Tech brand realme has launched the latest installment to its Pro number series and we were curious if the brand was able to live up to its past successes with this latest iteration.
What’s in the box
- realme 10 Pro 5G
- 33W SUPERVOOC Charging Adapter
- Type-A to Type-C USB Cable
- Warranty card
- Quick guide
- SIM ejector pin
- Jelly case
- Pre-installed screen protect film
Design
The first thing you will notice with the realme 10 Pro 5G is the thin bezel around the top and sides of its 6.72-inch display. It features a center-aligned 16MP punch-hole front camera, and unlike its “Pro +” brother that has a curved display, has a flat screen made of double-reinforced glass that is flush with the aluminum sides. It has clean, flat edges and rounded corners with only the camera lenses that are mounted directly on the phone’s back panel protruding at the rear. While the Nebula Blue colorway may be a tad bit too loud for the conservative set, its matte/frosted finish that is kind to oily hands and doesn’t retain visible fingerprints makes a strong argument to choose it. I like its weight and finish and think they give it a premium feel, however, its shape can feel bulky when placed in one’s pants pocket.
The realme 10 Pro’s 108MP main and 2MP depth cameras have the classic Twin-Lens Reflex (TLR) design and have visibly bigger lenses similar to the ones found on realme’s newer phones. To the left of the screen is the SIM tray that can accommodate either two nano SIMs or one nano SIM + a micro SD card. To the right is the volume rocker, as well as the fingerprint scanner that doubles as the phone’s power button. This layout is optimal for those who hold their phones with their right hand because you don’t have to shift your hand position that often for basic operations. The top features a secondary pinhole mic as well as speakers embedded on the top bezel. On the bottom are its 3.5mm audio jack, main microphone, USB-C port, and four oval phones that serve as the device’s loudspeaker.
Hardware
The realme 10 Pro 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Processor, a 6nm Octa-Core Processor with x2 Cortex-A78 Cores that clock at up to 2.2 GHz, and x6 Cortex-A55 Cores that clock up to 1.8GHz. As its name suggests, it has 5G connectivity and it also boasts a Triple ISP with a Qualcomm Spectra 346T that is designated for simultaneous photo and video usage.
The device is equipped with 8GB RAM. However, this can be expanded to up to 16GB when the built-in Dynamic RAM Expansion feature is utilized.
The realme 10 Pro comes with a non-removable 5000mAh Battery with 33W SUPERVOOC Charge that charges the devices completely in a little over an hour with the included charger. One charge can easily last more than a day with light to moderate use, and definitely, more than regular waking hours if used heavily to shoot videos and stills, as well as to consume media.
Complete specs can be found here: https://ignition.ph/news/realme-10-pro-unboxing
User Experience
Having used several realme phones in the past, we can say that realme’s user interface is quite intuitive and to use. This device in particular ships with realme 4.0 UI that is based on Android 13 out of the box. Based on experience, realme phones are easy to set up, whether you’re starting from scratch or transferring data from another phone, and this was not an exception. However, as with other Android devices, one has to be mindful to minimize installing unnecessary apps that can quickly deplete storage space.
For this particular model, the brand wanted to focus on the device’s screen, and it in fact sports a substantial one. It features a large 6.72-inch screen with 2400×1080 FHD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The display is bright and the colors are crisp, and for once, I actually had brightness set at a maximum of 75% instead of the 100% I keep my other phones at.
Like any device, the cameras of the realme 10 Pro can produce awesome shots with the perfect balance of sun and shade. I found myself constantly adjusting the white balance when shooting outdoors as photos tend to come out too bright for my liking. Night Mode is best used with a tripod or stand as processing takes a bit of time, and shaky hands don’t produce crisp photos — no matter what device you use. Camera operation is simple enough for beginners, but intermediate users will definitely appreciate the shortcuts like the Group Portrait setting found in the “More” function, as well as the Depth of Field toggle found in Portrait Mode. Selfies are as easy to take as the beautification levels are easy to tweak. No judgment there.
One happy discovery I found while testing the realme 10 Pro was its compatibility with DJI gimbals despite not being on the official list of compatible brands/devices. The realme 10 Pro works seamlessly with the Osmo Mobile 6.
Value / Price / Availability
Official pricing of the realme 10 Pro 5G was pegged at Php 16,999 for the sole 8GB+256GB variant with the brand’s customary discount offers and bundles at launch.
It is available locally in 3 colorways: Hyperspace Gold (hero color), the subdued Dark Matter (black), and the very youthful Nebula Blue.
Verdict
The realme Pro number series has consistently brought to market great spec’ed mid-range phones that offer great value for money. Priced exactly like the realme 9 Pro 5G launched in March last year, the latest addition to realme’s lineup is no different. If you have a perfectly working realme 9 Pro, then it might not be time to upgrade yet, but if you’re using anything older, it is definitely worth the upgrade.
What we like
- Bright display
- Fast charging
- DC dimming technology to protect the eyes
What we don’t like
- The boxy shape is quite bulky in pants’ pocket