These days, you don’t have to pay large to experience a smart smartphone. Even if you’re penny-pinching, the budget contenders could prove an appealing worth. One brand that has made great strides with its “a whole lot for little” approach is Realme. Today, the brand has value offerings across the entire affordable and mid-range spectrum. There’s the Realme X2 Pro at the vanguard, the Realme C3 lies at the other extreme. (Realme C3 Review हिंदी में पढ़िए)
I’ve used the Realme C3 up and close for quite some time. And all the while, my quest was to see whether it cuts as a good enough daily driver. So, let’s see how it went about.
But before that, here’s a quick comparison of the key specs differences between the Realme C3 and its precursor.
Page Contents:
- Realme C3 Review: Price and Specifications
- Realme C3 Review: Box Contents
- Realme C3 Review: Design, Build and Display
- Realme C3 Review: Performance and Software
- Realme C3 Review: Camera
- Realme C3 Review: Audio, Battery, and Connectivity
- Realme C3 Review: Verdict
- Realme C3 FAQ
Realme C3 vs Realme C2 Price and Specifications
| Model | Realme C3 | Realme C2 |
| Display | 6.52-inch HD+ LCD mini-drop fullscreen 20:9 aspect ratio | 6.1-inch HD+ LCD mini-drop fullscreen 19:5:9 aspect ratio |
| Processor | 2.0GHz, MediaTek Helio G70, 12nm chipset | 2.0GHz, MediaTek Helio P22 12nm chipset |
| RAM | 3GB/ 4GB LPDDR4X | 2GB/3GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB/64GB eMMC 5.1 (microSD up to 256GB) | 16GB/32GB eMMC 5.1 (microSD up to 256GB) |
| Software | Android 10 Realme UI | Android 9 Color OS 6.0 |
| Primary Camera | 12MP (f/1.8, 1.25μm) (Macro 8cm) + 2MP (f/2.4) portrait, PDAF, 1080p@30fps, 480p slow-mo | 13MP (f/2.2, 1.12µm)+ 2MP (f/2.4), 1080p@30fps |
| Front Camera | 5MP | 5MP |
| Battery | 5000mAh (OTG reverse charge) | 4000mAh |
| Price |
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Also, here’s everything you get within the box.
Realme C3 In-box Contents
- 1x 5V2A Adapter
- 1x Micro USB Cable
- 1x Important Info Booklet with Warranty Card
- 1x Quick Guide
- 1x SIM Card Tool
- 1x Screen Protect Film
Realme C3 Review: Design, Build, and Display
Realme C3 sports the new Sunrise Design, which gets the name for its converging light effect. It looks as if the light beams are radiating from beneath the camera island. That said, it’s still recessed and both the Red and Blue paint jobs aren’t that flashy. But, I must say, I miss the polygonal effect which embellished the early-gen Realme phones. Besides the camera array, the rear rocks a realme logo as well.
The phone has a smudge-free frictional surface, which offers a nice grip. It’s lite and ergonomic thanks to an all-plastic body. Realme claims the phone is splash resistant, with tightly sealed ports. So, overall the device embodies an industrial build with ample attention to detail. This is important considering its price.
C3 echoes the same side frame button arrangement as every other Realme phone since day one. You’ll find the volume rockers on the left while the power button sits on the right. The buttons are mushy and plasticky, but that’s to be expected with entry grade phones.
Moving forward, the frontier flaunts a familiar mini drop notched vista. Inside that notch resides a camera that enables Face Unlock. It works fine save for when you try it in a dull or dark ambiance. Not much to say there. But, the real kicker is the absent fingerprint sensor. That means if not for face unlocking, you will have to resort to PIN/Pattern/Password.
The screen here is alright for the price. It’s a 720P panel measuring 6.52 inches, with a 20:9 aspect ratio. It’s good to have that kinda real estate in this segment. That said, this is still a moderate-quality IPS LCD panel.
Realme C3 Review: Performance and Software
This is the portion of the review which you may call as a tasty trifle. Here’s how ( ° ∀ ° )ﾉﾞ
Realme C3 is the first phone to ship with MediaTek G70 silicon and Realme UI software. The former is a pretty powerful chip for handling your daily chores. It fared well in my Asphalt 9 and PUBG sessions. The graphics take a hit for sure with some jank and jitter here and there. However, nothing spoiled the sport for me. Likewise, everything from multitasking, app-switching, and navigation was nippy.
Speaking of navigation, I adore the Android 10‘s gesture-abled movements. There’s plenty to like about the new Android edition. On top of which, you have the Realme UI (review). For the first time, I felt like using the Realme software as it is. It’s a welcome update through and through. If you’d ask me to pick a bone with it, I would point at the remaining few bloatware. Rest, I have gone in-depth about the UI in my dedicated review of it.
This time around, Realme has stowed in more memory, both on the RAM and ROM front. You get to grab the device in 3GB RAM plus 32GB storage variant as well as a higher 4GB RAM plus 64GB storage option. You can max the storage configuration by up to 256gigs using the dedicated SD card slot.
I also run the popular benchmark tests and to my surprise, its scores were in an altogether different league. For instance, Realme C3 has fared better in Antutu benchmarks than pricier peers like Realme 3 Pro, Mi A3, Redmi Note 7, Samsung Galaxy A50, Realme 5 and Redmi Note 8. Here are the results –
Realme C3 Review: Camera
Realme C3 wields a 12MP (primary) plus 2MP (depth) sensor duo at the back. To the front, we have the same 5MP selfie snapper as found in the predecessor. As a part of the new UI overhaul, the camera app also looks anew.
Coming to the real-world performance, I was quite astonished by some shots I managed to capture out of it.
If you capture something in close proximity under a good amount of light, then the photos are sharable on social media.
But, things get tricky when you distance yourself and the light is unfavorable.
Realme C3 is plagued by the same issues found in similarly priced phones. The details look washed out. The dynamic range is spotty, which means you have to live with crushed shadows and subdued highlights.
Low light photography would have benefitted Nightscape. Even without it, the photos are serviceable.
If you glance at the human subjects down below, the front and rear cameras have done a pretty decent job. But, mind you the camera does falter in exposure handling, face-tracking and even that portrait blur tends to eat into the subject at times.
You can shoot up to FHD videos at 30fps and an option to go slo-mo at 480fps. They are okayish and nothing to write home about.
So overall, the optics are certainly capable of handling most everyday requirements, and it’s definitely better than it has any right to be.
Realme C3 Review: Audio, Battery, and Connectivity
Realme C3 has the stamina to easily pull through an ordinary day. In our endurance test, the 5000mAh battery ran for 8h 26min.
And when the device begs for a charger, you’ll have to resort to a 10W charger. This is slow as a snail to refill the tank. Look, it’s no surprise, but more like a reminder for the budget. My real grievance is with the micro-USB port. I feel like its high time that even low-trim phones start coming with a USB Type-C.
And yea, Realme has thrown in a reverse charge feature too, in case you care.
The micro-USB socket is flanked by a 3.5mm headphone jack (I’m not one to take it for granted!) and a single speaker grille. The audio output is tiny without any texture.
The Dual-SIM phone serves its purpose as a phone with fine call reception. The person, on the other hand, too had no problem hearing my euphonious voice.
Amongst other things, you also get Bluetooth 5.0 with support for audio codecs like SBC, AAC, APTX, LDAC. (Nice!) You’ll appreciate these acronyms while listening over a wireless earphone.
Realme C3 Review: Closing Thoughts!
When you buy a budget handset, you look forward to the essentials. You want everything that matters and nothing that doesn’t. So, my review quest was to test out the performance, and see whether the overall offering is value-packed or not?
Yes, It is! I am fairly satisfied.
It’s given that a top-dollar item will give you the most phone. But it’s impressive when a phone hits the spot without costing an arm or a leg. Thus, being on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a decent smartphone experience. The newly launched Realme C3 is inexpensive and still appears to tick most boxes. It is the first phone with the MediaTek G70 and the first phone to offer Android 10 out of the box for under Rs. 10,000.
Although Realme C3 is cheap as chips starting at Rs. 6,999, I appreciate the fact it didn’t stop me from doing anything that I wanted to do.
Pros
- Respectable performance and UX
- Battery mileage
- Good photos under favorable conditions
Cons
- MicroUSB
- Speaker audio
- Camera fails under challenging light and long-range
Realme C3 FAQ Answered
Q: Does Realme C3 offer Gorilla Glass Protection?
A: Yes, Realme C3 comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
Q: Does Realme C3 support HD streaming?
A: No, Realme C3 doesn’t support DRM L1 certification, which means it can’t run HD videoes on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the likes.
Q. Does Realme C3 feature a fingerprint scanner?
A: No, unfortunately, Realme C3 doesn’t feature a fingerprint scanner. However, you get the face unlocking option.
Q. Does the Realme C3 come with a USB Type-C or MicroUSB port?
A. Realme C3 sticks to a MicroUSB socket.
Q. Is the Realme C3 water-resistant?
A. No, Realme C3 is not water-resistant. However, Realme vaunts splash-proof protection. Whatever it counts for!
Q. Is the battery of Realme C3 removable?
A. No, the Realme C3’s battery is sealed inside the phone.
Q. Is there a notification LED on the Realme C3?
A. No, the Realme C3 doesn’t have a notification LED light.
Q. Is there an IR blaster on the Realme C3 that can be used to control TVs and other devices?
A. No, there is no IR blaster on the Realme C3.
Q. What colors are the Realme C3 going to be available in?
A. You could pick the Realme C3 in two colors vis a vis. Frozen Blue, Blazing Red.
Q. Is there any gaming-specific feature on Realme C3?
A. Realme C3 is clearly not a device for hardcore gaming. Still, thanks to the latest MediaTek G70 SoC with HyperEngine Technology, and Game Space feature, you can enjoy casual gaming. Even PUBG pushes HD ( Smooth + Ultra graphics) quality.
Q. Which Android version runs on the Realme C3?
A. Realme C3 runs on Android 10 Pie-based Realme UI.
Q. What is the AnTuTu score of Realme C3’s MediaTek G70?
A. In our test, Realme C3 scored 193063 points in the AnTuTu benchmark.
Q. Does Realme C3 support MicroSD card storage expansion? Is it a dedicated slot?
A. Yes, it comes with a dedicated MicroSD card slot that supports expansion up to 256GB.
Q. Can you uninstall or disable pre-installed bloatware on the Realme C3?
A. You cannot uninstall the pre-installed core apps. However, certain 3rd-party bloat can be removed.
Q. Does the Realme C3 offer navigation gestures?
A. Yes, you can enjoy Android 10’s Gesture Navigation.
Q. Does Realme C3 support Dual SIM Dual VoLTE?
A. Yes, Realme C3 is equipped with Dual SIM (nano) Dual VOLTE. So, you can use two Jio SIMs in tandem without a fuzz. Realme has also given call and data concurrency features, which means you can simultaneously send data and be on call.
Q. Does Realme C3 sport a 3.5mm headphone jack?
A. Yes, you get a 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom of the Realme C3.
Q. What sensors are there in Realme C3?
A. Realme has included sensors like accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass.
Q. Does Realme C3 support call recording?
A. Yes, Realme has baked in automatic call recording feature in the C3. Find this option hidden within Phone app settings> Call recording.
Q. Does the Realme C3 feature FM radio?
A. Yes, FM radio is present on Realme C3.
Q. Does the handset support USB OTG?
A. Yes, Realme C3 does support the USB OTG feature.
Q. Does Realme C3 support NFC?
A. No, Realme C3 doesn’t support NFC.
Q. Does Realme C3 has face unlock?
A. Yes, you get Face Unlock in Realme C3.
Q. Can you record slow-motion videos on Realme C3?
A. Yes, you can record slow-mo videos in 480fps.
