Introduction
Long as we may have been in the business of smartphones, every now and then, a company manages to genuinely surprise us with its naming practices. When the words Pro and Max have been almost stripped of meaning and Plus primarily denoting a size difference, Realme's GT lineup ventures into more abstract terms - today, we have the Realme GT Master for you.
Not to be confused with the more upmarket GT Explorer Master, the GT Master is a mid-tier offering that is going to be the most affordable global GT, if we assume the GT Neo will remain confined to China only. Realme insists on calling it Master Edition, but that implies exclusivity, and we're not buying it.
The official €350 price tag still allows for quite a lot of goodies to make it to the Master's spec sheet, including a 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a 5G-capable Snapdragon 778G chipset, and Realme's signature 65W SuperDart fast charging. On the surface, the Master also boasts the faux leather Suitcase design that's featured in the more premium Explorer Master - as long as you get the Voyager Gray colorway.
In terms of specs, a fairly run-of-the-mill camera system is headlined by a 64MP primary module on the back, joined by an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro - sort of like the GT 5G setup, only with a smaller sensor on the main unit. The GT Explorer Master is the camera-centric of the GT bunch, with a notably superior rear configuration, but it does share the 32MP selfie camera with the non-Explorer we have here, a step up from the GT 5G front-facing camera.
Realme GT Master specs at a glance:
- Body: 159.2x73.5x8.0mm, 174g.
- Display: 6.43" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 Prime & 3x2.2 GHz Kryo 670 Gold & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo 670 Silver); Adreno 642L.
- Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS.
- OS/Software: Android 11, Realme UI 2.0.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 25mm, 1/2", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 119˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 4300mAh; Fast charging 65W, 100% in 33 min (advertised).
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; 3.5mm jack.
Perhaps the most notable blemish in the GT Master's specsheet is in the speaker field - all the other GTs have stereo speakers, this one has a single bottom-firing one. The plastic frame is hardly grounds for criticism, even less so in light of the more expensive GT 5G's similarly plastic build.
Realme GT Master unboxing
There's hardly anything to complain about when it comes to the presentation and the box contents. The GT Master arrives in an oversized black box with a liberal application of contrasting bold texts reiterating the phone's name and listing key specs on the back.
Inside, you'll be greeted by a thin cardboard sleeve covering the tray that holds the phone. Underneath all that, there's a simple but nice to the touch soft silicone protective case - all GT Masters get it in gray, regardless of the specific phone's color scheme, though the Voyager Gray does get one to mimic the strips on the phone's back. Below the case is the chunky 65-watt charger, and there's also a USB-A-to-C cable to complete the SuperDart link.
Design
For the GT Master and GT Explorer Master Realme partnered with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa, with whom the phone maker has somewhat of a history. This latest collaboration resulted in what they're calling Suitcase design - some versions of the GT M and GT EM have vegan leather backs finished to resemble a suitcase. An interesting source of inspiration, we must admit.
Realme GT Explorer Master in Voyager Gray (Suitcase design) next to the GT Master in Luna White
While the GT Master is, indeed, available in the same Voyager Gray as the GT Explorer Master above, our review sample is the Luna White version - so no leather-like material on the back. As best as we can tell, the GT Master is made mostly out of plastic, including the rear panel and the exposed part of the midframe.
The back panel has a matte finish that, while happy to pick up fingerprints, hides them really well, and you can only see the smudges if you deliberately go looking for them at an angle into the light. It's a relatively grippy back as matte panels go - that is to say 'pretty slippery', but not as slippery as the worst.
Naturally, the Voyager Gray provides improved grip thanks to the texture of the material itself and the raised ridges. Fingerprints aren't a thing with this one either.
Realme GT Master in Voyager Gray
A fairly prominent camera island is placed in the top left corner, the oversized lens circles sticking out from it a little bit further still. A Matrix AI camera inscription is the only text found here, and it's a reasonably minimalistic design, we approve. The Voyager Gray variant has the designer's signature too, we'll allow it.
The whole camera assembly protrudes enough to make the phone wobble on a flat surface, but only barely - we don't think it'll bother anyone.
Realme is one of few makers to still persist with putting the power button and the volume controls on different sides of their phones. The GT Master has the power button on the right, a centimeter above the midpoint, while the volume buttons (two separate ones, as opposed to a rocker) are on the left. That's probably the most screenshot-capture-friendly configuration, though we imagine that's not been the driving factor behind the placement.
Also on the left is the card slot. It takes two nano SIMs and that all - the GT Master does not support microSD cards for storage expansion.
Power button on the right • Volume rocker and card slot on the left
On the bottom of the phone, you'll find the USB-C port in the middle. To one side is the loudspeaker behind three rounded openings, while on the other is the 3.5mm headphone jack and the primary mic. Up top, there's another mic.
Bottom packed with features • A single mic up top
The face of the GT Master has little personality, but that's not its fault - there's only so many different spots to place a punch-hole selfie camera. The Master's is in the top left corner, eating a few pixels out of the 6.43-inch Super AMOLED display.
The earpiece is in the center, at the very edge where the display glass meets its plastic surround. To the right of the earpiece, you can spot the ambient light and proximity sensors, their location made more easily identifiable by the notch in the screen protector. Speaking of, there's no official information on what exactly glass Realme has used to cover the display of the GT Master.
The GT Master's bezels are what we'd call standard - they don't strike as too big, nor do we find them particularly slim. We're just at a point when even midrangers have acceptable-looking black borders around their displays.
An optical fingerprint sensor is placed underneath the OLED display. It works reliably, there's no complaints about that, it's just that it's positioned too low for our liking. It's not something you won't get used to, but a few millimeters higher would have made the adjustment process easier.
The Realme GT Master measures 159.2x73.5mm in footprint and is either 8.7mm thick for the vegan leather option, or 8.0mm for the other ones. Similarly, there's a difference in weight, albeit less tangible - 180g for the Voyager Gray, 174g for the others. It's neither compact, nor unwieldy, when it comes to dimensions, and its weight is average, or just under, for its class. Physically, it's just a regular phone, is what we're saying.
Competent 6.43-inch Super AMOLED
Realme compromised very little when it comes to the GT Master's display - it's a really nice 6.43-ich Super AMOLED that has 120Hz high refresh rate capability. The extended FullHD resolution comes in a 1080x2400px flavor (20:9 aspect ratio) and pixel density works out to 409ppi - pretty standard stuff.
We measured essentially the same brightness levels on the GT Master as we did on the GT 5G - 437nits when operating the slider manually, with a healthy 200-nit boost under direct bright light. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G puts out practically identical nits, as does the Nord CE. The Galaxy A52 (5G and 4G alike) can go as bright as 800-ish nits in adverse ambient conditions, the vivo V21 5G is about there as well. So not class-leading results from the Master, but easily good enough.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 437 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 634 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 443 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 650 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 504 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 805 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 438 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 633 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 386 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 794 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 378 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 787 | ∞ | |
| 0.301 | 429 | 1425:1 | |
| 0.38 | 537 | 1413:1 | |
| 0 | 476 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 761 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 429 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 607 | ∞ | |
| 0.349 | 498 | 1427:1 | |
| 0.434 | 613 | 1412:1 | |
| 0 | 514 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 846 | ∞ | |
When it comes to color handling, the GT Master adopts the usual Realme way of offering three modes - Vivid, Gentle, and Brilliant. In addition to those, there's a stepless cool-to-warm temperature slider.
In the factory-standard Vivid mode with the slider at the 'Default' (medium) spot, the display covers a wide color gamut. Still, it doesn't do it with outstanding accuracy, and there's a fairly noticeable blue shift to white and grays. Moving the temp slider all the way to the warmest setting improves things and results in a less noticeable pinkish tint.
Gentle mode returns an almost 'calibrated'-level average dE2000 of 2.7 with the temp slider in the default position, while nudging it half-way to the right, bumps that to 2.5.
Brilliant mode's color accuracy results are very similar to Vivid for the test patterns, but the overall look has a noticeable increase in saturation for real-life use.
Realme official specs make no mention of HDR capability for the display, but the utility apps we use list HDR10 and HDR10+ support. Still, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix served SDR streams and not HDR, but they did go all the way up to 1080p. YouTube, meanwhile, did offer HDR playback.
The high refresh rate implementation on the GT Master is in line with our previous experience with Realmes. There are three modes - Standard, High, and Auto select. Standard locks the phone at 60Hz regardless of content of activity, that much is clear.
In both High and Auto select modes, you'd be getting mostly the same behavior. For the settings menu, the refresh rate will be kept at 120Hz regardless of touch input, while in other UI bits, the phone will switch down to 60Hz after a brief period of inactivity, only to shoot back up to 120Hz when you touch it.
You can expect the same behavior in Facebook, Chrome, and the in-house gallery, to name a few. YouTube forces a direct switch to 60Hz, regardless of mode, while Netflix will give you 120Hz for the app UI and 60Hz for video playback in High mode, but 60Hz everywhere in Auto mode.
As has been our previous experience with Realme phones, the GT Master defaults to 60Hz for games. That was also the behavior with onscreen graphics benchmarks here.
Display settings
Realme GT Master battery life
The Realme GT Master is equipped with a 4,300mAh battery, slightly less than the GT Explorer Master or GT 5G, but not unreasonable given the not-so-demanding chipset on this particular phone. Most rivals rely on 4,500mAh or even 5,000mAh cells, so it could look as if the Realme is a bit underequipped.
That's not necessarily true, it turns out. We got 20 full hours of offline video playback out of the GT Master - one of the best results for the class. Wi-Fi web browsing longevity was also solid at 14 hours, though most others do better in this particular test, plus the test on the Realme was essentially carried out at 60Hz because we couldn't force a 120Hz refresh rate. The GT Master was good for 29 hours of voice calls on a single charge, an average result.
All things considered, the Realme GT Master posted an Endurance rating of 114h.
Our battery tests were automated thanks to SmartViser, using its viSerDevice app. The endurance rating denotes how long the battery charge will last you if you use the device for an hour of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. More details can be found here.
Video test carried out in 60Hz refresh rate mode. Web browsing test done at the display's highest refresh rate whenever possible. Refer to the respective reviews for specifics. To adjust the endurance rating formula to match your own usage - check out our all-time battery test results chart.
Charging speed
Despite its slightly lower market position than the rest of the GTs, the Master does support Realme's fastest commercially available SuperDart charging at 65 watts and comes with a 65W adapter in the box.
The phone charges from flat to 100% in 30 minutes, though it does keep charging for a few extra minutes before displaying the 'Charged!' message. Given that Realme advertises a 33-minute charge time, we'd say there are no grounds for complaint here. Plus, that's realistically some of the fastest charging in the industry as a whole.
30min charging test (from 0%)
Higher is better
- Realme GT Master
100% - OnePlus Nord 2
98% - Realme GT 5G (65W)
87% - Poco X3 GT
75% - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
67% - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
58% - Samsung Galaxy A52 (25W)
52% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
50% - Motorola Moto G100
37% - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
34%
Time to full charge (from 0%)
Lower is better
- Realme GT Master
0:30h - OnePlus Nord 2
0:31h - Realme GT 5G (65W)
0:39h - Poco X3 GT
0:48h - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
1:03h - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
1:04h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
1:21h - Samsung Galaxy A52 (25W)
1:30h - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
1:39h - Motorola Moto G100
1:54h
Speaker test
The GT Master relies on a single speaker firing through a three-slotted opening on the bottom of the phone. That sets it apart from the rest of the models in the GT lineup that all have stereo setups, but more importantly, it puts it at a disadvantage against competitors that have dual speakers.
Bottom-firing single speaker
The GT Master is not particularly loud either, and in our testing, it earned an 'Average' rating. The Poco X3 GT is in the same ballpark, but the Galaxy A52 and the OnePlus Nord 2 5G are both louder. Sound quality doesn't stand out in any way, but there are no deal-breaking flaws either.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
Android 11 and Realme UI 2.0
The Realme GT Master boots Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0. We've seen that combo on several occasions already, most recently on the GT 5G and the X7 Max 5G / GT Neo, and we're familiar with the latest version of the launcher's rich customization options, abundance of AOD themes and Dark Mode styles, refined floating and mini windows, and enhanced security.
The phone supports fingerprint unlock, and the optical sensor works very well - it's fast and reliable. You can also add a face for an even speedier unlock - though this is not as secure.
Biometrics and security
For all of its personalization capability, on the surface, Realme UI 2.0 looks quite clean. The lockscreen and homescreen are straightforward, the notification/toggles area is simple and clutter-free. A basic App drawer is available, which you can opt-out of if you prefer to have all your apps on the homescrens. There is a Google Feed panel to the left of your homescreens.
Realme UI 2.0: Lockscreen • Homescreen • Folder view • App drawer • Notifications • Quick toggles
The task switcher is non-nonsense too, but it has extra functionality - you can minimize an app to a mini-window or a floating window from within it. If an app is compatible, you can do either of these or use the familiar Split Screen.
Task Manager • Options • Mini app • Floating window • Split screen
Always-on display is available, and it can show the usual content - clock, date, notifications icons, battery. The Realme UI 2.0 also brings many new AOD themes, and you can even draw your own graphics or use images from the gallery - if you're one to struggle with decision-making, good luck picking one. Edge Lighting is available, too.
AOD
Realme UI supports different icon packs, so if you are not happy with the default one, you can opt for material style, pebbles, or you can even fully customize them by your liking. You can also change the system colors, the fingerprint scanner animation, the notification drawer icons, even the system font. And there is a whole Theme Store if that's not enough for you.
Personalization options
Dark Mode is available, too, and it's been enhanced with Realme UI 2.0 with support for three different dark styles - black, dark gray or light gray. It can be manual or scheduled. You can also opt to force it on third-party apps that don't support dark mode natively, though your mileage may vary with those.
Dark Mode
In the Convenience tools section of the Settings menu, you'll find options for navigation and gestures. Similar to the Galaxies, the Realme UI offers a Smart Sidebar on the edge of the screen - you can customize the actions and app shortcuts that appear there.
Convenience tools
The multimedia apps such as Gallery, Music, and Videos are provided by Realme. There is also an in-house File Manager and a Phone Manager app. A Game Space app is available for better game management and notification behavior. You can also opt for a Smart resolution switch and Performance/balanced/energy saving modes.
Gallery • Music • Videos • Phone Manager • File Manager • Game Space
Synthetic benchmarks
The GT Master is powered by the Snapdragon 778G chipset, a version of the 5nm Samsung-made 780G only manufactured by TSMC on a 6nm process. The 778G features an octa-core Kryo 670 CPU in a 1+3+4 configuration, with a Cortex-A78-based prime core (up to 2.4GHz), three more of those limited to 2.2GHz, and a quad-set of A55 derivatives ticking at up to 1.9GHz. The GPU is Adreno 642L. A built-in Snapdragon X53 5G modem is also part of the package.
The GT Master comes in one of two storage configurations - either 128GB or 256GB, each with 8GB of RAM. We have the latter for review.
The GT Master also features 'RAM expansion' - a part of the storage (2GB, 3GB, or 5GB, 3 by default) is allocated to work in conjunction with the actual RAM and is used for dumping less important processes, thus theoretically allowing you to have more apps cached and ready for you when you need them. We have no objective means to test this feature, however.
In benchmarks, the GT Master shows a significant step up in single-core CPU performance over SD765 and SD750 devices, and it matches Dimensity 1200 handsets. There's no meaningful difference when comparing it to the Mi 11 Lite 5G and its SD780. In the multi-core test in GeekBench, the GT Master ranks even higher, pulling ahead of the Dimensity 1200 units as well.
Naturally, the SD888-powered Realme GT 5G remains out of reach, but the advantage of the SD870 in the GT Explorer Master is negligible.
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
1139 - Realme GT Explorer Master
1020 - Realme X7 Max 5G
967 - Motorola Moto G100
950 - OnePlus Nord 2
814 - Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
813 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
803 - Realme GT Master
785 - Poco X3 GT
693 - Motorola Moto G 5G
659 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
643 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
641 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
636 - Oppo Reno5 5G
608 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
574 - vivo V21 5G
574 - Realme 8 5G
569 - Samsung Galaxy A72
537 - Samsung Galaxy A52
525
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
3555 - Realme GT Explorer Master
3050 - Realme GT Master
2917 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
2909 - Motorola Moto G100
2860 - OnePlus Nord 2
2792 - Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
2621 - Realme X7 Max 5G
2614 - Poco X3 GT
2310 - Motorola Moto G 5G
1980 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
1910 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
1820 - Oppo Reno5 5G
1813 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
1812 - Realme 8 5G
1784 - Samsung Galaxy A72
1627 - vivo V21 5G
1600 - Samsung Galaxy A52
1577 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
1337
In Antutu, the GT Master is bested by handsets using those Dimensities, as well as by the SD870 phones like the Moto G100 or the GT EM, but it again matches the numbers of the Mi 11 Lite 5G. Lesser Snapdragons remain far behind.
AnTuTu 9
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
810433 - Realme GT Explorer Master
717879 - Motorola Moto G100
681559 - Realme X7 Max 5G
680671 - OnePlus Nord 2
598022 - Poco X3 GT
578505 - Realme GT Master
529263 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
522490 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
391770 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
386474 - Oppo Reno5 5G
377615 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
373168 - vivo V21 5G
365055 - Realme 8 5G
361505 - Samsung Galaxy A72
333668
The SD780-equipped Mi 11 Lite 5G pulls ahead in graphics benchmarks, where 1000-series Dimensity phones have an advantage over the GT Master too. Again, alternatives with sub-778 Snapdragons score significantly lower.
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
112 - Realme GT Explorer Master
99 - Motorola Moto G100
91 - Realme X7 Max 5G
86 - Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
81 - OnePlus Nord 2
75 - Poco X3 GT
74 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
65 - Realme GT Master
56 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
37 - Oppo Reno5 5G
36 - Motorola Moto G 5G
34 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
34 - vivo V21 5G
34 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
33 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
32 - Samsung Galaxy A72
29 - Samsung Galaxy A52
29 - Realme 8 5G
25
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme X7 Max 5G
79 - Motorola Moto G100
79 - Poco X3 GT
68 - Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
61 - Realme GT Explorer Master
60 - Realme GT 5G
60 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
57 - OnePlus Nord 2
57 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
56 - Realme GT Master
46 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
33 - Oppo Reno5 5G
31 - vivo V21 5G
31 - Motorola Moto G 5G
30 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
30 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
28 - Samsung Galaxy A72
26 - Samsung Galaxy A52
26 - Realme 8 5G
22
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
65 - Realme GT Explorer Master
59 - Motorola Moto G100
56 - Realme X7 Max 5G
50 - Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
48 - OnePlus Nord 2
46 - Poco X3 GT
44 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
40 - Realme GT Master
33 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
21 - Oppo Reno5 5G
20 - vivo V21 5G
20 - Motorola Moto G 5G
19 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
19 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
19 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
19 - Samsung Galaxy A72
17 - Samsung Galaxy A52
17 - Realme 8 5G
15
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
55 - Realme GT Explorer Master
50 - Motorola Moto G100
47 - Realme X7 Max 5G
44 - Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
42 - OnePlus Nord 2
38 - Poco X3 GT
38 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
35 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
33 - Realme GT Master
27 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
19 - Motorola Moto G 5G
17 - Oppo Reno5 5G
17 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
17 - vivo V21 5G
17 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
16 - Samsung Galaxy A72
15 - Samsung Galaxy A52
15 - Realme 8 5G
13
GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
38 - Realme GT Explorer Master
33 - Motorola Moto G100
33 - Realme X7 Max 5G
31 - Poco X3 GT
28 - OnePlus Nord 2
26
23
19
13
12
12
11
11
11
10
10
GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
39 - Realme X7 Max 5G
33 - Realme GT Explorer Master
32 - Motorola Moto G100
31 - OnePlus Nord 2
30 - Poco X3 GT
29 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
21 - Realme GT Master
18 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
13 - Oppo Reno5 5G
12 - vivo V21 5G
12 - Motorola Moto G 5G
11 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
11 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
11 - Samsung Galaxy A72
10 - Samsung Galaxy A52
10
GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
29 - Realme GT Explorer Master
24 - Motorola Moto G100
23 - Realme X7 Max 5G
20 - OnePlus Nord 2
20 - Poco X3 GT
19 - Realme GT Master
14 - Oppo Reno5 5G
8.4 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
8.4 - Motorola Moto G 5G
7.7 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
7.6 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
7.6 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
7.5 - vivo V21 5G
7.5 - Samsung Galaxy A72
7 - Samsung Galaxy A52
7
GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
28 - Realme X7 Max 5G
22 - Realme GT Explorer Master
22 - OnePlus Nord 2
21 - Motorola Moto G100
21 - Poco X3 GT
20 - Realme GT Master
13 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
8.4 - Oppo Reno5 5G
8.3 - vivo V21 5G
8 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
7.5 - Motorola Moto G 5G
7.4 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
7.3 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
7.2 - Samsung Galaxy A72
7 - Samsung Galaxy A52
7
3DMark SSE ES 3.1 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Realme GT Master
4988 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
3424 - vivo V21 5G
3331 - Oppo Reno5 5G
3208 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
2819 - Motorola Moto G 5G
2810 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
2801 - Samsung Galaxy A52
2529 - Samsung Galaxy A72
2517
3DMark SSE Vulkan 1.0 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Realme GT Master
4020 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
3082 - vivo V21 5G
3050 - Oppo Reno5 5G
3008 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
2617 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
2609 - Motorola Moto G 5G
2608 - Samsung Galaxy A52
2406 - Samsung Galaxy A72
2395
3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Realme GT 5G
5872 - Realme GT Explorer Master
4255 - Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
4236 - OnePlus Nord 2
4224 - Realme X7 Max 5G
4216 - Motorola Moto G100
4114 - Poco X3 GT
3991 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
3136 - Realme GT Master
2481 - Google Pixel 5a 5G
1674 - Oppo Reno5 5G
1658 - vivo V21 5G
1605 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
1107 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
1105 - Realme 8 5G
1104 - Motorola Moto G 5G
1099 - Samsung Galaxy A52
1040 - Samsung Galaxy A72
1031 - OnePlus Nord CE 5G
113
The Realme GT Master proved a strong performer, posting results similar to a last year's flagship chipset in CPU benchmarks (or its SD870 reincarnation), and competitive numbers for its class in graphics tests. It also maintained remarkable stability under sustained load with very little thermal throttling observed in either CPU- or GPU-centric loads.
CPU throttling test • 3DMark Wild Life stress test
2+1 camera on the back and high-res selfies
The Realme GT Master is equipped with a triple camera setup on its back, of the 2+1 variety. There's a 64MP primary camera, joined by an 8MP ultrawide, and the +1 is the 2MP macro. Meanwhile, on the front, you're getting a 32MP unit for selfies.
The various hardware info apps we use don't specify the make and model of the sensors used in the GT Master. Realme's specs list a 1/2" sensor for the main camera, and that points in the direction of the Samsung Tetrapixel unit with 0.7µm pixel size. That's similar in principle too, but smaller than the 1/1.7" 64MP sensor used in the GT 5G.
The lens on this one has a 25mm equivalent focal length and an f/1.8 aperture, and is missing optical image stabilization.
The ultrawide camera is based on an 8MP sensor paired with a 16mm equivalent lens with an f/2.3 aperture. There's no autofocus on this one.
The 2MP macro camera has an f/2.4 aperture lens and a fixed focus distance of 4cm.
The front-facing camera uses a 32MP Sony sensor (this one is explicitly listed in the specs) with a 24-ish millimeter lens with an f/2.5 aperture. This one is fixed-focus, too.
The camera app of the GT Master is very similar to other iterations we've seen on previous Realmes, with a few minor touches here or there. The overall layout is fairly simple, with menus hidden from view. A lot of the main modes are on the main rolodex, which is good, but there's a host of extra ones in the More tab.
The Street mode is a key addition and one that Realme is trying to force on users since it's the mode the camera app opens to if you have the volume button shortcut enabled. In Street mode, you get millimeter markings for the zoom level as opposed to the usual 'x' designation, a RAW toggle and a shortcut to enable manual focus.
The settings menu is quite straightforward. Getting to it, however, has its peculiarities. If you're in Photo mode, you tap on the cog wheel at the far end of the viewfinder, simple enough. However, if you're in video mode, you need to pull on the tab in the middle of the top edge of the viewfinder to expose a 'settings' button. That tab itself is somewhat unintuitive UI element, but it does only hold secondary stuff like a self-timer and aspect selector, which you may never need in the first place.
Another oddity is related to Expert mode. Switching between cameras in Expert mode is handled in a truly bizarre way. You get the familiar 1x-2x-5x selector, but that doesn't operate the actual cameras - it's a digital zoom from whichever camera you've picked from the tree selector on the opposite end of the viewfinder.
Indeed, the trees switch cameras, and once you select a module from there, no focusing distance considerations will auto-switch it - that's good. That's how Realme's been doing this, and that's how it's going to do it, apparently.
In Expert mode, you get to tweak exposure (ISO in the 100-6400 range) and shutter speed in the 1/8000s-32s range, 2s for the ultrawide), white balance (by light temperature, but no presets), manual focus (in arbitrary 0 to 1 units with 0 being close focus and 1 being infinity) and exposure compensation (-2EV to +2EV in 1/6EV increments).
Camera UI
Daylight image quality
Images out of the GT Master's main camera in the default 16MP mode are very good, though they probably won't please purists. They are very... expressive - saturation is dialed up pretty high, and so is contrast, so if you're into more neutral photos, you might raise an eyebrow looking at these.
Detail is excellent, a noticeable step up from the 12MP of the bulk of phones in circulation. It's also rendered with fairly restrained sharpening, so the more conservative folk have something to like here as well. There's more noise than usual - it is a fine grain, admittedly, but more than what we're used to seeing lately.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x)
Enabling the AI scene enhancement will get you a further increase in saturation. Basically, regardless of the specific scene mode the phone chooses, you can expect deeper blues in the skies, lusher greens and fiery reds. That's a bit much even for us here.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x), AI scene enhancement on
The full-res 64MP mode can extract more detail from a scene, but it has two distinctly different processing approaches, and only one of them delivers results worth having. Some scenes get one, others get the other, and sometimes consecutive shots of the same scene are rendered differently. Compare these two shots of the snail, captured mere moments away.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 64MP: Detailed • Soft and oversharpened
It's worth pointing out that global properties like color and dynamic range appear unaffected by the pixel-level rendition. Mind you, this behavior is not dependent on enabling the AI toggle (it was off for both these shots). There's no HDR toggle in 64MP mode either, for that to be the culprit.
Consequently, if the scene gets the good treatment, you'd get some extra detail (to do whatever it is that you want to do with more than 16MP). Otherwise, the image will have that heavily processed upscaled-from-16MP-and-then-sharpened look.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 64MP: Good • Good • Good • Bad
The GT Master may not have a zoom camera, but since the zoom selector has the presets for 2x and 5x zooming, we went ahead and snapped a few shots at those magnifications as well.
At 2x, we got very decent images of most scenes we tried, certainly detailed enough for the class to make a dedicated 2x camera redundant.
Daylight samples, main camera (2x)
At 5x zoom, you're better off just looking at the images at fit to screen magnification, for which they're generally good enough, though noise is readily apparent even then. 1:1 examination is best avoided. At both 2x and 5x, we had the occasional missed focus, so it's worth double-checking on site.
Daylight samples, main camera (5x)
The modest 8MP ultrawide doesn't impress - dynamic range is fairly limited, and the 8MP resolution doesn't capture that much intricate detail. Sharpness is good, though, the distortion correction works great, and colors are likeable.
Daylight samples, ultra wide camera (0.6x)
Low-light image quality
Low-light photos from the GT Master in regular Photo mode from the main camera are relatively soft and noisy. Dynamic range is limited too, though colors don't suffer from much loss of saturation.
Low-light samples, main camera
Night mode makes a dramatic difference and results in superior images. Tonal extremes get much better development, meaning fewer clipped highlights, as well as brightened-up shadows and lower mid-tones. Detail is improved throughout, as well.
A peculiar flaw we observed with the Night mode images in this one particular scene (the fifth sample below) are the blobs of extra brightness around moving cars. We didn't encounter it in other scenes, but it wasn't a one-off in this scene either - all samples we have from it exhibit it to some extent.
Low-light samples, main camera, Night mode
As a side note, if you have the AI scene enhancement enabled in Photo mode, the phone will engage a version of Night mode, but with some scene-specific touches, it deems appropriate, which may or may not result in a similar image to the one you'd get from the Night-Night mode.
Low-light samples, main camera, AI scene enhancement On
The ultrawide camera, rather predictably, fares poorly in low-light situations. You'd be getting dark, underexposed shots in Photo mode, yet ones with blown highlights as the dynamic range is pretty narrow. The photos aren't very sharp either.
Low-light samples, ultra wide camera
Again, Night mode brings significant advantages. Exposure and dynamic range are vastly improved, and the images also have superior sharpness and detail. Overall, another win for Night mode.
Low-light samples, ultra wide camera, Night mode
Once you're done with the real-world samples, head over to our Photo compare tool to see how the Realme GT Master stacks up against the competition.
Realme GT Master against the Poco X3 GT and the OnePlus Nord 2 5G in our Photo compare tool
Portrait mode
Portrait mode on the GT Master generally delivers good results. Subject detection is fairly competent unless you torture-test the phone - the lantern in the 4th shot is neither sharp nor blurry, and the usually confusing wood paneling on our walls confused the Realme.
In simpler situations, we had no issues with subject isolation - no clipped ears or messy clothes outlines. Colors are spot on and the dynamic range is excellent.
Portrait mode samples
Macro
The 2MP 'macro' camera of the Realme GT Master is only marginally better than having none at all. 2MP isn't a lot of detail, dynamic range is narrow, colors are muted, and the fixed focal length is limiting.
Close-up samples
Selfies
The 32MP selfies out of the Realme GT Master are overkill in terms of the sheer number of pixels. We reckon they could have come up with a downsampling algorithm to output 12MP images, at least as an option somewhere in the interface, and kept the 32MP number for promo materials only.
Anyway, selfies have excellent detail, a wide dynamic range, and pleasing colors.
Selfie samples
Portrait selfies retain all that's good about the regular shots, including the HDR treatment, so backlit portraits are great. Subject detection has its flaws, but if you keep a neat hairstyle, you'll do better than us in these samples.
Selfie samples, Portrait mode
Video recording
The GT Master records video up to 4K30 with its main camera and 1080p30 with the ultrawide. You can choose between the default h.264 and the h.265 codecs. Stabilization is available in all modes and can't be switched off.
4K videos from the main camera (50Mbps bit rate) are low on detail for the nominal resolution but also excessively oversharpened - we'd say the GT Master is one of the worst offenders in this respect that we've seen. The colors are on point, and there's a good contrast, but the dynamic range is limited.
The ultrawide camera's 1080p footage (14Mbps bit rate) is about as basic as it sounds - you'll get a video with a wide field of view, but it won't be special. The ultrawide exposes brighter than the main camera, and its colors are a bit off, but the detail is good for a 1080p clip.
Electronic stabilization does an okay job on the main camera at 4K, but it's not too adept at removing walking induced shake - such videos will remain wobbly. It is good for simply pointing in one direction, and pans are trouble-free too.
Stabilization is similarly good on the ultrawide if you stand in one place, but walking shake makes for annoying wibbly-wobbly areas of the frame.
There are two Ultra Steady modes on the GT Master - a regular one uses the main camera and records in 1080p60 and Ultra Steady Max that shoots in 1080p30 on the ultrawide. The regular mode does help with the walking shake on the main camera, but it does limit you to 1080p, while the Max mode doesn't do anything for the jelloing on the ultrawide.
Here's a glimpse of how the Realme GT Master compares to rivals in our Video compare tool. Head over there for the complete picture.
Realme GT Master against the Poco X3 GT and the OnePlus Nord 2 5G in our Video compare tool
Competition
The Realme GT Master's retail price is around €350 in Europe and INR 28K in India. There's plenty of competitors in this price segment though how exactly the numbers align varies by market.
In Europe, for example, you can have the Mi 11 Lite 5G for GT Master's money. That will get you a more premium build with Gorilla Glass 6 on the front and an IP53 rating for splash resistance. The Mi also has stereo speakers and a microSD slot, but the Realme counters with a headphone jack - you can't seem to have it all. The list of small differences includes fingerprint reader placement, and a slightly brighter display on the Mi against the higher RR of the GT Master's. The Realme lasts longer on a single charge and tops up twice as fast, but the Mi is much better for video capture.
Alternatively, you can have a Samsung Galaxy A52 (non 5G) for a bit more. That one comes with a proper IP67 rating for dust and water resistance and Gorilla Glass 5 - two fields that are empty in the Realme spec sheet. It's similar to the stereo speakers and the microSD slot - the Galaxy has them, the Realme doesn't. Then again, the GT Master has a vastly more powerful chipset (which makes a difference regardless of whether you care about 5G at this point), couple with longer battery life and quicker charging. That Galaxy is the better video camera, but for stills, each will do the trick.
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G is what OP will sell you in the ballpark of the Realme GT Master's price in Europe. The Realme wins for performance, again, but the Nord CE lasts longer on a single charge and is not terrible at video recording.
If you can stretch your budget a bit, the OnePlus Nord 2 is also an option. That one comes with a beefier chipset, fancier main camera and stereo speakers - so an all-around upgrade for some 15-20% higher price.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G • Samsung Galaxy A52 • OnePlus Nord CE 5G • OnePlus Nord 2 5G • Xiaomi Poco F3 GT
The odd bit is that the Nord 2 retails precisely for GT Master money in India, at least for its base 6GB/128GB version and rupee for rupee we think it's the better choice.
The vivo V21 5G is in the same price ballpark as the GT Master in India and does few things differently. It's got a strong emphasis on the front-facing camera and is the better option for selfies of the two phones, while the rear cameras are mostly a toss-up. That is, unless we're talking about video, where the Realme is no good. The GT Master is better suited to performance-dependent tasks like gaming, though.
If gaming is a priority, you could also have a look at the Poco F3 GT. It has physical shoulder buttons that you can pop up when needed, and its Dimensity 1200 chip is brawnier than the GT Master's SD780. The Poco also has GG5 front and back and an IP53 rating, plus stereo speakers, but it is missing a headphone jack. We haven't reviewed this one, so we don't have numbers for battery and display, nor do we have camera samples, but we can't see a night-and-day difference between the two phones in these areas.
Verdict
The GT Master does a lot of things right, and it's the important things. It boasts battery life that's hard to rival, coupled with charging speed that's, well... unrivaled. Its display isn't the absolute brightest around, but it is plenty bright and has the 120Hz refresh rate and the AMOLED blacks going for it. The chipset is powerful and stays so over extended periods, and the UI is very customizable without being too heavy. And if you're not one record videos, the camera system will keep you happy.
Some of the GT Master's imperfections can be seen in the spec sheet, and while a Gorilla Glass of some sort is nice to have and two speakers are more than one, we don't see these as dealbreakers. And if you opt for the Suitcase design of the Voyager Gray version, you'll also escape our other niggle about the phone's plain and unremarkable build. That leaves the video quality to contend with.
All things considered, the Realme GT Master is looking like a very sensible buy in our book.
Pros
- One of a kind design (if you get the suitcase-like Voyager Gray).
- Very good display - AMOLED, high refresh rate, good max brightness.
- Chart-topping battery life and charging speed.
- Realme UI offers a ton of personalization without getting in the way.
- The SD778 chipset is very potent, has great sustained performance too.
- Easy to like photo quality from all cameras in day light, Night mode works great in low light.
Cons
- No advertised screen protection.
- The all-plastic build of our non-suitcase review unit doesn't have a premium feel.
- No stereo speakers, the single speaker isn't very loud either.
- Poor video quality.
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