Realme 6i review

Introduction

The new Realme 6 lineup is all about speed on the budget and even the cheapest phone in the roster - the Realme 6i - is as gaming-friendly as the rest. The 6i offers fresh looks, high performance, and a quad-camera setup, but it can also has a extra large 5,000 mAh battery to boast about.

The Realme 6i is a looker like any other Realme - the maker is already known for its unique takes on design. The phone also packs a new Helio G80 chipset and it should be a match to the performance of the more expensive Realme 6 devices as the 6i has a lower screen resolution of 720p.

The lower pixel count aside, the Realme 6i manages to keep the attention with a capable rear camera with a 48MP primary and am 8MP ultrawide. There is also a 2MP macro snapper, and a 2MP depth sensor but these hardly add to the camera experience.

And finally, you have the Realme UI and Android 10 running on top of all this hardware.

Realme 6i specs

• Body: 164.4 x 75.4 x 9 mm, 199g; Front Gorilla Glass 3, plastic body, splash-proof
• Screen: 6.5" IPS LCD, HD+ (720 x 1600px) resolution, 270 ppi
• Camera: Primary: 48MP Quad-Bayer, f/1.8 aperture, 0.8µm pixel size, 1/2.25" sensor size; Ultra-wide: 8MP, f/2.3 aperture, 1.12µm pixel size; Macro: 2MP f/2.4, 1.75µm pixel size, 1/5" sensor size; Depth sensor: 2MP mono camera
• Front camera: 16MP f/2.0 aperture
• Chipset: MediaTek Helio G80 (12nm): octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G52 MC2 GPU
• Memory: 3GB/64GB, 4GB/128GB, expandable via microSD card
• OS: Android 10, Realme UI
• Battery: 5,000 mAh, 18W fast charging
• Connectivity: 4G LTE; Dual SIM; Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C 2.0
• Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader, 3.5mm audio jack

Realme 6i also features splash-resistant body - something that few makers are ready to offer on a budget device. It's far from secure against water, but an extra peace of mind is always appreciated.

Unboxing the Realme 6i

The Realme 6i comes in a bright yellow box, just like the 6 and 6 Pro. Realme seems to be particularly fond of this particular yellow hue.

Anyway, the retail bundle includes an 18W charging brick, a USB-C cable, and a transparent soft case.

The Realme 6i also comes with a pre-applied screen film. It's quite thin and the protection won't be as good as a glass piece, but we still like having it as an option.