Realme GT Neo 3T review

Competition

The Realme GT Neo 3T is a step-down from the standard GT Neo3, which is quite similar to the GT2. That's why the GT Neo 3T's pricing is confusing, to say the least. The device should sell for about €450 in Europe, which is the Neo2's price from last year. Essentially, Realme is trying to sell a re-badged Neo2 from last year at the price of a GT2 from this year.

Then again, for a sub €500 phone, you get quite the competent hardware. Realme managed to squeeze in a fast and bright OLED panel, a set of decent-sounding stereo speakers, a potent Snapdragon 870 chipset, blazing-fast charging and an adequately big battery. The camera setup isn't stellar but delivers an arguably comparable photo quality to the rest of the handsets in the same price range.

In the €400-500 price range, we've got quite a few options to choose from. Let's start with the homegrown competition. It's strange to see the supposedly higher-tier Realme GT2 selling for just about €450. The device offers a somewhat nicer build, although that depends on personal preferences, more powerful Snapdragon 888 SoC, same viewing experience, better main camera and bigger battery. And the 80W charging isn't even faster. It's exactly the same.

Realme GT2 • Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G • Xiaomi 11T Pro

Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE is another solid option, and although a bit late to the party (it was supposed to be a 2021 model), it offers a solid value proposition. Aside from the great display and powerful hardware, the S21 FE has the most versatile and perhaps the best-performing cameras of the bunch. It asks a bit more than the GT Neo 3T - €480, but it's an unbeatable all-rounder. Battery life and charging speed aren't its strongest suits, that's for sure. Then again, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, the ingress protection and the higher tier Gorilla Glass Victus on the front will likely come in handy to many users.

And although last year's phone, the Xiaomi 11T Pro should definitely be considered when looking in the mid-€450 segment. It's a proper flagship killer with a premium build. Awesome screen, fast charging, capable 108MP main camera and speedy Snapdragon 888. Battery life isn't stellar; however, that doesn't take away from the handset's advantages over the competition. The GT Neo 3T's slightly longer battery life is probably the only measurable advantage.

Verdict

The Realme GT Neo 3T may not sound like a smartphone that stands out from the crowd with a disruptive feature set, but it's a competitive solution. Realme's decision to recycle the Neo2 by re-badging it with the Neo 3T branding might have been a sensible move. Sadly, Realme didn't cut the pricing, given that the GT Neo2 launched for €450 as well.

The display quality is excellent, the Snapdragon 870 SoC is still a potent solution in 2022, battery life is solid, and charging is on par with the more expensive GT2 and GT2 Pro and last year's Neo2.

Sadly, the camera department and the build quality hold the GT Neo 3T back. There are obviously better builds for the price as well as more versatile and capable camera setups. Moreover, the Neo 3T pricing puts it directly against some tough in-house competition. Perhaps that's the direct effect of inflation, and Realme wasn't able to offer a better deal on what is, technically, a year-old-phone.

Pros

• Bright AMOLED screen, 120Hz, HDR10+ support.
• Long battery life.
• Blazing-fast charging.
• Excellent thermals and sustained load.
• Snappy and customizable Realme UI.

Cons

• Games capped at 60fps.
• Needs better cameras, bigger main and ultrawide sensors would have been nice.
• Technically a year-old phone with no price cuts.