Realme Narzo N65 5G This is the new smartphone added to the brand's Narzo series lineup. This affordable smartphone also features MediaTek's latest Dimensity 6300 SoC, a smooth display with 120Hz refresh rate, and 5G support. The Realme Narzo N65 looks similar to the Narzo N65. Realme C65 ,Review), another 5G budget smartphone launched recently. Both have many features in common and both have a similar design. The main difference between the two phones is that the Realme C65 5G also comes in a lower storage variant, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The question is: does this smartphone differentiate itself enough to make its mark in the competitive budget segment? Let's find out in this Realme Narzo N65 5G review.
Decision
The Realme Narzo N65 5G is a competent budget smartphone that offers impressive performance and a 120Hz high refresh rate display for its price segment. Other notable strengths of the device include good daylight cameras and impressive battery backup. Low-light photography performance might not appeal to everyone, and the charging speed could have been better. Despite these flaws, the Realme Narzo N65 5G is an attractive option for all users looking for a reliable budget 5G device.
Design and performance
The Realme Narzo N65 5G looks quite similar to the Realme P series smartphones, especially Realme P1 5G ,Review,Which also has a flat display. The Realme Narzo N65 5G is available in two color variants: Amber Gold and Deep Green. Both the Realme P1 5G and the Narzo N65 5G (Amber Gold variant) share a similar design with feather strokes on the rear panel and a circular camera module. The smartphone comes in a sleek package, measuring 7.89 mm thick and weighing 190 grams. However, the straight edges of the smartphone can dig into the palms, making it a little uncomfortable to hold.
You can find the volume and power buttons on the right edge of the frame for easy access, and the power button also acts as a fingerprint sensor, which unlocks the device quickly. The Realme Narzo N65 5G also has IP54 water and dust resistance, which is a great addition.
Camera
The Realme Narzo N65 5G sports a 50MP AI primary camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. For selfies and video calls, the smartphone has an 8MP front camera. The primary lens takes good-looking daylight photos with slightly boosted colours. Daylight shots can sometimes be slightly overexposed when the HDR mode is enabled.
Here is a direct comparison of the camera with the itel S24. From the images below you can see that the Realme Narzo N65's image has slightly enhanced colours, with vibrant green hues and colours of the sky and water. The itel S24's colour reproduction is closer to reality, although the sharpness levels are lower than the Narzo N65. When it comes to dynamic range, the Narzo N65 seems to be better, although it tends to overexpose the image.
In low light, photos appear grainy, and details are muted. The HDR mode helps a bit in boosting exposure levels, but details and edge detection remain poor. Selfies perform pretty much the same, with daylight producing attractive results, while low light results are average.
Display and software
The Realme Narzo N65 5G is the brand's second smartphone to feature a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and comes with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The storage can be expanded up to 2TB via a microSD card. The smartphone offers great performance in daily use without any apparent lag or jitter.
Its gaming performance is also quite impressive considering the price. The Narzo N65 can comfortably run graphically demanding games like COD: Mobile and Real Racing 3 at medium graphical settings, averaging around 55FPS. For bigger games like BGMI, the device manages to play games at an average of 28FPS at HD graphics and high refresh rate. The gaming experience is more comfortable at lower resolutions.
The Realme Narzo N65 5G comes with Android 14-based Realme UI 5.0, which has a few pre-installed apps that you can easily remove. The UI is well optimised for a 120Hz refresh rate with smart features like File Dock, Floating Windows, Link to Windows, and more. The smartphone promises 2 years of OS upgrades and 3 years of security updates, which is standard at this price.
Battery and charging
The Realme Narzo N65 5G packs a 5,000mAh battery that comes with 15W fast charging support. In the PCMark battery benchmark test, the smartphone clocked an impressive 17 hours and 16 minutes. The battery performance is also reflected in real-world usage, with the device comfortably delivering a full-day battery life with moderate usage.
The smartphone showed an overall 20 percent battery drain in our intensive tests that included gaming, video streaming, and more. The 15W charger takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to recharge the device from 20 to 100 percent, which is a bit high compared to the segment.
Final judgment
The Realme Narzo N65 5G is an attractive option for most users who are looking for a capable budget 5G smartphone. At a starting price of Rs 10,499 (discount offers included), this smartphone competes with smartphones like these. Poco M6 Pro 5G ,Review, Moto G34 5G ,Review), And this itel s24 ,Review) The first two phones offer comparable performance output, and the Moto G34 in particular also comes with a 120Hz refresh rate display and a stock Android-like UI. The Itel S24 instead features a higher-resolution 108MP primary camera and comparatively faster charging speeds.
The Narzo N65 5G has many strengths, such as great performance, 120Hz refresh rate, reliable battery life, and great daylight cameras. And for all these aspects, it is worth a closer look.
Editor's rating: 8 / 10
Reasons to buy:
- The Realme Narzo N65 5G has a brilliant 120Hz refresh rate display.
- This smartphone offers impressive performance.
- The Narzo N65 offers a reliable battery backup.
- The daylight photography results are quite pleasing.
Reasons not to buy:
- Charging speed could have been better.
- Brightness can be improved.
