Realme C55 Review: Budget Smartphone That Surprised!
The Realme C55 stands out from other C-series smartphones due to its higher starting price. It offers compelling features like the 90Hz FHD+ display, 33W fast charging, and a 64-megapixel camera. However, there are some potential shortcomings in terms of build quality and software experience. The user interface and software experience might not be as refined or feature-rich as some other smartphones in its category.
Ultimately, the decision to purchase the Realme C55 will depend on individual preferences, priorities, and budget considerations.
Realme C55: Video Review
| Specs | Realme C55 |
| Display | 6.72 inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels, IPS LCD, 90Hz, 680 nits, 20:9 ratio |
| CPU | Mediatek Helio G88 (12nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MC2 |
| RAM | 4GB, 6GB, 8GB |
| ROM | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) |
| OS | Android 13, Realme UI 4.0 |
| Main Camera | 64 MP, (wide), 1/2", PDAF, 2 MP, (depth) |
| Selfie Camera | 8 MP, (wide) |
| NFC | Yes, 360˚ (market/region dependent) |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| Battery | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 33W wired, 50% in 29 min (advertised) |
| Dimensions | 165.6 x 75.9 x 7.9 mm (6.52 x 2.99 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 189.5 g (6.70 oz) |
| Colors | Sun Shower, Rainy Night, Rainforest |
Realme C55: Unboxing
The Realme C55 package comes in a distinctive yellow box, which is characteristic of Realme smartphones. Inside this box, users will find a comprehensive set of accessories that enhance the overall user experience.
The package includes a 33W charger, which enables fast charging capabilities for the smartphone. The inclusion of a fast charger is a convenient addition, as not all smartphones in this price range offer such a feature.
A USB-C cable is also provided, user guidance and card tray needle.
To ensure protection and longevity for the device, Realme provides a protective case with the package. This case helps guard against scratches, bumps, and minor drops, preserving the overall condition of the smartphone.
Lastly, the package contains the Realme C55 smartphone itself, with a factory-applied foil on the screen. The screen foil serves as an added layer of protection, preventing scratches or smudges during transportation and handling.
Overall, the Realme C55 package leaves no room for complaints as it includes all the necessary accessories and components.
Design
The Realme C55 stands out in the budget smartphone segment with its upmarket design, setting itself apart from its competitors. One notable feature is the Rainforest colorway, which boasts a matte-finished back panel with a captivating rainbow-inspired effect. This unique design element catches the eye and adds a touch of sophistication to the phone. The straight lines and flat edges of the device contribute to its overall aesthetic appeal, while the relatively large camera island adds a distinctive visual element.
Speaking of the camera island, Realme has incorporated a different color and finish to make it stand out from the rest of the rear panel. This subtle differentiation adds a nice touch to the design. Both the frame and the rear panel of the phone are made of polycarbonate, which is a common material used in smartphones at this price point. Despite its affordability, the polycarbonate material used in the Realme C55 feels pleasant to the touch. The dual-tone striped/ribbed design on the back not only adds visual interest but also helps prevent fingerprint smudges, keeping the device looking clean and fresh.
Despite packing a sizable 5000mAh battery, the Realme C55 maintains a relatively slender profile at 7.89mm. This slim design ensures comfortable handling and ease of use. However, it’s worth noting that the phone does have a weight of 189g, which is slightly on the heavier side.
While the overall design of the Realme C55 has its merits, there are a couple of aspects that might not appeal to everyone. Some users may find the rather large frames surrounding the camera lenses less desirable, particularly as dust tends to accumulate in these areas. Additionally, individual preferences may come into play regarding the placement of the fingerprint reader within the screen lock button and the presence of a flat glass pane on the front.
Display
The Realme C55 features a flat IPS screen with a generous size of 6.72 inches, offering a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels in a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display is a notable addition to the C-series, as it introduces a punch-hole cutout in the center for the selfie camera, enhancing the phone’s modern and immersive design.
With a maximum refresh rate of 90 Hz, the Realme C55’s display provides a smooth and fluid user experience. Content is displayed with remarkable clarity and responsiveness, making scrolling, gaming, and multimedia consumption more enjoyable. The 90 Hz refresh rate contributes to the overall smoothness of the device’s operation.
The display supports a peak brightness of 680 nits, making it easily visible and usable outdoors, even in brighter lighting conditions.
Moreover, the Realme C55 comes with Widevine L1 certification out of the box. This certification allows users to enjoy full-HD content on popular streaming platforms, ensuring a high-quality viewing experience for movies, TV shows, and other media.
While the Realme C55’s display is an IPS panel, which means it may not achieve perfect black levels, it compensates with excellent viewing angles and accurate color reproduction. The screen provides vibrant and natural colors, enhancing the overall visual experience.
In the device settings, users have the option to enable a dark mode for the menu, providing a visually comfortable experience, especially in low-light environments. Additionally, users can adjust the screen’s colors and refresh rate to suit their preferences.
It’s worth noting that the Realme C55 does not feature an Always-on Display functionality. This omission is likely due to the limitations of the IPS panel technology used in the device, as it does not support individually lit pixels like AMOLED displays. However, this absence does not significantly impact the overall usability and functionality of the smartphone.
Performance
The Realme C55 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 processor, accompanied by Mali-G52 graphics and either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, depending on the variant. The device offers 256GB of internal storage, with approximately 207GB available to the user. If additional storage is required, the Realme C55 supports microSD cards for expansion.
In benchmark tests, the performance of the Realme C55 falls within the range of last year’s Realme 9i. It achieves a score of approximately 269,293 points on the Antutu Benchmark 9.5.9 and scores around 1412 points in the Sling Shot Extreme test on 3D Mark. In the Wild Life Extreme test on 3D Mark, it obtains a score of around 188 points. These benchmark results indicate that the Realme C55 is not a high-performance gaming machine and may not meet the expectations of avid gamers. While most games can be played smoothly on the device, demanding titles may require reducing the graphics settings to maintain a smooth gameplay experience.
One of the strengths of the Realme C55 is its work culture. The device does not heat up excessively, even during extended periods of use. This is particularly beneficial as it ensures that the phone’s performance remains consistent. In stress tests, the Realme C55 maintains an efficiency rate of 99%, indicating that it does not suffer from performance degradation even under demanding conditions.
In everyday usage, the Realme C55 delivers a smooth and stable interface experience for the most part. However, occasional animation slowdowns may occur in menus, although they are not prevalent or consistent.
The Realme C55 offers full Dual-SIM functionality, allowing users to use two nanoSIM cards simultaneously without having to remove the memory card. This feature provides convenience and flexibility for managing multiple phone numbers or networks. However, it’s important to note that the Realme C55 does not support 5G networks, so users will be limited to 4G LTE connectivity.
In terms of navigation capabilities, the Realme C55 supports GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, and Galileo systems, ensuring accurate positioning and location tracking. The device also includes a built-in compass, which can be handy for orientation purposes. During tests, the phone demonstrated reliable performance in locating the user’s position.
Regarding connectivity options, the Realme C55 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, allowing for fast and stable wireless connections with compatible devices. The presence of a USB-C port ensures convenient and efficient charging and data transfer. Additionally, the phone features NFC (Near Field Communication), enabling contactless payments and easy pairing with compatible devices.
Moving on to security features, the Realme C55 incorporates a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button on the side of the device. This placement allows for quick and convenient access to unlocking the phone. The fingerprint reader is always active and generally works fast and accurately, providing a reliable biometric security option. Additionally, the phone supports face unlock, which offers a fast and hassle-free method of unlocking the screen using facial recognition.
Software
The Realme C55 comes with Realme UI 4.0, which is based on the Android 13 operating system. While the OS offers a feature-rich experience, it does suffer from the inclusion of ads throughout the interface. Stock apps such as the file manager, radio app, and music app have ads embedded within them. It’s important to note that these ads are common in smartphones within this price range, and the Realme C55 is no exception. Additionally, the device comes with over 15 pre-installed bloatware apps, which can take up storage space and potentially affect performance.
Despite these drawbacks, Realme UI 4.0 does offer several useful features. Users can enjoy features like split-screen mode, which allows for multitasking by running two apps simultaneously. The flexible windows feature enables the resizing and positioning of app windows, providing a more customizable and efficient user experience. The smart sidebar is another handy feature that provides quick access to frequently used apps and tools.
Realme has also implemented Dynamic Island animations, inspired by the iPhone 14 Pro’s animations, as a feature called “Mini Capsule” in the Realme C55. However, this feature appears to be half-baked and not particularly useful, as it only works in a limited number of situations.
Camera
The Realme C55 features a dual-camera setup, with the primary camera being the most important at 64 megapixels (f/1.79). The second camera is a 2-megapixel depth sensor (f/2.4) used for measuring depth of field. The camera module is accompanied by a dual LED flash. Unfortunately, the device does not have optical image stabilization or a wide-angle lens.
In daylight conditions, the camera performs surprisingly well. Despite the absence of a wide-angle lens, the photos captured with the primary camera exhibit impressive detail, low noise, vibrant colors, and accurate white balance in most cases. The portrait mode also delivers satisfactory results, accurately detecting and separating the subject from the background.
In low-light situations, the camera performance naturally declines, depending on the available light. Generally, there is a reduction in detail and a slight increase in noise. The Ultra Night Mode feature attempts to improve the situation, enhancing detail and brightness to some extent. However, autofocus issues may persist, and the time required to capture a photo increases significantly.
Video recording on the Realme C55 is limited to a maximum resolution of 1080p at 60 frames per second. The absence of 4K resolution, combined with subpar stabilization and average detail, means that video quality is unlikely to impress. Particularly noticeable is the lack of effective stabilization, which can result in shaky footage.
On the front, the Realme C55 features an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 optics. In daylight conditions, the front camera captures photos with excellent detail and a wide tonal range. The portrait mode for selfies also delivers pleasing results.
Battery
The Realme C55 is equipped with a sizable 5000mAh battery, providing ample power for extended usage. With this battery capacity, the device can comfortably last for one and a half to two days of mixed usage, which aligns well with user expectations. This means users can go through their daily activities without the constant need to recharge.
Charging the Realme C55 is convenient and fast, thanks to its support for a maximum power of 33W. The device comes with a dedicated charger, the SuperVOOC 33W, included in the package. With this charger, the battery can be fully charged in approximately 75 minutes, allowing for quick replenishment of power. Additionally, the first 50% of the battery can be achieved in just 30 minutes, which is impressive and convenient for users who need a quick charge during their busy schedules.
Realme C55: Conclusion
Overall, the Realme C55 presents a compelling package with its attractive design, decent performance, feature-rich software, and long-lasting battery life. While it may not be perfect in every aspect, it offers good value for its price, making it a viable option for budget-conscious consumers looking for a reliable smartphone experience.
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