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Is this the real deal?

Realme wants a grand entry into the UAE market with X2 Pro

You've probably heard of Realme somewhere. No, we won't fault you if you haven't; the brand's practically a new player, having been established only in May 2018. And to date, it has less than two dozen smartphones.

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 that's pretty confident of its flagship capabilities. 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 quick information in 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). It also has face recognition, which works well, even in lights-out situations.

There are two colour options, lunar white and Neptune blue, the former of which we have and personally like better for its metallic edges and 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 ­- FYI, Realme has a 5G device - the X50 5G.

I am impressed with the way things flow when I use it. It's basically lag-free, and the only time it'd make you wait a moment or so is when you fire up the split-screen app function, which can be activated by swiping three fingers upwards. 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. It's basically lag-free - all thanks to a very generous 12GB of RAM - and doesn't heat up. 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 as attaining 100 per cent in just 35 minutes, but in our test, in reached full strength in just 33 minutes - that is ridiculously fast.

Behind it 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.
 
AND SO.
Is it indeed a flagship killer? To a certain extent, yes; the Realme X2 Pro clubs in a whole lot of great specs, but it needs 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.
alvin@khaleejtimes.com
 
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ (7nm), octa-core; Adreno 640

Platform: Android 9.0 Pie, ColorOS 6.1

Display: 6.5" Super Amoled, 2400 x 1080, 402ppi

RAM: 12GB

Storage: 256GB

Main camera: Quad: 64MP main (f/1.8) + 13MP telephoto (f/2/5) + 8MP wide (f/2.2) + 2MP depth (f/2.4)
Front: 16MP (f/2.0)

Battery: 4000mAh, 50W SuperVOOC Flash Charge

I/O: USB-C, 3.5mm audio

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC

Biometrics: In-screen fingerprint, face unlock

IP rating: Unlisted

Price: Dh 1,999

Pros: Ridiculously-fast charging capacity competitive price, great screen

Cons:  No IP rating, battery life and camera can be improved

Author's rating: 4/5