Should you upgrade to realme 5/5 Pro?

Realme has finally launched the realme 5 and 5 Pro smartphone yesterday. Both smartphones pack huge updates, including more (and arguably better) cameras, an updated SoCs, and new user interface.

However, the company has also just launched the predecessor’s last summer, which left users scratching their heads in disappointment. In fact, the realme 2 Pro and selfie-centric realme U1 haven’t yet reached a year in the market.

These new realme smartphones are tempting, but is it worth our hard-earned dime?

The Pros

The realme 5 Pro features almost display than the previous realme 2 Pro and realme 3 Pro. The 6.3-inch IPS LCD display has a full HD+ resolution, with a little dewdrop notch at the top for the selfie camera.

All the display is hardened with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The realme 2 Pro has an older Gorilla Glass 3, the realme 3 Pro with the increasingly popular Gorilla Glass 5, while the realme 5 Pro said to have Gorilla Glass 3+.

Now, I would say that I’m quite surprised how the Gorilla Glass 3 can still hold up all these years, and I’m quite happy about it on my old realme 2 Pro. But the realme 3 Pro has newer glass protection. As for realme 5 Pro, I assume the Gorilla Glass 3+ is an upgrade over Gorilla Glass 3.

Inside, the realme 2 Pro has an old Snapdragon 660 AIE, while the realme 3 Pro has a faster Snapdragon 710. For the 5 Pro, it is the new Snapdragon 712 SoC. Now, all the devices we’re offered with up to 128GB of internal storage. However, the realme 2 Pro and realme 5 Pro can go up to 8GB of RAM. Realme only offers the realme 3 Pro in either 4GB or 6GB RAM.

For the imaging, the realme 2 Pro and realme 3 Pro both have 16MP f/1.7 primary camera, but the realme 3 Pro has a newer and better camera sensor. Also, the realme 2 Pro, however, has a 2MP depth sensor while the realme 3 Pro got a 5MP depth sensor. Not much of a difference though.

The realme 5 Pro, however, has quad-camera setup on its rear. The main 48MP f/1.8 camera has a wide-angle lens, but realme also included an 8MP f/2.2 super wide-angle lens. It also has a dedicated 2MP camera with a macro lens and another 2 MP for depth sensing.

For selfies, both the realme 2 Pro and realme 5 Pro has 16MP f/2.0 camera, while the realme 3 has an outrageous 25MP camera on the front.

Moreover, the realme 2 Pro only has 3500mAh of battery, while the realme 3 Pro and 5 Pro has 4045mAh and 4035mAh respectively. The realme 5 Pro is using a USB-C port tho, whereas both the realme 2 Pro and realme 3 Pro has micro-USB. Unfortunately, the 2 Pro doesn’t have VOOC 3.0.

Nonetheless, all phones almost have the same features, except those that we pointed out here.

The Budgets

In May of last year, realme released its first realme smartphone, the realme 1. August of the same year, it launched the realme 2. Then, less than 1 year, it followed the realme 2 Pro with realme 3. Now, if you are just as confused as many others, we will go through each specification, and help you decide in the end if it is worth the upgrade to realme 5.

First stop, the display. The realme 1 has a slightly smaller display than its successors since it has an 18:9 display. However, the 6.0-inch isn’t that much of a loss from the 6.2-inch display of others. In fact, the display of the realme 1 is way better than its successors. And it doesn’t have a notch.

While all the handsets feature an IPS panel, the realme 1 has a full HD+ panel (with 402 PPI density) versus the HD+ on its successors.

In comparison, the realme 2 and realme 3 only has a pixel density of 270 PPI, 271 for realme 3i, and even 269 for the all-new realme 5. Again, not much of a difference for users of the later models, but this is a huge consideration for realme 1 users.

For the display protection, all display is reinforced with Gorilla Glass 3, or Gorilla Glass 3+ for realme 5. Again, we don’t have any details regarding the differences between these Gorilla Glass variants.

Inside, the realme 1 has Mediatek Helio P60 under its hood, while the realme 2 has a budget Snapdragon 450 SoC. The realme 3 on the other hand, could either have Helio P60 or Helio P70, it all depends on where you live. Indian variant uses P70, while globally, it is Helio P60. However, realme later announce the realme 3i in India which features Helio P60. As for realme 5, it’s the new Snapdragon 665 SoC.

For the memory, the realme 1 maxes out to 4GB for RAM, and 128GB for ROM. For realme 2 and realme 3, it is 4GB and 64GB, and 4GB and 128GB for the realme 5.

Camera-wise, the realme 1 has a single 13MP f/2.2 camera, and 8MP f/2.2 selfie. The realme 2, on the other hand, has a 13MP f/2.2 camera, with 2MP depth sensor on its back. The selfie shooter though is the same 8MP f/2.2. For the realme 3, it is a 13MP with bright f/1.8 lens, and 2MP depth sensor. The selfie camera is upgraded to 13MP with f/2.0 lens.

Now comes the realme 5 with quad camera setup. The setup includes a 12MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera, 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and 2MP macro lens. The selfie is the same 13MP f/2.0 camera from the realme 3.

If battery life is important to you, the realme 5 brings in 5000mAh of battery juice, compared to 3410mAh of the realme 1, and 4230mAh for all other models. None features VOOC, but all charges with 10W fast charger.

Lastly, all the models features a fingerprint sensor, except the realme 1. None of the model uses a USB Type-C.

Conclusion

If you are coming from realme 2 Pro, then the realme 5 Pro is a very worthy upgrade. It has a way better SoC, newer camera setup, and support for VOOC 3.0. Plus it will surely be getting realmeOS update unlike the realme 2 Pro. The realme 5 Pro also has some software tricks like super slow-mo, and new Night Sight.

If you are coming from realme 3 Pro, then I don’t think realme 5 Pro is really that huge of an update. Both handsets run on Snapdragon 700 series SoC, and while Snapdragon 712 is newer SoC, I don’t think the additional speed is really that incremental.

It all comes down to camera though. If the quad-camera is really that of a big deal for you, then the realme 5 Pro is a good upgrade. However, the only thing I see in the realme 5 Pro’s camera as an upgrade is the addition of the wide-angle lens, and 48MP Sony sensor which will surely appeal to the masses. Other than that, I don’t think the 2MP macro lens is really that of a big deal.

Overall, both devices is almost the same in all aspects.

As for our budget choices, the realme 5 is a really huge upgrade from the realme 1 (except the display) and realme 2. It has better camera setup, faster SoC, and huge battery. For realme 1 users, the realme 5 also has a fingerprint sensor.

For the realme 3 users, just the realme 3 Pro, I don’t think the realme 5 is really a huge upgrade. Yes, it has bigger battery, more cameras, and faster SoC. But I don’t think the addition of two more cameras is enough to throw another set of dime.

The realme 3 is still decently fast, and it will even get the realmeOS upgrade in the future. But if you play games a lot on your realme 3, then the jump on Snapdragon 665 will be of huge difference.