Smartphones like the Realme Gt Neo 2, recently unveiled along with other devices of the Chinese company, show that even in the mid-range there are products that do not necessarily need to be satisfied.
It is a device that offers 5G, dual Sim, a good processor (Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870) which guarantees more than valid performance even with video games, a 6.62 “Amoled display with dynamic refresh rate at 120Hz and resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 5000 mAh battery which makes it peacefully resist for a day, a day and a half of use at common rhythms.
Proof
Xiaomi 11T Pro, the smartphone that cancels battery anxiety
by Emanuele Capone
The design
It is also beautiful to look at and comfortable to hold, with its 8.6 mm thickness and 189 grams of weight, and with very fine curved edges along which there are, on the left, the two (separate) keys to adjust the volume, and on the right that of the ignition and lock, which activates the Google Assistant when pressed more quickly. The design as a whole is nothing revolutionary or innovative, but it is pleasant, except perhaps for the front camera, positioned at the top left, which without notch or anything else, a little hole in the display of games, videos and online pages, but you will notice it more than anything else by using it horizontally.
The plastic shell is embellished with a metallic effect, at least in the Neo Blue version tested by us (there is also black and a more curious greenish color), which makes it look much more valuable than it really is, but it retains fingerprints more than it should (but it is easy to clean). You will not pay too much attention to it, however, in case you decide to take advantage of the rubber cover included in the package, which will protect it from bumps, but not from dust and water. Also in the sturdy package, in addition to the manuals, a 65W SuperDart charger is included, more bulky than the average, but able to guarantee a recharge from 0 to 100% in 32-36 minutes, according to our tests, a very short period of time that pleasantly surprised us.
The performance
On the performance side, it convinced us, albeit with some reservations at the operating system level: both in entertainment and in browsing and reading emails it was more than valid, even in 8 Gb version of Ram and 128 memory (alternatively it is also available in variant 12-256). Zero slowdowns in games, even the most demanding ones (like Asphalt 9: Legends), but we have not noticed too many improvements by activating the heralded Gt 2.0 Mode, which on the other hand stands out more with videos and TV series.
In general, the use of the media is of a good level, thanks to brightness (up to 1300 nit) and to the aforementioned Amoled screen, which offers a more than appreciable general image quality, but also to the rich and powerful audio sector, even too much. The internal speakers saturate a little too easily, but overall the sound is well balanced, including bass, and even connecting the Realme Gt Neo 2 to Bluetooth speakers and headphones (the jack input is missing 3.5mm), we found better performance than other recently tested smartphones. Even with calls, nothing to report: everything in the norm.
Less exciting instead Realme Ui 2.0, the basic interface, which is very, too classic and without flickers, similar to all the others available in the Android environment. It also suffers from some slight bugs, but nothing drastic or disabling, and a double update is expected shortly that will introduce version 3.0 and Android 12 (currently the phone is stopped at Android 11). In short: it works well, it leaves just a little to be desired in terms of aesthetics and originality.
As the Realme Gt Neo 2 takes pictures
The photographic sector of this smartphone is in line with the other specifications of the device: it is better than average, but it does not excel. You take great pictures, especially when you have one good lighting (but even in the dark the overall level is more than acceptable, thanks to the dedicated mode), but don’t expect results from devices that cost double or triple. It features 3 rear cameras, a 64 Mp with f / 1.8 aperture, an 8 Mp wide angle with f / 2.3 and a 2 Mp f / 2.4 macro that leaves some time it finds, while the front one is 16 Mp with f / 2.5, good for selfies but the compromises are felt. For the price it is sold for (it starts from 449 euros), the value and quality of cameras is more than promoted, but it won’t replace your regular camera. However, we appreciated the automatisms included on the software side, such as the use of artificial intelligence, which automatically detects the subject in front of you and optimizes the settings, in order to obtain the best possible shot, and features such as the text scanner: even photographing the crowded PC monitor, the Gt Neo 2 was able to cut out only the textual part and make it readable, convenient for taking notes on the fly during a presentation. Less popular videos in 60 Fps, still a little too unstable, while at 30 Fps and 4K the results are much more convincing.
Special Gadget
Smart and cheap, the best phones of 2021
by Bruno Ruffilli
What we liked
Overall the Realme Gt Neo 2 is a really great phone, since value for money very high, also pleasant from a purely aesthetic point of view. The battery has particularly convinced us, thanks to the fast charging which brings him back to the track in half an hour, and also the photographic sector, which, although not brilliant, defends itself very well. Excellent for gaming and for video use, thanks to the bright and clean display, and the speakers that give a audio powerful even without using headphones.
What we didn’t like
The interface is all too classic and still presents some bugs. As with other Realme devices, we have not been able to make Android Auto work decently, a factor that penalizes it and not a little, at least for those who are often driving. Furthermore, compared to other Realme models that came out late in the West, it is very little noticeable technological detachment from the past (such as the Realme Gt, which we had tried here), which is why if you already own a model of the Chinese company, you will hardly have really concrete reasons to switch to the new one. Maybe it is better wait next year, perhaps when other smart devices from the brand will begin to appear on the market.
.