We tested the new affordable Realme flagship: in-depth analysis and opinion of the Realme GT 2.
Realme has long since become a real alternative to other major manufacturers that have been on the market longer such as Xiaomi or Samsung shopping mode, not only in the mid and low range but also in the high range since the realme GT last year it was a leap in quality that made the young Chinese firm equal to the rest of its competitors.
Well, the second version of its flagship is here: we are talking, of course, about the realme GT 2, a high-end terminal with almost top features that we have been able to test for a few weeks.
The realme GT 2 is one of the best affordable high-end terminals of 2023 since it has hardware that will meet the expectations of a large majority of users, in addition, it is one of the devices with one of the best quality ratios -market price.
The realme GT 2 is a smartphone that has a truly original design, something that we already saw in the first generation of the GT saga, which allows it to differentiate itself from other manufacturers. In our particular case, we have been able to test the “paper green” version and the truth is that it is one of the most beautiful terminals that we have been able to test.
In addition to an exquisite design, the realme GT 2 is equipped with a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, a high-end processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, a camera system that takes a leap in quality compared to the original realme GT and a Huge 5,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging that’s nearly impossible to run out of and charges in just 30 minutes.
Therefore, we can say without fear of being wrong that the realme GT 2 has everything it takes to become one of the best terminals of the year since it combines quality hardware with a very competitive price.
Next, we are going to take an in-depth look at the realme GT 2 to see if it really is as good as it seems.
Realme GT 2, opinion and score
| Should I buy the realme GT 2? | |
|---|---|
| A favor |
|
| Against |
|
| Conclusions | Realme has launched a high-end terminal with an original and different design, a premium screen, excellent performance, a camera system typical of more expensive devices, and a high-capacity battery with ultra-fast charging. And all this for less than 600 euros. Well done really! |
| score |
realme GT 2 One of the best high-end terminals of 2023 in value for money. |
Realme GT 2 price and where to buy it
The realme GT 2 is the most contained model of the new high-end realme range and is available in two different versions. The first one has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage and has an official price of 549 euros. The second, which is the one we have been able to test, has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory and has a recommended retail price of 599.99 euros.
Regarding the available colors, the realme GT 2 is available in three different shades: paper green, the protagonist of this review, steel black and paper white .
Where is the Realme GT 2 located?
The realme GT 2 is one step below the Chinese firm’s flagship killer, the realme GT 2 Pro and one above the most restrained terminal in this series, the realme GT Neo 2, which we already had the opportunity to analyze when went on the market. This smartphone is a great alternative within the upper mid-range since it has a smooth screen, a Snapdragon 870 5G processor and a battery similar to that of the GT 2 with a 5,000 mAh capacity and 65W fast charge. In addition, it is a cheaper device than the realme GT 2, since we can buy it for less than 350 euros.
If we look at the rest of the manufacturers, the realme GT 2 has a series of direct rivals that will give it a lot of war. One of them is the Xiaomi 11T Pro, which also has the Snapdragon 888, but has a 108 MP main camera, a 5,000 mAh battery with a 120W fast charge and costs 599.99 euros in its 8 version. GB + 128GB.
Another great rival of the realme GT 2 is the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G shopping mode , a terminal that has an AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 hertz, a Snapdragon 888 processor and a 4,500 mAh battery with 25W fast charge and that can currently be purchased for about 500 euros.
Realme GT 2 Technical Sheet
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 75.8 x 8.6mm 194.5 grams |
| Screen | 6.62-inch AMOLED Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) 1-120 Hz refresh rate 1,300 nits of maximum brightness |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM | 8/12 GB LPDDR5 |
| Operating system | realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12 |
| Storage | 128/256 GB UFS 3.1 |
| cameras | Rear : – 50 MP f/1.8, OIS, PDAF – 50 MP Ultra Wide-Angle f/2.2, 119o – 2 MP Front Macro Sensor : – 16 MP f/2 |
| Drums | 5,000mAh 65W fast charge |
| Others | On-screen fingerprint reader USB Type C Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 5G Dual SIM NFC GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO/BEIDOU/QZSS Dual stereo speaker Dual microphone Ultra Wide Band (UWB) |
Realme GT 2 Design
The design is one of the most outstanding sections of the realme GT 2, since this terminal, like its older brother, has a rough-looking back with a slight curvature on the sides that, according to the Chinese manufacturer itself, is inspired by paper. In our case, we have been able to test the “paper green” model and the truth is that it has seemed to us to be one of the most beautiful mobiles that we have had the opportunity to analyze.
But this design not only differentiates it from the terminals of other brands, giving it a really premium look and keeping fingerprints away from the back of the device but also gives this mobile a really comfortable grip, being one of the few smartphones that we would dare to carry without a cover. In this sense, we must emphasize that although the realme GT 2 is comfortable in the hand, due to its size it is not easy to handle with one hand.
This paper-inspired design, as in the case of the previous generation of realme flagships, is carried out by the Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa, whose signature appears just to the right of the camera module and also on the cover that this terminal incorporates. in your box in the same position. In our opinion, Realme could have dispensed with this detail, although it is also true that this is a hallmark of the Chinese firm’s high-end terminals .
Regarding the camera module, we must highlight that, as in the realme GT 2 Pro, the Chinese manufacturer has managed to integrate it very well into the rear by dyeing it a lighter green tone than that of the rear panel and that said module protrudes from the chassis. , causing the terminal to wobble when placed on a flat surface without the case on.
In addition to the design, the back of the realme GT 2 stands out for the quality of its materials, since it is made of a biopolymer that has the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) and makes it one of the most respectful mobiles with the market environment.
But the great build quality of the realme GT 2 is not only seen on its back, but also on its sides that are made of aluminum and have high quality buttons, which have a firm touch and do not move in no time when pressed .
As usual in the devices of the Chinese firm, the realme GT 2 houses the power button on its right side, the volume up and down button on the left side and the USB-C charging connector on the bottom, one of the stereo speakers and its double tray for nano-SIM cards, which can be 5G. What you will not find in this terminal is a 3.5-millimetre headphone jack port or an adapter in the box to connect wired headphones through the USB Type C port.
The front part, meanwhile, follows the design line of the GT family with an almost frameless front, with a small bezel at the bottom and a hole in the screen located in the upper left corner that houses the front camera.
Screen
One of the strengths of the realme GT 2 is its screen since it has a 6.62-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD + resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels and a variable refresh rate of up to 120 hertz that is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
This is a screen of outstanding quality with great sharpness, excellent color representation and very good viewing angles. In addition, this panel has a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits, which will allow us to see it perfectly even when direct sunlight falls on it. As usual in the vast majority of Chinese terminals, the automatic brightness management could be improved, because sometimes you are playing a game indoors and suddenly the brightness is lowered almost to a minimum, forcing you to raise it manually .
Without a doubt, one of the key aspects of the realme GT 2 screen is its fluidity, since it has a variable refresh rate that we can configure from the settings, being able to choose between three options: Automatic, High (120 Hz) or Normal (60Hz). This will allow us to increase the battery life, although as we will see later, even with the High setting activated, the autonomy is excellent.
In this sense, browsing web pages and checking social networks with 120 hertz activated becomes a real pleasure, since the fluidity of this screen has far exceeded our expectations.
Finally, we must emphasize that this screen has a fast, precise and well-placed integrated fingerprint sensor, which has not failed at any time or given us false positives. As a curiosity, just as it happens in the GT 2 Pro, we can use this fingerprint reader to measure our heart rate, a functionality that we will have to activate from the Realme Labs option that is found in the Settings menu of the terminal.
hardware and performance
Although the realme GT 2 does not currently have the most advanced Qualcomm processor, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that does mount the Pro version of the GT 2 series, the truth is that the Snapdragon 888, which was the chipset most popular in high-end smartphones of 2021, it more than meets its task and provides excellent performance when performing any type of task .
After using the realme GT 2 as our personal smartphone for several weeks, we can assure you that we are dealing with an electric terminal since its interface moves with great fluidity and the changes between applications are really dynamic.
During all the time that we have used this terminal, we have not noticed any type of lag even when playing such demanding titles as Call of Duty: Mobile, Genshin Impact or Asphalt 9 .
At this point, we must mention that the model that we have been able to test is the most advanced, the one that has 12 GB of RAM, something that logically gives this device greater fluidity when moving between applications. This version also has 256 GB of internal storage, which in our case has been more than enough and cannot be expanded using microSD cards since it does not have a slot for such use.
How could it be otherwise, the realme GT 2 also has an integrated 5G modem that allows us to connect to 5G networks without any problem and, in addition, this terminal allows us to use two nano-SIM cards with this connectivity at the same time.
Something that we have noticed is that the realme GT 2 tends to overheat in certain situations, especially when we are playing for a long time, but the temperature it reaches is not too high and, therefore, it is not something that prevents us from continuing to use the smartphone as normal.
Finally, we must also highlight that the realme GT 2 has two high-resolution Dolby Atmos stereo speakers, one located at the top of the screen and the other at the bottom of the terminal, which provides both good quality and good volume. without distorting at any time.
battery and charging
Without a doubt, one of the great strengths of the realme GT 2 is its autonomy, since it is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery with a 65W SuperDart fast charge .
The autonomy tests that we have been able to carry out with this terminal show almost insurmountable figures since we have been able to reach two days of continuous use with the 120-hertz refresh rate activated and with more than 4 hours of screen time. In addition, in two days with very intensive use of the mobile, we have reached up to 8 hours of screen time with the highest refresh rate, 120 Hz, and up to 10 hours of screen time with the lowest refresh rate, 60 Hz.
For its part, the 65W ultrafast charge of the realme GT 2 allows us to charge the terminal to 50% in just 10 minutes and to 100% in just 33 minutes. As usual in the Chinese firm, this terminal includes a 65W charger in its box, something that is appreciated considering the current trend of not including chargers in sales packages.
Despite all this, we cannot help but miss wireless charging in a device with these characteristics and we still do not know why Realme has not integrated this type of charging in any of its smartphones.
Software and Experience
The realme GT 2 has Android 12 as the operating system running under the latest version of the Chinese firm’s customization layer, realme UI 3.0, in such a way that this terminal has both the new functions of the latest version of Android and the main novelties of the realme software layer.
As for the new features of Android 12, the realme GT 2, like its older brother, has the camera and microphone lock and the new privacy control panel, among others.
This smartphone also has some of the most notable improvements of realme UI 3.0, such as a new interface with more colorful icons, larger titles with higher contrast, the possibility of setting a custom color as the system accent color or the option to customize the “Always on Display” mode with your own image.
Realme’s customization layer has evolved a lot, being lighter and more fluid than in the first versions, but maintaining some of its most useful features such as the smart sidebar, in which you can add the applications and tools that you use the most and access them. directly from the home screen with a simple swipe.
As usual, the realme GT 2 arrives with more bloatware than we would like, since it comes with some pre-installed applications such as AliExpress, Amazon, LinkedIn, Facebook, PUBG Mobile or TikTok, but these apps can be uninstalled very easily and, furthermore, native apps do not have built-in advertising.
Finally, realme has already confirmed that the realme GT 2, like the Pro version, will receive three years of Android updates and four years of security updates, thus following the strategy of two other brands that are also part of the BBK Electronics group. , OnePlus and OPPO.
cameras
The photographic section was, without a doubt, one of the biggest weaknesses of the previous generation of realme flagships, but the GT 2 series has managed to bring its cameras up to those of its main rivals.
Thus, the realme GT 2 is equipped with a triple rear camera module made up of a 50-megapixel main sensor, specifically the Sony IMX766 (the same one that mounts the Pro variant), with a focal aperture f / 1.8 and OIS (stabilization image optics), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with a focal aperture of f/2.2 and an angle of view of 119º and a 2-megapixel macro sensor with a focal aperture of f/2.4 . For its part, the front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels and a focal aperture of f / 2.5 and, as usual in realme mobiles, it is located in the hole located in the upper left corner of the screen.
Despite the fact that, as happens in other terminals with these characteristics, the macro sensor practically does not contribute anything, this camera system of the realme GT 2 offers us a really satisfactory experience. The 50-megapixel main sensor is capable of taking high-quality photos, with very good sharpness and dynamic range, even in low-light conditions. Something that we especially liked about this camera is that it manages to take pictures with very natural colors , even if we have the HDR and AI (Artificial Intelligence) functions activated.
The wide-angle camera, for its part, maintains the level of the main sensor, since it is also capable of obtaining photographs with very natural color and with a high level of sharpness and luminosity.
What we do miss in the realme GT 2 camera system is a telephoto sensor that allows us to have a better zoom to take pictures at a certain distance with better quality.
When the light drops, the rear cameras of the realme GT 2 are more than capable, since they capture enough light to maintain the quality of the photographs and, in addition, it is not necessary to activate the night mode to get sharp shots with very natural tones .
As usual in all realme terminals, portrait mode, both with the rear and front cameras, does its job perfectly, getting well-focused, colourful and bright photos.
Regarding the front camera, which is 16 megapixels, this slow one achieves quite good results, even in low light conditions.
As for video recording, the realme GT 2 is capable of recording 4K clips with the rear camera and 1080p at 30fps with the front camera. The image stabilization in the videos is not the best, although it seemed more than enough to record videos with good quality.
Below these lines, we leave you a small sample of the photographs taken with this realme GT 2 and just below it the link to a Google Photos folder with the rest of the images that we have taken with the 4 cameras of this smartphone.
