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Realme 7 Pro Review: One Step Back, Two Steps Forward

realme 7 Pro Review

The realme 7 Pro is set to carry on the mantle from the realme 6 Pro, and from the looks at it, it seems like it’s a more worthy upgrade than the realme 7 is from the realme 6. We’ve tried out the realme 7 Pro for the past week, and we finally have enough points to determine whether or not the 7 Pro is an “upgrade.”

Realme 7 Pro – Specifications

SpecsRealme 7 Pro
CPUQualcomm Snapdragon 720G
GPUAdreno 618
StorageUp To 128GB UFS 2.1
RAMUp To 8GB LPDDR4x
Display6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED
Resolution: 2400 x 1080
CameraREAR
64MP Ultra high-resolution wide-angle camera
f/1.8, 6P lens
Sony IMX682, 1/1.73”

8MP Ultra wide-angle Lens
FOV 119°, f/2.3, 5P lens

2MP B&W Portrait Camera
f/2.4, 3P lens

2MP Macro lens
4cm focus, f/2.4, 3P lens

FRONT
32MP wide-angle camera
FOV 85°, f/2.5
Connectivity3-Card Slot
2 SIM Slot + 1 MicroSD Slot
Wireless network
2.4/5 GHz
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.1
Battery65W SuperDart Charge
4,500mAh
Includes an 10V/6.5A charger & cable
USB Type-C port
DimensionsHeight: 160.9mm
Width: 74.3mm
Depth: 8.7mm
Weight≈182g
OSrealme UI
Based on Android 10

What’s In The Box?

  • realme 7 Pro
  • 65W SuperDart Charger
  • USB Type-C Cable
  • Protect Case
  • Protect Film
  • SIM Card Tool
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Warranty Card

Design

Realme 7 Pro Review

The realme 7 Pro has a more elegant and sophisticated design when compared to the realme 6 Pro. Instead of a flashy “hey look at me” design, the realme 7 Pro also uses the same AG split processing method inspired by mirror space in nature, the one found on its younger sibling – the realme 7.

Available in Mirror Blue and Mirror Silver, the realme 7 Pro has a nice matte finish on the back and boy, is it comfortable to hold in the hands. Not only is it nice to the touch, but it feels really thin and sleek when you hold it. The entire phone just exudes elegance and special kind of suave.

On the front, you’ll notice the entire screen has thinner bezels, and the notch now only has a single camera sensor instead of two (and for good reason).

Just like the realme 7, the volume buttons are on the left, the power button is on the right, while the 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-C port and speaker grille are on the bottom.

Display

Realme 7 Pro Review

If you’re comparing the realme 7 Pro’s display strictly to the 6 Pro, then it’s somewhat a major upgrade. The LCD panel gets swapped out for a Super AMOLED panel, which results in better colour reproduction and more battery life. But, you’d be losing the 90Hz refresh rate. Also, the screen is a tad bit smaller at 6.4-inch, but that’s negligible considering the better quality visuals you’re getting.

Now if you’re comparing it to the realme 7, the 7 Pro is at a disadvantage because the realme 7 has a higher refresh rate of 90Hz. This really depends on your personal preference. If you prefer a higher refresh rate, you can go for the realme 7. But if you prefer having an overall better quality screen with an Always-On display (super useful), you could get the 7 Pro.

Don’t get me wrong, the realme 7 Pro’s display is great on its own, but it’s somewhere in between the 6 Pro and 7. You don’t get the high refresh rate, but colours really pop no matter what type of content you’re enjoying. Not to mention, the better battery life that you’re getting out of it and all the other enhancements too.

User Experience

Realme 7 Pro Review

My time with the realme 7 Pro has been wonderful. It did take me a while to get used to using a 60Hz refresh rate screen again, but the visuals look really sharp and it took me no time to start liking it.

Since reviewing the realme 7, I’ve grown accustomed to the button positioning on the phone, so it didn’t really bother me anymore. And plus, realme finally moved the fingerprint sensor from the power button on the side back into the middle, under the display. That itself is a major plus point for me, and I really appreciate realme going that route with the 7 Pro.

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Realme 7 Pro Review

The notch has also been made smaller, as compared to the one found on the realme 7, so I find it less intrusive when I’m watching a video or gaming.

Performance

Running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor instead of a MediaTek one, I felt that the realme 7 Pro actually runs better. Sure, the animations and flow may not be 90Hz smooth, but it has never once lagged or stutter on me.

Realme 7 Pro Review

Apps launch quickly and are responsive, and I could switch between them without any problems. The only thing I’m wondering is how come realme didn’t go with a newer mid-tier processor like the Snapdragon 730G. That would’ve given the 7 Pro more edge against its competitors in the same price segment.

Gaming on the realme 7 Pro is also an immersive experience, thanks to the Adreno 618 GPU, Super AMOLED panel and the dual stereo speakers. Although, the phone does get a little warm, but that isn’t a deal breaker because it cools down as fast as it heats up.

Here are some of the benchmarks we ran on the realme 7 Pro:

GeekBench 5 + 3DMark

Camera

Realme 7 Pro Review

What I noticed about the realme 7 Pro’s camera is that the UI is a lot more responsive than the realme 7. The shutter response is a lot faster, and the image processing algorithm performs better too, even if they both share the exact same camera specs.

Colours have more vibrancy, and images tend to look brighter. This also translates to better video quality too, together with the UIS Max video stabilisation. I mean, the realme 7 has it too, but I feel like the 7 Pro just does it better. It’s like realme did the camera software optimization better for the 7 Pro to justify its slightly higher price tag.

There’s also this really cool AI Color Portrait Video feature where you can keep parts of the video coloured, while the rest of the video is covered in a shade of grey. For example, everything around me could be grey, but whatever my subject wears that is red in colour will be kept, giving more cinematic focus to my subject.

Realme 7 Pro Review

Selfies on the realme 7 Pro also look way better, and clearer with the 32MP selfie sensor. Images are brighter, and if you’re scared there’s too much “unwanted” details (e.g. pimples) captured with the high resolution camera, there’s always the adjustable AI beautification filter that “corrects” everything.

When it comes to video recording, the UIS Max video stabilisation works great and I could film a fairly stable video without the need of a gimbal. Of course, there’s still a little bobbing, but I haven’t come across a smartphone camera that could escape itself from the crutches of the “bob”.

Here are some of the photo samples taken with the realme 7 Pro. These photo samples may look exactly like the ones from the realme 7 review, but that’s because I took them at the same time, side by side. And no, I didn’t confuse them for the other.

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Audio

Realme 7 Pro Review

The audio upgrade is my favourite upgrade on the realme 7 Pro. Not only does it get an additional speaker to make it true stereo, the overall quality is just better too. The treble is well managed, with clear vocals coming from the mids, and the lows are more apparent when the beats drop.

Having the additional speaker really makes a world of difference when you’re listening to music or watching a video. The audio also doesn’t get distorted at loud volumes, and I was more than happy to consume media directly from the speakers without connecting a TWS earbud to the phone.

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Battery

Realme 7 Pro Review

The realme 7 Pro’s 4,500mAh battery could last me the entire day without any worry of it depleting before bedtime. On the normal work day, when I’m mostly connected to Wi-Fi and using less of my phone, I could forego the nightly charging and just continue using it the second day. Of course, I’d need to recharge it mid-day. But, that’s where the 65W SuperDart Charge comes in.

With an already large battery capacity, the realme 7 Pro also supports 65W fast charging. According to my testing, I could charge the phone from zero to full in just a little over half an hour. That is amazing, because everytime I need to recharge, I could just plug it in, go do a little work, wash the dishes, take a shower, and when I’m back, it’d be ready to go waiting for me.

However, that also means you’ll need to charge with the provided 65W SuperDart charger and cable to get that charging speed. Otherwise, it’s going to charge at whatever speed your charger is capable of outputting.

Conclusion

Realme 7 Pro Review

With all things considered, the realme 7 Pro‘s asking price of RM1,499 is more justifiable, given the worthy upgrades it’s received. It has a more efficient, better looking screen, and also a more capable processor. The smartphone is made for the shutterbug, and it has a better battery with faster charging speeds to compliment that. Not to mention the small little tweaks here and there to make the realme 7 Pro a real pleasure to use as a daily driver.

All that, encased in a sleek, thin and light chassis that feels great to hold in the hands? The Mirror Blue realme 7 Pro is looking to being “added to cart” if you ask me.

Written By

Chief Content Developer at The AXO

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