Realme P1 5G Review: Pocket Friendly Performer

The Realme P1 5G starts in India at Rs.15,999 for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 8GB+256GB model retails for Rs.18,999.

The phone will go on sale via Flipkart and Realme India website. It will be available in Peacock Green and Phoenix Red.

The Realme P1 packs the following items inside the box:

• Phone
• Case
• Manual
• SIM Ejector
• 45W SUPERVOOC Charger
• Cable

Before we talk in detail about the device, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.67-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 7050
• RAM & ROM: 6GB 128GB, 8GB 128GB, 8GB 256GB
• Software: Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14
• Rear camera: 50MP+2MP
• Selfie camera: 16MP
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Weight: 188 grams
• Dimensions:

The Realme P1 boasts a large circular camera module similar to the rest of the phones in the Realme 12 series. Despite being a new series, Realme seems to have borrowed the design elements from its existing lineup.

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That being said, the brush-stroked back panel, which the company calls the “Sparrow Feather” design, does look unique. Although it is easy to mistake them for smudges, I would prefer a softer finish instead of a matte back.

The rest of the phone remains clean, with a Realme logo at the bottom left corner and flat edges on the side. The phone weighs around 188 grams and is just 7.97mm thick.

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Regarding ports and placements, the Realme P1 boasts the volume rocker and power button on the right.

The left part remains clean while you get the 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Similarly, you will find the secondary speaker grille and microphone at the top.

At the bottom, you will be greeted by the USB-C port, SIM tray, and speaker grille. In addition, the Realme P1 also offers an IP54 rating for protection against occasional water splashes and dust.

The Realme P1 boasts a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.

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During the day, the 50-megapixel sensor can take amazing shots with plenty of details. The photos have natural colours, although the phone has a tendency to oversharpen the output at times.

However, the same cannot be said about the 2-megapixel depth, which is only good on paper I would have preferred if Realme had included an ultrawide angle lens instead

On the other hand, night shots have a good amount of detail. However, there is some noticeable grain when zooming in.

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Moreover, the phone sometimes fails to maintain the exposure, resulting in overblown shots. However, this isn’t surprising given the phone’s budget price.

The 16-megapixel selfie camera can take some good shots with accurate skin tones and details. The phone can record videos at 4K at 30 FPS from the primary camera and up to 1080p at 30 FPS from the selfie camera.

The Realme P1 offers a great camera at the price, but the lack of an ultrawide angle lens is something I certainly missed during my usage.

The Realme P1 packs a 5,000mAh battery with 45W SUPERVOOC charging support. Thanks to the 6nm power-efficient chipset, the phone can easily last a day.

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During my usage, which included watching videos on YouTube, swiping through reels on Instagram, and listening to music on Spotify, I had around 7 hours of screen time.

The 45W SUPERVOOC charger can easily top up the battery in around 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is good to see Realme offer 45W charging instead of the typical 18W or 33W in this price range.

The Realme P1 sports a 6.67-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, the screen has a peak brightness of 2000 nits and an unspecified 0.68mm “secondary tempered high-strength glass” for protection.

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The screen has a centre punch hole cutout and relatively thin bezels surrounding it. However, a sizeable chin at the bottom reminds you that it is a budget device.

The screen offers vibrant and saturated colours that look pleasing to the eye, although the default setting makes the display too warm. However, I enjoyed watching Season 2 of Will Trent due to the deep blacks and punchy colours.

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The screen is pretty bright, too, with 2000 nits of peak brightness. I did not face any issues under harsh sunlight.

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Furthermore, navigating the user interface with the 120Hz refresh rate feels smooth and responsive. You can choose between 60Hz, 120Hz, or Auto, which automatically sets the refresh rate based on the content.

For audio, you get stereo speakers with Hi-Res audio certification support and Dolby Atmos support. These speakers are loud enough to fill an entire room and don’t distort even at full volume. Furthermore, you also get a 3.5mm headphone jack and an in-display fingerprint sensor, which are rare in this segment.

The Realme P1 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. This 6nm chipset can also be found on the Realme Narzo 70 Pro, and the company claims it is the fastest processor in its segment.

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For those unaware, the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 is a rebrand of the MediaTek Dimensity 1080, which debuted with the Realme 10 Pro+ two years ago. The phone remained smooth during daily tasks such as opening or closing apps, and I did not face any issues.

Most apps open instantly thanks to the UFS 3.1 storage, which is rare in this price range. Moreover, the 8GB of RAM and 8GB of virtual memory ensures they remain open in the background.

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When it comes to intensive tasks like gaming, you can play BGMI at Smooth and Extreme graphics (60 FPS) and CODM at High and Very High (60 FPS). Sadly, there is no support for 90FPS on either game.

Furthermore, regarding benchmarks, the Realme P1 has a Geekbench score of 944 in the single-core test and 2343 in the multi-core test. In the 15-minute CPU throttling test, the phone throttled to 89 per cent of its peak performance.

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Moreover, the Realme P1 has an AnTuTu score of 578047 and a 3D Mark Extreme Wildlife score of 99.5 per cent, which is remarkable. Overall, the Realme P1 is a solid performer, given its budget price tag.

The Realme P1 runs on Android 14 based on Realme UI 5.0 out of the box. Furthermore, the company promises two years of OS updates and three years of security patches for the phone.

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However, preinstalled apps remain a concern despite the company reducing them on the Realme Narzo 70 Pro. Plenty of pre-installed apps, like Amazon, Finshell Pay, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Public, can be easily uninstalled. The infamous Hot Apps and Hot Games folder are also present on the phone, although you can disable them from the App Market.

Furthermore, Realme UI 5.0 offers plenty of features, like Smart Touch, which allows you to use wet fingers on the display. This feature is the same as that found on the Realme Narzo 70 Pro and works as advertised.

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You also get Mini Capsule 2.0, which shows notifications in a pill-shaped capsule similar to the Dynamic Island on iPhone. Other features in RUI 5 include a file dock, per-app volume control, smart cutout and Microsoft Phone Link support.

While the rest of the phone feels refined, Realme needs to work on the pre-installed apps and the Hot Apps and Hot Games folder. Hopefully, the company will include fewer pre-installed apps in the future and offer a cleaner software experience.