The Realme C2 smartphone is a testament to Realme’s desire to provide feature-packed and performance devices at truly reasonable prices. An entry-level phone, the Realme C2 counts on its above-average specs and features to attract the budget-conscious but discerning mobile users.

But first, let’s get the matter of price away. The C2 comes in two configurations: the 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM model retails for P5,490, while the 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant sells for P6,490. With those price, does the Realme C2 have what it takes to be your next smartphone purchase? Read our review below to see how it fared to our tests.

Design & Construction

Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves that the Realme C2 is actually an entry-level device–because it doesn’t look or feel like one. For one, it feels solid to hold and weighs just right at 166g. And although it made of plastic, it appears like a premium device thanks to its slim side bezels, huge screen, and matte rear finish with geometric patterns. You can get the Realme C2 in Diamond Blue or Diamond Black colorway.

At 6.07in height, 2.9in width, and 0.33in thickness, the C2 is easy to hold even with just one hand. Thanks to the matte finish, too, the device gives you a good grip and not slippery at all even without a case. In addition, fingerprints and other smudges are not that of a problem. The back also showcases the dual rear cameras and LED flash–arranged horizontally at the upper left corner. There’s also a Realme logo printed at the lower left of the design, but other than that the rear is clean of any flashy features or design.

Realme also gave the C2 a huge screen at 6.1-inch. The side bezels are fairly slim. At the top is the dewdrop notch that houses the front shooter and a narrow bezel as well. At the bottom, though, you’ll find a slightly thick chin–something that is quite normal for smartphones within the budget range, so it’s excusable.

There’s nothing out of the ordinary with the placement of buttons and ports. To the right is the clicky power button, and to the left are the equally responsive and tactile volume keys. Joining the volume rocker on the left is the card slot, which houses the dual SIM card tray and the dedicated microSD card slot. The top part is clean of any sensors, slots, or buttons. At the bottom, you’ll find the speaker grille, microphone, microUSB port for charging and connectivity, and the 3.5mm audio port for wired listening.

Display & Multimedia

The Realme C2 features a 6.1-inch screen that has a dewdrop display at the top (a big improvement if you ask us compared with the C1’s big notch). The display offers a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and an 89.35% screen-to-body ratio; the resolution clocks max at 1560 x 720px or HD+. It also comes with a The screen comes protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Image quality-wise, the C2 produces vibrant colors, deep blacks, and clear details. Nothing mind-blowing, but let me remind you that this is a budget smartphone we are talking about. Viewing angles are good for most of the time. However, screen brightness can be an issue when you’re viewing under harsh lighting; even at max brightness, it’s hard to see or read what’s on the screen. Overall, you get what you paid for when it comes to screen.

To complete the multimedia experience, the Realme C2 comes with a decent audio. Surprisingly, the sounds aren’t tinny even at highest volumes. But again, nothing spectacular, just enough to get you buy.

Camera

For cameras, a 5-megapixel shooter sits inside the notch at the front. It takes okay photos in the phone’s standard photo mode, sharp for the most part. Turn on the AI Beauty mode, set to automatic settings, and get good selfies with natural post-editing effects. In Portrait mode, the blur that creates depth between the subject and the background doesn’t look seamless at all.

Meanwhile, the dual rear camera setup–a 13MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 2MP depth sensor. Under good lighting conditions, the main shooters take good images when the lighting is good. The details are good and the colors are vivid enough. Bokeh shots are okay, too, with just the little hiccup that it sometimes take time to focus on the subject. Autofocus isn’t that fast, too. Taking photos in low light scenarios can be a bit disappointing; they’re noisy and the details aren’t that clear.

If you want to take videos, the Realme C2 can capture up to 1080fps. This phone also has the added feature of taking slow-mo clips at 480p at 80fps. The videos are clear and detailed for the most part, especially if the lighting is okay. Zooming in, however, brings a lot of noise to the clip.

Sample photos

Selfie- Natural mode:

Smoothen:

Perfromance

The Realme C2 runs on the latest Android operating system, Android 9 Pie, that has Color OS 6.0 on top. Like in most Realme phones, the user interface in the C2 is clean, minimal, and intuitive. We appreciate that there’s not a lot of bloatware that comes with the ColorOS, mostly just the usual Google apps and some proprietary apps such as Game Center and Phone Manager. The shortcuts can be accessed by swiping down from the top. There’s also an option to display the App Drawer; nevertheless, out-of-the-box the apps can be accessed right form the home screen.

Read also: Realme C1 vs Realme C2: What’s the difference?

Realme adds a few useful features, too. There’s no fingerprint scanner, but you can use the AI Face Unlock for added security. It’s decently fast and accurate (though, it had a hard time unlocking when the light’s a bit low). The Smart Sidebar feature displays a white bar that has all your frequently used tools and tools, allowing you to access them faster and more conveniently.

Powering the Realme C2 is a 2GHz octa-core Helio P22 12nm processor. Paired with a PowerVR GE8320 GPU, the Realme C2 can execute basic tasks and programs without any hitch. Launching apps and switching between them is quick for the most part. You’ll start to notice the hiccups when you launch graphics-heavy games, such as PUBG and Asphalt 8. These are understandable given the device’s category. However, it’s a saving grace that you can still such titles on this phone. If there’s a saving grace, the 4000mAh battery allows you to play game for long hours.

The Realme C2 has either 2GB or 3GB RAM. Storage-wise, the 16GB or 32GB may be small for today’s standard but at least there’s an option for expansion via the dedicated microSD card slot.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a phone that won’t definitely break the bank but can surely give you your basic smartphone needs, then the Realme C2 may be what you’re looking for. For it’s price you already get a decent performance, big display, good cameras, and a huge battery. Understandably, the Realme C2 may be lacking in some aspects. There is no fingerprint sensor, the processing power leaves more to be desired, the resolution isn’t that high, and the internal storage can be limiting. But then again, for an entry-level budget smartphone, this device already brings more than what other smartphones can’t offer the tech-savvy users.