Realme 5s Review

Overview

The Realme 5s is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers impressive specs and features at an affordable price. It comes with a large 6.5-inch IPS LCD display, a Snapdragon 665 chipset, and a quad-camera setup on the back. With its long-lasting battery life and solid performance, the Realme 5s is a great option for those on a tight budget.

Design & Build Quality

In terms of design, the Realme 5s features a glass front with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, a plastic back, and a plastic frame. It has a solid build quality and comes in three attractive colors: Crystal Purple, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Red. The device has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for convenient unlocking, and it also offers splash-resistant protection. However, it is worth noting that the phone is a bit heavy at 198g, and the use of a microUSB port instead of USB-C is a downside.

Display

The Realme 5s features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. While the resolution may not be the highest, the display still offers decent color reproduction and good viewing angles. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3+ for added durability. However, the lower resolution may result in slightly less sharpness compared to devices with higher pixel densities.

Performance

Under the hood, the Realme 5s is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset, coupled with 4GB of RAM. This combination provides smooth and lag-free performance for everyday tasks, such as web browsing, social media, and light gaming. The Adreno 610 GPU handles graphics-intensive tasks well, allowing for a decent gaming experience. The device also offers ample storage with options for 64GB or 128GB, which can be expanded further with a dedicated microSD card slot.

Software & UI

The Realme 5s runs on Android 9.0 (Pie) with the Realme UI skin on top. The UI is clean and user-friendly, offering a smooth and intuitive experience. It comes with some useful features, including a system-wide dark mode, gesture navigation, and a variety of customization options. However, it is worth mentioning that the phone does not come with the latest Android version out of the box, and updates may not be as frequent as on higher-end devices.

Camera Quality

One of the standout features of the Realme 5s is its quad-camera setup on the back. It consists of a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The primary camera captures detailed and vibrant photos in good lighting conditions, while the ultra-wide-angle lens allows for capturing wider scenes. The macro lens is useful for close-up shots, and the depth sensor helps in creating portrait mode shots with a pleasing bokeh effect. The device also supports 4K video recording at 30fps. On the front, there is a 13MP selfie camera that takes decent selfies and supports 1080p video recording.

Battery Life

The Realme 5s is equipped with a large 5000mAh non-removable battery, which provides excellent battery life. With moderate usage, the device can easily last a full day on a single charge. It also supports 10W wired charging, which is not the fastest but still gets the job done. The long-lasting battery is a major plus point for users who rely heavily on their smartphones throughout the day.

Connectivity & Networking

In terms of connectivity, the Realme 5s offers dual SIM support, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and FM radio. It lacks NFC, which may be a downside for those who frequently use this feature for contactless payments. The device also features a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer.

Additional Features

Comparison with Alternatives

When compared to other budget smartphones in its price range, the Realme 5s stands out with its quad-camera setup and long-lasting battery life. It offers similar performance to devices like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 and the Samsung Galaxy M21. However, the Realme 5s falls behind in terms of display resolution, as both the Redmi Note 8 and the Galaxy M21 feature higher-resolution displays. Additionally, the use of a microUSB port instead of USB-C may be a drawback for some users.

Pros and Cons

Final Conclusion

In conclusion, the Realme 5s is a budget smartphone that offers a good balance of performance and features at an affordable price. It excels in areas such as camera performance, battery life, and overall smoothness of operation. However, it does have some downsides, including a lower resolution display and the use of a microUSB port. Nevertheless, if you are in the market for a budget-friendly device with decent specifications, the Realme 5s is definitely worth considering.