The new Realme C30s is a unique device that we will be looking at in this review. The unit we have has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a single 8MP camera on the back and a 5MP camera on the front. price? KES 13,700.
When Realme Kenya first sent out the press release, the price stood out to me. Some companies sell units with the same RAM and storage at much higher prices, so it’s odd to get a device with that amount of RAM and storage at that price.
So how can realme do this? And how is the machine?
Well, let’s break it down to discuss all aspects of the phone properly. We will see:
- structure
- Exhibition
- battery
- Cameras and
- Software and performance
display
The phone has a 6.5 inch HD display. The tear drop notch at the top is the front camera. The bottom bezel looks quite thick, but the side bezels don’t.
It’s a good display for this price point. It’s color accurate, and feels smooth and responsive. However, I noticed that outdoors, it is not so bright, does not affect the use. Even indoors, you’ll need to constantly push the brightness all the way down for a good view.
If you plan to watch content on the display, it will be good for media consumption. The only thing I wish is that they included dual speakers – top and bottom. Only the bottom speaker is there, which I think you can easily block while holding the device.
Design:
You will agree with me, the design is the best aspect of this device. Budget phones need the appeal of being beautiful and Realme has nailed it here.
I love the flat back design. I love that they adopted that single camera design. No one ever uses extra AI and 2MP lens.
It has a plastic finish, with edges on the back. The top of the device is clean, with power and volume buttons on one side. The other side houses the SIM tray, while the bottom houses the microUSB port, headphone jack, speaker, and microphone.
Battery:
Nowadays, almost every manufacturer has a 5000mAh cell on their device. Same here, with one small problem: it still charges using microUSB, not Type-C. It will take you around 2 hours and some to charge from 0-100%, thanks to the slow speed.
With normal use you will see about a day of use. However, I have noticed that the battery drains really quickly when on 4G or WiFi. I hope these are initial usage and setup issues and not common.
Cameras:
(Review video includes photo samples)
As with most devices in this budget category, the problem with the cameras isn’t that they aren’t good lenses, it’s that the phone doesn’t have the same processing power as higher-end devices to work with making photos from the lens. Good and as sharp as possible.
So, yes, photos will be bright and clear in good lighting, but you’ll notice some color accuracy issues. Photos sometimes take time to process, even selfies. And I think it’s all because of the processor.
Software and Performance:
After unboxing the device I discovered something that I didn’t expect, the phone runs Android 12 (GO Edition). Android GO, I thought was only for devices with 2GB RAM or less. Here we have 4GB.
Well, this phone has a 2GB RAM model version. That’s probably why this 4GB model also runs on Android Go. Also, the UNISOC budget processor used here is built on the 28nm process, and is from 2018.
While Android Go is a bit different from the full Android experience, you’ll still be able to install the apps you need from the Play Store. You will also be able to get software updates to improve your overall experience.
Performance wise, I suggest you to get the 4GB RAM model only. It stumbles at times, but still gives you a decent smartphone experience. That includes content like social media and YouTube.
Conclusion:
I believe this is how Realme approached the C30s: give it good RAM and decent storage because the prices of those components have come down over the years. Then use a slightly dated processor, because new ones are quite expensive. Then run Android Go for a better experience. Then price the device competitively to cater to a segment that hasn’t had any serious issues in a while.
Let me know what you think about the phone based on this review.
Display – 6.5
Design – 8
Battery – 7
Cameras – 6.5
Software and Performance – 6.5
Value for money – 8.5
7.2
rating
The main issue with the Realme C30s is performance. The software is clean, but that UNISOC processor feels sluggish. It would have been nice to see the now older Helio A22 as well.
