The best Realme phone 2023on September 14, 2023 at 10:15 Tech Advisor

0

Realme is a relatively lesser-known name in the smartphone market, but this Chinese upstart has shaken up the mobile industry with a range of unique and powerful phones at competitive prices.

That’s part in thanks to Realme’s connection to Oppo. Realme founder Sky Li was previously an Oppo vice president, and the two companies still share R&D, engineering, and distribution infrastructure, most obvious in the way that Realme UI is remarkably close to Oppo’s ColorOS – no bad thing.

Like Oppo itself, Realme has more recently pushed into Europe and has expanded its product portfolio beyond just phones to include offerings like true wireless headphones, tablets, and smartwatches as well.

Realme phones usually offer a compelling price/performance balance, often focussing on speedy specs like the latest processors or super-fast charging speeds.

If you’re not set on Realme just yet, remember to check out our pick of the best budget and best mid-range phones for more options at similar price points.

Best Realme phones 2023

1. Realme GT 2 Pro – Best flagship

Pros

Flagship specs

Beautiful display

5G support

Cons

No waterproofing

No wireless charging

Plastic build




The GT 2 Pro is Realme’s first true flagship, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip inside.

The WQHD+, LTPO AMOLED display is Realme’s best yet, whilst the 50Mp triple rear camera system is equally impressive. Plus, you can pair the phone with plenty of RAM and storage.

The only real concessions here are that there’s no waterproofing or wireless charging, but otherwise this is a flagship to compete with the industry’s best.

Read our full

Realme GT 2 Pro review

2. Realme 11 Pro+ – Best camera

Pros

120Hz AMOLED curved screen

Large main camera with Superzoom

Battery life and power efficiency

100W fast charging

Cons

No IP certification

No wireless charging

CPU performance could be better




The Realme 11 Pro+ may be a mid-range phone, but its got the best camera we’ve seen from this brand full stop. Colours are true to life, and the 200Mp ISOCELL HP3 sensor with Superzoom means that it can that can autofocus in both the vertical and horizontal formats.

On top of that, you get a 120Hz AMOLED display, a big battery life and fast charging that can just the 11 Pro+ from flat to full in under half an hour.

The price does mean that some sacrifices have been made – the performance isn’t quite as impressive as rivals, and no waterproofing is offered. However, this is still an excellent phone to consider.

Note: This phone isn’t yet available on the Realme UK website at the time of writing, but it is on Amazon.

Read our full

Realme 11 Pro+ review

3. Realme GT 2 – Flagship for less

Pros

Strong specs

Fast charging

120Hz AMOLED screen

Cons

No waterproofing

No wireless charging

Basic cameras




The Realme GT 2 is a slightly odd phone, in that outside of the design it actually has more in common with last year’s Realme GT (which you’ll also find on this list) than it does with the GT 2 Pro.

Yes, it looks like its Pro sibling, but with a Snapdragon 888, 120Hz AMOLED display, and 65W charging the insides look a lot like the older phone.

There are upgrades though, with a bigger 6.62in screen, larger battery, and a re-tuned camera – the 50Mp main sensor here impresses, though the ultrawide and macro alongside are less exciting.

Read our full

Realme GT 2 review

4. Realme 9 Pro+ – Best mid-ranger

Pros

Colour-changing design

Two-day battery

Strong main camera

Cons

Disappointing secondary lenses

No waterproofing




The Realme 9 Pro+ is the top model in the company’s budget 9 series, but that means it’s really a mid-range option.

The 90Hz AMOLED display is impressive, as is the 50Mp main camera – though the other lenses aren’t much to write home about.

You may also enjoy the phone’s unique UV-reactive colour-changing design, though note that it isn’t available on every finish.

Read our full

Realme 9 Pro+ review

5. Realme 9 – Best 4G phone

Pros

90Hz OLED display

Excellent battery life

Solid cameras

Cons

No 5G

Poor fingerprint sensor

Sluggish performance




The Realme 9 sits at the heart of the company’s 2022 line-up, and this budget offering is still something of a crowd-pleaser.

By sticking with 4G, Realme was able to spare more budget for the display, battery, and cameras – all of which are excellent for the price.

Of course, some will miss 5G, and we’d love to see a slightly faster chipset (not to mention an upgrade to the frankly unreliable under-display fingerprint sensor). Overall though, this is a well-balanced option and a reminder that 4G phones aren’t gone yet.

Read our full

Realme 9 review

6. Realme GT 3 – Fastest charging

Pros

240W charging juices the phone in around ten minutes

Bright and bold 144Hz display

Decent performance

Cons

Average battery life

So-so secondary cameras

Some overheating issues

Very limited water resistance




The Realme GT 3 is the first phone with crazy-fast charging speeds that can turn flat battery into a full one in just ten minutes.  

It also has a great display, a capable processor and a decent main camera – though it is guilty of having oversaturated AI image processing.

However, at this price point there are much better options, such as the Pixel 7, which offers a much cleaner software experience and no overheating issues when charging.

Read our full

Realme GT 3 review

7. Realme C35 – Best budget

Pros

Crisp display

Bold design

Decent camera

Cons

No 5G

Basic performance

60Hz display





Best Prices Today:



$189.99 at Amazon

The C35 is arguably Realme doing what it does best: delivering more than you’d expect for less than you’d expect.

This is one of the company’s absolute cheapest phones, but despite that it still offers a Full HD display, 50Mp main camera, and an attractive, distinctive design.

There are limitations of course. Performance is basic, with a bit of stuttering as you use the phone, and there’s no 5G either. The display is held to 60Hz refresh rate, and while battery life is good, some other budget models do better.

Still, few phones this cheap offer as much.

Read our full

Realme C35 review

8. Realme 9 Pro – Affordable all-rounder

Pros

120Hz display

Snazzy design

Long-lasting battery

Cons

Average performance

Inconsistent cameras




The Realme 9 Pro isn’t the most powerful phone in the 9 series – that’s the 9 Pro+ – but it’s not far off its older sibling.

It boasts the same colour-changing design, and packs a big 5000mAh battery, 33W charging, and 120Hz display – though it’s only LCD.

The triple rear camera isn’t as capable as the version on the Pro+, but it’s really not bad for the price. And while the Snapdragon 695 chipset isn’t the fastest, it does bring with it 5G support.

Read our full

Realme 9 Pro review

9. Realme 9i – Best for cheap storage

Pros

Long battery life

128GB storage as standard

Headphone jack

Cons

No 5G

Average performance





Best Prices Today:



$189.99 at Amazon

The Realme 9i is the cheapest phone in the company’s 9-series, designed to appeal to budget buyers – though still runs a little more expensive than the super cheap C-series.

The 9i doesn’t include 5G, and performance is unsurprisingly limited, but there’s a lot else to like here. The design is pretty decent for one, and like most cheap Realme phones the battery life impresses too. It’s also welcome to see a generous 128GB storage included as standard – not always the case at this price.

Read our full

Realme 9i review

10. Realme C31 – Cheapest Realme

Pros

Extremely affordable

Long-lasting battery

Decent design

Cons

Poor cameras

Simple specs




The Realme C31 is one of the cheapest phones around right now, so it’s understandably a little limited – but it’ll do the job if your budget really won’t stretch any further.

We’re fans of the phone’s design given its low price, and you’ll also get excellent battery life.

Other specs, from the display to the cameras, are less exciting. If you can afford the slightly pricier C35 we think it’s worth the stretch, but budget buyers shouldn’t rule the C31 out.

Read our full

Realme C31 review

Related stories for further reading

Best mid-range phones

Best budget phones

Best Xiaomi phones

Best Oppo phones

Best Vivo phones

Budget smartphones, Mid-range smartphones, Smartphones

Leave a Comment