Introduction and specs
The GT Neo series from Realme is supposed to 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 offering great display quality, good performance, fast charging and long battery life. The GT Neo3, however, comes with a slight price hike while delivering some flagship-like features.
Perhaps the most notable upgrade would be the fast charging. The handset comes in two versions – the standard one has a 5,000 mAh battery and 80W charging, while the version we have for review boasts 150W charging but with a smaller, 4,500 mAh cell. Either way, you get blazing-fast charging, even if you don’t opt for the more expensive 150W version. Speaking of which, Realme promises 50% in just 5 minutes of charging.
Another highlight feature would be the main camera. It’s now upgraded with a bigger Sony IMX766 50MP 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: 163.3×75.6×8.2mm, 188g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame.
Display: 6.70″ AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1080x2412px resolution, 20.1:9 aspect ratio, 394ppi.
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8100 (5 nm): Octa-core (4×2.85 GHz Cortex-A78 & 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.
OS/Software: Android 12, Realme UI 3.0.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.3, 15mm, 120˚, 1/4.0″, 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/3.09″, 1.0µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 80W, 100% in 32 min (regular version), Fast charging 150W, 50% in 5 min (150W version).
Misc: 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 feature set you’d normally find on a proper flagship killer. Realme has also provided the panel with a dedicated display processor that handles the refresh rate control, ultimately saving on 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 that powers up the older Neo2. In fact, the Neo3 is one of the first devices to employ the said chipset, and this is the first time we get to test it. The company has coupled the chip with “the largest cooling area on a Realme phone” to ensure smooth performance over time. We put that to the test as well.
Continue reading to find more of our review findings, as the dry specs rarely tell the whole story.
Unboxing the Realme GT Neo3
The handset comes in a relatively big retail box containing the usual user manuals and the corresponding 150W fast charging brick. The latter works over Realme’s UltraDart charging protocol, which seems to work with USB-C to USB-C cable. The charger supports PD 3.0 charging as well – up to 45W.
There’s also a bonus transparent, silicone case that fits snuggly.