Realme’s C-series units have been positioned as entry-level choices for years. Whereas it’s spectacular to see a C-series machine with a unique-looking design, you need to understand that all of it comes at a price. The value of the Realme C55 begins within the finances phase as a substitute of the standard entry-level sub-Rs. 10,000 pricing. This telephone is supposed to switch the Realme C33 (2023) and can also be an improve to the C35 as properly, that are entry-level units powered by Unisoc SoCs.
I used to be fast to level out how this machine is lacking 5G and the way the Mini Capsule felt half-baked at greatest in my first impressions of this telephone. A few month later, not a lot has modified regardless of a couple of software program updates, however I’ve found a number of extra shortcomings. These are primarily to do with the consumer interface, but in addition battery life. Is the Realme C55 nonetheless a straightforward suggestion in a sea of finances smartphones? Learn on to search out out!
Realme C55 worth in India
The Realme C55 is on the market in three variants. There’s the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant priced at Rs 10,999; the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant is on the market for Rs. 11,999; and the variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage sells at a somewhat aggressive Rs. 13,999 in India. Certainly, it is good to have choices, and it is good to see Realme offering a lot selection for a C-series machine. The Realme C55 can also be the primary C-series mannequin to pack 8GB of RAM. The machine is on the market in two finishes – Sunshower or Wet Evening. I obtained the 8GB RAM variant within the Sunshower end for evaluation.
Realme C55 design
Realme did try to offer its C-series a contemporary, trendy look when it introduced its C35 final yr. Whereas that telephone was a step up from the somewhat fundamental entry-level units beforehand accessible within the C-series, its design was actually the one benefit of it, as I found in my evaluation.
The Realme C55’s rear panel and body are product of polycarbonate
In terms of design, Realme has taken issues a bit additional with the C55. It seems slim and trendy with its straight traces, chiselled physique, and flat sides. There is a flat show on the entrance, and in contrast to the C35, it is of the hole-punch selection so it retains up with the remainder of the telephone’s trendy look. Whereas the bezels on the left, prime and proper are skinny, the one on the backside is a bit thick.
Flip the telephone over and it does get exhausting to inform that it is a finances smartphone for 2 causes. First, there is a dual-tone end on the again, with a finely striped matte texture throughout most of it, and a refined part across the protruding cameras. This does look refreshing for a finances smartphone. Secondly, this matte end can also be fairly good at resisting fingerprints. The rear panel and body are product of polycarbonate making them much less more likely to crack when dropped than glass. Realme makes use of Panda glass for the show. It’s vulnerable to smudges however these have been straightforward to wipe off.
The Realme C55’s energy button sits practically flush alongside the body’s flat sides
The telephone weighs 189g which is a bit on the heavier aspect, however feels fairly slim at 7.89mm. There is not any IP score and no stereo audio system, however you do get a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Sort-C USB port on the backside. The fingerprint reader is embedded into the ability button, which I did discover a bit tough to press as a result of it sits practically flush with the flat aspect of the body.
Realme C55 specs and software program
The Realme C55 has a MediaTek Helio G88 SoC, which signifies that it lacks 5G connectivity. Realme claims that the telephone makes use of LPDDR4X RAM and EMMC 5.1 storage. The SIM tray has two slots for 2 nano-SIMs and a devoted slot for as much as a 1TB microSD card, which is sweet to have.
Connectivity requirements embrace 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.2, together with the standard array of sensors and world positioning programs. The telephone has a 5,000mAh battery and comes with a 33W wired charger within the field.
The Realme C55 runs Realme UI 4.0, which is predicated on Android 13. It comes loaded with a ton of Realme and third-party apps. This implies having two ‘Messages’ apps for SMSes, two file managers, two note-taking apps, and the checklist goes on. This might get fairly complicated for brand new customers, and it is also annoying since you can’t uninstall most of those redundant apps. A lot of the preinstalled third-party ones can be uninstalled, which you are able to do to reclaim some cupboard space. It was additionally annoying to see advertisements and promotional notifications from the Sport Heart and App Market apps day by day.
Realme C55 efficiency
The 6.72-inch full-HD+ IPS LCD show has a 90Hz most display screen refresh fee. It switches between 60Hz and 90Hz relying on the appliance getting used and the content material being considered. The show is vibrant and is brilliant sufficient to view content material outdoor on a sunny afternoon, and has good viewing angles as properly. As for streaming, it was good to search out Widevine L1 certification, which allowed for full-HD high quality playback.
The Realme C55’s IPS LCD panel is brilliant sufficient when considered outdoor
The utilization expertise failed to fulfill my fundamental expectations. Realme UI 4.0 didn’t appear properly optimised to this {hardware}, which I seen when utilizing the telephone’s interface normally, minimising apps, swiping by way of video-heavy feeds in apps like Instagram, and different frequent use circumstances. There was a normal stuttering and noticeable lag all through, and it at all times felt just like the {hardware} was attempting to maintain up with my interactions. I examined the 8GB RAM variant, so I can solely think about how unhealthy the expertise can be on the 4GB RAM variant. I additionally skilled some stuttering when streaming video, however this acquired resolved with the newest software program replace, which confirmed up only a few days previous to publishing this evaluation.
As for Mini Capsule, not a lot has modified since I attempted it out a month in the past. Most individuals will not even discover that this characteristic exists, as it is easy to overlook the animated notification prompts that broaden across the hole-punch digital camera. Certainly, that is one thing that Samsung does higher with its pop-up notifications, which additionally seem in a capsule form and are way more helpful as they relay several types of notifications, not like the small handful of prompts that Realme’s Mini Capsule shows.
Realme UI reveals plenty of spammy notifications
By way of benchmarks, the Realme C55 performs as anticipated on condition that it has a MediaTek Helio G88 SoC inside. The telephone’s scores weren’t spectacular by any means. Even the iQoo Z6 Lite managed higher scores with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. The Realme C55 managed 2,57,736 factors in AnTuTu together with 422 and 1,411 factors in Geekbench’s single and multi-core exams. By way of graphics, efficiency was not good both, which explains the stuttering and lag within the UI. The telephone managed 39fps in GFXBench’s T-Rex check, 14fps in Manhattan 3.1, and eight.5fps in Automobile Chase.
Gaming efficiency was a bit beneath common. Name of Obligation: Cellular was playable at Medium graphics high quality and Excessive framerate, however would lag after about quarter-hour of gameplay, which can also be when the telephone begian to warmth up. Asphalt 9 Legends turned out to be a bit too heavy even on the lowest graphics setting (Efficiency), with plenty of lag and stuttering. Certainly, this smartphone is healthier suited to easier informal video games. Its single speaker will get fairly loud, however sound can also be distorted at larger volumes.
Realme UI comes with loads of of third-party apps preinstalled
My every day utilization with the Realme C55 consisted of an hour of gaming, an hour or two of video streaming (on Wi-Fi), and going by way of varied social media apps together with two e mail accounts syncing always. Regardless of going a bit straightforward, I used to be shocked that the telephone solely managed a day on a single cost. Certainly, this could possibly be right down to the low-end processor, however I anticipated the 5,000mAh battery to final for greater than a day, which is regular for many finances smartphones as we speak. Our customary HD video loop battery check solely ran for 14 hours, 43 minutes, which falls on the decrease aspect in comparison with most different smartphones at this worth level. Alternatively, the 33W charger managed to cost this telephone from useless to full in 1 hour, 10 minutes, which is kind of good.
Realme C55 cameras
The Realme C55 has two rear-facing cameras: a 64-megapixel main digital camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor which is used for gathering depth information when utilizing Portrait mode. Selfies are dealt with by an 8-megapixel entrance digital camera. The digital camera app interface is simple to make use of with all vital controls accessible across the viewfinder. Realme claims that the 64-megapixel sensor comes from the older GT Grasp Version so I used to be a bit excited to see its efficiency in such a low-cost telephone. Nonetheless, you do must understand that digital camera efficiency additionally will depend on the processor, and the GT Grasp Version had a superior mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC.
The Realme C55 has two rear-facing cameras, of which just one is accessible by the consumer
Daylight picture high quality was nonetheless surprisingly spectacular. Images confirmed first rate dynamic vary and good element. Colors tended to be a bit oversaturated and there was additionally a slight bluish tint in images, however at this worth level it is exhausting to complain. Shut-ups got here out sharp and clear, with low noise and good element. Nonetheless, I did discover that the digital camera was gradual to focus indoors even throughout daytime, so I usually had to faucet to focus when capturing objects.
Realme C55 daylight digital camera samples. Prime to backside: Auto mode, shut up, portrait selfie (faucet to see full dimension)
Selfies appeared a bit sharpened in daylight, however with first rate element and dynamic vary. Edge detection in Portrait mode whereas utilizing the selfie digital camera was common for this phase. In low gentle, selfies got here out a bit smooth and noisy regardless of which mode I selected. Edge detection was not correct both.
The digital camera’s low-light efficiency in Auto mode wasn’t nice. It had bother focusing in dimly lit scenes, and the ensuing images ended up a bit smooth and missing intimately. The devoted Evening mode vastly improved picture high quality, bringing in much more element together with sharpness, and added some definition to textures. The outcomes have been spectacular for this phase, nevertheless it takes 4-5 seconds to seize a picture, so in the event you do not maintain the telephone regular, picture high quality can deteriorate drastically.
Realme C55 low-light digital camera samples. Prime: Auto mode, Backside: Evening mode (faucet to see full dimension)
Video high quality is proscribed to 1080p at 60fps. Recorded footage had first rate element however was low on dynamic vary, and there have been some clipped highlights. Movies lack stabilisation utterly, so they arrive out fairly shaky. In low gentle, recording at 1080p 30fps resulted in higher high quality with first rate dynamic vary, however video was nonetheless fairly low on element and had noise. Clips have been fairly shaky and focusing was an issue.
Verdict
In 2023, a number of smartphone manufacturers have began providing 5G fashions on the decrease finish of the finances phase. There’s the Infinix Sizzling 20 5G (Assessment), priced beginning at Rs. 11,499, and the Poco M4 5G at Rs. 11,999, to call a couple of. Then there are smartphones such because the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G, which prices Rs. 13,999 onwards and affords higher software program efficiency and good digital camera efficiency together with 5G connectivity.
Realme thinks it has discovered a candy spot with an attention-grabbing design (for a finances smartphone) and a good digital camera which shoots good daylight images. Nonetheless, battery life is not as much as expectations for a finances smartphone, and the software program is loaded to the brim with bloat. My unit lagged and stuttered all through the evaluation interval, regardless of having 8GB of RAM. This makes the Realme C55 actually exhausting to suggest. Contemplate it provided that you want a superb digital camera or are keen to disregard its shortcomings due to its distinctive design.
