realme C65 Full Review
realme Philippines has officially launched the highly anticipated realme C65 through an online livestream on its Facebook and YouTube pages, making it the newest addition to the popular realme C-Series.
I've already unboxed the device and shared my initial impressions. In this review, I will delve deeper into the smartphone's features to help you determine if it's the right choice for you.
Design and Walk Around
The realme C65 features a "Shining Starlight Design" inspired by starlight. The design incorporates a double texture to create a special effect reminiscent of shining stars. The realme C65 is offered in two colors - Starlight Black and Starlight Purple. Mine comes in Starlight Black variant.
In terms of dimensions, the phone is slim at 7.64mm with a battery thickness of only 4.4mm despite having a 5,000mAh capacity. It's also lightweight at 185 grams. The realme C65 is designed with a "right angle" that allows the phone to stand on its own, and it has curved edges for enhanced comfort and grip.
The realme C65 features a 6.67-inch HD+ (1604 x 720) IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The display has a centered hole-punch 8MP camera on the top and a thin, discreetly etched earpiece above it. In addition, the phone comes with a pre-installed screen protector.
On the back, the camera module’s plate is made with polycarbonate and 10% glass fiber with a vacuum-plated high-gloss process. The dual camera system includes a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor, along with a single LED flash.
The left side houses the card tray with a 3-card slot for two nano-SIM cards and a dedicated slot for a microSD card with up to 2TB of expandable storage.
On the right side, you'll find the standard volume rocker button and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button.
At the bottom of the phone, you can find the USB Type-C charging port, downward-firing speaker, microphone, and 3.5mm audio jack.
Display and Multimedia
The realme C65 features a large 6.67-inch IPS display with HD+ (1604 x 720) resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and 500 Nits of brightness, which can go up to 625 Nits in HBM (High Brightness Mode).
Additionally, the display can also be adjusted to as low as 1 Nit of brightness, making it easier on the eyes in poorly lit or dark environments. This can be done manually using the brightness slider or automatically with Auto Brightness, which adjusts the brightness based on ambient lighting conditions.
The IPS screen produces vibrant colors and offers decent viewing angles. However, using the device in direct sunlight may pose some challenges, even at its maximum brightness.
The audio quality of the UltraBoom speaker is typical for smartphones in this price range—it can get loud, but the overall audio quality is average. For better sound quality, it's recommended to use headphones or an external speaker.
Camera
Rear Cameras
As for the camera, the realme C65 features a dual-camera set-up, including a 50MP F1.8 main camera with Phase Detection autofocus (PDAF) and a 2MP F2.4 secondary lens for depth sensing.
The main camera offers various features embedded into realme UI such as the Portrait Mode, Street Mode, Night Mode, Tilt-Shift, Dedicated Filters and Dedicated Watermarks with customizable options.
In bright lighting, the rear camera produces good quality photos, but there is room for improvement in dynamic range and sharpness.
In indoor and low-light conditions, photos may appear less clear, even with the Night Mode feature. Nonetheless, the camera is suitable for casual social media use.
Front Selfie Camera
The realme C65's front camera is an 8MP camera with an F2.05 aperture and an FOV of 80°. It includes typical selfie features such as Face Beautification and Photo Filters.
The front camera captures good photos, particularly in well-lit conditions. However, background blurring for portrait selfies is not perfect but acceptable.
Video
Regarding video recording, the realme C65 supports up to 1080p@30fps for both main and front-facing cameras. However, the recorded video from the main camera may appear shaky due to the lack of image stabilization.
realme UI, Apps, and Security
The realme C65 smartphone utilizes a new and improved version of realme UI based on Android 14. Now having a more updated design, and new features that are tailor-made for security, personalization, and performance. The realme UI 5.0 is clean, easy to navigate, and pre-installed with Google's standard app suite and some unnecessary apps.
For security, the realme C65 comes equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button that allows custom mapping of the side-mounted power button for certain usage scenarios simply by double-tapping or double-pressing the button to activate.
Hardware and Performance
The realme C65 is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G85 processor manufactured using a 12nm process. It includes two Cortex-A75 cores that can reach up to 2.0GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores that can reach up to 1.8GHz. It also comes with a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU.
Furthermore, the realme C65 supports Dynamic RAM Expansion technology, allowing you to virtually expand your phone's RAM using the internal storage. You can allocate either 4GB, 6GB, or 8GB of your storage to act as RAM.
In terms of performance, the device handles everyday tasks smoothly, but the gaming experience in graphics-intensive games is okay with some slight lags in certain games. However, it's important to note that this is not a gaming smartphone, so expectations should be moderated.
The realme C65 is available in the Philippines with 256GB of storage. My unit with 256GB of storage used 26.5GB out of the box. If you need more storage, you can expand it up to 2TB via its dedicated microSD card slot.
Additionally, the phone has an IP54 Dust & Water Resistance rating, ensuring its safety against accidental splashes and other incidents.
Below are the benchmark scores from this device:
- AnTuTu v10.2.7 – 285,852
- AnTuTu Storage Test v10.2.7 – 14,063 (303.3 MB/s Seq. Read, 273.7 MB/s Seq. Write)
- Geekbench 6.3.0 – 430 (Single-core), 1,365 (Multi-core)
- PCMark – 8,302 (Work 3.0)
- 3DMark – 1,415 (SSE – OpenGL ES 3.1), 1,428 (SSE – Vulkan)
TÜV Rheinland Certified
The realme C65 has undergone a series of rigorous tests to determine its peak capacity. As a result, it has been granted the TÜV SÜD 48-Month Fluency Rating for its continuous peak performance even after 48 months of use out of the box. Realme also promises up to 3 years of support through software with 2 major updates.
This certification ensures that the realme C65 will maintain its performance when properly cared for, ensuring a smooth user experience for at least four years, even as newer models enter the market.
Real Essentials
Real Essentials are the latest features from realme designed to optimize the user experience. These dedicated functions on the realme C65 are customized to enhance and streamline users' ability to maximize their device's capabilities.
The Real Essentials include the following features:
- Air Gestures: Uses the selfie camera at low power to identify hand gestures using AI algorithms and perform actions such as swiping up and down.
- Dynamic Button: Allows custom-mapping on the power button for a double-tap or double-press to activate or open a specific function or application.
- Mini capsule 2.0: Displays an expanding animation from the selfie camera hole punch in the shape of a pill at the top of the screen to indicate certain notifications and toggles.
- Rainwater Smart Touch: Utilizes algorithms to maintain display accuracy of at least 96% even when the display is wet with droplets, water, or mist. It also registers clicks and swipes accurately even with wet or moist hands.
- Smart Code Scan: Recognizes a double-tap gesture at the back of the upper part of the phone to activate the rear camera and instantly scan a QR Code for easy connections and payments, including compatibility with popular fintech apps like GCash, Grab, and Maya.
- Customized Lowest Brightness: Allows the display to reduce brightness by as low as 1 Nit to reduce strain on the user's eyes, especially in low-light conditions.
- AI Boost: Enables the user to choose between Smooth Boost or Game Boost, allowing the phone to prioritize overall productivity or gaming performance.
- Riding Mode: Provides an easy-to-navigate app window where users can access Google Maps, Music Apps, Contacts, and Google Dialer for ease of use when riding motorcycles or driving.
Battery and Connectivity
The realme C65 comes equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that can last a whole day of moderate usage without requiring an additional charge. In the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Life Test, the device scored around 14 hours and 13 minutes.
Furthermore, the realme C65 is bundled with a 45W SUPERVOOC charger that can charge the 5,000mAh battery from 0% to 50% in just 30 minutes, and from 0% to 100% in 1 hour and 17 minutes.
The realme C65 also has charging technologies that help the realme C65 learn the user’s habits and sleeping patterns to optimize by slowing down or stopping charging for protection and helping conserve battery health and battery aging.
The realme C65 includes a Multi-Mode Enhanced Antenna, in addition to the battery and charger, to ensure a smooth signal reception and minimal interference, regardless of how the phone is held. Furthermore, the realme C65 is equipped with standard connectivity features such as dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), 4G LTE, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a 3.5mm audio jack, and USB Type-C.
realme C65 Specifications
6.67-inch HD+ (1604 x 720) IPS display, 264ppi
90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate
Mediatek Helio G85 processor (12nm)
Mali-G52 MC2 GPU
8GB RAM with Dynamic RAM Expansion
256GB of internal storage
Up to 2TB Expandability via microSD Card
Dual-rear cameras (50MP F1.8 main + 2MP F2.4 depth)
8MP F2.05 front camera
Dual-SIM / 4G LTE
WiFi 5 / Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS
USB Type-C / 3.5mm audio jack
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
IP54 Dust & Water Resistance
realme UI 5.0 (Android 14)
5,000mAh Battery with 45W SUPERVOOC Charge
Dimensions: 164.6 x 76.1 x 7.64mm
Weight: 185g
Colors: Woodland Green and Twilight Purple
What’s inside the box
If you missed the unboxing of the realme C65, here's what you should know. The phone comes in a signature yellow-colored box and includes the phone itself, a USB Type-C to USB-A charging cable, a 45W SUPERVOOC Charger, a SIM card ejector tool, a protective silicone case, a quick start guide, and essential product information, including the warranty card.
Price and Availability
The realme C25 is now available in a single storage variant of 8GB+256GB and is priced at Php9,999 SRP. Here are the details of the online and offline offers available for this smartphone.
Online Offers
For those shopping online, the realme C25 is available at a discounted price on realme Philippines' official e-commerce platforms from June 13 to June 21. Exclusive freebies are also available while supplies last. Remember to claim platform vouchers and redeem them at checkout to maximize the discounts.
Offline Offers
- June 14-16 & June 21-23: Visit selected realme physical stores nationwide to participate in the Dice Game and get a chance to win prizes worth up to P1,999, including a TechLife 2-in-1 Cable, TechLife Smart Scale, TechLife Portable Blender 40W, or a TechLife Cooling Fan.
- Credit Card: Enjoy 0% installment for 6 months.
- Home Credit: Avail of 0% interest for the first month, up to 9 months, for purchases made from June 13-30, 2024.
Verdict
The realme C65 introduces several firsts to the C-Series, including its Real Essential suite of functions, Low Blue Light Certification, and TÜV SÜD 48-Month Fluency Rating. It also offers all-around features such as decent performance, a long-lasting battery, and a good camera.
Is this the smartphone you're looking for? The answer is a resounding "YES." Despite facing tough competition in its price segment, the realme C65 delivers on its promises, providing a Quality Champion Experience for all.
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