The Realme C15 is the brand’s latest entry-level offering, joining the other budget smartphones in the popular C Series range. It is yet another bang-for-the-buck device from Realme. With a P6,000+ price tag, this model already brings a massive 6000mAh battery with 18W wired charging and reverse charging features. Additionally, it has a large display, a Helio G35 processor, and quad cameras.
We got our hands on the Realme C15 (3GB + 64GB model) and see if it’s really the affordable feature-packed smartphone that the company claims it is. We also checked where this handset excels and what areas it needs improvement.
Start scrolling to read our review.
Design & Construction
Out of the box, the Realme C15 already stands out from the competition with its reimagined rear design. It veers away from the usual gradient or solid colorway with glossy or matte finishes. Instead, it plays with various textures, geometric cuts, and shades on the back panel. Our review unit comes in Seagull Gray, which is professional-looking in my opinion. The other color option is Marine Blue. Other elements seen on the polycarbonate rear cover are the square camera module on the top left corner, a round fingerprint sensor, and a minimal Realme branding on the lower left side.
On the left, the SIM slot–the tray can house two nano SIMs and a microSD card at the same time. The power button and volume keys are on the right side. At the bottom are the loudspeaker grille, microUSB port, main mic, and headphone jack.
Overall, the phone looks and feels sturdy that unknowing users may mistake this for a higher-priced device.
Display & Multimedia
Flip to the front and the massive screen greets with its minimal bezels (except for the chin part) and a tiny drop notch at the top. The 6.5-inch screen of the C15 boasts HD+ resolution at 720 x 1600 pixels and 270ppi. It is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass. For added safeguarding, Realme already installed a screen protector on the C15.
While the resolution may not be the highest out there, the display manages to bring a good viewing experience when watching, playing games, and doing basic tasks. The colors are vibrant. Because it uses an LCD panel, the screen doesn’t provide deep blacks, but it surely is bright even when used under direct sunlight. The viewing angles are pretty decent, too.
Audio-wise, the speaker at the bottom should be enough for casual watching and gaming. Crank the volume too high and the sound will turn a little tinny. It’s best to use headphones or external speakers. But given that the C15 is an entry-level device, the audio performance of the phone is understandable.
Cameras
The Realme C15 sports a quad-camera setup at the rear. The main shooter is a 13-megapixel sensor. The other cameras are an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP monochrome lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. The rear cameras perform well when the lighting is great (not so much in low light). The photos come out vibrant, more so when HDR is on.
Here are some sample shots from the Realme C15:
In front, the 8MP camera captures decent selfies in good lighting conditions. Expect the quality to reduce in low lit environments. The AI Beauty mode does a decent job smoothening and enhancing self-portraits.
The C15 can shoot up to 1080p at 30fps. There is no video stabilization built-in. But the output videos are enough for documentation and simple social media sharing.
Performance
Under the hood, this Realme phone boasts a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and a PowerVR GE8320 GPU. There’s an option for a 3GB or a 4GB RAM–our review unit comes with the 3GB configuration. For storage, there’s 64GB built-in, which is still expandable via microSD. This combination can execute basic computing tasks with ease, including browsing the Web and social media apps. Watching videos are smooth, too. Users should expect a few frame drops and lag time when playing graphics-heavy games like PUBG and Asphalt 9. Our experience with Genshin Impact leaves a lot to be desired for this phone. We suggest that you choose the lowest settings when playing games for better performance.
These are the benchmarks scores of the Realme C15:
- AnTuTu – 106,110
- Geekbench – 170 (Single-core), 918 (Multi-core)
- 3D Mark – 463 (Slingshot Extreme OpenGL)
Running realme UI, based on Android 10, the Realme C15 offers a clean and easy-to-use user interface. Nothing out of the ordinary. It comes with several useful features: the option to choose between a home screen app setup and an app drawer; dark mode; stock apps like Game Center, App Market, and more.
One of the biggest draws for this phone is its huge 6000mAh battery. A full charge can last beyond two days for basic use. If you will be watching videos and playing games with the Wi-Fi or mobile data on, it can still last you almost a day. The fast-charging feature also comes in handy if you want to quickly boost battery power.
Realme C15 Specs
Realme C15 | |
OS | realme UI (Android 10) |
Display | 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) fullscreen display, 420 nits, Corning Gorilla Glass |
CPU | 2.3GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio G35 processor |
GPU | PowerVR GE8320 |
Memory | 3GB or 4GB LPDDR4 RAM |
Storage | 64GB internal storage, microSD card |
Rear camera | 13MP F2.2 main + 8MP F2.25 ultra-wide + 2MP F2.4 B&W + 2MP F2.4 macro |
Front camera | 8MP F2.0 |
Connectivity | 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB, dual SIM |
Sensor | GPS, A-GPS, BDS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, rear fingerprint |
Battery | 6,000mAh battery, 18W wired charging and reverse charging |
Dimensions | 164.5 x 75.9 x 9.8mm |
Weight | 209g |
Colors | Seagull Silver, Marine Blue |
Verdict
The Realme C15 is a bang-for-the-buck phone–and it’s not surprising given that the brand has been consistent in its feature-packed yet affordable offerings. For its price, the C15 already brings a massive battery, quad rear camera setup, a beautiful display, and decent performance. Improvements on the UI can still be made, but there are no huge issues with it. Performance-wise is great for basic computing tasks, but running demanding apps shows the need for additional processing power.