realme 7 (5G) Review – For just A$500, realme 7 5G is packed with lots of modern features you’d love on a new Android phone like a fingerprint sensor embedded on the power button, 120Hz refresh rate display, and more.
While it’s quite easy to judge it as a mid-tier smartphone, the combination of the design, display, performance, and camera make it worthy to grab and be used as your primary, daily driver.
realme 7 5G Packaging and Unboxing
realme 7 5G Review – Design and Features
This is the first time I’ve ever held a realme phone. It actually looks and feels pretty slick – my review unit here is the
Flash Silver colour, but there is also the Mist Blue as an option.
The back cover feels unique to the touch like touching a shiny, expensive wrapping paper. According to realme, the material used is actually PC+PMMA (Polycarbonate + Polymethyl methacrylate) for improved durability yet environmentally friendly. A case is included in the packaging though and most people would probably cover it all up for the extra protection, which is a pity. It just has a nice feel to it. I’m not a fan of that huge realme branding though, I like my phone clean and sleek.
realme 7 5G has a 6.5″ display with 2400 x 1080 FHD+ resolution, 405ppi, and a surprising 120Hz maximum refresh rate. The display itself is pretty sharp and there were times when I got amazed at how striking photos were while browsing my Facebook feed or the news. It’s very good for a phone of this price.
Plus, having the 120Hz refresh rate means smooth scrolling and this helps when scrolling through a long social meida feed or playing fast-paced games on the phone.
The phone performance is good but you can’t compare it to high-end smartphones as I could feel apps and games were opening a bit slower than usual. But if you are not coming from using a high-end, $2000 phone, you most likely won’t notice anything. realme 7 5G is powered by an octa-core processor of up to 2.4GHz (Dimensity 800U) with 8GB RAM, and 128GB ROM.
There is also a unique fingerprint sensor located at the power button. Resting my finger on the power button (without even pressing it) opens and unlocks the phone in an instant. It’s a very smooth experience and quite unique among the other competitors in the market. And of course, facial unlocking is also available.
How about the camera? realme 7 5G has a quad camera system:
- 48MP Ultra high-resolution camera, f/1.8
- 8MP Ultra wide-angle lens (119 degrees), f/2.3
- B&W Portrait Lens, f/2.4
- 2MP Macro Lens with 4cm focus, f/2.4
Here are some photos taken with realme 7 5G:
The camera system overall takes good quality of pictures with sufficient amount of light. You won’t see great pictures when zoomed in or under low-lit conditions but it’s understandable for a phone of this price and specs. They are good overall but details can be missing and some parts felt washed out.
The phone also has a dual-sim slot, Dolby Atmos with Hi-Res Audio, and 5G. Using 5G all the time can chew batteries quicker than 4G, but thankfully realme 7 5G has a 5,000mAh massive battery to support it. With that big battery, the realme team ensures charging stays quick, thanks to the 30W Dart Charge through USB-C.
realme 7 5G Review Conclusion
realme 7 5G offers a great value for a A$500 phone. It has a sharp looking display with beautiful design, and that 120Hz refresh rate is pretty juicy for a phone of this price.
The camera takes decent pictures and great for social media sharing, though you might be disappointed when trying to take photos in low lit conditions or when you look at the photos on a bigger monitor screen (which are the same problems for all mid range phones).
realme 7 5G is available now at realme website and also retailers around Australia.
Disclosure: realme 7 5G review sample was supplied for reviewing
realme 7 5g Review
Overall
Summary
A decent price for what you’ll be getting, and definitely worthy to be used as your primary phone, unless you are looking to take best pictures
Pros
- Beautifully designed
- Bright display with 120Hz refresh rate
- 5,000mAh battery with fast charging
- Case included with screen protector already applied
- 5G support
- Dual-Sim, Dolby Atmos
Cons
- Not the best camera on a mid range phone
- Mono speaker
- Don’t like the big “realme” tag at the back of the phone