At the end of last year, the realme brand introduced the charming budget model, realme C67. Today, we have the opportunity to take a closer look at it. Interestingly, there are two versions of this model – 4G and 5G. They differ not only in the type of supported connectivity but also have distinct designs and even hardware. However, within this review, we will be testing the realme C67 4G.
Specifications of the realme C67 4G
- Display: IPS, 6.72″, FHD+ (1080×2400), 90 Hz, 392 ppi, 20:9, brightness up to 950 nits
- Processor: Snapdragon 685, 8 cores, 4×Cortex-A73 (2.8 GHz) + 4×Cortex-A53 (1.9 GHz), 6 nm
- Graphics processor: Adreno 610
- Permanent memory: 256 GB
- RAM: 8 GB (+8 GB due to ROM), LPDDR4x
- MicroSD support: up to 1 TB
- Slots: 2 nanoSIM + microSD
- Wireless networks: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, Galileo, GLONASS
- Main camera: 108 MP (f/1.8) + 2 MP auxiliary module
- Front camera: 8 megapixels (f/2.1)
- Battery: 5000 mAh, Oppo SuperVOOC charging power 33 W
- OS: realmeUI (based on Android 14）
- Dimensions: 164.6×75.4×7.6 mm
- Weight: 185 g
- Colors: dark gray (Black Rock), green (Sunny Oasis)
- Additional features: IP54 dust and moisture protection, stereo sound
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Price and positioning
The realme C67 4G is sold at the official price of approximately $210 (though it can be found slightly cheaper at some retailers), indicating that it is a device in the budget segment. The presented smartphone comes in two diametrically different colors (dark gray, as in our review, and bright green), so it can be assumed that the realme C67 4G targets two distinct audiences. The first is the average user in need of a reliable, modern, and affordable gadget for all occasions. The second is the youth, whose members prefer more vibrant colors.
Package contents
The realme C67 4G arrived in a neat box of the brand’s distinctive yellow color. Inside, everything (or in our case, almost everything) necessary for a quick start is included. Alongside the device, there’s a charging cable and a 33W power brick, a transparent silicone bumper, a SIM card tray ejector tool, and accompanying literature. Even a protective film is included in the box. It might seem like the manufacturer hasn’t missed anything, given that there’s even a charger. However, what’s lacking here is an adapter for the power brick. In the test sample, the charging device came with a Type-A plug. Presumably, in retail configurations, the output is standard, but in my hands, it’s not quite the case. Well, this isn’t a problem – it can be resolved with an adapter.
As for the case, it is quite basic, typically included with smartphones. It’s made of transparent silicone, reinforced around all edges to protect the screen and camera. Most likely, the case won’t amaze with its “durability” (probably, we all know how transparent bumpers degrade after a few months of use), but it’s nice that the manufacturer has taken care of addressing this issue for users in the short term. Waiting for more robust and model-compatible cases is not a concern.
Design, materials and layout of elements
The design of the realme C67 4G aims for a minimalist and modern look. Excluding the rather massive camera block, it draws inspiration from some flagship models (we won’t point fingers). I can’t speak for how the smartphone looks in bright green, but in the dark gray variant under review, it appears quite restrained, sophisticated, and, in my opinion, not dull.
https://youtube.com/shorts/9PL2knGMIA4
It features flat, not curved edges, which is common in many budget devices. An advantage of this design choice is that the smartphone can rest on a flat surface without additional support. If that’s important to someone.
The body is, of course, plastic but has an appealing appearance: the edges are painted in a gray matte metallic finish, and the back has the texture of polished metal, as if a semi-matte glass plate were placed on top, creating reflections. It’s good that the design isn’t marred by technical markings directly on the body, and the almost inconspicuous brand logo located in the lower left corner doesn’t detract from the device’s overall look. By the way, the device is equipped with dust and splash protection according to the IP54 standard.
The camera block, located in the upper left corner, is highlighted by a mirror coating with radial “rays” surrounding the modules. Below them, you can see the key features – 108 MP AI Camera. The cameras themselves are positioned on a relatively high oval “pedestal” and have a silver edge, just like both modules. Of course, they haven’t forgotten the flash here. Despite the sensors being relatively small, ample space has been dedicated to them – that’s the trend these days.
Looking at the “front,” you’ll notice a large screen with neat bezels and a slightly protruding “chin.” The front camera is situated in a punch hole directly on the display, and the grille of the earpiece is so compact that you need to look closely to see it. I’ll remind you that a protective film is already provided on the screen.
A little to the side of the speaker, you can see a small cutout in the film – it provides access for the ambient light and proximity sensors.
Let’s take a look at the sides. On the left, we have a triple slot for two SIM cards and a memory card, while on the right, as always, the volume control and power buttons are located. If the volume control keys slightly protrude from the body, the power button, which in the realme C67 4G is combined with a fingerprint sensor, is flush with the surface.
At the top, you can see a small opening for the additional speaker. The main speaker, however, is located at the bottom, along with the Type-C and 3.5mm ports, as well as the microphone for calls.
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Ergonomics
With a weight of 185 g and a thickness of 7.6 mm, the realme C67 4G feels quite light and thin. Thanks to the smooth edges and matte surface, the smartphone does not slip in your hand and is confidently held. Rounded edges, in turn, would make the device feel thinner, but not everyone likes this solution, because the device is less secure in the palm of your hand.
Regardless, with dimensions of 164.6×75.4 mm, using it with one hand is still not very convenient, at least for me. However, the one-handed mode comes to the rescue, which trims the interface to a more manageable size. The power button, which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner, is positioned almost in the center of the side, making it unnecessary to stretch your thumb to reach it during standard holding. Overall, the ergonomics of the 6.72-inch realme C67 4G are nothing unusual. It’s quite comfortable to use if you’re accustomed to modern smartphones with a diagonal screen size above 5.5 inches. It’s well-crafted, has an excellent build quality – no issues here – and features rather pleasant materials.
Realme C67 4G Display
The smartphone features an FHD+ IPS display with a 6.72-inch diagonal and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The refresh rate is set at 90 Hz, pixel density at 392 ppi, and the brightness can reach up to 950 nits. The screen is indeed quite bright. Unfortunately, during the testing period, I didn’t have the chance to capture a sunny day, but I believe the brightness level will be more than sufficient for outdoor use under natural light. However, this doesn’t address direct sunlight exposure – a rare smartphone can handle that without some visibility issues.
The display itself is quite impressive: considering the matrix type, it has a gentle contrast, natural color reproduction, and wide viewing angles. If needed, you can tweak the color gamut and image temperature in the settings. Regarding the refresh rate, there are two modes – standard 60 Hz and automatic, which adjusts this parameter depending on the consumed content. Unfortunately, there is no provision for a constant 90 Hz mode. Well, all the necessary features can be found in the settings: dark theme, night mode, screen timeout, wallpapers, and other standard functions.
Performance and wireless connectivity
The realme C67 4G is powered by the 8-core Snapdragon 685 chipset, manufactured using a 6nm process. Half of the cores are productive Cortex-A73 with a clock frequency of 2.8 GHz, while the remaining 4 are power-efficient Cortex-A53 with a frequency of up to 1.9 GHz. The graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 610 GPU. The smartphone comes with 256GB of internal storage, expandable up to 1TB with a microSD card. You won’t have to sacrifice a SIM slot, as the device features a full-fledged triple slot.
The device comes with 8GB of LPDDR4x type RAM, and it can be expanded by another 8GB at the expense of the internal storage. The set of wireless interfaces includes everything you need: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and location services (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS). In terms of mobile networks, this version supports only LTE. However, if 5G capability is specifically required, then it’s worth considering the corresponding model, the realme C67 5G.
Regarding performance, in typical tasks such as web browsing, messaging, video playback, and working with applications, the device performs very responsively. Multitasking doesn’t seem to bother it, and casual games and other time-killing activities run smoothly. However, considering the hardware, more advanced mobile 3D games might not run as smoothly. You can try tweaking the graphics settings, but it’s essential to remember that this is not a gaming-focused device. In all other aspects, the realme C67 won’t disappoint in everyday tasks. Below, you can find the results of some synthetic tests.
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Software realme C67 4G
The software part is presented with the proprietary realmeUI interface, built on the foundation of Android 14. Interestingly, shortly after the first boot and initial setup of the smartphone, a system update was promptly delivered.
Overall, everything here is quite familiar for Android smartphone users. There are numerous customization features that allow you to make the interface convenient and appealing: screen settings, icon appearance, wallpapers, gestures (double-tap to wake the screen, double-tap on an empty space on the first screen to lock the device, three-finger screenshot, etc.), and so on. A floating touch assistant is also provided, offering quick access to popular applications and functions, as well as one-handed mode, security settings, and parental controls.
One notable feature worth highlighting is the mini-capsule – a panel that pops up around the front camera and is activated during certain actions. For instance, it notifies about battery status during charging or when the charge level is low or the device is fully charged. It allows controlling music playback while listening, displays weather information, warns about reaching the daily traffic limit, and tracks the number of steps. Rumor has it that future updates will expand the capsule’s functionality. Additionally, you can review the notification history and customize the flash when receiving messages (you can even choose the color of the screen illumination when a message arrives). What might be bothersome for some users is the presence of several pre-installed applications and services by default, such as LinkedIn, Booking, and others. Fortunately, most of them can be easily removed.
Methods to unlock realme C67 4G
Unlocking the smartphone, aside from passwords, PINs, and pattern locks, can be done using two familiar scanners – facial recognition and fingerprints. In reality, there’s little to elaborate on here: both options work confidently and swiftly, and during the testing period, I didn’t encounter any “failed” attempts. So let’s move on to more interesting aspects.
Sound
Not too long ago, stereo sound was a feature exclusive to advanced smartphones and flagships. However, today, you can find it even in affordable and ultra-budget devices. A great trend in my opinion. Yes, the realme C67 4G is no exception and has also embraced stereo sound. It is provided by two speakers located at opposite ends, one at the top and the other at the bottom.
Traditionally, the bottom speaker serves as the primary and more powerful one compared to the secondary speaker. However, the sound quality is still significantly better than smartphones without a secondary speaker, which use the earpiece for conversation. The primary speaker is louder and clearer, but adding the second speaker pleasantly balances the sound and gives it dimension. This is especially noticeable when holding the smartphone in landscape mode. For video and games, this setup works quite well, but for more demanding users seeking higher-quality sound, it’s advisable to use wireless speakers and headphones. Thanks to the presence of the 3.5mm jack, users can choose between wired and Bluetooth headsets.
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Realme C67 4G cameras
The rear camera consists of two modules: a primary 108 MP sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 and an auxiliary 2 MP sensor. The main sensor can capture video up to 1080p at 30 fps. Optical stabilization is not available, but there is Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS).
The camera application offers the following shooting modes:
- For photos – modes such as “Night,” “Street,” “Photo,” “Portrait,” “Hi-Res” (108 MP), “Tilt-Shift,” “Pro,” “Panorama,” and “Text Scanner”
- For videos – standard mode “Video,” “Timelapse,” “Slow-Mo,” and the cinematic option “Movie”
In addition, the application includes built-in Google Lens, and it also features beauty filters and enhancements.
When it comes to the quality of the photos, it meets the expectations and aligns with the positioning of the smartphone. In good lighting conditions, you can capture quite decent shots with well-detailed, contrasting, and sharp objects in the foreground and a softly blurred background or edges. Standard mode photos turn out well without additional settings. However, in low light or nighttime shooting, the quality noticeably declines, introducing blurriness, noise, and reduced clarity. Slightly improving the situation is the night shooting mode, which covers more light, details, and enhances clarity. Still, in some cases, the contrast in the frame may be overly stretched. Sometimes, it allows achieving deeper colors, but often it works in the opposite direction, further darkening the photos. So, you’ll need to experiment with modes to find the optimal one for you. Although night shots are far from perfect, you can still get something decent from them.
I suggest reviewing a few examples of “dark” photos. On the left, photos were taken using the regular mode, while on the right – the night mode.
And a few more examples for the main module.
PHOTOS ON REALME C67 IN FULL RESOLUTION
The selfie module in the realme C67 4G is an 8 MP sensor with a light sensitivity of f/2.1, which can also record video in 1080p at 30 fps. As typical for cameras in budget smartphones, the front camera is quite sensitive to lighting conditions. While capturing decent selfies or social media content might be challenging, it is sufficient for video calls.
Battery life
The realme C67 4G comes with a 5000 mAh battery capacity, a sort of golden standard in modern smartphones. The device supports Oppo SuperVOOC fast charging at 33 W, and a corresponding charger with the same power is included in the package.
Despite the relatively standard battery capacity for the year 2024, the realme C67 4G impresses with its battery life. The PC Mark test showed a whopping 19.5 hours of usage at around 50% screen brightness! Not bad, right? It’s likely that the key lies not only in the battery capacity but also in the excellent balance between the software and hardware. So, two days of quite active usage for a smartphone is not a problem. If needed, you can always customize the power-saving mode. However, the device charges quite rapidly – from 19% to 100% in just a little over an hour. In my opinion, the battery life and charging speed are significant advantages for the C67.
Conclusions and competitors
Overall, the realme C67 4G leaves quite a positive impression. The smartphone boasts a generous package (including not only a charger of appropriate power but also a silicone bumper and a factory screen protector), a pleasant design, excellent build quality, and IP54 protection against splashes and dust. It features impressive stereo sound, enjoyable performance with ample memory and expandable storage, as well as the latest Android 14, fantastic battery life, and quite efficient charging time. While there may be some questions about the cameras, especially in low-light conditions, and the front-facing camera isn’t the best, it’s essential to remember that we are talking about a device priced at around $200. Expecting top-notch photos from a device in this class wouldn’t be realistic.
The realme C67 4G faces competition in a popular segment, with several contenders offering compelling features. For instance, the Motorola Moto G54, running on a clean Android interface, boasts a 120Hz display, a robust 6000mAh battery, and an ample 12GB of RAM. However, the Moto device features a less powerful chipset (Dimensity 7020 clocked at 2.2GHz compared to the Snapdragon 685 at 2.8GHz in the C67), a hybrid SIM slot, and lacks robust body protection (IPX2 as opposed to IP54 in the C67).
Another competitor in this segment is the Tecno Pova 5, which, in a comparable 8/256GB configuration, offers a 120Hz display, liquid cooling (tailored for gaming), a larger battery capacity, and faster charging (6000mAh, 45W). However, it utilizes the Helio G99 chipset with a slightly lower clock speed, has a lower brightness level, and weighs more compared to the realme C67 4G.
Another option worth considering is the Poco X5. It comes at a slightly higher price, offering similar hardware, battery capacity, and device protection. However, the Poco X5 features an AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10, as well as liquid cooling. Keep in mind that it runs on Android 12 instead of Android 14, has a hybrid SIM slot, and a slightly lower processor clock speed compared to the realme C67 4G.
Nevertheless, in the budget-friendly segment, compromises are inevitable. Therefore, considering its competitors, the realme C67 4G appears to be a quite decent choice for everyday tasks, suitable for both younger and more mature, undemanding users.
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The Dimensity 7020 is more powerfull, not less.