Verdict
The Realme GT 2 Pro remains a tempting cost , even with the reveal of the newer Realme GT 3 , boasting plentiful performance , a great screen and a various set of cameras , all wrapped up in an eco - witting shield that palpate almost as premium as the considerably more expensive competitor – although without the speedy 240W charging of the raw framework .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Realme has quickly morph from the budget division of Taiwanese smartphone supergroup BBK Electronics to something totally more premium , and there ’s no better example of this than GT 2 Pro .
It might sit beneath more expensive rivals like 2022’sSamsung Galaxy S22 Plus , and does without a few top - end features to hit a considerably low price point , but now sits in the same “ upper mid - range flagship ” territory as stablemates Oppo and OnePlus .
With majuscule survival , a ranking screen and an improved set of rear cameras , it ’s a easy step up from the original Realme GT , and the firm also has one eye on sustainability . Plastics used in packaging have been cut dramatically , the speech sound use a more carbon - favorable biopolymer building , and Realme has pledge to plant a tree for every GT 2 handset purchased directly through its website .
While it has a lot in common with theOnePlus 10 Pro , Realme ’s environmentally - creditworthy approach and stellar all - round performance help it brook out and clear my praise – even when equate to the newerRealme GT 3 .
Design andScreen
accord to Realme , the bio - polymer credit card that devote the GT 2 Pro its typical appearance is a first in the phone world , and made in a process that produces a 35 % minor carbon footprint than other material .
Cynics might say the eco aspect is simply a cocksure way to spin out asking £ 700 for a phone with a plastic back , but once I got it in my hand , it quickly mature on me . The delicately textured finish looks gravid , and is effectively fingerprint - proof , not requiring a polish the full clip I was testing it . It ’s a pity that Realme trench this polish with the new Realme GT 3 , in my persuasion .
Admittedly it is n’t as premium to the contact as the spyglass rear jury you ’ll find on pricier handsets , and not everyone will revalue couturier Naoto Fukasawa ’s signature sitting pride - of - place next to the rearward camera faculty . There ’s a more subtle black handset that dump this for a plain black ice butt , although I ’ve yet to see it so ca n’t say if it ’s a better selection . in person , I conceive you ca n’t really go wrong with wad commons .
In all other respects the GT 2 Pro face and feels like a flagship telephone set , with a metal bod , knurled power push button and minimal camera module , which only protrudes out a small way from the back of the headphone . At 189 g it feel reasonably clean , and at 8.2 mm it ’s as slim as most premium challenger .
There ’s a pick of facial realization or in - display fingerprint sensor unlocking , with the latter being my preferred method while I ’m still on a regular basis wearing a face mask . It ’s not the fast sensor I ’ve used , but almost always unlocks the phone in less than a indorsement .
With no prescribed IP water resistance rating , there ’s no indication of how well the GT 2 Pro will hold up against the elements , but at least the 6.7 - column inch concealment is well protected . Gorilla Glass Victus is among the strongest smartphone glass available today , and even after a workweek of slide in and out of my pocket , it stay whole scratch - loose .
The GT 2 Pro is n’t alone in having a 2nd - genLTPOdisplay , which can vary its refresh charge per unit from 1Hz to 120Hz on the fly to scale down power ingestion – but it is one of the first I ’ve used with a altogether flat panel . The SamsungGalaxy S22 UltraandXiaomi 12 Prohave curving screens , which can reflect sunshine in a distracting style . There ’s none of that here .
As I would expect from an OLED , it deliver perfect black and exceptional range of a function dividing line , which made Netflix cyclosis on the go an absolute joyfulness . There ’s a svelte gloomy tint to livid images when using the out - of - loge Vivid colouring material mode , but the rude colour profile cope to largely get this under ascendancy .
Realme quotes a tip luminousness of 1400 nit , which falls short of that promised by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and New S23 Plus , but as this is a much cheaper telephone set , I do n’t think this is an especially black mark . outside visibleness is first-class , even in smart sunlight .
The 3216×1440 resolution is pin - acute , and take more picture element than any other Realme telephone to particular date . I was felicitous to leave both resolution and refresh rate control up to the telephone , as it can usually be relied upon to give you the best possible icon , but you could take manual control over both if you prefer .
Camera
In many manner , the GT 2 Pro represents a literal step forward for Realme on the photography front , although its three - electron lens setup leans quite heavily on gimmicks to stand out .
The 50 - megapixel ultrawide detector , for example , has an unmatchable 150 - degree field of scene ( FOV ) and optional fisheye mode . The third lens is a 3 - megapixel microscope , which deliver up to 40x magnification in a like style to 2021’sOppo Find X3 professional , using the camera ’s flash to illuminate your subject . Is either a reason to buy the telephone ?
I ’m not convinced the microscope is , even if it ’s playfulness to bring out the enshroud details in everyday aim . The unbelievably minute focal range requires a very unbendable hired hand to get a sharp ikon , and the digital soar needed for 40x magnification sees particular take quite a strike . If its inclusion was at the expense of a dedicated telephoto electron lens , I ’m not certain it was worth it .
I was far more impressed by the chief sensor , which delivers sharp , elaborated images with a wide active range . Even trickier exposures are wield well , although darker orbit of image can start to appear a little noisy when you go look for it . Colour impregnation is refreshingly rightful - to - life , albeit a picayune inconsistent . The AI scene acknowledgment hike up things a bonnie bit , so could be worth using if you prefer a punchier image .
you’re able to take full 50 - megapixel image if you want , but the special detail gain is offset by the increased noise and drop in bite . I preferred to stick to the standard 12 - megapixel setting , which combines multiple pixels very effectively .
There ’s no shortage of filters and upshot available through the tv camera app , though I was n’t blown off by many of them . Street mode boosts contrast and tweak colours in a way that not everyone will ascertain appealing , and portrayal were soft than I ’d carry dedicate the pixel enumeration , although the artificial bokeh blur negociate to detect edges evenhandedly systematically .
Photos taken at nighttime were almost as detailed as those taken during the daytime , even before I switched on the consecrated Nox mood . HDR help bear on the well - illuminated parts of a view without sacrificing the shadow , or create you wait for moment at a clip between shutter presses . Night mode sharpens things up a bit , but the processing has a calorie-free feeling that does n’t make the end result take care unrealistic .
With no telephotograph lens , the GT 2 Pro relies strictly on cropping and digital rapid climb , and although the effect at 2x are dead usable , with good amounts of item and dynamical chain , things drop off quickly when you increase the overstatement .
The ultrawide lens is the GT 2 Pro ’s trump card , producing results that number very close to matching the chief sensor in all lighting condition . What I assume is a spot of digital lens discipline signify thing are a little soft overall , but color , exposure and particular are comfortably among the very best blanket - angle smartphone cameras . The fisheye consequence allow for distinctive images that I ’d be well-chosen to portion out on social media , with dramatic drum optical aberration and neat limpidity , albeit with an even softer presentation .
The 32 - megapixel front - facing camera can rupture a crisp selfie , with lots of item and dynamic range when HDR is switched on . I would have liked a picayune more colour , though . Some pictures end up looking wash out , even when being sure to shoot away from the Sunday .
Performance
With power coming from Qualcomm ’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 central processing unit , there was never any doubt the GT 2 Pro would be a top performing artist – and yet I was still impressed with how mobile and antiphonal it felt to use .
Apps opened almost instantly , I could swipe and scroll without any delays , and multitasking was a breeze thanks to the 12 GB of memory . In our bench mark tests , it surpass the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus by a considerable margin , with GPU performance being peculiarly high - marking , though it ca n’t quite compete withnewer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - equipped flagships in 2023 .
A vapour chamber that ’s over 25 % large than the one inside last year ’s Realme GT is partially to thank , helping to domesticate the hotness bring out by the mainframe . Even after an minute of Black Desert Mobile , the phone never felt warm to the sense of touch .
It was a pity , then , that game would only work at an indicate 60fps , even with the performance - boost GT modality enable . While I could take to the woods demanding title like Call of Duty Mobile at their maximum point scope and still love a perfectly smooth experience , it felt like I was missing out on in high spirits refresh rate gameplay when the screen is technically capable of it . Hopefully this is something Realme can handle with a package update .
On the software package front , Realme UI 3.0 is a typical - looking yet refreshingly hands - off take on Android 12 . Gesture piloting , a familiar - looking app drawer and simple notification tray are all a unaired match to vanilla Android , and I liked how the more innovative mapping were accessible through the configurations menu , rather than enable by default . It makes the transition from another manufacturer ’s Android skin a much smoother process than it can be elsewhere .
The screen is particularly customisable , with options for advance the brightness level of HDR message , hit video playback smoother , and sharpening the overall presentation . Multiple gloss modes give hunky-dory - metric grain control over the overall show , with Natural delivering the most dependable - to - aliveness image .
With 256 GB of onboard storage , it ’s hard to plain about the lack of microSD circuit board support . Even with my entire music library copied to it , I still had ample capacity allow for .
Realme has committed to three major operating arrangement updates , as well as four years of security updates , so the phone should potentially see an update to Android 15 subsequently down the course . The phone get the upgrade to Android 13 in October , so it ’s off to a cracking beginning . That ’s a healthy life-time , albeit a measure behind Samsung and its five years of security patch – and a long way off Apple ’s extensive iOS support .
Battery Life
Despite having a large , high - resolution screen and powerful Snapdragon CPU , I was impressed by the GT 2 Pro ’s staying ability . The 5000mAh battery mates many of its closest challenger on paper , but Realme has somehow make out to make it stretch much further here , comfortably lasting into a second day of cosmopolitan use .
Even once I add up in a bit of play and HDR video streaming , I see northward of seven hour of screen - on clip and still had a little juice stay at bedtime . The LTPO display helps out here , only increasing its refresh pace when need , and hale 120Hz on all the prison term sees barrage fire life take a obtrusive striking . enable GT fashion , which cranks every potential put up in pursuit of performance , is even more power - draining .
Still , I saw better overall battery living here than I did in theGoogle Pixel 6 Pro , and it even outperforms more expensive rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus andiPhone 13 Pro .
There ’s no radio receiver charging , which might get along as a disappointment to some , but at least Realme include a pumped up charging adaptor in the box . It ’s open of 65W speedy charging , which is able-bodied to cede a complete empty - to - full refill in just 33 minute . A 50 % commission take just under 15 . This is significantly truehearted than any of Samsung ’s latest handsets , include the much more expensive Galaxy S22 Ultra , though it pal in comparison to the 240W charging of the newer Realme GT 3 that hand over a full 100 % in just 9 and a half minutes .
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Should you buy it?
For flagship execution with an environmental sharpness , few rivals come close . It has excellent stamp battery life , speedy charging and a fantastic display , at a very enticing price .
Fish - eye and microscope camera have niche appeal , and not everyone will consider the paper - similar polymer finis premium enough for a flagship phone
Final Thoughts
Even with the Realme GT 3 on the horizon , the Realme GT 2 Pro remains a tantalising option for consumers . The high quality video display , excellent battery sprightliness and versatile cameras make for an exceptionally well - rounded gadget , while performance is on par with 2022 flagship phones that be well more .
Its eco credentials are also to be applaud . The enjoyment of bio - based polymer plastics could easy be written off as a greenwashing gimmick , but I think they look and sense suitably premium , and any steps take to dilute the environmental wallop of our technical school are positive ones .
Now that the astonishingly low early bird pricing offer has ended , though , it face strong competition – including from within its own camp , good manners of theOnePlus 10 Proand newerOnePlus 11 , which switch the niche microscope camera for a more hardheaded telephotograph . Without the handful of extras that would ’ve made it truly exceptional , it is n’t quite a shot stuff shot – but it add up closer than any Realme handset ever has before .
Trusted Score
How we test
We screen every mobile earphone we review exhaustively . We utilize industry standard tests to compare features right and we use the telephone as our principal equipment over the reappraisal period . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to review a product .
FAQs
you could buy the Realme GT 2 Pro in three different colors : Steel Black , Paper Green and Paper White
Yes , the Realme GT 2 Pro fend for 5 G networks , although you ’ll need a 5 G datum plan to use them
One of the braggart features of the Realme GT 2 Pro is its rapid charging and yes , there is a charger include in the box
There is no wireless charging of any kind on the Realme GT 2 Pro , which is a disgrace , but understandable given the price .
