Introduction
The Realme 6 is a phone released about six months ago, so it's easy to see that this isn't a full-fledged, generational upgrade. However, there are a couple of new things that should elevate the user experience quite a bit. For instance, the new Realme 7 comes with a generous 5,000 mAh battery instead of the 4,300 mAh found on Realme 6 and there's also the TÜV Rheinland Smartphone Reliability Verification. The Realme 7 is the first smartphone to have it, but it's still unclear what this certification serves to confirm.
The new MediaTek Helio G95 gaming-centric chipset is also on the list of new features, and as MediaTek detailed, it can hardly be called an upgrade compred to the G90. More like a refresh - just like the Realme 7 itself. There should be a slight increase in GPU performance due to the higher clocks, but that's pretty much it. Oh, and there are new paint jobs as well.
Realme 7 specs
- Body: 162.3 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm, 197g; Front glass, plastic body
- Screen: 6.5" IPS LCD, FHD+ (1080 x 2400px) resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, 405 ppi
- Camera: Primary: 64MP Quad-Bayer, f/1.8 aperture, 0.8µm pixel size, 1/1.72" sensor size; Ultra-wide: 8MP, f/2.3 aperture, 1.12µm pixel size, 1/4" sensor size; Macro: 2MP f/2.4, 1.75µm pixel size, 1/5" sensor size; Depth sensor: 2MP mono camera
- Front camera: 16MP f/2.0 aperture
- Chipset: Mediatek Helio G95 (12nm): octa-core (2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G76 MC4 (900MHz) GPU
- Memory: 6GB/64GB, 8GB/128GB, expandable via microSD card
- OS: Android 10, Realme UI
- Battery: 5,000 mAh, 30W Dart Charge
- Connectivity: 4G LTE; Dual SIM; Dual-band Wi-Fi, Buetooth 5.1, GPS, USB Type-C 2.0
- Misc:Side-mounted fingerprint reader
Hardware-wise, those are the only differences compared to the Realme 6. However, the young smartphone maker has a couple of new features in store for us as well. The camera comes with a Starry Mode and even though this hardly constitutes an upgrade, Realme insists that the shift from Samsung's 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor to Sony's IMX682 has allowed them to introduce an upgrade to the 64MP mode.
Enough about specs. Let's dive a little deeper into the next page to see how the phone feels in person. Sure, we didn't spend nearly enough time with the device, but, on the other hand, it already felt pretty familiar. It's a refreshed Realme 6, after all.
Unboxing the Realme 7
Along with the usual user manuals and the 30W Dart charger with USB-A to USB-C cable, the box contains a transparent silicone case.
Design and handling
We got the Mist White color of the phone, although it looks a bit too Blue-ish in the pictures. Anyway, the finish on the back looks and feels nice. Realme says the paint job is inspired by the mirror but the matte-like finish suggests otherwise. Or at least we can't see it that way. It's in stark contrast to the more flashy comet-like, shooting star gradient on the Realme 6. Which, by the way, looks a bit more premium in a way. In fact, we can go as far as saying that the Realme 7's design looks a bit bland compared to the Realme 6 but we also think it comes down to a personal preference. Oh, and the finish looks less prone to scratches.
Realme 6 and Realme 7 side by side
The two-tone design is interesting. The strip going down from the camera module is a bit more glossy to the touch and reflects light differently from the main matte finish. Less fingerprints and smudges ensured too.
Realme 6 and Realme 7 side by side
In terms of usability, the handset doesn't feel that much heavier than the Realme 6 compared side by side. It's still a rather hefty phone, of course, but we expected a noticeable change in weight due to the dramatic increase to 5,000 mAh on the Realme 7. And on contrary to our expectations, the Realme 7 is more comfortable to hold and operate on despite the fact that the Realme 6 is more compact. Perhaps it's due to the more rounded edges. The Realme 6 had more of an angular design.
The camera module has been slightly altered and is now wider than before. We can say it gives it a more "complete" look even though there are no practical implications to the design change. Realme was just able to fit in the flash and the "64MP AI camera" inscription.
Whereas the front remains absolutely the same with no changes whatsoever. We've got the same off-centered punch-hole camera design and the same IPS panel measuring 6.5" in diagonal. The fingerprint reader's position on the right side of the phone has been retained too.
Finally, the Realme 7 is the first smartphone to receive the so-called TÜV Rheinland Smartphone Reliability Verification certificate. There's not a lot of information about this certification but Realme sheds a bit of light. The handset has gone through 23 major and 72 minor tests covering a lot of the common use cases and some extreme scenarios as well. This might give you a piece of mind or it may not. We still don't know what these tests are and what they mean. It's the first phone to get it, after all.
Hardware and performance
The Realme 7 is the world's first in other terms as well. It's the first handset to employ the newly announced MediaTek Helio G95 SoC. It's a gaming-centric chipset for the mid-range segment and offers incremental improvements over its predecessor, the Helio G90T. The Mali-G76 MC4 GPU is now clocked at 900MHz instead of 800MHz while the CPU specs remain the same - Octa-core (2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55). The benchmarks are here to prove the point and as you can see, there are small gains in the GPU department only.
Along with the new chipset, Realme has implemented a carbon fiber cooling system to manage the heat during long workloads, or in other words - gaming. It's the same cooling solution used in the Realme X2 Pro and promises 8.6% better cooling capabilities. Compared to what, though? Realme doesn't say.
The memory configurations have changed as well. Now the lowest option starts at 6GB of RAM instead of 4GB. Storage variants are still 64 and 128GB and the latter is bundled with the 8GB option.
GeekBench 4.4 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Realme 6
7815 - Realme 7
7781 - Realme 6 Pro
7027 - Realme 6i
5890
GeekBench 5.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
1785 - Realme 6
1726 - Realme 6 Pro
1666 - Realme 7
1651 - Realme 6i
1349
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Realme 7
292828 - Realme 6
288931 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
279625 - Realme 6 Pro
268785 - Realme 6i
202275
GFX 3.1 Car scene (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme 7
20 - Realme 6 Pro
18 - Realme 6
18 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
18 - Realme 6i
9.4
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme 7
17 - Realme 6i
17 - Realme 6 Pro
16 - Realme 6
16 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
15
Another small change in the hardware would be the main camera. We suspect the user won't feel any difference between the 64MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 and the Sony IMX682 sensors but Realme says the latter has allowed them to tweak the camera software and offer better clarity and more flexibility when it comes to camera features.
And finally, the upgrade to 5,000 mAh is something worth noting. The Realme 6 had a slightly bigger battery (4,300 mAh) than the industry's standard while the Realme 7 packs a more generous 5,000 mAh unit. The 30W Dart Charge is still on board claiming 65 minutes to full charge from flat, which is a small trade-off in charging times if those numbers are right. According to our tests, the Realme 6 can charge from 0 to 100% in 51 minutes so about 15 more minutes and you have a full 5,000 mAh unit. Not too shabby.
The rest of the specs remain the same, including the 1080 x 2400px resolution, 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel running at 90Hz. The HRR handling has changed with the new software, however. Follow us on the next page to learn more about that.
Software and features
The latest iteration of Realme UI based on Android 10 is at hand with some small improvements compared to the Realme 6's software but we suspect most of them will make it to the latter in the near future. Except maybe for the camera features.
The camera software now offers the so-called Starry Mode for astrophotography. It was introduced with the Realme X3 SuperZoom but this is the first phone from the strictly mid-range segment to get the functionality. It uses AI algorithms to analyze and stack images with various exposures to enhance the stars while keeping the night sky dark.
Screenshots from the home screen, app drawer and general settings menu
And due to the shift to the 64MP Sony sensor, some advanced features in the 64MP mode are available. Or at least they will be available with a future OTA. The said features are AI mode and Pro mode. Now, you can benefit from the full 64MP resolution while tweaking the camera settings manually. Realme also mentions something about 2x zoom. Sadly, we can't confirm that the 2x zoom crop works in 64MP mode for now. If it does, it will be pretty nice.
Anyway, the Realme UI keeps leaning towards more stock-ish Android feel and the removal of some bloatware like App Market and Hot Games is more than welcome decision. Additionally, the software comes with pre-installed Google Phone and Messages apps.
The best feature we've noticed is the adaptive refresh rate. We didn't have enough time to dig deep into that but we found that Realme UI is defaulting back to 60Hz whenever HRR isn't needed. For example, a static page in Chrome or on the Home screen, the display will revert back to 60Hz and as soon as you interact with the content, it jumps back up to 90Hz. While video playing apps like YouTube and Netflix are always set to 60Hz. Battery life would surely benefit from the variable refresh rate.
Last, but not least, the Super Power Saving mode feature that was introduced with the Realme C15 is available here too.
Wrap-up
As with every product, pricing is crucial. However, Realme, especially the Realme 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7-series are all budget-oriented and have always offered a true bang-for-the-buck deal. Sure, the Realme 7 is now just a little pricier than the Realme 6 but the added value is much-appreciated. Even though this isn't exactly a generational upgrade, it does stand on a couple of key improvements like the huge 5,000 mAh battery and the 6GB of RAM as a standard. We are yet to see what the TÜV Rheinland Smartphone Reliability Verification means too.
It's needless to say that this phone doesn't want current Realme 6 owners to upgrade, but if you are on the market for a feature-packed mid-range smartphone that punches above its class in more than one aspect, the Realme 7 could be a potential purchase. Although incremental, the changes are on point and pose as a nice refresh of already great hardware that the Realme 6 is. We still have to do our usual rounds of tests and write down a full review of the handset before making any conclusions but the Realme 7 does look promising at first glance.
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