Realme GT Master edition tries to find a balance between good performance and great design. The price is good, the smartphone is more than good to use and worth buying for that amount
Not long ago, we had Realme's newest killer flagship in our hands, the Realme GT, and we really enjoyed everything it had to offer. Today - and since those days of Realme X, the innovative company is adding a Master Edition model to its portfolio with some improvements under the hood. Since Realme is primarily an online brand targeting youth, Real GT Master Edition is a design-focused update to grab the attention of a more mature audience.
This time, the Japanese designer gave us a suitcase design - a real magnet for the eyes of others - and a luxurious design made of matte plastic. Both are less trendy / sporty than the vanilla Realme GT series.
The design of the suitcase is aimed at people who need an additional artistic touch - according to the designer himself, the appearance of the "travel suitcase" tries to evoke travel memories, something that young people missed in the era of the pandemic. The matte plastic case is designed for people who are attracted by luxury / premium smartphones and who need extra elegance.
While the design of the suitcase is a clear identity - no such phone exists, the matte plastic design has nothing to do with the many similar designs out there on the market.
Case design
For the first time, Realme did not stop at the exterior design, but tried to single out the Master for the vanilla edition of its annual flagships. Remember the "more mature" audience for The Master? Well, Realme may have found that the Gran Tourismo themed boosts are not the best choice for people in their 30s and 50s.
They don't usually play 3D games, they don't care about super multitasking, BUT they take a lot of photos and videos, and they want style and luxury. Based on this, this year's Master Edition comes in two models:
- the light model, i.e. the GT model with aesthetic redesign, with a more powerful selfie camera and Snapdragon 778G SoC in Voyager Gray, Luna White and Cosmos Black, and
- higher spec model, Master Explorer Edition, with more powerful cameras and Snapdragon 870 SoC in gray and apricot colors.
In both cases, the Realme GT Master Series is a design / camera focused series rather than an extreme flagship killer - the excellent Snapdragon 888 SoC is gone after all.
We believe that the naming of the fundamentally NEW series of smartphones has not been crowned with success. “GT” should have been removed, leaving only the name “Master” - “Master Explorer”. Thus, people of different age groups and needs will not get confused.
In our hands the usual Real GT Master Edition ... We checked the phone for two weeks. Below you will read our impressions, as well as the pros and cons of this new series.
Realme GT Master - Specifications
*RED - highlighted differences from the GT model
- dimensions : 159,2mm x 73,5mm x 8,0 / 8,7mm (depending on color)
- The weight : 174 – 180 g (depending on color)
- Display : Super AMOLED, 120 Hz, 6,43 inches, 99,8 cm2 (~ 85,3% screen-to-body ratio), 1080 × 2400 pixels, 20: 9 aspect ratio (~ 409 ppi)
- CPU : Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6nm), Octa-core (1 × 2,4 GHz Kryo 670 Prime and 3 × 2,2 GHz Kryo 670 Gold and 4 × 1,9 GHz Kryo 670 Silver)
- GPU : Adreno 642L
- RAM + ROM: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, UFS 3.1
- Battery : Li-Po 4300 mAh , non-removable, fast charge 65 W, 100% in 35 minutes
- Connectivity options : HSPA 42,2 / 5,76 Mbps, LTE-A, 5G
- 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2, CDMA 800
- 3G: HSDPA 850/900/1700 (AWS) / 1900/2100, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
- 4G: LTE FDD: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
- 5G: 1, 3, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA
- Speed: HSPA 42,2 / 5,76 Mbps, LTE-A, 5G
- Biometrics : under-display fingerprint sensor, face recognition
- Main camera : triple camera, dual LED dual color flash, HDR, panorama
- 64 MP, f / 2,2, 26mm (wide), 1 / 1,73 ", 0,8um, PDAF
- 8 MP, f / 2,3, 16 mm, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1 / 4,0 ″, 1,12 μm
- 2 MP, f / 2,4, (macro)
- Selfie camera : 32 MP, f / 2,5, 26mm (wide), 1 / 2,74 "
- Video : 4K @ 30/60 fps, 1080p @ 30/60/240 fps, gyroscope-EIS
- Selfie video : 1080p @ 30fps
- Bluetooth : 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
- GPS : dual band A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
- Ports : USB Type-C 2.0
- Sound : 1 speaker
- SENSORS : accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass
- Colours : gold / black, blue, silver
- Software : Android 11, Realme UI 2.0
Realme GT Master Edition - packaging and packaging
The phone comes in the same racing-themed box as the GT. We have a black box with a huge white font for the brand logo and a smaller font for the phone model. The black color is separated by brown stripes to give the impression of a polycarbonate texture. Inside the box, we see the usual amount of accessories for most of this year's Chinese smartphones:
- Realme GT Master Edition Smartphone in Luna White
- USB-C to USB-C data / charging cable
- 65W SuperDART charger
- SIM tray eject pin
- Soft silicone case
The phone comes with a plastic screen protector. The wall charger is white and smaller than previous 50W Realme chargers included in retail boxes. The charging cable is quite thick and works in conjunction with the charger to provide a charge for the flash. Like most cables in 2021, this is USB-C to USB-C.
Basic kit
There are no instructions in the box, which is very strange to me. Companies add small warranty leaflets or quick start guides to the boxes. Nothing here. Is this a new paperless approach, friendly to nature?
The silicone case is soft and reliably protects your phone from minor drops. I especially like the corners, which have more plastic added, as the corners are the easiest to break when dropped. The case is not rigid enough to be dropped from a great height, please buy a new semi-hard (or hard) case if you are prone to accidents. What I don't like is the color. It was cement gray!
Perhaps this is the most uninteresting color I have seen in a case. Why buy this awesome Luna White smartphone and wear an ugly dull gray body on it? Realme failed miserably. A transparent case would be the obvious choice.
Realme GT Master Edition - Design
Ahead is the Realme GT - a regular smartphone that has been seen in stores for the past two years. It is a slim and light phone, measuring 159,2mm x 73,5mm x 8,0 / 8,7mm (depending on the color - the suitcase design is slightly wider).
Very similar to the dimensions of the GT: 158,5 x 173,3 x 9,1 mm and 186 grams. We can find the typical small bezels all around, a horizontal microphone located at the top, and a small camera hole in the top left corner of the display - the hole looks large due to the plastic film on the display panel. There is nothing more in front.
On the left side of the panel, we see the SIM card tray at the top and two buttons for adjusting the volume. On the right side there is only a power / lock button. Three buttons are exclusively made without rattling - the same quality on the panel.
The connection of the shiny silver bezel to the front and rear panels is exceptional. At the top is a noise canceling microphone. On the bottom is a 3,5mm audio jack, a second noise canceling microphone, a USB-C port, and a speaker grill.
Elegant design
We have an option not with a suitcase, but a more elegant matte plastic option. In Luna White, it has a matte iridescent color that looks great on the eye. A matte finish means the phone is protected from fingerprints. The camera setup looks like a piece of glass has been added to the top of the rear panel to surround the camera lenses.
The overall look is very pleasing to the eye. The camera lenses themselves are black and the little LED is yellowish-white which I don't like. The branding is located in the lower left corner of the panel, vertically, "looking" at the interior.
This is a beautiful minimalist design that I really like. The worst thing you can do is cover it with Realme's awful gray casing. When buying a gem, order a transparent case.
Realme GT Master Edition - Hardware
The main advantage of the GT is the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. This chipset has been removed and redesigned with the Snapdragon 778G. It's not bad. It lags behind the SD870 (updated SD865 + 2020) in speed. It is more powerful than the recent chipsets from MediaTek in the mid-range. You will not see any stuttering, lagging or any other problems with daily use. The power-saving 6nm Snapdragon 778G 5G processor is backed by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of state-of-the-art ROM to ensure smooth operation in all scenarios. Ok, this is not a 3D gaming machine, but you will play any other games and handle your day to day multitasking with ease. Don't forget this is a 5G chipset.
Special design
The GT Master Edition retains the same 6,43-inch 120Hz OLED screen with a 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution. It's a stunning display as we described it to you in our Realme GT review. Colors are great, blacks are perfect, viewing angles are exceptional, bezels are small. 120Hz is the maximum frame rate and is a pleasure to watch when gaming.
The movement is smooth in all scenarios. There's also 60Hz and variable frame rates to conserve battery power if you're on the go or away from the ultra-fast charger. 1000 nits peak brightness, 5: 000 contrast and 000% coverage of the wide DCI-P1 color gamut. This is the best part of a smartphone.
Sound characteristics
The GT has two more speakers used in stereo. One is the speaker and the other is the main speaker at the bottom of the frame. GT Master Edition loses Stereo mode, when listening to music or watching a movie, only the main speaker works. I actually have no idea why they degraded this part.
Good thing a 3,5mm headphone jack! I sorely miss this on most phones, not all have a Bluetooth headset and sometimes the latter is not charged. It's always good to have a 3,5mm option.
The rest of the equipment is the same as in the GT version.
The connection is excellent. Full signal in a conversation. Bluetooth is top notch - I used my smartphone with my wireless headphones every day without interruption. GPS works great in all conditions.
There are two ways to unlock your phone. Both are very fast. Face Unlock works very quickly. There is no IR illumination to unlock at night, so this method does not work in complete darkness. A minimal light source, even a laptop display, is enough to unlock the device with your face shape.
Another way is the in-display fingerprint scanner. Very accurate and very fast. There are no complaints from me. After I did a good setup, there were no problems.
No need to use face unlock - it is not 3D and not very secure, the sensor on the display will satisfy your needs for all day use. There is no heating under any scenarios of use.
I myself am happy with the chipset and think it is a good solution in terms of the market audience this phone is intended for. There is no waterproof or IP rating, so do not drop your phone in water.
Realme GT Master - Software
The software we have is exactly the same software version as the GT models. Realme uses RealmeUI 2.0 on top of Android 11. RealmeUI began as a fork of ColorOS (from Oppo) back when the latter was a mess. ColorOS is really awesome these days with tons of features and really close to the pinnacle of user experience.
We do not have to oversee OnePlus in China using it and will probably use it for global users as well. This version of RealmeUI is very close to the latest version of ColorOS and I don't think Realme is far from its full adoption.
RealmeUI is a beautiful and rich skin, it has nothing to do with the OS version that I first saw back in the X2 Pro. There is a complete optimization of the user experience from wallpaper to animation. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of malware out there, whether it's the company's own software (not custom because of Google's apps) or some third-party apps (does it depend on the region?).
Fortunately, all of these apps can be uninstalled. Minor bugs were found, such as when streaming a movie where the movie would stop and start all the time, making it impossible to watch.
The settings menu is very rich - I thought I was browsing MIUI - with many options for all user needs. Lots of browsing, battery life, personalization, privacy and settings. Great job. I think OPPO with ColorOS is at the top of Android skins this year, with RealmeUI taking its best specs.
A complete takeover of ColorOS will resolve any minor bugs or any future update issues. We'll see how OnePlus responds to this in the coming months, and whether Realme closely follows suit.
Camera parameters and characteristics
At first glance, the camera setup is the same as the GT model. However, to differentiate between the two Master models, the camera in the base model is a slightly cheaper version of the hardware used in the GT. The 64MP sensor is smaller than the GT - 1/2 "versus 1 / 1,73" and also uses smaller pixels - 0,7 microns versus 0,8 microns.
The ultra-wide camera has a smaller aperture - f / 2.3 compared to f / 2.2 - a difference on paper in the real world. I don't think you will understand the difference with the GT sample settings. I checked a number of the same thematic pictures and did not find any difference. The only difference is the upgrade of the selfie camera with a 32MP f / 2,5, 1 / 2,74 ″ sensor. The quality is better, especially in night shots. The overall feel is the same as mine when I used the Realme GT
Photo and video
The main camera is bright and good in daylight, the pit has been redesigned - you can remove the AI gain for realistic images. If we check the details we can see signs of overexposure, but overall this is a good sensor. A small 8MP ultra wide-angle lens is not bad at all.
Nice photos, no unusual angles and angles. Macro is practically useless, I never got a good shot - a waste of money in the shaking of ads. There is no telephone lens, the zoom with the main camera can be increased up to x10, but after x2 the results will be blurry and details will be missed.
Night shots are worse than day shots. Everything is in order with the main sensor, better with night mode. The ultra wide-angle image can only be used in low light, macro photography is not considered. Portraits and selfies are good. Added many features such as decoration or a special video set where one color is kept and all others are black and white.
The video is good, there is increased anti-shake protection, as well as wide and large-scale shots. It can record up to 4K at 30 / 60fps. I am not complaining, it gives good results day and night.
Realme GT Master - battery
The Realme GT has a 4500mAh battery, while the Master Edition reduces the size of this already small battery to 4300mAh. In everyday life, the difference does not change, because the SD778G does not consume as much power as the SD888 vanilla GT.
In both cases, I believe the 5000mAh capacity should have been the right choice. The phone will last all day in normal use, but no more if you decide to watch a movie or play a game.
Realme kept the 65W wall charger from the Realme GT model in the retail box to make up for the mediocre battery size. This wall charger has been used by the BBK Group at Oppo, Realme and OnePlus for two years now and is amazing in every aspect. The phone is replenished from 0% to 100% in less than half an hour (85% in 18 minutes).
A few minutes each morning will help you charge your phone in case you forget to charge it overnight. While charging, the smartphone immediately heats up, but does not heat up. A similar thermal behavior is observed with the wall charger: warm, but not hot.
No wireless charging or reverse wireless charging.
Conclusion
Realme GT Master edition tries to find a balance between good performance and great design. The price is good, it is more than convenient to use a smartphone and you can buy it for that amount. This is, of course, IF you care about design - it's nice to have a suitcase option, but what about a matte plastic option?
Unfortunately, there are some good smartphones on the market that offer more functional hardware, so I don't think anyone would easily choose the plastic option. I find it better to opt for a suitcase design or add extra money to buy the Master Explorer version that offers the SD870 and a better camera.
pros :
- Design
- Display
- Main camera
- Quick charge
- Conventional design
- Defective secondary cameras
- Small battery
