Realme 7 Pro review: Realme 6 But With AMOLED?

Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro were able to surprise users with their balance in terms of specs and cost. These are relatively inexpensive smartphones with their own interesting features, such as a screen with a high refresh rate (90 Hz) and a full-fledged telephoto module. And just recently, the brand entered the global market with the new Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro. Today we’ll take a look at the new 7 Pro and find out if the company has managed to keep the old concept intact.

Realme 7 Pro specs

Price and positioning

The smartphone entered the European market only in a version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage at an estimated price of $250-300.

What’s in the box

The Realme 7 Pro comes in a cardboard box with Realme branding. Inside, in addition to the smartphone, you can find a large and powerful 65W power adapter with support for SuperDart fast charging technology, a USB/Type-C cable, a translucent silicone case, a SIM card eject tool and a set of accompanying documentation.

Of course, we’ll talk separately about charging. A protective film is initially applied to the smartphone screen. The case is standard: with all the necessary notches, duplicate buttons and a side around the camera block. Plus, it is additionally reinforced in the front corners so that the screen does not exactly touch the surface.

Design, materials and build quality

As I said in the review of the Realme X3 SuperZoom, the brand’s smartphones from different price ranges differ little in appearance. Of course, there are some differences in terms of the pattern on the back, for example, but otherwise nothing significant. They usually have a similar arrangement and shape of individual elements, such as the notch in the screen and the camera block. But what about the Realme 7 Pro?

The new model looks a little more modern than its predecessor – and even stricter as well, because the visual design of the back of the smartphone has changed. Instead of bright lightning and gradient of Realme 6 Pro, the back of the new 7 Pro is divided into two unequal halves with a gradient that varies from dark to light. They have one shade, but the direction is different, mirrored, which is how you get an obvious separation of the main part and a narrow strip with the Realme logo passing along the left side of the smartphone.

The design may not be as memorable or interesting as it used to be, but there is a lot to like here. I think the Realme 7 Pro looks somehow more impressive. In addition, instead of red, orange and blue body colors, there is only a restrained silver (Mirror Silver) and a brighter blue (Mirror Blue). Although the silver one in different environmental conditions often looks blueish.

At first glance, there is nothing special at the front, and this is really so – there is also a fairly wide indent from the bottom, and the notch in the upper left corner for the front camera that seems to be everywhere in Realme smartphones too. But let’s pay attention to a couple of points. Firstly, the front camera is now solitary, like in the standard Realme 6. And secondly, this hole, when compared with the Realme 6, is smaller in diameter. In this form, it looks neater and in a sense even more organic.

The changes also affected materials and finishes. The front panel is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 3+; according to the glass manufacturer, Gorilla Glass 3+ is a cross between regular Gorilla Glass 3 and Gorilla Glass 5 in terms of sturdiness, but it costs less than the latter. Interestingly, the fifth generation was used in the Realme 6 Pro. The body, as before, is made of plastic, but at least it’s matte so that it won’t collect stains and scratches like before.

The material of the back panel is not specified, but I dare to assume that it is plastic. Plastic with a very pleasant tactile matte finish, which makes it very difficult to get dirty. Especially if the smartphone is in silver. The build quality is simply excellent. However, there is no dust or moisture protection.

Elements configuration

In front, in the upper part, there is a slot for the (one of two) speaker, as well as a front camera and a pair of sensors: light and proximity. Below there’s nothing, there is no LED for notifications in the device either.

On the right side there is a power button with a thin yellow recess, on the left there are separate volume control keys. There is also a triple slot for two nano SIM cards and a microSD memory card.

Above is an additional microphone for noise cancellation. Below are the slots for the main multimedia speaker, a USB Type-C port, a microphone and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

On the reverse side we find a rectangular block with four camera eyes and a flash, below is the Realme inscription.

Ergonomics

In terms of ergonomics, the Realme 7 Pro is better than the 6 Pro. Yes, the display is smaller, and therefore its dimensions are completely different, but still. The smartphone turned out to be even smaller than the usual Realme 6 (160.9 × 74.3 × 8.7 mm) weighing 182 grams. However, it is still difficult to use the device with one hand and it is also difficult to reach the top of the screen.

But the arrangement of buttons and other elements is close to ideal. The power button is located closer to the center of the edge, exactly in the place where your finger usually rests. Adjusting the volume is also quite comfortable with both the right hand and the left. In general, no problem.

Read also: Realme Watch review – First Smartwatch from the Brand

Display Realme 7 Pro

Now to the interesting part. One of the features of the Realmi 6 was a 90 Hz display. But for some reason Realme 7 Pro doesn’t have one, preferring a different display technology in the Pro version. The smartphone received a 6.4″ Super AMOLED matrix with a Full HD+ resolution (2400 × 1080 pixels).

Yes, we cannot yet get an active matrix based on organic light-emitting diodes and with a high refresh rate in this price segment. The aspect ratio of the screen is 20:9, and the pixel density is approximately 411 ppi. And as you already understand, no 90 or even 120 Hz here. The display refresh rate is the most common, which is 60 Hz.

The situation is, of course, twofold. On the one hand, the smartphone loses an interesting and still rare feature for this segment, but in return it receives several others. The transition to Super AMOLED made it possible to integrate a fingerprint scanner under the display, add the Always-On function and, of course, all the other advantages of this type of panel.

There are no issues with readability in the sun, because the brightness margin is higher, you get a “real” black color, good contrast and wide viewing angles, even if there’s still that notorious green-pink overflow at certain angles. When it comes to color display, there are three color modes: Gentle, covering the sRGB color space, Vivid – corresponding to DCI-P3, and Brilliant – with even brighter and more saturated colors, in particular reds and greens.

In the settings, in addition to the above color display modes, there is a dark theme, blue color filter, Always-On with the ability to set a schedule, but without additional watchfaces, adjusting the color temperature of the screen and the OSIE visual effect.

Realme 7 Pro Display Setting

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Read also: Realme 6 review – The best in its class?

Realme 7 Pro Performance

Surprisingly, in terms of hardware, the new Realme 7 Pro is practically no different from the 6 Pro. It has the same Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G chipset. This is an 8nm platform with eight cores: 2 Kryo 465 Gold cores run at a maximum clock speed of up to 2.3 GHz, and the remaining 6 Kryo 465 Silver cores run at a maximum clock speed of 1.8 GHz. The Adreno 618 accelerator is responsible for the graphics component.

Realme 7 Pro Benchmarks Test

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RAM can be 6 or 8 GB LPDDR4x type. I have a configuration with 8 GB on the test, which means that this smartphone does not have any problems with multitasking. At least a dozen apps are held in memory and do not reboot. In a sense, 8 GB is even redundant for a device of this class, so everything should be fine with the 6 GB version. However, there is none on the European market, which is nice.

There’s only 128 GB of (UFS 2.1 type) storage in any configuration. This is the only difference – there’s no version with 64 GB of ROM. And this is also, perhaps, not bad. 108.66 GB of storage is available for the user, and it can be expanded by installing a microSD memory card up to 256 GB.

The smartphone is definitely powerful. The interface is smooth, but if you tried 90 or 120 Hz screens, then Realme 7 Pro, on the contrary, may not seem all that smooth and fast to you. Games also run well on this smartphone – it will cope with any casual game and even more serious titles. This is the average FPS we managed to get in a couple of demanding titles at the maximum settings (available for the device), measurements were made with the Gamebench utility:

• Call of Duty Mobile – very high, all effects are enabled except for reflections, Battlefront mode is ~ 57 FPS; Battle Royale is ~ 39 FPS
• PUBG Mobile – high graphics settings with anti-aliasing and shadows, ~ 30 FPS
• Shadowgun Legends – ultra graphics, ~ 34 FPS

Realme 7 Pro cameras

There are four modules in the main camera block of the Realme 7 Pro. The main one with a resolution of 64 megapixels, aperture f/1.8, a 1/1.73″ sensor, 0.8µm pixels, 26 mm EGF and PDAF focusing. The second one is an 8 megapixel ultra-wide-angle module with f/2.3 aperture, 1/4.0″ sensor, 1.12µm pixels, EGF 16 mm and a viewing angle of 119°. The third and fourth modules with 2 megapixels with f/2.4 are macro and depth sensors.

Let me rage a bit here. Because a similar set of cameras is installed in Realme 6. Yes, the main module is different since it uses Sony IMX682 Exmor RS, not Samsung GW1. But as for the rest of the cameras, they seem to be identical. And this is not good, because the set is essentially from Realme 6, not 6 Pro. And I will remind you that it was 6 Pro that once stood out with a telephoto lens with a 2x optical zoom, instead of a “very useful” depth sensor/black and white module for portraits.

Not only was it a full-fledged telephoto module, but it was also implemented correctly in my opinion. After all, it always worked, with no digital crop from the main module. In the new product, only digital zoom is available and it is not clear to me why. It seems like the Pro version should be better than before, but in the end it turned out to be not just one step back, but two.

Okay, let’s see what the cameras in the Realme 7 Pro are capable of. The main one by default takes pictures with a resolution of 16 megapixels, but in a separate mode you can save photos in full 64 megapixel resolution. The latter, of course, offers better shots, but the files also take up more space. The smartphone shoots well, but only under certain conditions, like all the closest competitors. During the day, you can get a detailed shot with nice and natural colors, as well as the correct white balance.

Realme 7 Pro Camera Test

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EXAMPLES OF PHOTOS IN FULL RESOLUTION FROM THE MAIN CAMERA

Evening and night scenes, of course, are difficult for a smartphone and it is imperative to resort to at least AI, or turn on the night mode. In the first case, you can get a lighter and even sharper pic, but with a lot of noise. Night mode will get rid of digital noise, albeit at the cost of a “watercolor” effect.

The digital 2x zoom looks normal only on a smartphone screen. What I mean is that you can use zoom when you need to, but don’t expect anything decent out of a digital zoom.

Realme 7 Pro Camera Test Zoom

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With ultra-wide, everything is very clear – it is best to use it during the day in good lighting. I can’t even say anything particularly good about it. Photos from it often turn out to be colder than from the main module, due to the incorrect automatic white balance. There is not even much to say about poor lighting conditions, everything is traditionally not very good there, even in night mode. However, if you really need it, it’s better to shoot in this mode.

Realme 7 Pro Camera Test Ultrawide

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FULL RESOLUTION PHOTO FROM SUPER WIDE ANGLE LENS

Traditionally, the camera app has an additional tripod option in night mode. The smartphone must be properly secured and you have to wait for 30 seconds. As a result, you will get a very decent, bright and detailed picture. It works with both main and ultra-wide-angle cameras, so if you can fix your smartphone on a tripod you can use it.

The macro camera is also disappointing. As usual, we get poor detail due to the low resolution of the module, plus there is no autofocus and the optimal distance of 4 cm to the subject has to be selected by yourself.

Realme 7 Pro Camera Test Macro

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PHOTO IN FULL RESOLUTION IN MACRO MODE

Video can be recorded at a maximum resolution of 4K and 30 fps on the main module, as well as Full HD at 30 fps on the ultra wide-angle lens. An intermediate version, Full HD with 60 fps, is available for the main module, but in this mode there is no electronic stylization. The quality is okay, and that’s about it.

We have one front camera, with the following characteristics: 32 megapixels, f/2.5, 1/2.8″, 0.8µm, 24mm. It’s generally fine, but in truth I expected more in terms of detail. Video is shot in Full HD at 30 fps with stabilization.

In addition to the night mode, the camera app received several additional modes: movies, Google Lens, accelerated shooting, text scanning, manual mode, panoramas and slow motion recording.

Realme 7 Pro Camera UI

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Read also: Realme X3 SuperZoom review – Affordable Flagship with Snapdragon 855+

Unlocking methods

As you already know, the fingerprint scanner is built into the screen. It works quite well and if you immediately put your finger right, the smartphone will unlock quickly. But the whole point is that at first you have to get used to the location of the optical sensor. In Realme 7 Pro, it is too low in my opinion.

The settings for this method are as follows: you can assign the launch of an app to any fingerprint, there are 8 styles of unlocking animation, and you can also leave the display of the fingerprint icon on the deactivated screen.

Realme 7 Pro

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Now with regards to face unlocking. This method works very well. It unlocks both quickly and reliably. If, of course, the ambient lighting allows it. But you can turn on the auto-adjustment of the screen brightness and then it will work even in the dark, since the display will highlight the face.

You can also choose whether the user will remain on the lock screen, or immediately go to the desktop or an open app. Plus, you can prevent unlocking with closed eyes so that no one can access the device while you sleep, for example.

Realme 7 Pro battery life

The battery in the Realme 7 Pro is 4500 mAh, which is of course a lot. The usual refresh rate, an AMOLED panel and slightly smaller dimensions also help.

On average, I had enough of it for at least a day and a half with 6.5 hours of display operation, and sometimes it lasted 2 days with 7.5 hours of screen activity. At the same time, I had the Always On Display function enabled from 8:00 to 20:00, but I also used the dark theme. In the PCMark Work 2.0 autonomy test at maximum display brightness the smartphone lasted 8 hours and 41 minutes, which is a lot.

Realme 7 Pro Battery Test

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But in addition to good battery life, the smartphone also boasts SuperDart Charge fast charging. From the included 65 W power adapter and cable, the smartphone charges a little over 40 minutes from 12% to 100%. Although the manufacturer claims it will take 34 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%. In any case, even the minimum 10 minutes on the wire will make it possible to stay in touch during the day if you suddenly forgot to charge your smartphone.

• 00:00 — 12%
• 00:10 — 42%
• 00:20 — 66%
• 00:30 — 88%
• 00:40 — 99%
• 00:42 — 100%

Sound and communication

Now let’s talk about what I already indirectly hinted at at the beginning of the review. The smartphone received stereo speakers, which is rare for the mid-range segment. In general, only recently some manufacturers began to pay attention to this, and in addition to Realme 7 Pro, Poco X3 NFC has stereo sound, as well as OPPO A9 2020.

As for the top speaker in terms of conversations, it is quite okay. Realme 7 Pro sounds loud and quite good, there is a volume, a little low frequencies, and therefore watching movies, listening to music or playing games on this smartphone is much more pleasant than on any other with no stereo. The lower speaker is a little louder, as is often the case, but certain balance is maintained.

In headphones with any type of connection everything is just fine. There is a Dolby Atmos add-on that is always active. You just have to choose the appropriate profile: dynamic, movies, games, music. The only difference lies in the last profile – if headphones are not connected, you cannot access the equalizer, and with the connected ones there are two to choose from. The profiles work with wireless headsets too, which is nice.

Realme 7 Pro Dolby Atmos

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There are plenty of wireless modules, dual-band Wi-Fi 5, current Bluetooth 5.1 (A2DP, LE), GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, NavIC) and an NFC module. The latter is available in the global version of the smartphone, but absent in the Indian one.

Firmware and software

The phone runs on Android 10, on top of which there is a proprietary Realme UI 1.0 shell. We have already talked a lot about it: it is a stylish, customizable and functional interface. You can change icon styles, customize gestures on the desktop or a deactivated screen. There are several ways to navigate the system – buttons or full screen gestures.

Realme 7 Pro - Realme UI

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There are interesting tricks in the realme laboratory. Here you’ll find beta versions of new features that may appear in the future. At the time of this review, the lab contains music sharing, smooth scrolling, super sleep and DC dimming. The first allows you to simultaneously listen to the same thing on wired and wireless channels. Smooth scrolling will make scrolling faster and smoother in some apps. Super strong sleep is a hard limitation of background activities and processes, for less battery consumption at night. DC dimming is classic screen flicker reduction.

Realme UI

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Verdict

So this is Realme 7 Pro. I still can’t answer the question whether it’s an improvement or not. If we consider a smartphone without reference to the previous generation, then it certainly looks attractive. You get stylish, up-to-date design, Super AMOLED screen with built-in fingerprint scanner, powerful hardware, decent cameras, good battery life and fast charging, as well as stereo sound.

But in return, we had to abandon 90 Hz, a telephoto with optical zoom, and the hardware is generally the same. It seems the smartphone was created for those users who just want to get a solid device and do not chase after impressive performance.

In my subjective opinion, the Realme 7 Pro is not a full-fledged update, but rather an addition to the still relevant model. Just with an alternative set of features: do you want AMOLED instead of IPS, a modern in-screen fingerprint scanner, faster charging and stereo speakers? Then this smartphone is for you.

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