Literally speaking, Realme 5 is bigger than its more expensive sibling. It’s also heavier and thicker. But the added heft doesn’t mean it’s a total downgrade. In some areas, it only means it’s better than Realme 5 Pro. If you have at least P6,990 to spend, here’s what you’re getting.
READ: Realme 5 Pro Review – One of the Best Mid-Range Smartphone Cameras
Table of Contents
Design
You’ll easily think that Realme 5 is the Realme 5 Pro since it’s more substantial in the hands. While the added heft adds sturdiness, the overall experience is still the same — plasticky. With nearly the same aesthetic as the pro model, there’s no telling which is which. Even the quad-camera position is the same, with only the 12MP imprint telling the difference. The fingerprint scanner is on the back, and as expected, very fast and reliable. A bit of finger stretching is needed for those with smaller hands. Although the phone is on the heavy side, we don’t mind it as long as we have a better battery life (more on that later).
Display
One true downgrade that we see here is the switch to 720p resolution. And with a larger screen to fill, pixelated graphics are easier to notice. But once you get used to it, you probably won’t bother anymore. In 2019, 1080p should be the standard resolution. However, some people just want a better battery life.
Camera
One of the good things about Realme 5 is that it still has that quad-camera setup. It ditches the 48MP Sony sensor that’s so popular nowadays for a 12MP lens. Otherwise, it’s the same 8MP ultrawide, 2MP depth, and 2MP macro sensors.
You should have no problem getting good images when the sun is out. Images already have a decent amount of contrast but you will notice that detail quality is just OK.
With the smaller sensor, you will encounter some focus issues when shooting in low-light situations. Fortunately, the nightscape is there to fix that problem. We do have to mention that chromatic aberration is apparent in this mode, just take a look at Pikachu’s ear. The ultrawide sensor is great in daylight but it’s also impressive to see after sunset. The overall quality is obviously a bit worse but it performs better than its competition. As for the macro sensor, Realme’s software handling adds a bit sharpness to the photos that we really appreciate.
Instead of a 16MP lens, Realme 5 is using a 13MP sensor but with a wide field-of-view. The downgrade in MP size doesn’t really matter — while it’s not as sharp as Realme 5 Pro’s selfie camera, the overall processing of images is strikingly similar. You’ll definitely enjoy selfie photos here.
Performance
Running Snapdragon 665 that’s paired with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and up to 128GB internal storage, there’s more than enough for casual gaming and day-to-day tasks. While ColorOS 6 is full of customizations and such, animations are responsive and loading times are fast. Props to OPPO for that. Yes, the device slows down from time-to-time but only when playing very demanding apps or leaving tons of apps in the background open. That said, it’s best to get the 4GB variant to allow for a smoother experience. However, it won’t solve all the problems. Games should be played under medium settings or lower for the optimal experience.
| Benchmark | Scores |
| Antutu | 143,647 |
| Geekbench Single Core | 1433 |
| Geekbench Multi-Core | 5221 |
READ: OPPO A9 2020 Review – Almost a Great Mid-Range Phone
Audio
Don’t expect too much from the bottom-firing speaker. While it does get loud and clear, it’s on the tinny side. Alternatively, there’s a headphone jack. You just need to use a separate earphone since it’s not bundled in the box.
Battery
At 5000mAh, Realme 5 is carrying a huge battery tank inside it. This means you’re nearly guaranteed to get solid 1-day battery life. With proper management, we can see it lasting up to two days. During our usage, we consistently get at least 6 to 7 hours of screen-on-time before the battery is depleted. That involves being connected to Wi-fi all day, watching hours of video content, browsing social media feeds, and taking pictures and videos. On the flip end, the charging rate is only 10W and through the micro USB port. Filling up its tank means waiting for nearly 3 hours.
For battery life endurance alone, Realme 5 easily trumps its competition making it ‘The Battery King’ for budge phones.
Verdict
Realme 5 may not be carrying all the latest features of a 2019 mid-range smartphone but it excelled a lot more in certain areas. And those areas are what people actually care about. Sometimes, all you need is a phone that can reliably last you without looking for a wall plug. And when you need to capture moments in front of you, the 12MP main sensor is reliable, the 8MP ultrawide is immersive, and the 2MP macro lets you get creative.
While you can get the Realme 5 for as low as P6,990, we recommend getting the top model which features 4GB and 128GB already. It costs P9,990 and will deliver a smoother experience without the worry about running out of storage.
READ: Why Realme 5 Is The Best “Business Smartphone”
Realme 5 specs, price, availability in the Philippines
- Display: 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD, Corning Gorilla Glass 3+
- Design: polycarbonate frame, holographic crystal back panel, splash-resistant
- CPU: Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm)
- RAM: 3GB, 4GB
- Memory: 32GB, 64GB, 128GB with a dedicated MicroSD up to 256GB
- Camera: 12 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF + 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (dedicated macro camera) + 2 MP, f/2.4, depth sensor | video recording up to 4K @ 30fps
- Selfie: 13MP AI, Face unlock
- Connectivity: 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi ac, GPS
- Security: rear-mounted fingerprint sensor
- Battery: 5000mAh, MicroUSB port with 10W charging
- OS: Android 9.0 Pie, ColorOS 6
- Colors: Crystal Blue, Crystal Purple
- Price: P6,990 to P9,990
- Release date: October 2019 Philippines availability
