By Bettina V. Roc, Associate Editor
THE REALME 15 Series 5G smartphones, the newest additions to the brand’s number series lineup, were released earlier this month and promise flagship-level user experience at mid-range pricing.
The realme 15 Pro 5G is the top-of-the-line offering for this series and is priced at P27,999 for the 12GB memory + 256GB storage variant and at P30,999 for the 12GB+512GB model. The brand sent BusinessWorld a unit of the phone for this review.
The smartphone sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor built on a 4-nanometer process, which is paired with an integrated Adreno 722 GPU. This allows the realme 15 Pro 5G to run multiple apps — even at the same time — with ease and support resource-heavy tasks.
Its 12GB of RAM is capable enough, but it is expandable virtually up to 26GB via Dynamic RAM. Storage is another matter, though, as there is no microSD slot, but realme does offer a 512GB variant for users who need more room for their files and at a fairly minimal price difference from the base model.
Paired with the brand’s software optimizations, the chipset delvers smooth and snappy performance and can support the realme 15 Pro 5G’s many artificial intelligence (AI) features, including for imaging and gaming. The phone’s cooling system also helps manage its temperature while in use.
A standout feature of the realme 15 Pro 5G is its 7,000mAh battery, which also has support for 80W SUPERVOOC wired fast charging. The phone’s 80W charger, which can deliver a full charge in just a tad over an hour, is also included in the box, although the one that came with the review unit is the two-pole round-pin kind — not a deal-breaker by any means, but it could be an issue for those on the go, as a separate adapter would add bulk to what is arguably an already large charging brick.
That said, one might not need to bring the charger around, anyway. With typical usage that includes some video streaming, mobile data use, heavy social media browsing, relatively light gaming, and tinkering around with its cameras, the phone’s battery has more than enough juice for a full day.
Speaking of cameras, the realme 15 Pro 5G features a triple 50-megapixel (MP) AI camera system that can record videos of up to 4K 60fps across all lenses.
The main 50MP rear camera has a Sony IMX896 sensor and has optical image stabilization support. The rear module also features an ultra-wide angle lens, letting users capture moments with a wider field of view. The lack of a telephoto lens is a bit of a letdown, but the quality of images and videos delivered by the rear cameras are great. The colors are vibrant but still natural and not over-saturated, and details are sharp, especially in good lighting conditions. Shooting in more challenging environments puts the phone’s image processing to the test, but it still does pretty well, capturing photos with good dynamic range.
For those confused, the third ring in the rear camera module is not a lens — it’s actually a feature called the Pulse Light, a customizable LED light that can be used for notifications.
Meanwhile, the phone’s 50MP selfie lens has support for dual-view video recording. Its ability to record high resolution video is a plus for those into content creation.
Along with built-in filters and functions in the camera interface, the realme 15 Pro 5G also packs a ton of AI camera features, which make for a fun mobile photography experience. For shooting, these include AI Party Mode, AI Landscape+, and AI MagicGlow 2.0, among others. For editing, notable features are AI Edit Genie and AI Smart Remover 2.0.
The realme 15 Pro 5G comes in a slim design despite having a high-capacity battery. It’s also lightweight at just 187 grams, making it easy to hold, especially when taking photos or videos using just one hand. The review unit came in the Velvet Green color that features a matte leather finish at the back, which looks and feels nice, although it has the tendency to attract dust. Those who prefer the usual glossy back finish can opt for the Flowing Silver model. Like other realme phones, this ships with a phone case, and this one in particular has a frosted matte finish.
It has a 6.8-inch 4D Curve+ AMOLED display made of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i with 1.5K resolution and peak brightness of 6,500 nits for clarity even under direct sunlight. Colors and details are sharp, and the display’s screen-to-body ratio of 94% provides valuable viewing real estate, with the phone’s dual stereo speakers adding to the immersive experience. The display also has a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, although most apps only reach up to 120Hz for now.
The phone also has IP66, IP68, and IP69 dust and water resistance ratings, protecting it against the elements.
All in all, the realme 15 Pro 5G offers powerful performance in a stylish design, and is a solid option for those looking for an all-rounder smartphone at a competitive price point.
