Realme C55 Review: Packs iPhone-like Dynamic Island, costs much less, but is it worth it?

Realme C55 Review: The device gets a feature similar to iPhone-like Dynamic Island along with a decent camera and long-lasting battery.

Know if the Realme C55 is really worth your while. (Priya/HT Tech)

One of the features that was talked about the most after the launch of the Apple iPhone 14 series was the introduction of Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Since then, people have been expecting something similar to pop up on Android devices. Now, with the launch of the Realme C55, a glimpse of the same is being provided by its 'Mini Capsule' and, unbelievable as it sounds, it starts at Rs. 10999. Along with the mini capsule, Realme C55 also gets a 64MP camera, premium design, and more. Is it enough to make you want to buy the device? After using it for some time now, we tell you here in our review if the Realme C55 will fit your bill.

Realme C55: Design

Realme C55 design (Priya/HT Tech)

Realme C55 design (Priya/HT Tech)

Design is the first thing that attracts you to the phone. The Realme C55 not only looks premium but is also comfortable to hold and use. The device is slim (7.89mm), light weighted (189.5g), and gets a pattern at the back panel resembling the lines of the rain. I have been using the Rainy Night variant of the device which seems quite solid along with the build quality.

Realme C55: Display

Realme C55 display (Priya/HT Tech)

Realme C55 display (Priya/HT Tech)

The Realme C55 gets a 6.72-inch display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. With a decent screen size embracing vibrant colours and commendable contrast, watching movies, videos, and images on the screen was pleasing. Using the phone in the sunlight was not a matter of concern as the screen brightness was quite good. The touch response is fast, and smooth and shows no lag, making it easy to play games like Temple Run, Subway Surfers, and more. However, Realme could have come up with an AMOLED display, to make the device more competitive and stand out in the market.

Realme C55: Performance

The Realme C55 uses the MediaTek Helio G88 chipset, which is almost two years old. However, the performance of the C55 was satisfactory for me. From playing graphics-intensive games like Asphalt 9, Call of Duty Mobile season 3 to normal ones like Temple Run, the gaming experience was fun. Apart from gaming, long hours of binging sessions too did not tire the phone. Even while listening to the music the audio was loud and clear. The phone also easily handled other minor tasks like internet surfing, and switching between apps, seamlessly.

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Realme C55 performance (Priya/HT Tech)

Realme C55 performance (Priya/HT Tech)

The iPhone-like Dynamic Island feature named Mini Capsule is almost similar except for the fact that Realme has restricted it to only three functionalities- showing battery status, data usage, and step stats. Not of much use to me, but I would say, it is still a nice feature if for no other reason than to make this budget phone stand out among other Android devices.

Realme C55 Mini Capsule (Priya/HT Tech)

Realme C55 Mini Capsule (Priya/HT Tech)

The phone runs on Realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13 and allows you to experience the upgraded visual design and a new feature called Auto Pixelate. But what can bother you are the preinstalled apps like ShareChat, Moj, and Josh, among others.

Also, after the launch of 5G in India and almost all the smartphone companies like Samsung, Motorola, and Oppo, among others, coming up with 5G devices under Rs. 15000. However, Realme C55 is a 4G phone.

Realme C55: Camera

Realme C55 camera (Priya/HT Tech)

Realme C55 camera (Priya/HT Tech)

Surprisingly, I am quite impressed with the camera performance of the Realme C55. Especially when it comes to night photography and using the main camera lens of 64MP. The C55 is equipped with a dual rear camera setup supporting a 64MP primary sensor; accompanied by a 2MP lens. The phone also sports an 8MP selfie camera.

The images clicked during the daylight with the main rear camera are satisfactory and highlight every minute detail. However, pictures did get somewhat beautified and even looked a bit overexposed when clicked with the front camera. The rear camera clicked beautiful night shots, but when it came to taking selfies in low light, the camera struggled. The phone also comes with numerous in-app camera modes like Street, Pro, Pano, 64, among others. Have a look at a few camera samples here.

Image Samples

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Realme C55: Battery

The 5000mAh battery easily survives a day and a bit more, depending upon your usage. The phone supports a 33W charger which takes around an hour to completely fuel your battery from 10 to 100 percent.

Realme C55: Verdict

Realme C55 verdict (Priya/HT Tech)

Realme C55 verdict (Priya/HT Tech)

Realme C55 is a great offering for a starting range of Rs. 10999. The phone gets a beautiful design, a decent main camera, and battery performance. The new addition - Mini Capsule - also helps in making the phone a quality buy despite its limitations. But hey, you can't ask for more from a budget phone. Also, for people who are looking for a 5G device and want an updated or latest chipset, the phone will not fit the bill as it is a 4G-only phone. In such a situation you can look for competitors like Samsung Galaxy F14 5G, and Motorola G32, among others.

Rating

3.5 out of 5

Price

INR 10,999/-

Product Name

Realme C55

Brand Name

Realme

Pros

• Mini Capsule
• Decent cameras
• Good battery life
• Design

Cons

• UI loaded with bloatware
• 4G device

Specifications

• Display
  6.72-inch FHD+ display
• Battery
  5000mAh
• Rear camera
  64MP+2MP
• Front Camera
  8MP
• OS
  Realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13
• Chipset
  MediaTek Helio G88 Chipset