Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro Review: 90Hz Displays For The Masses

Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro Review: 90Hz Displays For The Masses

photo of the realme 6 and realme 6 pro

Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro: Are these two phones worth it?

Realme has officially launched and priced its two newest mid-range champions today, and both are really compelling phones considering the price. The Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro are the first phones we’ve seen this year in the Philippines that have fast refresh rate displays that don’t cost an arm and a leg – something that none of its competitors have matched as of press time.

Both phones have their own idiosyncrasies and neither is perfect, but for what you’re paying for and what you’re getting, Realme’s new mid-range champions are pretty compelling.

Realme 6 Specs and Price Philippines

Php 13,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant of the Realme 6, and Php 11,990 for the 4GB/128GB variant of the Realme 6.

  • MediaTek Helio G90T octa-core processor
  • Mali-G76 MC4 GPU
  • 4GB/8GB RAM
  • 6.5-inch Full HD+ IPS display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, 90hz refresh rate
  • 128GB of expandable storage
  • Quad rear cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.8 ISOCELL Bright GW1 main camera; 8-megapixel f/2.3 ultra-wide-angle camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 monochrome camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera; with LED flash, Chroma Boost, Nightscape, 4K video recording
  • 16-megapixel f/2.0 Sony IMX 471 front camera with AI beautification, Smart Groufie
  • Dual SIM
  • 3G, LTE
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
  • Fingerprint scanner, AI Face Unlock, Smart Audio Amplifier, Dust and splash resistant
  • 4300mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 30w fast charging
  • Android 10 with Realme UI

Realme 6 Pro Specs and Price Philippines

Php 16,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant of the Realme 6 Pro.

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core processor
  • Adreno 618 GPU
  • 8GB RAM
  • 6.6-inch Full HD+ IPS display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, 90hz refresh rate
  • 128GB of expandable storage
  • Quad rear cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.8 ISOCELL Bright GW1 main camera; 8-megapixel f/2.3 ultra-wide-angle camera; 12-megapixel f/2.5 telephoto camera; 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera; with LED flash, Dual Pixel Autofocus, Chroma Boost, Nightscape, UIS and UIS Max Video Stabilization, 4K video recording
  • Dual front cameras: 16-megapixel f/2.0 Sony IMX 471 main camera; 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera; with AI beautification, Smart Groufie
  • Dual SIM
  • 3G, LTE
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
  • Fingerprint scanner, AI Face Unlock, Smart Audio Amplifier, Dust and splash resistant
  • 4300mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 30w fast charging
  • Android 10 with Realme UI

Pros:

  • Great displays
  • Striking design
  • Fast charging capabilities
  • Aggressive pricing

Cons:

  • Focus isn’t as fast as we’d like
  • A bit of play on the Realme 6’s plastic body
  • Battery endurance on the Realme 6 isn’t as good as its brother

realme 6 glossy back cover

Pretty in plastic and glass

Realme’s been hitting it out of the park in terms of aesthetics with their recent releases, and both mid-range phones are no exception. The Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro have similar design cues which include curved sides and rounded corners, as well as a vertically stacked quad-camera module and vibrant, distinct colorways.

There are a few differences in the design and construction of both though. The Realme 6 Pro gets a glass back protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5, while the regular Realme 6 simply gets a plastic rear.

While the glass-backed Realme 6 Pro felt pretty premium in the hands, the Realme 6 felt less so. That’s mainly because of the plastic construction, which had a bit of give to it when pressed down too hard.

realme 6 pro black cover

Since the Realme 6 doesn’t have any kind of protective layer on its plastic rear, it’s also more susceptible to scratches when it’s used without its silicone case, but since most people will run it with the included one anyway, it’s almost a non-issue.

Between the two, the Realme 6 Pro is more visually striking with its gradient pattern compared to the Realme 6, but that’s our personal preference talking.

Button layout for both phones are the same, and the two phones retain the ever-important 3.5mm jack as well as the cleverly hidden fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button.

close up photo of the realme 6 front cameras

Buttery-smooth display for cheap

The Realme 6 and 6 Pro’s main selling points are their IPS panels that have refresh rates of 90Hz.

The phones that we’ve seen on the market so far that sport silky-smooth refresh rates typically have flagship prices attached to them, and the mere fact that two phones under the Php 20K price point have this tech a few years after it debuted on more expensive devices blows our mind.

Unlike other flagship devices that have fast refresh rates, both of Realme’s mid-range phones sport LCD and not AMOLED panels.

kpop featured in the screen of the realme 6

Display sizes are a little different for both: the Realme 6 Pro has a 6.6-inch full HD panel, while the Realme 6 has a 6.5-inch full HD panel. Both use a punch-hole notch, though the Realme 6 Pro has an extra 8-megapixel front camera in addition to the 16-megapixel Sony IMX 471 selfie snapper.

You can switch between 60Hz and 90Hz any time, though take note that your battery will take a hit if you keep the phone in 90Hz mode all the time.

As for the display quality, there’s very little to complain about. Colors were punchy if a little oversaturated though you can always tune that in the settings. The display was bright enough to be seen under direct sunlight. You’re not looking at AMOLED-level quality here, but the display is good enough for what you’re paying for.

close up photo of the rear camera of realme 6

The 64-megapixel camera is good but has minor issues

No matter which variant of the phone you buy, you’re still getting a 64-megapixel f/1.8-equipped, Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor as the main shooter, as well as a wide-angle 8-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The Realme 6 Pro gets a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with an f/2.5 aperture, while the regular Realme 6 only gets a 2-megapixel portrait camera.

Realme 6 Camera Test

The main shooter fares well when taking photos in bright light, which is to be expected for most phones that pack Samsung’s 64-megapixel sensor. Dynamic range is pretty good considering the price, though if you really scrutinize the photos you’ll see a bit of overzealous noise reduction.

Realme 6 Pro Camera Test

Night mode is good, and Realme is quickly learning how to optimize their AI algorithm to produce really good results when shooting in low-light mode, though some details take a hit, which is expected.

One thing we did notice was that the focus took a moment to really lock into a subject, and while the phones didn’t really “focus hunt” per se, the focusing speed wasn’t as fast as we would have liked.

realme 6 and 6 pro benchmark test results

Excellent hardware for what you’re paying for

The Realme 6 packs a MediaTek Helio G90T octa-core processor, while the Realme 6 Pro has an even better Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core processor.

The Realme 6 comes in two configurations (4GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB) while the Realme 6 Pro will only come in the 8GB/128GB variant.

MediaTek Helio G90T scores a little higher than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G in synthetic benchmarks, which was surprising. Truth be told both phones are good enough for the intended market, and are more than enough for everyday use. We did notice that the Realme 6 ran a little warmer than the Realme 6 Pro in our benchmarks and gaming tests.

realme 6 and 6 pro battery life test

That extra heat and the general architecture of MediaTek’s G90T chipset also meant higher power consumption in general VS Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G. In our battery benchmark test the Realme 6 only did 8 hours and 36 minutes VS the 11 hrs and 20 minutes for the Realme 6 Pro, with both phones sporting the same 4300mAh battery. Take note that the screen was set to 90Hz during the entirety of that battery test so you’ll be able to get better battery life at the expense of that higher refresh rate if you’re trying to make your phone last.

Both phones have 30W VOOC fast charging capabilities, though the head-to-head test clearly shows which phone you should buy if you prioritize battery life above everything else.

realme 6 and 6 pro screen comparison side by side

Verdict: Excellent value even without that 90Hz refresh rate

Realme has done it again – the brand’s two newest phones are excellent value for money even if you don’t factor in their silky-smooth displays. Both phones are easy on the eyes, incredibly capable, and have a good set of snappers, as well as displays that are a pleasure to use with games and movies. Both phones are definitely worth the price that Realme is asking for them.

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