Realme GT3 in the short test: adventurous design and crazy fast loading

Two Chinese brands are currently trending among smartphone fans: Xiaomi and Realme. The two companies are pursuing completely different approaches when it comes to smartphone development. While the technology giant Xiaomi likes to follow the competition like Apple or Samsung, Realme often goes its own way – and tries to stand out from the crowd. The latest example of this is the Realme GT3.

1. design and processing

2. screen

3. camera

4. processor and memory

5. battery and charging

6. Software: Android 13 with RealmeUI 4.0

7. price and availability

8. network world means

The mobile phone presented at the MWC 2023 in Barcelona catches our attention not only with ultra-fast charging, but also with an interesting-looking LED ring on the back. You can find out below what this is for and what else the cell phone has to offer.

design and processing

The design of the Realme GT3 is not entirely new to us: in general, this smartphone is a global variant of the Realme GT Neo 5 that was introduced in China a few months ago. The unusual design still makes it an eye-catcher. Responsible for this is of course the LED ring on the back, which Realme affectionately calls “Pulse Interface”.

Not only does it serve as a cosmetic RGB element, but it also has functionality. In the case of calls or notifications, it flashes diligently in the set colors. This is reminiscent of the Nothing Phone (1) glyph interface. In the ring there is also a small logo from the built-in Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ and the Realme motto “dare to leap”.

The smartphone, which is quite slim at 8.9 millimeters thick, comes with a glass back, an aluminum frame and a flat display on the front. It feels good in the hand, is quite chic overall and the matted back prevents any fingerprints. The dimensions are 163.9 x 75.8 millimeters. The smartphone weighs 199 grams. It is not lightweight, but it is a lot lighter than competing devices.

screen

The Realme GT3 has a 6.74-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,772 x 1,240 pixels, i.e. around 2K. It’s a snazzy display – the colors are beautiful, as expected, and there’s no lack of contrast either. The fact that it is flat does not change the good ergonomics and is a plus point in our opinion – very few new top smartphones are currently released without a curvature in the display.

The screen’s average brightness is 500 nits, with 1,100 nits in high-brightness mode and a peak of 1,400 nits when playing HDR10+ content. Although this brightness is nothing extraordinary, it is definitely worth seeing and is perfectly sufficient for everyday use. The pixel density is a proud 451 ppi.

camera

The Realme GT3 has three cameras on the back: a 50-megapixel IMX890 main sensor, an eight-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a two-megapixel macro camera. In general, Realme’s GT series devices aren’t known for their great cameras – there’s no sign of that changing with the GT3. However, we can only judge how well the cameras actually perform in everyday use after a detailed test.

processor and memory

The processor in the Realme GT3 is a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 from Qualcomm. The fact that the slightly older processor is installed here is due to the release date of the Chinese Realme GT neo 5. However, this chip also offers enough computing power to handle all everyday tasks without any problems. As a storage option, Realme offers eight, twelve or 16 gigabytes of RAM and 128, 256, 512 or one terabyte of internal memory.

battery and charging

Realme’s innovative streak really comes to the fore when it comes to the battery: the 4,600 mAh battery may not be exceptionally large, but it charges with a record-breaking 240 watts. The associated charging technology, SuperVOOC, is supported by the power adapter included in the box. With this charging current, the smartphone is recharged from 0 to 100 percent within ten minutes.

Software: Android 13 with RealmeUI 4.0

The latest Google software Android 13 is pre-installed as the operating system in the Realme GT3. Instead of a stock version, the manufacturer delivers the smartphone with the in-house user interface RealmeUI 4.0.

Two major Android updates and five years of security patches are promised. Most manufacturers now offer three years of Android updates, but Realme has never been known for an extraordinary update policy.

price and availability

The company has not revealed when the Realme GT3 will be available in Germany. The Realme parent company is in this country in a patent dispute with Nokia. Accordingly, a German price is still missing. Prices abroad start at 649 US dollars for the cheapest version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 gigabytes, converted here you end up at around 610 euros.

network world means

At first glance, the Realme GT3 is a solid smartphone from the upper mid-range. The camera ring on the back is probably more for show than actually useful, but the built-in components speak for the smartphone overall. For the price of 649 dollars – in Germany we expect around 650 to 700 euros – the device is definitely something to be proud of in view of the competition.