Device Review: OnePlus Nord CE 5G
Solid mid-ranger finds its place amongst competition 4.5/5
Device Review
July 15, 2021
Master Edition lives up to original 4.5/5
Realme is back with a newer edition of its latest flagship model, the Realme GT. The master edition of the device is designed by Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa who aimed to design the smartphone like a “suitcase”, reflecting his love for travel.
The launch of the device comes after Realme became the fastest brand ever to ship 100 million smartphones, taking just 37 months to hit the target according to Strategy Analytics.
A glance at the specs of the the device will show that Realme is once again delivering higher specs at a low price – a trend that has been a staple of the brand since its inception in 2018.
But how does the Master Edition of Does the smartphone compare to the excellent original?
Hardware specs
· OS: Android 11, Realme UI 2.0
· Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 5G
· Screen: 6.43 inches
· Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
· Memory: 8GB RAM
· Internal storage: 128GB, 256GB
· Rear camera: 64MP x 8MP x 2MP
· Front camera: 32MP
· Video: 4K@30fps
· Battery: 4300mAh
· Charging: 65W fast-charging
· Connectivity: WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.3
· Dimensions: 159.2 mm x 73.5 mm x 8.0/8.7 mm
· Weight: 174/178 g
Design
Realme has used vegan leather on a few of its devices and this feature returns for the latest iteration of the device. While this is a great touch, I was sent the Cosmos Black version of the device which has a slight maroon tint when light is shone on the back of the device.
The smartphone is designed by Fukasawa and offers a unique overall look and feel, but also sticks to the winning smartphone formula employed by smartphone vendors today.
There is a single loudspeaker on the bottom of the phone and a 3.5mm headphone jack which is always a nice touch these days.
There is a 32MP camera on the front in the form of a hole punch selfie camera and the back of the phone has three cameras on the top-left of the device.
Overall, the smartphone does feel like a flagship, as it should.
Camera
The main 64MP camera set-up performs quite capably and captures vibrant colours very well. The smartphone comes with three cameras on the back of the device and has a 32MP selfie camera.
The macro camera worked pretty well here and captures some awesome close-up shots, while the 64MP mode is also pretty useful.
Although saying this, the overall quality of images diminishes slightly with the ultrawide lens which is quite disappointing but expected at this price point.
A few images can be found below:
Performance
Only one place to start with the performance and that is with the fast charging. Yet again Realme provides astonishing fast-charging capabilities. Here, it’s 65W, and like the original, charges the smartphone in just a little over 30 minutes.
The battery runs for around a day which is quite good considering the charging time is so short.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset is a great addition here, offering a smooth all-around performance that is pretty identical to the original Realme GT. While it may not perform as well as the Snapdragon 888 in terms of benchmarks, I didn’t expect anything too drastic in terms of differences to the original variant of the smartphone. it’s important to note here, however, that this device works just as well as the original, with no major lags or glitches.
With this device, I was extremely impressed with its gaming performance. The smartphone uses a Vapor Chamber Cooling System which it has inherited from the original Realme GT, and at no point did the device start to heat while gaming. That, coupled with 8GB of RAM resulted in a smooth gaming experience that rivals the likes I’ve had on a higher-end device such as the OnePlus 9 Pro.
The AMOLED display comes with a 120Hz refresh rate (which can be changed), offering gamers top graphics for games such as Call of Duty and PUBG among others. But the display impresses beyond just gaming, offering an overall smoothness that will be hard to top amongst other mid-rangers.
The GT Master Edition runs Realme UI 2.0 on top of Android 11 and works very quickly. It rivals the OnePlus and OxygenOS in terms of general speed which is mightily impressive for a device that is a few hundred pounds cheaper.
The fingerprint reader works as fast as the charging does which is always a nice bonus.
At a glance
- Speed – 5/5
- Camera – 4/5
- Battery – 5/5
- Design – 4/5
- Value – 4.5/5
The Realme GT Master Edition is a worthy successor to the original. While Realme may be releasing smartphones quicker than other vendors, competitors will be worried if the vendor keeps churning out quality devices as it has done in the past few months.
The Master Edition delivers a solid overall experience that punches well above its weight for a mid-ranger and rivals the likes of the OnePlus 9 Pro in most departments.
The price of the Realme GT Master Edition starts from 399 USD. The 6GB + 128GB prices on 399 USD, and 8GB + 256GB prices on 449 USD.
UK release dates will be announced soon.