Realme X50 Pro 5G review

Wrap-up

The Realme X50 Pro is one of the cheapest Snapdragon 865 smartphones you can buy today. Top this with a 90Hz OLED screen, and we probably have a deal. Especially when its targeted European price is about €600, while elsewhere it can be purchased for as low as $650.

And the Realme X50 Pro is a full-fledged flagship phone as opposed to a mid-ranger with a flagship chip ala Pocophone. It has one very bright AMOLED HDR10+ screen with 90Hz refresh rate, 5G connectivity, fast storage, capable camera kits on both sides, and blazing-fast charging.

The Realme X50 Pro also caught our attention with its great sounding stereo speakers, fast fingerprint reader, and the lovely Realme UI. One thing that's invisible to the naked eye, but wallet-friendly, is the enhanced splash resistance even if the X50 Pro doesn't have an official IP rating.

So, yes, we can see the Realme X50 Pro 5G becoming one of the best deals on the flagship-killer market, and it would deserve it.

Alternatives

The best match for the Realme X50 Pro is unsparingly coming from Xiaomi. The Redmi K30 Pro Zoom is Asia-limited for now, but it's a very good deal with a price that's close to the Realme's. The K30 Pro Zoom has the same Snapdragon SoC, similar rear camera setup, and even larger battery, while its 6.67" HDR10+ AMOLED screen is free of any cutouts. One thing the Redmi lacks is 90Hz refresh rate, and this may be a bummer for some.

Xiaomi's Mi 10 5G will give you the 90Hz screen on top of the Redmi K30 Pro, it also adds wireless charging, and the main camera now has 108MP sensor, though the telephoto is scrapped. The Mi 10 5G costs at least $100 on top of the Redmi K30 Pro and even more when compared to the Realme.

Samsung Galaxy S20 seems like a nice deal. It's slightly more expensive than the Realme, but it shines with a QHD 120Hz AMOLED screen, IP68-rated body, and somewhat better photo and video quality across all snappers. The S20 is a smaller device though, and as we said - it costs more.

Finally, the newly announced OnePlus 8 is probably the X50 Pro true rival. It has pretty much the same screen, same chip, and similar main camera sans the tele shooter. But the Oxygen-booting 8 costs €100 on top of the Realme X50 Pro, so once again - the X50 seems like the better deal for now.

Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro Zoom • Xiaomi Mi 10 5G • Samsung Galaxy S20 • OnePlus 8

The verdict

The Realme X50 Pro aces everything it was designed to do, and that was the whole point of its creation, wasn't it? The X50 Pro is a cheap flagship, a flagship killer if you will, but nothing was spared in its making.

Realme has once again shown us how a no-compromise phone can be made without cutting any (obvious) corners.

Pros

• Large AMOLED, HDR10+, 90Hz, very bright
• Cutting-edge performance
• Blazing-fast charging
• Splash-resistant body with matte Gorilla Glass
• Great photo quality across the board, dual-selfie shooter
• Loud stereo speakers, fast fingerprint reader

Cons

• Proper IP rating would have been better
• No OIS on main camera
• No 4K at 60fps, no EIS on 4K at 30fps