoto Fukasawa, says the chassis is inspired by the traveling suitcase, hence the horizontal grid pattern.

It may all sound a bit confusing at first, but we kind of like Realme's approach to feature disparity. If you want the most powerful chipset, go for the Realme GT 5G, if you want a more balanced and budget approach, the GT Master should do the job while the GT Explorer Master is clearly the photography expert.

Realme GT Master specs at a glance:

• Body: 159.2x73.5x8.0mm, 174g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame; 8.0 mm, 174g - Luna White, Cosmos Black, Aurora, 8.7mm, 180g - Voyager Gray.
• Display: 6.43" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 Prime & 3x2.2 GHz Kryo 670 Gold & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo 670 Silver); Adreno 642L.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS.
• OS/Software: Android 11, Realme UI 2.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 25mm, 1/2", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 119˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4300mAh; Fast charging 65W, 100% in 33 min (advertised).
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; 3.5mm jack.

Perhaps the best part is that no matter which path you take, you won't be making too big of a compromise. All three devices pack some flagship-grade displays and don't skip on the iconic 65W fast charging.

Unboxing the Realme GT Explorer Master and GT Master

Both handsets come with the set of accessories - the 65W charger, the appropriate USB-A to USB-C cable and protective cases. However, they are not transparent this time around. They have soft-touch matte, rubberized finish, fit snugly and are quite nice to hold.

Realme GT Explorer Master and GT Master unboxing

Interestingly, the leather options came with the same horizontal grid pattern cases while the glass version of the GT Explorer Master settles for a flat design case. Same materials, though.