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REVIEW: Realme X2 Pro

Dubai - Is this the real deal? Chinese smartphone maker wants to make grand entry into UAE market with 'flagship killer'

You've probably heard of Realme somewhere, but we won't fault you if you haven't; the brand's practically a new player, having been established just in May 2018. To date, it only has less than two dozen smartphones.
Now, the brand's ready to make a splash in the UAE market, and one of their very first offerings here is a pretty sturdy device, the Realme X2 Pro. And, well, it's pretty much confident of its flagship-killing capabilities. (I'm serious; when I did a Google search for it, the ad result on top was www.realme.com/Flagship/killer. Shots fired.)
The X2 Pro is a 6.5-inch device that has a Super Amoled display - gentle on the eyes even at its brightest setting - and that teardrop front camera on top gives it even more space. There's no app tray, so you know the drill: From the home screen, swipe left to see the rest of your apps, and swipe right to reveal the Smart Assistant that gives you access to quick information shown in what's called cards, which are customisable.
Also up front is an in-screen fingerprint sensor that reacts quickly but seems a bit too low for your thumb (at least for me, I guess). It also has face recognition; it still works well even in lights-out situations, as long as the screen is bright enough to recognise your likeness.
There are two colour options, lunar white and Neptune blue, the former of which we have and I personally like better; it's got metallic edges and a nice glass finish on the rear. The power button and SIM tray are on the right, and opposite it are the volume buttons. Below are a USB-C port and a 3.5mm audio slot.
Right inside is no joke, because the X2 Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 855+ processor; in theory, this can run with 5G, but for that you'll need an extra chip to make it work (spoiler - the phone doesn't have it). Anyway, FYI, Realme has a 5G device - the X50 5G.
And I am impressed with the way things flow when you use it. It's basically lag-free, and the only time it'd make you wait for a second or so is when you fire up the split-screen app function, which can be activated by swiping three fingers upwards. Speaking of that, there are a lot of finger-combo gestures you can use, including going to the home screen and viewing recent tasks while the screen is on, or firing up the camera or flashlight or controlling music while the screen is off.
The device runs on Android 9.0 Pie and ColorOS 6.1. Now if the latter sounds all too familiar to you, you're right: ColorOS is also used by Oppo. Don't be surprised, because Realme, Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus all belong under the same umbrella - BBK Electronics. And Realme's founder was a former vice-president at Oppo.
Anyway, it's basically lag-free - all thanks to a very generous 12GB of RAM - and doesn't heat up, which brings us to our battery run: In our standard one-hour YouTube-at-full-brightness test, it lost 12 per cent, which is a good number. As for usage, it was enough to last late into the night with some pretty rugged use.
But you won't have to worry about that, because the real deal is its uber-fast charging capabilities. The X2 Pro comes with a 50W VOOC charger; Realme bills the device to go at 100 per cent in just 35 minutes, but in our test, in reached full strength in just 33 minutes - that is ridiculously fast, and it does so without heating up. To my knowledge, only the Oppo Reno Ace tops that at 31 minutes.
And right behind is a quad-lens camera system: 64MP wide, 13MP telephoto, 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP depth. Shots are generally okay, with good detail - just don't zoom too far. When the lights get darker, prepare for some smudged or noisy shots, even in nightscape mode. The camera does have AI - detecting scenes to improve snaps - and HDR. The selfie camera, meanwhile, does a good job when it comes to portraits. And the view of its ultra-wide-angle shot is at par with some of the higher-ups.
AND SO.
Is it indeed a flagship killer? To certain extents, yes; the Realme X2 Pro clubs in a whole lotta great specs, but it does need a bit more tinkering in some areas, including the camera. There's also room for improvement for its battery - ironic considering its absurdly-fast charging capabilities. But overall, it's a compelling way to introduce itself - also at a very decent price.
THE LOWDOWN