The new Realme 3 smartphone is here! It boasts a new design, new cameras, and a more powerful processor – all at an INCREDIBLE PRICE!

Find out what the Realme 3 offers over its predecessor, and why we gave it out Reviewer’s Choice Award!

The Official Realme 3 Tech Briefing

Let’s start off with the official Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) tech briefing!

India + International Variants

Before we kick off the preview, we need point out that there are two Realme 3 variants. Internationally, it runs on the MediaTek Helio P60. Yes, the same mobile SoC used in the far pricier OPPO F9.

The Indian variant though runs on the faster MediaTek Helio P70 mobile SoC. What’s different?

• Its four high-speed ARM Cortex-A73 cores run 2.1 GHz, instead of 2.0 GHz
• Its ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU runs at 900 MHz, instead of 800 MHz

Basically, the Helio P70 variant has a slightly faster CPU, with a GPU that is said to be 13% faster.

Realme 3 Colour Options

Globally, there are three colour options – Radiant Blue, Dynamic Black and Classic Black. However, here in Malaysia, they are only bringing in the Radiant Blue and Dynamic Black, which are 3D gradient colours.

The Radiant Blue colour combines semi-transparent blue-green colours with a silver mirror reflective layer.

The Dynamic Black colour, on the other hand, is created by black and blue painting in three separate spray and bake sessions, with pearl powder added to add depth.

Realme 3 Price List + Deals

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) will be available in two configurations, from 6 April 2019 onwards.

• 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage : RM 599 / ~US$ 147 / £ 112
• 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage : RM 699 / ~US$ 172 / £ 131

Unboxing The Realme 3

The Realme 3 (Price Check) comes in a grey cardboard box that features the new Realme visual identity.

Let’s take a look at the box and unbox it to see what’s inside!

When you fully unbox it, you will find the following items :

• One Realme 3 smartphone, wrapped in plastic
• One Realme 3 clear TPU bumper case
• One set of Realme 3 documents
• 10 watt Realme fast USB charger
• One micro USB data and power cable
• One SIM tray extractor pin

We really like its bundled bumper case, and highly recommend that you use it. It provides a thick protective border along all sides of the display. It is also thick enough to protect the camera bump.

Next Page > The Realme 3 Up Close | How To Setup | Full Specifications

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The Realme 3 Smartphone Up Close!

Evolving from last year’s Realme 2, the Realme 3 uses the same form factor.. In fact, it is just 0.1 mm shorter, and 0.1 mm thicker – virtually similar in size!

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) retained the 6.2-inch display, with the same resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. The display notch has, however, been replaced with a smaller dewdrop notch.

Realme also added Gorilla Glass protection, although we are not sure what version they used. Most of what’s changed is literally under the hood.

On the left side, you will find the SIM tray positioned right above the two Volume buttons.

The Power button is located on the right side.

Realme chose to stick with the old micro USB port, probably to ensure compatibility with older cables and devices. The new bidirectional USB Type C port is, frankly, far more convenient to use. We are glad to see the 3.5 mm audio port though.

The only microphones we spotted are here – between the audio port and micro USB port. It looks like it may lack noise cancellation capabilities. The longer row of ports are the speaker ports.

Setting Up The Realme 3 Smartphone

It’s really easy to setup the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB). After all, it is running on the new Android 9.0 Pie. It should take you no more than 5 minutes to set it up as a new device.

Realme 3 Specifications Compared

We created this table to show you the differences between the Indian and International variants. You can also compare them against last year’s Realme 2 smartphone.

Next Page > Realme 3 Key Features

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Dewdrop Notch Display

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB)has a 6.21-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels, like the Realme 2.

But Realme upgraded it with a dewdrop notch, and added Gorilla Glass protection. This gives it a distinct advantage over smartphones at the similar price range, like the HONOR 8C.

Thanks to the smaller notch, there is a lot more space for your notifications. It also increases the screen-to-body ratio to 88.3%.

A Big Boost In Performance!

The last generation Realme 2 used the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, which is a decent mid-range mobile SoC.

This year, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) gets a big performance boost in the form of the MediaTek Helio P60.

It boasts four high-speed ARM Cortex-A73 cores and four low-power ARM Cortex-A53 cores – all running at 2.0 GHz. In addition, it has a faster ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU running at 800 MHz.

On top of that, the Helio P60 is fabricated on the newer 12 nm FinFET process technology. This means a significantly lower power consumption, and thermal output.

The MediaTek Helio P60 modem supports LTE Cat7 (300 Mbps) download and LTE Cat13 (150 Mbps) upload, as well as 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity.

Memory + Storage

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) comes with 4 GB of RAM with 2.25 GB of free memory to use. If you opt for the 3 GB model, you will probably have 1.25 GB of available memory to use. That’s still more RAM than entry-level smartphones come with!

The base model comes with 32 GB of storage., Our higher-end model comes with 64 GB, of which 48 GB or 75% is free to use.

This is enough space to store about 13,000 photos or 6 hours of 1080p videos.

MicroSD + SIM Card Tray

If you don’t find 64 GB of storage sufficient, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) comes with a dedicated microSD card slot that supports up to 256 GB of additional storage.

Even if you don’t use that much storage, using a microSD card will help protect your data in the event the phone is damaged or destroyed.

Those who need dual SIM capability will be delighted to know the Realme 3 comes with two dedicated nano SIM slots. So you can use two SIM cards together with a microSD card. This is as good as it gets!

Fingerprint Sensor

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) retained the same rear fingerprint sensor as the Realme 2. It is fast and accurate, taking only about a dozen finger presses to register. 

The Realme 3 also supports basic facial recognition using the front camera. It is certainly convenient, but for those who are security conscious, we recommend sticking with the fingerprint sensor.

Aesthetics

Despite its very modest price point, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) looks premium, thanks to its injection-moulded unibody with curved edges and a really beautiful gradient colour scheme.

This combination of a curvy silhouette and gradient colours, with a mirror-like finish gives the Realme 3 a really premium look and feel.

Realme offers a classic Black option in some countries, but most countries will have two 3D gradient colour options – Dynamic Black and Radiant Blue.

The Radiant Blue colour combines semi-transparent blue-green colours with a silver mirror reflective layer.

The Dynamic Black colour, on the other hand, is created by black and blue painting in three separate spray and bake sessions, with pearl powder added to add depth.

Next Page > Realme 3 Camera Features + Ergonomics

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Better Cameras

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) has a new 13 MP main camera with a new, brighter f/1.8 lens. While it is still a 13 MP sensor, this sensor has larger 1.12 µm pixels.

The brighter lens and larger pixels will deliver better low-light performance with lower noise levels.

In addition, this new camera now supports 90 fps slow-motion video recording at the 720p resolution.

Like the Realme 2, it is still paired with a 2 MP depth sensor, and supported by a single LED flash.

The depth sensor does not actually take any pictures. Instead, it lets the camera to more accurately differentiate the subject from its background, allowing for more realistic software bokeh effects..

The front camera has been upgraded with a higher-resolution 13 MP sensor with a brighter f/2.0 lens. The Realme 2, you may recall, has an 8 MP front camera with f/2.2 lens.

Nightscape Mode

For the first time at this price range, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) camera has a Nightscape mode.

Like the HDR feature, it takes multiple shots in quick succession and combine them for a brighter scene, and to bring out the details in the shadows.

Nightscape goes beyond, applying a combination of AI and anti-shake algorithms to dramatically increase exposure in extremely dim lighting, while keeping noise under control.

Chroma Boost Mode

Also new to this price range is the Realme 3’s Chroma Boost mode. It is similar to the Scene Optimiser feature in flagship devices like the Samsung Galaxy S10+ or the Samsung Galaxy Note9.

It uses AI algorithms to recognise scenes in a photo, and automatically optimise the photo’s colour, dynamic range and detail. The resulting pictures have greater dynamic range and have more vivid colours.

Ergonomics

Despite its large display size, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) is just 75.6 mm wide, and 156.1 mm tall. Thanks to its narrow bezels and dewdrop notch, it feels relatively compact in the hand.

Even though it only delivers a HD+ resolution on such a large screen, the icons and text look sharp and crisp. Realme did not reveal its maximum brightness, but it held up well in bright sunlight.

The ultra-wide aspect ratio is great for playing games, but you will have to live with some pillarboxing – a black bar on each side of a movie.

Next Page > Realme 3 Camera Performance – Photo + Video Samples

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Realme 3 Camera Performance – Photo Samples

The Realme 3’s main camera has a new 13 MP sensor with larger 1.12 µm pixels. In addition, it is paired with brighter f//1.8 lens usually found in flagship-class smartphones.

The maximum 13 MP resolution is attained with the 4:3 aspect ratio. The photos are 4160 x 3120 pixels in size; with a file size of between 3 MB and 4 MB.

Here are 12 high-resolution unedited samples for you to check out. Click on them to load the full-sized photos. You can also download them to examine up close.

Despite its modest price point, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) is delivering close to flagship-class photos. Blow up the picture to 100% and marvel at the detail the sensor captured.

Even without using its Chroma Boost feature, the camera is already capable of producing remarkably vivid colours.

We have to point out though that the camera is not great for macros. It has trouble focusing at short distances. But you can get pretty good results if you are careful about the focus distance.

The bright f/1.8 aperture naturally creates a narrow depth of field, with a nicer bokeh effect. But for the ultimate bokeh effect, you should leverage its Portrait mode, which leverages its depth sensor to separate the subject from the background and lets you create really nice bokeh for the background.

Realme 3 Camera Performance – Video Samples

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) only supports 1080p video recording from both the front and rear cameras. Here are two video samples.

Video Sample #1 : Piano Performance

When you play the video, you will notice that it lacks both optical and electronic stabilisation. So if you can afford it, get a gimbal. It will iron out this problem.

Later in the video, you will see us zoom in and out. The Realme 3 does not have a zoom lens, but it has a 2X software zoom button. However, we don’t recommend using it because it seems to have focus issues.

The audio recording was not good either. It was overly bright, with too much echo and an odd background buzz. Without doubt, the Realme 2 Pro has superior video recording capabilities.

Video Sample #2 : Street Market

In this video, you can clearly see that there is no stabilisation of any kind. So make sure you get a gimbal if you want to do serious video recording.

You can also clearly hear the background buzz we were talking about in the previous video. That’s not wind noise, because we are not moving that fast. It’s just ever-present in the video, even when we paused for a moment.

Next Page > Realme 3 Performance – Work, Gaming, Battery Life + Recharging Speed

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Work Performance – PCMark

We tested the Realme 3’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) did very well in this test. Its MediaTek Helio P60 virtually matched the flagship-class Kirin 970 powering the HONOR Play.

It was 13% faster than the far more expensive OPPO R17 Pro, and 35% faster than the Galaxy A7 2018 smartphones!

Gaming Performance – 3DMark

We tested the Realme 3’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) also delivered good gaming performance. It was 36% slower than the HONOR Play which boasts the flagship-class Kirin 970 mobile SoC.

On the other hand, it was 32% faster than the OPPO R17 Pro and Galaxy A7 2018,, which are both more expensive mid-range smartphones!

Battery Life – PCMark

We then tested the Realme 3’s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.

Thanks to its large battery, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) delivered a good battery life of 10.5 hours. Note that this is not just screen-on time. It’s running the Work 2.0 benchmark over, and over again, for 10.5 hours!

That said, it is the least efficient model in this comparison, using 6% more power than the HONOR Play, 28.5% more than the OPPO R17 Pro, and 38% more than the Samsung Galaxy A7 2018.

Battery Recharging Performance

The Realme 3 comes with a 10 watt fast charger. Let’s take a look at how fast it recharges the 4,230 mAh battery.

The Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) took 3 hours and 10 minutes (190 minutes) to recharge its battery from 20% to 100%. This is not very good performance for a 10 watt charger, because the Galaxy A7 2018 recharges 29% faster with its less powerful 7.75 watt charger.

Its battery life : recharging ratio of 3.3 : 1 is also below average. A rule of thumb – for one hour of battery life, you’ll need to charge it for 18 minutes.

Next Page > Realme 3 – Our Verdict + Award | Specification Comparison

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Our Verdict + Award!

Since its inception, Realme has shocked the industry with their ability and willingness to push against the boundaries of what’s possible.

Their first slew of smartphones were incredible value propositions that helped make Realme a household name in just a few months. And they did it without noticeably sacrificing quality or features.

The new Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) impressed us no less with its incredible combination of great features, a classy unibody design, and an unbelievable price point. Unbelievably, it is a BIG UPGRADE from its predecessor, the Realme 2.

First, they gave it a big performance boost with the MediaTek Helio P60 processor.  Impressively, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) was as fast as the flagship-class Kirin 970 in work performance, and delivered 32% faster gaming performance than the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 and Samsung Exynos 7885 processors.

Next, they upgraded the display; replacing the wide notch with a small dewdrop notch, and adding Gorilla Glass protection. The biggest upgrades though came in the form of its front and rear cameras.

In the front, Realme replaced the 8 MB selfie camera with a higher-resolution 13 MP camera with a brighter f/2.0 lens.

In the back, it upgraded the 13 MP camera with a new sensor with larger pixels, and a new, brighter f/1.8 lens. This camera also boasts new AI capabilities in the form of Nightscape and Chroma Boost photography modes.

Everything was packed into a really classy unibody chassis with a large 4,230 man battery. The Radiant Blue model is especially beautiful, with its blue-green gradient tones.

Now, here is the punchline. These features are not unique to Realme. You can find them in other smartphones from other brands. But only the Realme 3 offers all that at these incredible price points :

• 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage : RM 599 / ~US$ 147 / £ 112
• 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage : RM 699 / ~US$ 172 / £ 131

Ultimately, the Realme 3 (64 GB | 32 GB) offers you a powerful mid-range smartphone with high-resolution front and rear cameras, at the price point of entry-level smartphones!

For delivering an incredible value proposition.. an incredible bargain.. yet again, we proudly award the Realme 3 our Reviewer’s Choice Award! Great job, Realme!

Realme 3 Specifications Compared

Recommended Reading

• Realme 3 Price List + Deals + Specifications Revealed!
• Realme Fans Festival Deals with Shopee + Lexis Hotel Group!
• Realme Deals @ Lazada Super Brand Day Sets New Record!
• Realme Malaysia Offers 360 Degree After Sales Service
• New Realme Visual Identity + Branded Products Revealed!
• The Realme 2 Pro In-Depth Review – Max Power, Max Style!
• The Definitive Realme 2 vs. Realme C1 Comparison!
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• The Realme 2 PRO Price, Deals, Specifications + More!
• The Realme 2 Price, Offers, Specifications + Tech Briefing!

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