Online selling, content creation, and online learning are just some of the trends that we’ve noticed during the year-long lockdown. With physical meetups being restricted and with people being encouraged to stay home and stay safe, a lot of people had to adjust and go full digital even with a meager budget. As this setup continues this year, realme recently introduced another budget smartphone that has a solid build, big battery, and decent cameras to help assist our needs during these tough times. Meet the realme C25!

With a 6.5” screen, 48MP AI triple rear camera setup, and large 6,000mAh battery with quick charging, the realme C25 is ready to keep up with our digital needs.

DESIGN AND DISPLAY

Upon seeing the realme C25, I was immediately reminded of the realme C11 which I’ve also reviewed before. However, upon further sleuthing online, it seems that it also looks similar to the Narzo 30A. The one I have is in Water Blue color, but the unit is also available in Water Gray. The back panel has a geometric design with a subtle realme print slightly embedded on the lower left corner of the phone. This design is very neat to look at since it’s not a fingerprint magnet and it can prevent the phone from slipping through your fingers.

You’ll also find the 48MP AI triple camera setup at the back in a square arrangement, together with the fingerprint sensor. I was actually hoping for a quad-camera unit under realme’s C Series but I won’t complain since the 49MP camera is quite good! More about that later.

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On the right side, you’ll find the volume rockers and power button, which also activates Google Assistant; while on the left, you can access the card tray for two nanoSIMs and one microSD card using the sim ejector tool in the box. At the bottom, there’s a USB Type-C port, microphone, speaker, and audio port.

Lastly, the 6.5” IPS display in front has an 88.7% screen-to-body ratio. You can also find the 8MP front camera in a dewdrop-like notch along with the earpiece. For those who are afraid to get their screens scratched, no need to worry because the realme C25 already comes with a pre-installed screen protector.

The realme C25 is quite big but it’s something I’m sure that anyone can get used to since it’s still possible to type using one hand. It also weighs 209g, which is pretty heavy compared with other mobile devices, but I guess this is something we’ll need to deal with in order to enjoy the huge battery that comes with it. Plus, it has a TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High-Reliability Certification, which means that it’s sturdy enough to survive drop, wear, and tear multiple times.

With a 6.5” IPS LCD panel and a 1600 x 720 resolution with 270 ppi, the realme C25 makes viewing enjoyable at any angle – except when you’re under intense sunlight outdoors. Brightness and display temperature settings can also be tweaked to counter this,,but it’s better when indoors.

CAMERA

The realme C25’sI triple camera setup consists of a 48MP wide, 2MP depth, and 2MP macro lens with a decent autofocus. Photos taken under normal mode are okay, but I personally prefer using the 48MP feature which can highlight even the smallest details of a subject. Although it comes with a Night Mode, the output still comes out a bit grainy and the colors are not that accurate. I would commend the quality of photos taken under bright lights or outdoors, though.

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Same goes for videos taken using the rear camera – the quality is good for social media uploads since the realme C25 is capable of recording up to 1080p resolution at 30fps. It doesn’t have auto stabilization so you may want to use a tripod with it. A sample clip can be found in my unboxing video.

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In front, the selfie camera also works just fine. Portrait Mode works well if you’re not wearing glasses but in my case, it tends to blur out the frames when I’m not facing the camera directly. Some shots turn out like they’ve been airbrushed from time to time, but these can be fixed using third party apps.

STORAGE, UI, AND OS

With a 4GB + 64GB or 128GB storage, the realme C25 can store a good amount of photos and videos for your content creation needs. Note, however, that it comes with pre-installed system apps like Google and realme apps so you’re not getting the full 128GB. The realme C25 is also the first phone with realme UI 2.0 in the Philippines and based on my experience, it’s easy to explore and the icons also look neat.  

With a Helio G70 Gaming Processor, you can run games like Mobile Legends or Genshin Impact but I would suggest not to fill it with heavy games as it’s not capable of running multiple heavy apps smoothly in the background. Didn’t encounter problems while using Chrome along with usual social media apps and Spotify, though!

BATTERY

One of my favorite things about the realme C25 would be its 6,000mAh battery. I’ve been using it casually ever since I received it but it hasn’t budged yet even after 3 days. It also has 18W fast charging and reverse wired charging, but it isn’t capable of wireless charging yet. This feature would be very helpful for people who need to be on their phones almost 24/7.  

SPECIFICATIONS

Display	6.5” IPS LCD, 270 ppi
Size	164.5 x 75.9 x 9.6mm
Weight	209g
Processor	MediaTek Helio G70 Gaming Processor
Operating System	realme UI 2.0 (based on Android 11)
Storage	4GB LPDDR4X RAM + 64GB / 128GB storage (expandable up to 256GB via microSD, dedicated slot)
SIM	Dual-SIM (nano
Battery	6,000mAh with 18W Quick Charge USB Type-C
Rear Camera	48MP (f/1.8) + 2MP (f/2.4) + 2MP (f2.4)
Front Camera	8MP (f/2.0)
Cellular and Wireless	4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU
Audio	3.5mm audio jack
Colors	Water Blue, Water Gray

For only Php 7,490 (or Php 5,990 from April 16-18), the realme C25 is a decent option to consider if you’re looking for a mobile phone with a solid build and battery, and a decent camera. Definitely a bang for your buck if you’re an aspiring content creator or an online seller under a budget!

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