Realme C25Y Review

The Realme C25Y smartphone was introduced in India on September 16, 2021. It was released by the well-known smartphone brand Realme, targeting low-to-mid-end budget segment users. The phone has a 6.5-inch touchscreen HD+ display with a 60 Hz refresh rate, supporting a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a resolution of 720x1600 pixels. It comes with a good processor and a massive battery with a decent battery backup.

This is the best budget-friendly smartphone with an average price range. Its price starts from around 9k INR for the base variant, which has 4GB RAM memory and 64GB storage memory. The price may go up if you go for the higher variant of the model with more RAM or storage. Additionally, the phone comes in two colour variants, such as Metal Grey and Glacier Blue. You can buy the variant according to your needs and budget.

Let us now dive deep into this article and focus on the various features and specifications of the Realme C25Y in detail:

Specifications

• Display: 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) IPS LCD display
• Processor: Octa-core T610 processor by Unisoc, capable of supporting casual games and applications
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 64GB & 128GB (Expandable Up to 256 GB)
• OS: Android 11 with customized Realme UI R Edition
• Camera: Rear: 50MP Main Camera + 2MP Macro + 2MP Portrait (with LED flash); Front: 8MP Main Camera with Screen Flash
• Battery: 5,000mAh with 18W Fast Charging
• Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
• Sensors: Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, etc.

Design and Display

Realme C25Y features a typical budget smartphone design with a plastic body. On the back, it sports a triple-camera setup arranged in a square-shaped module. The fingerprint scanner is also situated on the rear side. On the front, it has a large IPS LCD screen with an HD+ resolution. The display is capable of offering decent colours and viewing angles, although it might not be as sharp as higher-end devices. The phone has a waterdrop-style notch on the front for the selfie camera.

• Display Size: Realme C25Y has a 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) IPS LCD display. The display is not very bright, so viewing the screen in a sunny area will be difficult. The display is also not very sharp but is satisfactory considering the price and other features provided.
• Refresh Rate: Realme C25Y has a 60Hz refresh rate. This means that the display updates 60 times per second. A higher refresh rate would have made the display smoother, but that's not something we can complain about for a budget smartphone. Overall, it will not disappoint the user in everyday tasks.
• Touch Sampling Rate: Realme C25Y has a 120Hz touch sampling rate. This means that the display can register touch inputs 120 times per second. A higher touch sampling rate can make the display feel more responsive, but it is not essential for a budget smartphone. The higher touch sampling rate, however, helps in mobile gaming.

Overall, the display of the Realme C25Y is balanced but could have been more impressive. It could have been crisper and bright as the colours sometimes look washed out. However, it is a decent display for a budget smartphone. The phone has a thickness of 9.1mm and weighs around 200g.

Pros and Cons of the Display of the Realme C25Y

Pros

• It comes with a large size screen (6.5 inches), so if you love to play games and watch movies, this smartphone can be the best choice for you.
• It offers a 60Hz refresh rate and 120Hz touch sampling rate, which balances the overall sensitivity and responsiveness of the screen.

Cons

• Although the display is good, it is not very bright and crisp and thus can cause problems when used under direct sunlight.
• Sometimes, colours may appear washed out.

Performance

The Unisoc T610 octa-core processor, which powers the Realme C25Y, can also be seen on many other similar mid-level phones. This processor is believed to handle day-to-day tasks smoothly, but it cannot handle high-end tasks and graphics-intensive tasks. Notably, it will have frequent lags while playing most high-end gaming and running GPU-dependent applications. Unfortunately, the phone only comes with 4GB of RAM, and there is no 6GB RAM variant. However, despite having 4GB of RAM, the phone is more than adequate for day-to-day and basic tasks.

Camera

Regarding the camera setup, the Realme C25Y is housed with a triple camera setup, including a primary lens, a portrait lens, and a macro sensor.

The primary camera is quite decent and is capable of taking good and clear pictures during the day. But, at night, it often lags and doesn't take clear pictures in low light. To overcome this problem, Realme has added AI scene detection and Night Mode, which can help you take better pictures in such conditions. The macro and portrait sensors are somewhat limited, but they can help in taking amazing pictures in proper lighting.

Dedicated Camera Features

• 50MP AI Triple Camera System: Realme C25Y has a 50MP AI triple camera system on the rear side. The primary sensor is a 50MP f/1.8 shooter, accompanied by a 2MP macro sensor and a 2MP portrait sensor. This camera arrangement takes clear and crisp pictures in good lighting conditions. In normal camera mode, it uses technology to merge multiple shots into a single image. However, users can use the dedicated 50MP mode to capture better-quality images.
• Super Night Mode: Realme C25Y has a dedicated night mode that can help you take better photos in low-light conditions. The night mode uses special software and hardware capability to brighten your photos and reduce noise.
• AI Scene Detection: Realme C25Y has AI scene detection that can automatically identify the scene you are taking a photo of and adjust the settings accordingly. This can help you take better photos of different subjects, such as food, landscapes, and portraits.
• Timelapse: Realme C25Y also sports a dedicated Timelapse mode that allows you to create videos that show how a scene changes over time. This can be a great way to capture the beauty of nature or the progress of a construction project in a short clip.

In this way, we can say that Realme C25Y has a decent camera setup for a budget smartphone. Unfortunately, the Realme C25Y does not support slow-motion mode that allows you to record videos at slow speed, which could be a major problem for many users.

Battery

Battery life is usually a strong point for Realme devices, and the C25Y is supposed to provide an efficient battery backup due to the massive 5,000mAh battery. With a low-power processor and an HD+ display, it should offer good battery endurance for day-to-day use. Apart from this, the phone also supports fast charging up to 18W so that users can charge their phones at a faster rate. Despite this, the phone takes around 2 hours to fully charge the Realme C25Y from 0 to 100%.

Software and Features

Like other Realme smartphones, the Realme C25Y also runs on the Realme UI based on Android, offering a user-friendly and customizable interface. Notably, the phone comes with Realme UI R Edition based on Android 11. Owing to the customized UI, the software has many unique features, such as quick screenshots, gestures, changing lock screen wallpaper, and many more. It comes with fingerprint and face lock/ unlock security features.

Storage

For storage, the Realme C25Y comes with two variants that support 64GB and 128GB of internal storage, respectively. However, all the other features are the same. Furthermore, it also has a dedicated microSD card slot, which allows for storage expansion.

Audio/ Sound Details

The Realme C25Y has a pair of stereo speakers. The loud and clear speakers produce good sound quality for a budget smartphone. You can also use the speakers to listen to music or watch videos; they are loud enough to use outdoors as well.

Rating

The Realme C25Y has been rated 3 out of 5 stars on most review websites. Some common criticisms of the phone include its slow processor, low RAM, and lack of NFC support. However, the phone is also praised for its long battery life, sound, camera performance, and affordable price.

Verdict

The Realme C25Y is a decent budget smartphone with a few strengths and weaknesses.

The first strength of the C25Y is its camera system. The 50MP primary sensor takes sharp and clear photos in good lighting conditions. The macro and portrait sensors are limited but can help take good close-up and portrait photos.

The C25Y's performance is also decent for a budget smartphone. The Unisoc octa-core processor is not the fastest but can easily handle basic stuff. The phone can also handle some light gaming, but you may experience slowdowns with more demanding gaming titles.

One of the C25Y's weaknesses is its display. The HD+ resolution could have been sharper. Because of this limitation, colours can sometimes look washed out. Similarly, the display could have been brighter. Because of this limitation, viewing in direct sunlight can be challenging.

Another area of improvement on the C25Y is the lack of NFC support. NFC is a technology that allows you to make payments on nearby platforms with your phone. If you frequently use NFC payments, consider a different phone that supports this feature.

Overall, the Realme C25Y is a decent budget smartphone from a well-known and trusted brand. If you are looking for a phone with long battery life and good cameras, but don't want to invest a lot of money, then the C25Y can be a good option.