Realme C65 5G The brand has a new budget 5G smartphone, and it has come out with some very bold claims. Realme calls it the fastest entry-level 5G smartphone under Rs 10,000, and to power it, it uses the all-new MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC to power the smartphone. Apart from the new chipset, the device also features a segment-first 120Hz refresh rate panel. On paper the Realme C65 5G looks capable of delivering what it promises, but is it up to par in real life use? Find out in my Realme C65 5G review.
Decision
Realme C65 5G is one of the best performance-focused smartphones in its price range, Apart from its display prowess, the smartphone offers a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, good daylight cameras, and an impressive battery backup. While its low-light photography may not excite camera enthusiasts, this smartphone is an easy recommendation for power users looking for a capable budget 5G device.
design
Realme seems to be streamlining the design of its smartphone lineup, with the Realme C65 5G taking a page from the recently launched Realme P series smartphones. C65 It has similar wing-like design elements and a round camera module at the back that looks similar to a watch face. At first glance this smartphone looks almost the same realme p1 5g ,Review), but when looked at closely some subtle differences become visible.
The SIM tray has been moved to the top, while the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom. The feel of holding the phone is also similar to Realme P1, which weighs 190 grams and thickness is 7.89 mm. The smartphone also has IP54 dust and water resistance, giving you improved durability. If you liked the aesthetics of the P1 5G, the C65 will definitely delight you.
Display
The Realme C65 5G features a 6.67-inch IPS LCD panel, with an HD+ (720 x 1604p) resolution, a high refresh rate of 120Hz, and a peak brightness level of 650nits. With 90Hz as the current standard, the phone boasts of the highest refresh rate in the sub-Rs 10K segment. The UI and apps are well optimized for the high refresh rate, and this enhances day-to-day usage with a buttery smooth scrolling experience. The display offers satisfactory viewing angles and is comparatively brighter than some of its counterparts in the segment.
The tall display helps with the multimedia experience and the speaker does a good job of enhancing it. I usually read e-books on my phone while traveling or at night and I quite enjoyed the experience on this phone. The brightness is enough for indoor use, and it can work outside when it's not too bright. However, when it comes to extremely bright environments, like afternoon time in Delhi these days, the brightness drops a bit. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner works well and helps unlock the phone faster. It also has a rainwater touch feature, and it works as expected.
camera
Realme C65 5G sports a 50MP AI primary camera with f/1.8 aperture along with a 2MP secondary lens. On the front, you get an 8MP f/2.0 lens for video calls and selfies. Here's a direct comparison with one of its main competitors, the Moto G24 Power. The Realme C65 offers a better dynamic range and leans towards warmer colors. However it does overexpose the image a bit in bright surroundings. In comparison, the G24 Power leans toward natural colors, though dynamic range could be better.
The primary camera captures attractive photos in daylight with good dynamic range and a respectable amount of detail. Colors appear slightly stretched, and in very bright environments, the camera can sometimes overexpose images, leading to blown out shadows. The portrait mode on the device works well and the resulting images have nice skin tones and a nice Bokeh effect. In low light, details become muted with inconsistent edge detection, and it may take a few tries to get good results. An amount of noise and bloom is also noticeable around light sources in low-light shots.
Display
Moving on to the point, how well does the Realme C65 5G perform in real life? The answer is, quite impressive! The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC meets all its performance requirements, paired with 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS2.2 storage, expandable up to 2TB with a microSD card.
We tested the 6GB+128GB variant of the smartphone using various benchmarks, and the C65 outperforms its similarly priced competitors in most synthetic benchmarks. When it comes to performance the Realme C65 lives above its weight class and delivers performance output similar to higher priced offerings, such as techno pova 6 pro, POCO X6 Neo And realme 12, Here are some benchmark numbers against its closest competitors.
The Realme C65 5G performs great without any noticeable lag or lag in regular usage, such as browsing apps, scrolling through social media, watching videos, and more. The difference is noticeable in everyday browsing compared to other budget phones, which don't pack as much power. We also played some moderately demanding games like COD: Mobile, BGMI and Real Racing 3 to find out how well it can perform as a gaming device. The results were impressive, with the smartphone delivering a satisfactory gaming experience at medium graphic settings.
The C65 consistently delivers 60FPS in titles like COD: Mobile (medium graphical settings) and Real Racing 3. In BGMI, the device maintains a consistent 40FPS at HD resolution and high frame rate settings., However, during our gameplay, we encountered some issues, especially with the increase in internal temperature, which resulted in strange interruptions and a few crashes in BGMI. Tactile response was also adversely affected during prolonged gaming sessions, especially at high temperatures.
software
The smartphone comes with Android 14-based Realme UI 5.0 out of the box. The OS skin comes with some pre-installed apps but these can be removed as per your preference. 'Hot Apps' needs a little more work and should be disabled from the App Market settings. The UI operates smoothly, thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, and includes a range of useful functions like a file dock, floating windows, and links to Windows functionality, which are some of my favorite features to use.
Smart sensing features also work as intended. The power button can also be programmed to perform a variety of functions, which is neat. Realme promises 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of software updates with the C65 5G, ensuring that the smartphone will remain relevant till 2026.
Battery and Charging
In our gaming and video streaming tests, which lasted about 2 hours, the combined battery consumption was about 24 percent, which is a respectable result. Talking about charging speed, the 15W bundled charger takes a little over 2 hours to fully recharge the device from 0 to 100 percent, which is an average charging speed at this price range.
final call
The Realme C65 5G offers a deal that could set the benchmark for smartphones under Rs 10K, starting at a price of Rs 9,999 for the 4GB + 64GB variant (including Rs 500 bank offer). It offers great performance that rivals expensive smartphones, offers an impressive battery backup, boasts of the highest refresh rate of 120Hz in the under Rs 10K segment, and offers good daylight cameras. The primary rivals of smartphones are POCO M6 Pro 5G ,Review, lava blaze 2 ,Review), And this moto g24 power ,Review,
The former two offer great performance output for the price, which is on par with the Realme C65 5G. The M6 Pro offers a higher resolution display (FHD+), which improves the visual experience, while the Blaze 2 and G24 Power come with a stock Android-like UI. The latter also offers a more powerful battery life than the Realme C65. If you're on a tight budget and factors like performance, reliable battery life, and a smooth display are important to you, the Realme C65 5G is an easy recommendation that won't disappoint.
Editor's Rating: 8/10
Reasons to buy:
- Realme C65 5G has a 120Hz refresh rate display, which is the highest in the segment.
- This smartphone offers great performance and dwarfs other competitors in this segment.
- The smartphone offers an impressive battery backup that can easily last you an entire day with regular usage.
- The primary camera takes good looking photos in daylight.
Reasons for not buying:
- Tactile response during gaming is inconsistent, especially at high internal temperatures.
- The brightness of the smartphone could have been better.
