Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G Review: A good option for gaming

Name: Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G
Item: Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G
Author: Divya

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G debuts as a mid-ranger with strong performance and decent overall experience. But does it stand out amongst the tough competition? Find out.

By: DIVYA
| Updated on: Aug 22 2022, 12:40 IST

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G chipset. (Divya / HT Tech)

Realme has introduced a couple of Narzo smartphones so far in the budget segment within the sub-15000. But the Narzo 50 Pro 5G makes its entry as a powerful mid-ranger with the MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset. With several other options from Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo bringing the same chipset in their mid-rangers, the Narzo 50 Pro 5G is the most affordable one of all. With the triple-camera setup, AMOLED display, latest Android 12 experience, and the new Realme UI, this Realme smartphone brings almost all those specs onboard which can make the overall experience hassle-free. But that's on paper, does it make its way out in reality and does it stand out under the Rs. 25,000 segment in front of its tough competition in the market? To know, I have spent more than a week with the smartphone and here are my views.

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G Design

Realme always tries to experiment with a new look. This time, it goes towards the classic side, the matt-ish design with a dotted-lines texture that vanishes on the rear camera side. At first glance, the smartphone isn't something that turns heads. Especially, when I look at the bulging camera module that houses a triple-camera setup, it reminds me of several other designs from OnePlus to even Realme itself.

image caption — Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G is available in two colour options: Hyper Blue and Hyper Black. (Divya / HT Tech)

However, its sleek body with curvy edges feels light and easy to carry. Overall, it takes a minimalist approach to the design with a matte look that doesn't retain smudges and fingerprints for too long. While in front, the in-display fingerprint sensor, punch-hole carrying selfie camera, and minor bezels follow the sides.

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G Display

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G uses a 6.4-inches super AMOLED screen which makes the viewing experience rich in colours and contrast for binge-watching HD videos.

Under the bright sunlight, the display manages to make the content look visible to use for basic purposes including texting, reading or surfing the internet, thanks to its 1000 nits of peak brightness. Still, I feel the display looks a bit dull outdoors, though, that doesn't hamper the visibility under the sun. The 90Hz of refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate helps to have lag-free scrolling on social media or the web as well as in gaming sessions. You get the in-display fingerprint sensor, which is quick and responsive too.

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G Performance

The mid-range processor MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G was earlier experienced with Xiaomi's 11i HyperCharge and gaming optimisation was something that was lacking at that time. But with Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G, whether it is about day-to-day operations, multi-tasking, or on-boarding heavy graphical tasks such as gaming or editing short videos, it doesn't show any lag or heating issues. I played BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Asphalt 9 on default graphic settings, and with Narzo 50 Pro, the performance was satisfactory.

On the software front, the Narzo 50 Pro 5G comes with the latest Realme UI 3.0 on top of the Android 12 experience. You get a hatful of customization options, themes, animation controls, and a lot more to make the UI lively. But it is bloatware again which makes the experience sour! Pop-up notifications and the struggle to either mute them or uninstall the pre-loaded apps continues even with Narzo 50 Pro too, just like all other Realme phones. Still, there are some stubborn apps that won't agree to get uninstalled.

Well, it is Narzo 50 Pro's dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos which brings a good experience with its loud and clear sound for listening to music, watching YouTube videos, playing games, or calling in speakers. As India still awaits for 5G, the phone worked decently with my 4G SIM and the calling experience has been good without any connectivity issues.

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G Cameras

Besides the powerful performance, Realme Narzo Pro 5G manages to bring decent camera performance with its 48MP+8MP+2MP triple-camera setup. As far as you are dealing with the bright natural light, the primary camera captures detailed and natural colour-driven photos. Its portrait mode comes with a customized bokeh effect, skin retouch options, and a myriad of filters to play with. It manages to take brighter portraits but is somewhat over-sharpened. while the macro lens brings the noise to the photo. Its 8MP ultra-wide sensor is surprisingly good at bringing sharp images with a bit of boosted saturation. Still, the ultra-wide images look lively.

Check the samples here to know the camera performance..

It starts getting difficult to hold the same performance of cameras under indoor lights which struggle to bring colour accuracy. You will even start losing details at night and sharpness will make the photos look a bit unrealistic. The 16MP front camera is enough to take bright, detailed, and natural skin-toned selfies. It also gets several filters and skin texture edit options to beautify it, though I liked it raw. For video recording, you get 720p, 1080p, and 4k options that work fine in natural light.

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G Battery

The battery life of Narzo 50 Pro 5G won't disappoint you and will go on for more than a day easily with its 5000mAh battery that supports 33W charging. With daily usage on weekdays, the smartphone lasts for more than a day on a single charge. The daily usage pattern of the smartphone for me comprises messaging, calling, surfing the internet, 2-3 hours of social media, and listening to music in the background. However, expose it to the 1-1.5 hour of gaming or watching movies and you will need to refill it by the end of the day. Though Realme provides a couple of power-saving modes which can boost the battery backup. With its 33W fast charging support, you can juice it up to full from 10 percent in and around 80 minutes.

Verdict

Undoubtedly, Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G is a device that focuses on gaming. With powerful performance, customisable UI, good battery backup, super AMOLED display, and stunning cameras, the Narzo 50 Pro 5G is here as a powerful smartphone starting at Rs. 21,999. Still, I believe, the cameras could have been better and the display performance experience could be richer. Having said that, the Narzo 50 Pro 5G is for all those who want a strong gaming device and powerful performance at an affordable price with a decent overall experience.

But look at the competition and you find a couple of better options. By spending Rs. 2000 more, you get a faster Snapdragon 778G, a 64MP primary camera, and 66W FlashCharge support in the iQOO Z6 Pro 5G, which easily emerges as a top recommendation. With the same chipset as Narzo 50 Pro 5G, the Xiaomi 11i brings 67W fast charging, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a better 108MP primary camera sensor to the table while paying Rs. 3000 more. And, if 5G is not your priority, then Oppo's F21 Pro is a stylish option with impressive cameras and quite decent performance.

On the whole, the Narzo 50 Pro 5G is good as long as you are restricted to its price and are seeking the Dimensity 920 chip. The iQOO Z6 Pro is still the more sensible choice for gamers.

Rating

4 out of 5

Price

INR 21,999/-

Product Name

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G

Brand Name

Realme

Pros