This Thor Love and Thunder-themed smartphone is the epitome of cheap tie-ins
It's no different...
Realme has been pretty busy pumping out themed spin-offs of its latest Android phone, the Realme GT Neo 3, with Naruto and Dragonball Z versions already launched. However, a new version inspired by the latest Marvel movie is a little less impressive.
There's a new version inspired by the latest in the long line of Marvel films, Thor: Love and Thunder, which has been unveiled in India. It's not clear if it'll go on sale elsewhere, but some of the other themed versions launched in Europe too (not the US though - Realme doesn't sell its phones there).
You probably know what's in the box already, because you've already scrolled past the picture of the 'Realme GT Neo 3 150W Thor Love and Thunder Limited Edition' as they're calling it. You get a Nitro Blue version of the phone as well as some stickers, cards, a badge and a themed SIM removal tool.
Of all phones, the Realme GT Neo 3 is perhaps the best pick to be themed around the God of Thunder, because it charges lightning-fast. It has 150W powering, which gets the phone from empty to full in just 15 minutes - at the time of writing, there isn't a faster charging phone on the market.
So maybe this Thor phone will appeal to Marvel fans... however as mobile tie-ins go, this is a pretty lazy one.
Analysis: not exactly a huge redesign
Sometimes, when we see pop-culture versions of Android phones, they have some interesting redesigns - the Dragonball version of the Realme GT Neo 3 was bright orange and blue, for example.
So what's special about the Thor: Love and Thunder version? Uh - absolutely nothing. The phone included in the pack is the Nitro Blue one which is already readily available on sale.
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Not only is this a little lazy on Realme's part, but it's not great for Thor fans either. The new design has nothing to do with the new Marvel movie - it's literally a racing strip on the back.
This isn't the only time we've seen lazy tie-ins, but it's certainly a shame for fans of Thor: Love and Thunder. Don't expect to see this on our list of the weirdest phones of the year.
Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.
He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.