Introduction
Realme and Xiaomi are going back and forth at each other with their new launches, both trying to get a hold of the entry-level smartphone market. After the launch of Redmi Note 8 by Xiaomi, Realme challenged it with the new Realme 5s. Both compete for the same price range and same performance. In this article, we will be reviewing Realme 5s, and you’ll find out if it is worth your penny or not, and if not, what are some other options in the same price range.
I’m sure you all are very excited to know more about this device, so without wasting any time, let’s dive into the in-depth review of Realme 5s.
Price in India, Variant, Availability
Realme 5s is available in 2 hardware configurations, and those are 3GB/64GB version and 4GB/128GB version. The base variant is priced at ₹9,999, whereas the 128GB variant comes priced at ₹10,999.
If we talk about colour variants, we have got three options named Crystal Red, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Purple. All the variants look great and attractive, but the plastic body is a bummer.
At the time of writing this review, the phone is not on the market for sale yet; instead, it is only available through Pre-order, and those orders will be delivered when the phone comes out for purchase officially on Nov 29th.
Box Contents
The review unit that we got was a Crystal Red variant and 4GB/128GB version handset. The handset comes in a neat box with Realme branding and a golden banner on the right top saying “No 1 Quality smartphone brand”. The packaging was simple. Inside the box, we get the usual accessories like Silicone protective case, SIM ejector tool, Realme 5s handset, 10W AC adapter, micro-USB Cable, and some Documentation.
Here is a quick overview of what you’ll be getting inside the box:
- Realme 5s
- Silicone protective case
- Micro-USB cable
- 10W(5V,2A) AC adapter
- Sim ejector tool
- Documentation
Specs at a glance
Before we share our thoughts on the Realme 5s, let’s have a look at the specifications.
- Display: 6.5 inch, HD+ (720 x 1600 Pixels, 269PPI)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, octa-core 2 GHz
- GPU: Adreno 512 650MHz
- RAM & ROM: 4GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage (expandable storage up to 256GB)
- Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
- Selfie camera: 13MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Software: Color OS 6.0.1 based on Android 9.0
- Price: ₹9,999 / ₹10,999
With specs being cleared, let’s jump right into our detailed review.
Design and Build Quality
Realme is going at a good pace with its colourful, vibrant, and sleek design methodology. People seem to like this design very much, and when the phones are so affordable, people are just going crazy for realme phones. The entry-level market right now is ruled by only two companies, Realme and Xiaomi. Realme is giving a perfect competition to Xiaomi, and Xiaomi has also soon changed its design methodology from rigid and stiff to colourful and sleek.
The Realme 5s is made of plastic, and I know you’ll say plastic is so cheap but no. The finishing and everything is done great on this device, and it seems seamless and feels good. A glass body would have been better, but the plastic body is not bad either the finishing is excellent, and the device feels great in hand. Realme saved a lot of money by using a plastic body. Realme could have smoothly gone for a Full HD+ display or a USB-C port, but neither of them was used, and it’s a bit disappointing. The Redmi 8 Pro comes with a Full HD+ display, USB-C connectors, and glass body. Considering these differences, Redmi note 8 seems to a smarter better choice when compared to the Realme 5s, but we are not giving our final verdict so soon. Let’s move forward with this review and look at other aspects of this phone.
The basic design is the same as in other Realme phones but with very few minor changes. The back panel has the iconic diamond design of Realme, which anyone will recognize in a second.
The front of the handset is sleek and looks good with no branding. The front is elegant and clean. The screen looks gorgeous, and the notch is non-intrusive and looks excellent overall. The 13MP selfie camera is housed into the groove. The screen is a 6.5-inch 720p display with 279PPI, which reflects lots of light during outdoor usage, so you might be tempted to use an anti-reflective screen protector.
At the back, we have the quad-camera module and the fingerprint scanner. The camera module is mounted on the top left corner, whereas the fingerprint reader is placed a bit above the centre. The fingerprint reader is sometimes hard to reach because of its placement and would need re-adjustment of the phone to contact the scanner. The back panel is made of plastic, and the iconic diamond pattern of Realme is present at the back.
At the bottom, we have micro-USB port, Primary Speaker, primary microphone, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. As much price-cutting we have seen in this device, we were expecting a USB-C, but unfortunately, Realme stuck with micro-USB. Realme doesn’t seem to be ditching the 3.5 mm headphone jack any soon since it is targeting the entry-level smartphone market, and most people buying these smartphones can’t afford or don’t want Type-C earphones.
On the left, we have the sim tray and volume rockers, on the Right side, we have the power button. The buttons are durable and easily accessible.
Realme 5s is a perfect looking device with a plastic body, but that doesn’t matter because the finishing is flawless, and it doesn’t feel like plastic. The significant change compared to Realme 5 was the primary camera upgrade to 48MP, and its a good value for money if you’re into photography or just in general like taking good pictures. For a regular user, there is not much new and exciting in this smartphone except a new colour variant. If you are not fascinated by the camera, then you should go for Realme 5 as its prices one thousand lower than this handset while offering all the same configurations except the camera.
If you are still not convinced about the quality and capabilities of this phone and you might want to check out Redmi Note 8, which is also priced at the same range.
