Realme X7 Pro hands-on review

Display

The X7 Pro is equipped with a 120Hz 6.55-inch FullHD+ SuperAMOLED display, and it's the top-specced panel in their lineup. They've had a few OLEDs, and they've had a few HRR displays, even some 90Hz OLEDs, but this is their first 120Hz OLED one.

Realme promises a peak brightness of 1200nits for portions of the screen when viewing HDR content and 800nits for the entire screen in general use in bright ambient conditions. We couldn't test the numbers, but we can confirm that the phone remains legible in bright sunlight.

As for refresh rate handling, there are three modes - 120Hz, 60Hz and Auto Select. 60Hz will lock the panel in 60Hz, predictably, while 120Hz will maintain the high refresh rate for the bulk of applications and use cases, though it will still drop to 60Hz for fullscreen video playback.

The Auto Select mode is a bit more conservative - we were still looking at 120Hz for UI elements, but 60Hz in most apps (yet 120Hz in Instagram and Twitter).

Neither 120Hz, nor Auto mode is affected by touching the phone or leaving it idle - the choice of refresh rate is apparently app-based. There's no manual 90Hz mode, nor did we encounter the phone switching to 90Hz for any app or activity.

This all sounds like a perfectly sensible approach even if not quite as granular and activity-based as Samsung's Adaptive refresh rate implementation on the latest high-end Galaxies.

Battery

The X7 Pro is powered by a 4,500mAh battery - about average capacity for the display size, though the 120Hz refresh rate might be a bit much for it, we reckon. That said, we have limited previous experience with the Dimensity 1000+ chipset (or, rather, none), so it may very well be just right.

While we don't have the standard tests for you, anecdotal data points to pretty good battery life, indeed. In 120Hz mode, we got a total of about 6 hours of screen-on time on a charge with Wi-Fi connectivity in regular usage, including an hour of gaming, 30 minutes of 1080p YouTube videos, 48 minutes of Facebook, 23 minutes of Instagram, and 28 minutes of Quora. On another occasion, we had 4:45h of SOT and 28% left at the end of the day. Naturally, with mobile data turned on, the SOT will be less, though who goes places now to need mobile data.

As for charging, in our experience, the X7 Pro with its 65W adaptor missed the 35-minute mark to full charge - the number that Realme promises. However, at 39 minutes from zero to full, we don't think that's really an issue - it's still super fast. It took 16 minutes to get to 50%, while at the half-hour we were looking at 83%.

Software

The X7 Pro is running the original version of Realme UI bolted on top of Android 10, and that's one of our main issues with the phone - by now, we should be getting Android 11 already. Then again, the X7 Pro was announced at a time when A11 wasn't even official yet, and just because we're getting it a few months later doesn't mean it'll have made the jump. An update is surely in the works, but we don't have official word on the matter.

In the meantime, Realme UI v.1 is a very familiar interface. An offshoot of Oppo's ColorOS, it inherits that one's recent tendency for slightly toned down visual customization though it still does offer a comprehensive set of extra features and tweaks.

Homescreen • Folder view • Google feed • App drawer • Quick toggles • Task switcher

The in-house bits include Smart Sidebar - the pane of shortcuts that you pull out of the side of the screen, a whole lot of onscreen and offscreen gestures, and a gaming-focused Game Space utility to help you focus when gaming.

Smart sidebar • Gestures menu • Game Space • Settings • About screen.

Synthetic benchmarks

The Realme X7 Pro is one of a select few devices powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ chipset, the Chinese chipmaker's top-tier offering. Manufactured on a 7nm process, the SoC packs an octa-core CPU (4x2.6GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.0GHz Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G77 MP9 GPU. The 1000+ has an integrated 5G modem, too, much like all of this year's high-end chipsets.

As benchmark results show, the Dimensity 1000+ is a very powerful performer, though not quite at the same level as the Exynos 2100 or the Snapdragon 888. It does compare favorably with the Kirin 9000, however, as well as the SD865. Additionally, the Dimensity is vastly superior to the mass-market SD765G.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi Mi 11
  3489
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  3476
• vivo X50 Pro+
  3411
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  3296
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  3275
• OnePlus 8T
  3126
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  3091
• Realme X7 Pro
  2997
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  2703
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  2196
• OnePlus Nord
  1953
• vivo X50 Pro
  1937
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  1927
• Galaxy A51 5G
  1867
• Motorola Edge
  1862
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  1805
• Realme 7 5G
  1794
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
  1775
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  1768

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  1091
• Xiaomi Mi 11
  1085
• vivo X50 Pro+
  930
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  920
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  906
• OnePlus 8T
  893
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  886
• Realme X7 Pro
  756
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  712
• Galaxy A51 5G
  677
• vivo X50 Pro
  636
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  616
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  615
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  611
• OnePlus Nord
  610
• Realme 7 5G
  598
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
  595
• Motorola Edge
  586
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  522

AnTuTu 8

Higher is better

• Xiaomi Mi 11
  668722
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  622276
• vivo X50 Pro+
  621433
• OnePlus 8T
  576625
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  543986
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  531270
• Realme X7 Pro
  510317
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  500114
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  435166
• vivo X50 Pro
  323736
• Realme 7 5G
  318535
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  318117
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  317139
• Galaxy A51 5G
  316007
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  314978
• OnePlus Nord
  312794
• Motorola Edge
  305989
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  295562
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
  288732

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi Mi 11
  111
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  111
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  97
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  89
• OnePlus 8T
  88
• vivo X50 Pro+
  85
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  85
• Realme X7 Pro
  80
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  74
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  38
• OnePlus Nord
  38
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  37
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  37
• vivo X50 Pro
  36
• Realme 7 5G
  35
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  34
• Motorola Edge
  34
• Galaxy A51 5G
  32

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  100
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  77
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  75
• vivo X50 Pro+
  74
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  64
• Realme X7 Pro
  60
• OnePlus 8T
  60
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  57
• Xiaomi Mi 11
  57
• OnePlus Nord
  34
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  33
• Motorola Edge
  32
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  32
• Realme 7 5G
  31
• vivo X50 Pro
  31
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  31
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  29
• Galaxy A51 5G
  28

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi Mi 11
  67
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  66
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  56
• OnePlus 8T
  53
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  52
• vivo X50 Pro+
  51
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  50
• Realme X7 Pro
  46
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  43
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  21
• OnePlus Nord
  21
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  21
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  21
• Realme 7 5G
  20
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  20
• vivo X50 Pro
  20
• Galaxy A51 5G
  20
• Motorola Edge
  19

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  54
• OnePlus 8T
  46
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  45
• vivo X50 Pro+
  43
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  42
• Realme X7 Pro
  40
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  36
• Xiaomi Mi 11
  33
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  25
• OnePlus Nord
  19
• Motorola Edge
  18
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  18
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  18
• Realme 7 5G
  17
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  17
• vivo X50 Pro
  17
• Galaxy A51 5G
  17
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  16

3DMark SSE ES 3.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  7711
• vivo X50 Pro+
  7253
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  7215
• OnePlus 8T
  7194
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  6819
• Realme X7 Pro
  6735
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  6436
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  5377
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  3308
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  3294
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  3288
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  3286
• OnePlus Nord
  3285
• vivo X50 Pro
  3214
• Realme 7 5G
  3163
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
  3147
• Motorola Edge
  3004
• Galaxy A51 5G
  2837

3DMark SSE Vulkan 1.0 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 8T
  6632
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  6605
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  6543
• vivo X50 Pro+
  6393
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  6354
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  5345
• Realme X7 Pro
  5160
• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  4782
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  3180
• vivo V20 Pro 5G
  3127
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
  3080
• OnePlus Nord
  3067
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  3062
• Realme 7 5G
  3028
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
  3003
• vivo X50 Pro
  2983
• Motorola Edge
  2801
• Galaxy A51 5G
  2778

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  6170
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  5757
• Xiaomi Mi 11
  5673
• Galaxy S20+ (120Hz, 1080p)
  4225
• Realme X7 Pro
  3938
• Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  2713
• Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G
  1668
• Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  1647
• Realme 7 5G
  1589
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
  1571