realme has been unrelenting in their releases of smartphones this year. With several devices already launched this year, it seems that the brand will be stepping up their game and are now bringing their flagship into the Philippines: the realme X3 SuperZoom.
realme X3 SuperZoom
| Realme X3 SuperZoom | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ |
| Screen | 6.6-inch IPS, 2400 x 1080, 120Hz, Gorilla Glass 5 |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB |
| OS | Android 10 with Realme UI |
| Rear Camera | 64MP f/1.8 Main, 8MP f/3.4 Telephoto, 8MP f/2.3 Ultrawide, 2MP f/2.4 Macro |
| Front Camera | 32MP f/2.5 Main, 8MP f/2.2 Ultrawide |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.0 |
| Network | Dual-SIM, 4G LTE |
| Connectivity | Dual-band WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, NFC |
| Battery | 4,200mAh, 30W Dart Charge |
| Others | Side-mounted Fingerprint Scanner |
| Colors | Glacier Blue, Arctic White |
Unboxing
Even though it’s the most expensive smartphone from realme to arrive in the Philippines, the realme X3 SuperZoom still packs the brand’s traditional yellow packing. As with their routine, the smartphone only comes with a USB Type-C cable, a 30W Dart Charger, documentation, a SIM pin ejector, and a silicone case. Considering that it is a notch higher than the current range of realme smartphones, we expected it to ship with a pair of earphones.
A Fast Display and a Flagship-class Chipset
realme is going all out in the specifications department with the SuperZoom. It comes with a 6.6-inch IPS screen at 2400 x 1080 with Gorilla Glass 5. The real kicker, however, is its 120Hz refresh rate. Its display is basically twice as fast compared to conventional smartphones in the market. This allows for games and general animation to be smoother and more responsive.
A faster chip is needed in order for games and applications to take advantage of a faster display. realme knew this as well so they decided to throw in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chip onto the device, which is one of the most powerful chipsets from Qualcomm as of now.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ is composed eight Kryo 485 CPUs that can run up to 2.96GHz and an Adreno 640 GPU in order to provide the most processing power possible to the X3 SuperZoom. Aside from its sheer power, the chipset also gives additional perks to the device such as Bluetooth 5.0 and a slew of AI enhancements.
To add to its already impressive rap sheet, the realme X3 SuperZoom has 12GB of RAM, which is plenty of memory for you to multitask using several apps. Storage has been upgraded as well to 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.0 storage depending on the variant.
It’s Named SuperZoom for a Reason
You may be wondering why the realme X3 SuperZoom is named the way it is. Well, let’s start off with its cameras at the back. It ships with a quad camera setup, as usual, composed of a 64MP f/1.8 main camera, an 8MP f/2.3 ultrawide, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens, and an 8MP f/3/.4 periscope telephoto lens.
Due to its periscope telephoto camera, the device is able to take photos up to 60x zoom and thus its moniker. It’s not the first smartphone to bank on its telephoto abilities but it’s the first smartphone from realme to arrive in the Philippines to do so.
The smartphone is able to take several levels of zoom: 1x, 2x, 5x, and 10x are the defaults. You can zoom even further by pinching out the screen until it reaches its max zoom of 60x. Although impressive, there are some caveats.
We’ve taken sample shots to see what kind of image quality the device can produce in different zoom levels. The default zoom levels are detailed enough but they become a bit smudged when it reaches 20x zoom. Details are even less apparent in the 60x sample photo, however, there’s enough of it that you can make out what the photo is (it’s a cell tower).
Its 64MP f/1.8 main camera is impressive compared to some of its current offerings. Aside from the high pixel count, colors are saturated enough to look pretty and natural while details are lovingly preserved.
What else does the realme X3 SuperZoom offer?
In terms of design, the realme X3 SuperZoom isn’t as iconic as its contemporaries. While beautiful in its own right, it’s not striking enough to separate itself from the pack unlike the realme X3 SuperZoom . Though aesthetics are largely subjective, some people may like realme’s subdued approach with the X3 SuperZoom.
The whole device is powered by a 4,200mAh battery that can keep it working throughout the day. Luckily enough, it also supports 30W Dart Charge via its USB Type-C port at the bottom so charging times are kept short.
The realme UI is now the default skin on Android for the brand. While it sticks to the Android 10 experience, there are a few similarities from OPPO’s ColorOS such as the Smart Assistant, Smart Sidebar, and icon customization.
First Impressions
As with most of their handsets, the realme X3 SuperZoom tries to offer an expansive feature set in a price point below expectations. With the inclusion of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+, a 120Hz display, and, and quad cameras with 60x zoom capabilities, realme’s latest offering is shaping up to be the flagship killer that everyone has been waiting for.
The only real question is its pricing. When it was initially released, the realme X3 SuperZoom was introduced at EUR 499. In direct conversion, this puts it in roughly the PhP 27,000 price point. Hopefully, the brand can released the device around that area in order to disrupt another part of the market.
The realme X3 SuperZoom is expected to make its official appearance and price reveal on July 9, 2020 via the brand’s social media pages. Until then, we’ll be putting the device through its paces to see what kind of performance it can offer.
