Early Verdict
The Realme X7 is the vanilla variant of the newly launched affordable flagship X7 Pro, though vanilla may be a tame word for it. The smartphone prioritizes design and performance over cameras. But that does not mean that it's 64-megapixel camera does not stand up to the competition.
Pros
- +
Great display
- +
Snappy performance
- +
Light on the hands
Cons
- -
Runs on Android 10
- -
No 3.5mm audio port
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The Realme X7 Pro and X7 are the newest affordable flagship series smartphones from the company. The first two offerings from Realme this year and they also seem to take off where the Realme 7 left off.
The Realme X7 is the lower of the two variants launched in India and though it does have leaner specifications compared to the X7 Pro, it still is a hefty phone. It competes with the likes of Xiaomi Mi 10i and Samsung Galaxy M31s.
5G is the name of the game which despite not being available in India yet, is still being pushed not just in premium smartphones, but budget ones as well. And Realme X7 does not fall short in that category.
The Realme X7 is the first smartphone from the company to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G chipset, which enables it to qualify as an affordable 5G smartphone. The chipset was launched back in December of 2020 which makes it brand new.
Besides this, the smartphone pushes for a standardized new look which has been seen in some of the previous year flagships. Though it does not feature the 120Hz display like the Pro variant it still offers 60Hz along with 180Hz touch sampling rate. That combined with a 4,310mAh battery with 50W fast charging really makes things convenient.
But on the downside, there is no 3.5mm audio port which may be the trend big smartphone manufacturers are following, but is still difficult to justify. Like we mentioned in our initial impressions of the X7 Pro, the lack of the newest variant of Android is also a tick off.
Realme X7 price in India and availability
In India, the Realme X7 is offered in two combinations that include 6GB RAM with 128GB storage which has been priced at Rs 19,999 while the 8GB RAM with 128GB Storage is priced at Rs 21,999.
The Realme X7 is set to go on sale via Flipkart starting February 12 and colour options include Space Silver and Nebula. During the initial sale, you can also avail benefits such Rs 2,000 off on ICICI cards and Rs 1,500 off on Axis bank cards.
Design
We did mention before that Realme is pushing for design with the new X7 series smartphones and we weren't kidding. The Realme X7 is similar to the Pro variant in terms of look and feel and this is testimony to the new design philosophy of the company.
The Realme X7 is available in two colours which include the Space Silver and Nebula, and we received the Space Silver variant for review. At first glance it looks rather similar to the Midnight Jazz variant of the Vivo V20 Pro, it is shinier and has a chrome look. The rear panel features the triple-camera setup in a single module on the top left which also includes the LED flash.
The front of the smartphone features the display almost entirely, with the exception of a slight chin at the bottom. The punch-hole camera is set to the top left of the display and does not seem to bother the experience of the display.
The power button is on its lonesome on the right panel of the device while the volume rocker buttons are on the left panel of the device. The top panel only has a microphone hole while the bottom panel houses the dual-SIM slot, microphone hole, USB-C port, and the speaker grille.
But what is truly surprising is the weight of the phone which is 175grams making it one of the lighter phones in the category. The dimensions of the smartphone is similar to the competition which is what makes the lower weight even more surprising.
Display
Moving on to the display segment the Realme X7 comes with a 6.4 inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen. However, it misses out on the high refresh rate here. You get a 60Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate which seems convenient for gamers who require a fast response time.
It has a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio and the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 as well. The Realme X7 has a peak brightness of 600 nits. The Realme X7 has a punch-hole camera display and features Always-on Display enabling users to see important information at a glance. It comes with an optical fingerprint sensor, and the smartphone also has a DC-like dimming function to enhance overall user experience.
And speaking about the quality of the Super AMOLED display, we have to mention that it produces vibrant colours as well as crisp images. But the outdoor performance may not be the best we have seen in the segment.
Performance
As for the performance of the Realme X7, I would say my initial impression is impressed. The MediaTek Dimensity 800U processor is an octa-core one built on a 7nm fabrication process and has a clock speed of 2.4GHz and is 5G capable.
Like we mentioned before, 5G is not here in India yet, and though providing 5G could be counted as future proof the smartphones ground realities would still say that it makes no point.
The two variants of the Realme X7 include one with 6GB RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage while the other has 8GB RAM. Realme does not offer an SD-Card expansion option hence users will have to make use of the 111GB of internal storage.
While we haven't been able to use the smartphone enough to scrutinize the performance bits of it, we are still impressed with the snappy performance. App transitions don't take time at all and games can be played without any issues.
Cameras
For all intents and purposes the Realme X7 Pro and X7 share the same specifics in terms of cameras. The only difference is the presence of a 2-megapixel black and white portrait sensor on the Pro variant which is missing on the regular Realme X7.
The Triple camera on the Realme X7 include a primary 64-megapixel Sony IMX 686 sensor with f/1.7 aperture. This is followed by an 8-megapixel(f/2.25) ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro shooter. For selfies the smartphone uses a 32-megapixel punch-hole camera.
While the performance of the camera has been impressive so far, we are yet to form any opinion, hence do wait for the review.
Software
Like the Realme X7 Pro the X7 also runs on Realme UI 1.0 which is still based on Android 10. This is something that the could have been improved on and offered Android 11 from the get go. While the company has confirmed that it will roll out the Android 11 in the coming weeks it would put the onus on the user to update the smartphone.
The UI of the smartphone seems to take after vanilla Android which is a good thing and we could navigate through the phone without issues.
Battery
Battery life has been the key area of improvement for smartphones in the last few years and Realme seems to have made some strides in this segement. The Realme X7 comes with a 4,310mAh battery unit with great charging speeds. Realme is offering 50W fast Super Dart charging speed with the Realme X7 which lets you change the device in 40 minutes.
While we have yet to test the full capabilities of the battery, it charges fast and drains quickly as well. We will get you some numbers in the full review.
Early verdict
The Realme X7 seems to be a top contender in its class. It has an impressive design as well as initial performance, which tests will tell if it can hold up in the long run. But the impressive fast charging along with the quality photographing quality of the cameras make a case for itself.
The lack of a 3.5mm audio port and the inclusion of Android 10 instead of the newest Android 11 do seem like downsides. We are hoping Realme can get ahead of these. Do stay tuned for the full review.
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