We thoroughly tested Realme’s new budget smartphone, which goes straight to the entry range. It has met our expectations despite being a basic Android terminal in specifications
Realme has become a solid bet for the user, whatever the price range in which we are moving. Recently we saw its journey in the mid-range with a more than convincing proposal, the Realme 11 Pro 5G that stood out for the power of its processor, and for a main camera more than solvent, but the Chinese firm knows how to make pieces in one of the most complex corners: the entry range. As proof, we have analyzed the Realme C33 and Realme C30, with modest specifications, and that have exceeded our expectations.
Now, a twin brother of the two models mentioned above passes through our test laboratory, with perhaps too many similarities, but updated in software and functions. This is the Realme C51, a mobile enough for users without too many pretensions (we are already advancing too much) and one more member for the C family that aims to adjust the price to the maximum, holding a team that will be suitable for anyone who does not judge it for what it is not.
Realme C51 technical information
REALME C51 | |
|---|---|
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 167.2 x 76.7 x 7.99 mm 186 grams |
SCREEN | 6.7-inch LCD 1,600 x 720p HD resolution 90 Hz refresh rate 180Hz refresh rate Brightness up to 560 nits |
PROCESSOR | Unisoc T612 |
RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4X |
STORAGE | 64 GB Up to 2TB with MicroSD card |
FRONT CAMERA | 5 Megapixels, f/2.22 |
REAR CAMERAS | Main: 50 megapixels, f/1.8 Depth sensor: 3 megapixels |
BATTERY | 5,000 mAh Fast charging at 33W |
SOFTWARE | Realme UI based on Android 13 |
CONNECTIVITY | 4G WiFi GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/Galileo NFC 3.5mm headphone jack USB-C |
OTHER | Fingerprint sensor on the side |
PRICE | 159 euros (149 euros with introductory offer) |
Eye-catching design and good construction
As soon as we take the Realme C51 out of its original box, it already enters us through the eyes, because it is a very resultón terminal, at least in the blue color that they have sent us for this analysis. It is clear that we are going to start this first chapter reviewing everything related to the external section, dominated on the front by a large 6.7-inch screen. We are talking about a fairly large phone, without this meaning discomfort. It grips the hand thanks to the flat edges, and is that the design is quite continuous with respect to its brothers.
The corners are completely rounded, which improves the sensations in hand, although this depends to a greater extent on each user. On the other hand, the thickness barely reaches 8 millimeters, so we do not have any criticism, staying at the average. As we said, it is not a compact terminal, yes, its weight of 186 grams makes it transmit good sensations when holding it.
In the back, the cameras that it equips predominate, arranged in three circular contours that protrude from the body. A curious case is that of the flash, also housed in a module of the same size. And yes, as we feared, the cameras make the terminal “dance” when we support it on a smooth surface, although with the cover this problem is corrected. It is worth mentioning the difference in texture in this back, with two different styles.
On the one hand, we have a matte texture for the bottom, which does not catch traces and feels quality. Here we see the Realme logo, and the information regarding the manufacture. At the top, where the cameras are located, there is a piece with a radically opposite texture, which reflects all the light and this time if it grabs the marks of our fingers. The bipolarity of this back cover gives it its own style, without supposing an abysmal distinction with respect to its brothers, but it is beautiful and fulfills its function.
When turning the terminal, we see its sides, which we advance do not hide any surprise. On the right side, we have the keypad arranged in the traditional format: unlock button and fingerprint reader below, volume keypad at the top.
Everyone feels solid when pressed, transmitting again, good sensations. They do not “dance”, even when we try to move them, so they have a good construction. Now, moving to the left side, we see a single element that interrupts it, the removable tray where we will insert our SIM card and microSD.
On the bottom edge, as usual, we find the USB type C connector next to a microphone, the solitary speaker (we do not have stereo audio) and the 3.5 mm jack connector. Everything is agglutinated in this lower part, while the upper side is completely clean of additions.
We return to the front, which we said stood out for the panel that incorporates this Realme C51. It is a screen of almost 7 inches, which includes a drop-shaped cutout where the front camera, the selfie camera, is housed. The frames are quite small, giving the feeling of “all screen”, although it sins of the same as other competitors. Symmetry, that element so difficult to hold, eliminated in this front by the lower chin that is significantly larger than the upper bezel.
We start now with the multimedia section, starting again with the panel, but now we talk about technical data. The screen reaches HD + resolution, something unusual in these days but understandable when we see the price of this Realme terminal. The LCD technology does not help the panel to be the best of this phone, and being correct, it does not stand out in any particular aspect.
It is not a bad panel, but as we say, it does not shine with its own light. The colors look good, striking without reaching the visualization of an AMOLED panel (impossible in this price range) but the viewing angles can be improved. As soon as we turn the device a little, the screen loses sharpness and darkens greatly. It is not something alarming, because we will always have it in front of us, but it denotes the quality of the screen. Brightness, on the other hand, isn’t an issue, though it might be somewhat higher for better outdoor viewing.
This screen is capable of cooling to 90 hertz, something that is appreciated in the input range, although later we will comment on this aspect because its hardware is not able to sustain the rate in all situations. We can calibrate this panel from the system, to choose between two contrast modes (Intense and Soft), and three color modes, with the possibility of changing the temperature to our liking. In the end, we can adjust the visual experience a little more, but we are subject to this panel, not bad but improvable.
Continuing with the multimedia section, we must talk about audio, determining if we use the mobile to consume streaming content. This Realme C51 equips a single speaker, located at the bottom as we saw when reviewing the design, and that sounds quite powerful. Under our tests, it reaches 85 dB, suitable for not missing calls or notifications, but the power sometimes gets out of control, as in this case, losing quality.
With simple headphones, connected in this port, it is possible to improve the sound experience, and here it depends to a greater extent on the quality of the accessories. Through Bluetooth, there is no problem when pairing headphones, although we only have the SBC codec, to the detriment of some better ones such as aptX or LDAC.
We now turn to the biometric authentication section, and it will be brief because the Realme C51 equips a fingerprint sensor in the unlock button that works well. Both the process of adding a new fingerprint and the subsequent unlocking do not present major problems, beyond some errors that will sometimes make us use the established pattern or PIN. It is not a fast sensor, in fact, it takes a while to execute the order.
