Realme has entered the Polish market and is becoming a new competitor to Xiaomi. The company is offering smartphones at great prices with a focus on performance. The Realme GT is the cheapest phone on the market with the most efficient processor – Snapdragon 888. On the other hand, the Realme GT Master Edition is a higher-end device. The 8GB/256GB version costs more than the 6GB/128GB version. For this price, you get an AMOLED screen, an efficient Snapdragon 778G 5G processor, a headphone jack, a sensible set of cameras, and a 4300mAh battery that can be charged in just half an hour with a 65W charger.
Moreover, the phone is compact and fits perfectly in your hand. Although some cost-cutting measures have been implemented, it has been done wisely and in the right places. Let’s see how the Realme GT Master Edition performs in everyday use.
The main advantages and disadvantages of Realme GT Master Edition
Benefits of Realme GT Master Edition:
- Lightning fast charging
- Very good performance
- AMOLED screen of very good quality
- Screen refresh up to 120 Hz
- Attractive appearance
- Mini-jack input for headphones
- Perfectly working fingerprint reader in the screen
- Good quality photos from the main lens
- Very extensive photo and video functions
Defects Realme GT Master Edition:
- Not waterproof
- No inductive charging
- No stereo speakers
- Sometimes, too much software interference with the photos, even with AI turned off
Design
The phone comes in two versions. The Voyager Gray limited edition model, which is signed with the name of Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa, looks more interesting. The back of the phone is stylized as a suitcase and is made of gray ecological leather.
The other versions, Cosmos Black and Luna White, have matte plastic backs that are pleasant to the touch and do not show fingerprints. The three lenses’ eyes are embedded in transparent plastic and slightly protrude above the surface. At the bottom of the silver frame (probably made of plastic, although the manufacturer does not specify) is a mini-jack input for headphones, a USB-C port, and a speaker. The wired headphone connection is a big plus, and the single loudspeaker sounds loud but is in line with the smartphone’s class and price. Although there are similarly priced devices with stereo speakers.
On the right side, there is only a power button, volume control, and a slot for two SIM cards, without the possibility of installing a memory card. The SIM card slot is not sealed, so it will be safer to watch out even for splashes. The phone’s dimensions are 159.2 x 73.5 x 8.0 / 8.7 mm (depending on the version), and it weighs 174 or 180 g. The Realme GT Master Edition is not waterproof.
Display
The GT Master Edition comes equipped with a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED flat display that boasts an FHD+ 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution, [insert plate number], and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The AGC DragonTrail glass with an oleophobic coating offers excellent protection for the screen. You can adjust the refresh rate up to 120Hz in the settings, or you can choose the automatic selection, which allows the phone to decide the frequency itself. Alternatively, you can lower it to the traditional 60Hz.
The screen can reach a maximum brightness of 1000 nits when exposed to strong sunlight. It also has HDR support and allows you to adjust the color temperature and screen mode (vivid, delicate, dazzling) for an even better viewing experience. The selfie camera is located in the left corner of the screen, and the phone comes with a protective foil already attached.
The quality of the displayed image is top-notch, and the visibility is excellent in all conditions. The colors are bright and bold, and the viewing angles are great. There is no notification LED, but the always-active screen provides a choice of clock styles, graphics, and colors. You can also set the time interval for the information to be displayed to conserve energy.
The phone has a fingerprint reader hidden under the display that works perfectly. It is fast, accurate, and error-free. Additionally, the phone can also be unlocked using face recognition technology. The GT Master Edition signals the arrival of the notification by highlighting the edge, and you can choose its color.
Specification & operating system
The GT Master Edition runs on Snapdragon 778G 5G, which includes four Cortex-A78 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 1.8GHz processors, along with an Adreno 642L graphics chip and 8 or 6 GB of RAM. The phone has two versions of ROM – 256 and 128 GB. Both versions support DRE (Dynamic RAM Expansion Technology) mode, which allocates an additional 3 to 5 GB of ROM as support for RAM.
In AnTuTu Benchmark, the GT Master Edition scores 515,052 points, making it a mid-range phone with excellent performance. It is very fast, responsive, and comfortable to use in any situation without any lag or slowdown. Moreover, it does not heat up, and the efficiency remains the same. The device works great for gaming, as we tested it on PUBG and it has a “game space” in the software.
GPS worked without any reservations throughout the entire duration of the tests. Thanks to NFC, you can make contactless payments, and the quality of phone calls is excellent.
The communication package of the device includes 5G, WiFi6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. Location tracking is achieved through the use of A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS. Additionally, the device is equipped with a set of sensors such as an accelerometer, proximity, light, magnetometer, gyroscope, gravity, and fingerprint reader.
The device runs on Android 11 with the Realme UI 2.0 overlay. This overlay provides users with a variety of personalization options such as wallpapers (including active ones), always-on screen, fingerprint animation, and edge illumination. Users can also customize the icon style, fonts, guiding color, notification box appearance, and application layout to their liking.
The device also features a number of gestures such as a 3-finger dump and flip to mute a call. Furthermore, users can wake up or blank the screen with a double tap, and even record the screen. The device also comes with an intelligent sidebar which can be used to attach contacts or applications. The quick launch is another useful option that allows users to access selected functions or applications after a long press on the fingerprint reader or even share the screen with others.
Moreover, users can block or hide applications, clone the system, or activate the children’s zone to ensure safety and privacy.
Camera
The camera set includes:
- main lens Omnivision 64 MP, f / 1.8, 25mm, 1/2 “, 0.7µm, PDAF;
- wide-angle 8 MP, f / 2.2, 16mm, 119˚, 1 / 4.0 “, 1.12µm;
- 2 MP macro, f / 2.4;
- selfie 32 MP, f / 2.5, 26mm, 1 / 2.74 “, 0.8μm.
When looking for a mid-range phone, there are many options to choose from. With the Ultra Night mode, you can take photos either in automatic mode or with manual settings. The video feature includes additional electronic stabilization, separate AI for videos, and the ability to record with background blur. You can zoom in on photos up to 20x and use features like HDR and AI. Additionally, you can use portrait mode to adjust the background blur level, take photos at a maximum resolution of 64 MP, record slow motion and dual view videos (from both the rear and front cameras simultaneously), manually adjust settings for movies, use ultra macro, time-lapse, starry and panorama modes.
The quality of photos from the main lens is impressive, and I have no major complaints, considering the price. During the day, the photos capture a lot of details with the correct tonal range and strong, saturated colors, which sometimes verge on being too vivid. The AI feature, however, often makes photos appear unnatural with excessive interference. The 2x and 5x digital zoom is excellent, and the portrait mode accurately cuts out the foreground with adjustable blur. The wide-angle lens, on the other hand, produces lower-quality photos with fewer details and darker sides. The macro mode is not noteworthy, and it is better to take photos from a wide angle. Night photos in the city are vibrant but not natural, although they capture many details. Selfies look great with impressive background blur in portrait mode. Video recordings are detailed, especially in 4K, but the electronic stabilization may cause the image to appear floating. Hence, it is nicer to watch movies in FHD.
Sample pictures:
Battery life
The battery capacity of this phone is 4300 mAh, which is not very impressive compared to the standard of 4500 or 5000 mAh. Despite this, the phone is decent and can last from a day to one and a half days on a single charge depending on usage. In my personal experience, the screen-on time (SoT) was 5 hours. The 65W charging feature is a great advantage, as it takes just over 20 minutes to charge the phone from 10 percent to fully charged. It takes about half an hour to charge it from zero to 100 percent. Unfortunately, the phone cannot be charged wirelessly.
Conclusion
The Realme GT Master Edition is a fascinating device that I find particularly appealing due to its screen and overall performance. Its compact size also makes it easy to use and handle. The software is well-developed and stable, although the many options may take some time to get used to. The camera takes decent photos, but they are not the best in their class, and there are no major issues to report.
However, it’s difficult to determine who this phone is suitable for. If you’re looking for an efficient device, the POCO F3 would be a better choice, as it has a better processor, battery life, and at least an equally good screen, as well as stereo speakers. The OnePlus Nord 2 is also a successful contender at a similar price range. Even the Realme GT, its older brother, is a strong competitor, and it often appears in promotions at very favorable prices. If 5G is not necessary, the Samsung A52 is a good alternative with better camera quality, waterproofing, and stereo speakers. There’s also the Mi 11 Lite 5G, which is much cheaper, and the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, which is less efficient but still a decent option.
Overall, choosing the Realme GT Master Edition is not a bad decision, but there’s a lot of competition in this price range. If I had to decide on a phone, I would go for the cheaper version of it.
We love: the screen
We don’t like: the lack of any waterproofing
Who is it for Realme GT Master Edition:
- Brand lovers
- People looking for an efficient device on the middle shelf
- People who like neat, nice smartphones
- Demanding the best screen quality
For whom it is not Realme GT Master Edition:
- People looking for the highest quality photos in their class
- Needing inductive charging
- Demanding waterproof
- Needing stereo speakers
- Needing the longest battery life possible
