Realme GT Neo3 review

Introduction and specifications

Realme’s GT Neo series should offer a better value proposition than its full-fledged GT counterparts. Last year’s GT Neo2 was undoubtedly one of the most sensible phones you can get by offering great display quality, good performance, fast charging, and long battery life. The GT Neo3, however, comes with a slight price increase while still offering some flagship-like features.

Perhaps the most notable upgrade would be fast charging. The phone comes in two versions: the standard one has a 5,000mAh battery and an 80W charge, while the version we have for review boasts a 150W charge but with a smaller 4,500mAh cell. Either way, you get incredibly fast charging, even if you don’t go for the more expensive 150W version. By the way, Realme promises 50% in just 5 minutes of charging.

Another salient feature would be the main camera. It has now been updated with a larger 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor found in some flagship phones, including the Realme GT2 and GT2 Pro. The sensor is also optically stabilized.

Realme GT Neo3 specs at a glance:

• Body: 163.3×75.6×8.2 mm, 188 g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame.
• Screen: 6.70 “AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10 +, resolution 1080x2412px, aspect ratio 20.1: 9, 394ppi.
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8100 (5 nm): Octa-core (4×2.85 GHz Cortex-A78 and 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G610 MC6.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• Operating system / software: Android 12, Realme UI 3.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f / 1.9, 24 mm, 1 / 1.56 “, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f / 2.3, 15 mm, 120˚, 1 / 4.0 “, 1.12 µm; Macro: 2 MP, f / 2.4.
• Front Camera: 16 MP, f / 2.5, 26 mm (wide), 1 / 3.09 “, 1.0 µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K @ 30 / 60fps, 1080p @ 30 / 60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p @ 30fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 5000 mAh; Quick charge 80W, 100% in 32 min (normal version), Quick charge 150W, 50% in 5 min (150W version).
• Various: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical).

The GT Neo3 is built around a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with 10-bit color depth, 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10 + support. A set of features that you will normally find on a true flagship killer. Realme has also equipped the panel with a dedicated display processor that handles the control of the refresh rate, ultimately saving some energy.

Aside from the display and camera improvements, the GT Neo3 promises a more efficient and powerful MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC than the older Snapdragon 870 which powers the older Neo2. In fact, the Neo3 is one of the first devices to use the aforementioned chipset, and this is the first time we have tested it. The company paired the chip with “the largest cooling area on a Realme phone” to ensure smooth performance over time. Let’s put this to the test as well.

Read on for more of our review findings, as dry specs rarely tell the whole story.

Unboxing of the Realme GT Neo3

The phone comes in a relatively large retail box containing the usual user manuals and the corresponding 150W fast charging brick. The latter works via Realme’s UltraDart charging protocol, which appears to work with a USB-C cable. to USB-C. The charger also supports PD 3.0 charging – up to 45W.

There is also a bonus clear silicone case that fits perfectly.