Realme GT Master Edition review: Not a masterful smartphone with right mix
There is a general progression in prices for phone brands. Most
companies start at a cheaper note to attract buyers, and then they graduate to
higher prices as time passes and ultimately end up asking customers in
thousands for their flagship products. OnePlus has followed this strategy
brilliantly and created a niche for itself. It has also prodded the likes of
Xiaomi to test the waters in the premium market. But while moving up the
ladder, OnePlus and others realised that there was a large mid-price segment
that needed companies to cater to its demands. And, for this segment of
entry-level gamers and buyers to graduate from low-cost phones, a bit of
everything was required.
All brands are catering to this market and the competition is
hotting up. Realme, which is going gung-ho in this segment with its GT series,
has launched a new series to compete with the likes of the OnePlus Nord and
Pixel 4a. The master edition is unique as it offers a bit of everything, but
will that appeal to phone buyers? Let’s find out.
Design
Samsung’s camera placement has found a buying among most mobile
phone makers, but then most smartphones nowadays
look the same from afar. The GT Master Edition (ME) is no exception. The phone
has round edges and is nearly bezel-less. There is a power button on the right
side and two volume buttons on the left, which are placed a bit low making
one-handed operation a bit difficult at times. The punch-hole camera is on the
left side instead of the middle and, quite frankly, looks better there than in
the middle. The phone comes with a headphone jack and a USB-C type port. The
back is where the real change is visible. The master edition comes with a nice
plastic leathery feel, which gives the phone a unique look and has a good grip.
Screen
and speakers
The screen is one of the better features in this phone. Given the
120hz display and high brightness, the screen looks amazing at all points of
time. Although I would like it to be less reflective, the screen performance is
good overall. The fingerprint scanner works very well and is quick to respond.
One of the criticisms of in-screen fingerprint readers has been slow speed, but Realme responds
pretty quickly to the touch. The speakers, however, are a disappointment. The
sound is not loud enough and most of the times unidirectional. In a gaming
phone, one expects more and multidimensional sound for an immersive experience.
Most of the times, the clarity is also missing which makes the screen
redundant. A good screen needs to be complemented by good speakers.
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