It’s been almost two years since the last GT-branded realme phone made its way overseas. And now, the newly announced realme GT 6 arrives on the global — and local — stage.

SEE ALSO: realme GT 6 lands in PH with P5,000 ($85) introductory discount

Priced at P34,999, or roughly $595 converted, it boasts a single configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of non-expandable storage in the Philippines. Does this sole option deliver a compelling flagship experience, or does it leave us wanting more? Let’s dive into our full review and find out.

Curved beauty with functional flair

For those keeping tabs on realme‘s China-only releases, the realme GT 6 might feel like a déjà vu. That’s because this global variant borrows heavily from the brand’s GT Neo6, which launched on the Chinese market back in May. There’s one key difference, though — a triple-camera setup on the back instead of a dual-lens affair.

The phone itself is a looker. Both the front and back curve seamlessly into the midframe, lending a sleek and comfortable in-hand feel. It’s quite thin at 8.96mm and surprisingly light for a flagship model at 199 grams. Its curved design makes the realme GT 6 easier to grip than most other premium offerings with a flat display, but given the size of the screen, one-handed usage will probably be a challenge for many.

Durability-wise, the GT 6 earns a respectable IP65 rating. This translates to some resistance against dust ingress and light splashes, but don’t expect it to survive a dunk in the pool or bathtub.

The back is where things get interesting. The GT 6 sports realme’s Nano Mirror Design, offered in silver and green colors. The upper portion, housing the cameras, boasts a mirror-like finish that the company claims draws inspiration from high-end sports cars. It undeniably screams flagship with its high-gloss sheen. However, this particular area is also quite a fingerprint-magnet.

Thankfully, the rest of the back incorporates a titanium-textured glass material that’s far less prone to collecting grease while maintaining a smooth feel. Even the camera lens rings get a durability upgrade, constructed from high-grade stainless steel that realme claims offers a 20% hardness bump over the usual fare.

As expected for a smartphone in this segment, the realme GT 6 boasts stereo speakers, with the secondary one tucked away in a discreet cutout on the top frame. The headphone jack’s absence comes as no surprise in 2024, but a more intriguing addition is the IR blaster nestled beside the speaker. This relic from the past allows you to control your nearby devices and appliances with the device, adding a touch of unexpected utility.

More than just pixels

Of course, realme’s latest flagship isn’t just about aesthetics; the GT 6 packs a punch in the display department, too. Mobile gamers and binge-watchers will rejoice at the unit’s pretty generous 6.78-inch panel with a sharp 1.2K resolution, translating to a crisp 450 dots per inch. Combined with 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy, a jaw-dropping 1.07 billion colors, and HDR10+ support, this panel allows for stunning visuals, plus an extra layer of visual enhancement with compatible HDR content. The contrast ratio also goes from a minimum of 60,000:1 to a whopping 5,000,000:1, ensuring deep blacks and vibrant highlights that pop off the screen.

Sunlight Display Mode ensures the display can be seen comfortably even under the harsh Manila sun. realme says the panel on the GT 6 delivers up to 6,000 nits of brightness, making it one of brightest out there. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — one of the most expensive smartphone models available on the market — maxes out at just 2,600 nits. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits when used outdoors.

But the real star of the show might be the display technology itself. realme equips the GT 6 with an 8T LTPO OLED panel, enabling a variable refresh rate that seamlessly adjusts between 1Hz and 120Hz. This translates to buttery-smooth visuals for everyday use and power efficiency when needed. realme even claims this 8T LTPO panel is 20% more power-efficient than traditional LTPS screens, effectively extending the phone’s battery life.

Durability isn’t an afterthought either. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 shields the handset’s display from scratches and accidental drops, while a tiny 2.74mm diameter punch-hole minimizes distraction for the selfie camera. realme even goes the extra mile with certifications for eye care. TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification with high-frequency 2,160Hz PWM dimming minimizes screen flicker at low brightness levels, reducing eye strain during extended use.

Taking things a step further, the realme GT 6 prioritizes your well-being with AI Eye Comfort — a thoughtful touch that sets it apart from the competition. This feature, enabled through Settings, utilizes built-in AI to detect signs of eye fatigue. Imagine a soft, warm tone automatically replacing harsh blue light as you transition from reading an article to scrolling through social media late at night. This dynamic adjustment reduces eye strain and allows for a more comfortable viewing experience. For an extra layer of protection, Bedtime mode automatically switches the screen to warmer colors to match your body’s natural sleep cycle, promoting faster sleep.

Supercharged performance that can be tweaked (for gaming)

The realme GT 6’s beauty extends beyond its sleek design and user-friendly display. Under the hood lies a performance beast — Qualcomm’s latest high-end 5G chipset, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. This cutting-edge processor is built on TSMC’s efficient 4nm process node and boasts a unique 1+4+3 core configuration with a powerful Cortex-X4 core at the helm. Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 offers a significant performance leap over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, boasting a 20% and 15% improvement in CPU and GPU performance, respectively.

Synthetic benchmarks are indeed promising. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 has the potential to reach a staggering 1.5 million points in Antutu, placing it squarely in the same league as last year’s flagship king, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It even outperformed the said chipset in Geekbench 6.

While benchmarks are valuable indicators, real-world experience matters most. The realme GT 6, coupled with the company’s custom overlay on top of Android 14, promises a smooth-sailing experience no matter the task — and it delivers. Apps launch instantaneously, and games run flawlessly at max settings without succumbing to frame-rate dips even after extended play sessions. The 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, meanwhile, provides plenty of headroom for multitasking. This device is undoubtedly among the fastest we’ve encountered.

Putting this to the test, the realme GT 6 delivered an impressively fluid experience in Honkai: Star Rail, easily one of the most demanding games available on the Google Play Store. During a 40-minute play session, our unit averaged a steady 55 frames per second, with occasional spikes to a full 60 fps. This translates to a visually stunning and responsive gameplay experience, making the realme GT 6 a great choice for gamers on the go.

realme complements this raw power with GT Mode, a software feature within the UI that prioritizes resources for optimal gaming. Expect consistent frame rates, stunning visuals, and cooler thermals during your in-game marathons. Power users will also appreciate Geek Power Tuning, which is usually reserved for high-end gaming phones like the ASUS ROG Phone series. This feature allows you to fine-tune the clock speeds of individual CPU cores, as well as the GPU, tailoring performance to specific games like PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, or Honkai: Star Rail, or prioritizing battery life by underclocking when needed.

In our tests with Honkai: Star Rail, downclocking the CPUs while keeping the GPU at its default setting resulted in cooler thermals. This suggests that Geek Power Tuning can make a notable difference in battery life, especially for users who prioritize marathon gaming sessions over absolute peak performance. We definitely recommend giving Geek Tuning a try on the GT 6 to find the optimal balance between performance and battery life for your gaming needs.

realme has promised three years of software updates for the newly launched smartphone, plus another year of security patches. This is in line with what other manufacturers have been offering, so no grouches here.

In terms of battery life, the realme GT 6 impresses, packing a generous 5,500mAh dual-cell battery. In our tests, which involved several hours of social media, web browsing, video streaming, music listening, and light gaming, the device easily lasted a full day on a single charge with juice to spare for the next morning. Lighter use can likely stretch that to two days.

The realme GT 6 also excels in screen-on time, consistently exceeding 6 hours of continuous use before needing a recharge, even with the display cranked up to its highest refresh rate of 120Hz.

When it comes to charging, the handset boasts realme’s proprietary SuperDart Charge technology, capable of delivering a whopping 120 watts of power. This translates to incredibly fast charging times — a full charge from zero to 100% in just 30 minutes. Even when you’re caught with a low battery, a quick 10-minute top-up with the included SuperDart charger provides several more hours of usage, giving you peace of mind and minimizing downtime.

There are software features designed to optimize battery health as well. Smart charging is a thoughtful feature that learns your charging habits and adjusts the phone’s charging patterns accordingly, potentially slowing down battery ageing in the long run.

For users who want even more control over battery health, the realme GT 6 offers a toggle that stops charging when the battery level reaches 80%. This aligns with recommendations from experts, as constantly charging your unit to 100% can accelerate battery degradation over time.

Capable camera coupled with AI smarts

Now onto the camera system — a crucial aspect for many smartphone users. The realme GT 6 boasts a triple-camera setup on the rear, headlined by a 50-megapixel Sony IMX808 sensor with optical image stabilization or OIS. This primary sensor is joined by a 50-megapixel dedicated telephoto camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide, offering versatility for various shooting scenarios. Up front, a 32-megapixel Sony IMX615 sensor housed within a punch-hole caters to selfies and video calls.

In well-lit environments, the main camera shines. Photos capture sharp details with accurate color reproduction. The large aperture and OIS ensure bright and blur-free images even in slightly challenging lighting conditions. HDR mode effectively balances highlights and shadows, preventing blown-out skies or dark foregrounds, a common issue with some smartphone cameras.

Night mode helps brighten low-light shots and recover details in shadows. However, there’s still a noticeable amount of noise and softness in the images. Additionally, the realme GT 6 tends to overexpose bright-light sources like streetlights or LED signs, negatively impacting the overall exposure.

The 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor offers a broader perspective, but sacrifices detail compared to the main camera. Images from the ultrawide appear softer and less vibrant than those captured by the primary sensor and telephoto camera.

Sample shots

The 32-megapixel front camera delivers sharp selfies with detailed results and generally accurate skin tones. However, the camera tends towards slight over-smoothing and face brightening. Portrait mode offers reasonably good edge detection, particularly in good lighting and with simple backgrounds.

The realme GT 6 can capture video at up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, or 1080p at 60 fps with the enabled Ultra Steady stabilization feature. Video quality is good overall, with sharp details and stable footage thanks to the OIS. The high-resolution zoom camera also translates to impressive zoom quality.

The realme GT 6’s camera software elevates the user experience. A standout feature is AI Smart Removal, essentially a one-stop shop for photo editing within the stock Photos app. This AI-powered tool lets you remove unwanted objects by selecting either Smart Lasso or Paint Over options. AI Smart Removal effectively identifies objects and fills the gaps left behind, although its performance may be hampered in low-light conditions.

Final thoughts

The realme GT 6 is a compelling flagship contender that goes beyond just powerful hardware. The device boasts an attractive design with a stunning display featuring a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The user experience is further enhanced by thoughtful software touches like AI Eye Comfort, AI Smart Removal, and Geek Power Tuning, giving users more control over their phone’s display, camera, and chipset capabilities.

Under the hood, Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 delivers excellent performance, making the realme GT 6 a great choice for gamers and power users alike. The long-lasting 5,500mAh battery paired with 120-watt fast charging ensures you won’t be tethered to an outlet for too long. While the camera system has its strengths and weaknesses, the inclusion of a dedicated zoom camera and AI-powered software features add a layer of versatility.

While not the cheapest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3-powered device in the Philippines — or one with the most storage to offer for the price — the realme GT 6 offers a feature-packed package at a pretty competitive price point. If you’re looking for a phone with a beautiful display, top-notch performance, and software that caters to both casual and power users, the realme GT 6 is definitely worth considering.

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realme GT 6 specs

• 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display, 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 6,000 nits local peak brightness, Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 5G chipset
• Adreno 735 GPU
• 12GB LPDDR5X RAM
• 256GB UFS 4.0 storage
• Triple 50-megapixel main, 50-megapixel telephoto, 8-megapixel ultrawide rear cameras
• 32-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 5,500mAh battery with 120-watt USB-C charging
• realme UI based on Android 14
• IP65 rating
• Colors: Green and silver

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