Realme recently launched the Blue Soda variant of the realme 6i 🙂 It was on sale on Lazada and Shopee last June 4 and June 6, 2020.
This is my first realme phone so my review is going to be as a first-time user.
What is the realme 6i?
The realme 6i is a sub-P10,000 phone from realme. It comes in 2 variants:
- 3 GB + 64 GB — Php 7,990
- 4 GB + 128 GB — Php 9,990
I have the 4 + 128 version. I will not delve too much into the technical specifications because you can easily find all that on the internet. Instead, I will focus on reviewing it as a user and share my user experience.
Realme 6i Review
I’ve been using the realme 6i for a few weeks, and so far, I’m very happy with it.
Some of the things I really liked about it are:
Loooooong battery life!
The best thing I like about the realme 6i is the impressive battery life! From 100% battery, I watched 9 1-hour episodes of K-drama on Netflix, using my headphones. Normally, I could only get 3-4 eps before I had to plug in my phone to charge. I was worried that the battery might be dying, but nope! After 9 episodes, I checked the realme 6i and the battery was still going strong at 57%!
After charging to 100% and unplugging, 2 hours later (not doing anything on the phone), the battery is still at 99%! Even with a lot of use – mostly Facebook, taking photos and videos, and watching Netflix, I can easily get 2-3 days of battery life on a single charge.
Charging is also fast. I usually charge the realme 6i when it reaches around 20-30% battery, and it only takes a little over an hour to fully charge.
Dual SIM + Separate micro SD card slot!
This is almost a requirement here in the Philippines where almost everyone has 2 SIMS. Even though the phone has a generous 128GB internal storage, having the option to add a micro SD card is always a plus!
I haven’t really used it other than to test it (calling and texting via SIM, mobile data) because I am just staying home because of ECQ / GCQ, and most of my communications are through FB Messenger and Viber.
It has a headphone jack!
This is a requirement for me because I like watching Netflix before going to sleep, and I don’t want to disturb other people. I tried using “airpods” but they keep falling off and I always touch them by mistake and it pauses the music / show. I still prefer using wired headphones – the ones with the hairband thing. I hate the no-headphone-jack-trend.
Responsive Fingerprint Unlock
I have had more expensive phones whose fingerprint unlocking sucks and takes 3-5 tries before it unlocks. With the realme 6i, the phone unlocks with just one touch on the fingerprint scanner at the back! It’s fast. I’m happy.
Watching YouTube, Netflix, etc…
I really think you can get 18 hours of Netflix watching on this phone! I am satisfied with the resolution and the colors. My shows are clear and bright (just adjust the screen brightness to your preference).
Sounds
The realme 6i speaker is loud. Sound quality is a bit tinny but if you’re just watching Netflix and YouTube, it’s more than acceptable 🙂 I don’t even feel like I need to connect the phone to a Bluetooth speaker like I have to do with my other gadgets because their speakers are too soft.
Gaming
After 11 months, I logged in to my Ragnarok M: Eternal Love account to see how the realme 6i copes with the game 🙂 My older gadgets were having a problem with the game last year, and the only gadget I could play it on was my flagship-level phone.
It’s the only game I still like playing so that’s what I tested it on. Well, I am happy to report that the mid-range realme 6i was able to play it at max settings with no problem 🙂 I spent some sleepless nights leveling up my Lord Knight.
Camera
The realme 6i has a 48 MP quad camera.
Again, it is less than P10,000. I am not awed by the camera quality, but it does have some very nice features and unless you are really picky about your photos, for general usage, the cameras are more than good enough.
Here are some sample photos (photos resized only, not edited in any other way). Photos were taken on a cloudy afternoon.
This photo was taken indoors at night:
The camera app correctly identifies most of the subjects it is taking a photo of. It was fun to see “Kitty” or “Puppy” or “Food” or “Bouquet” on the screen as it was focusing on the subject 🙂
The back camera also has HDR, Chroma Boost features. The selfie camera’s Beauty Mode has Smoothen, Thinner Face, Bigger Eyes, Smaller Nose, Smaller Face, etc… to make selfies look better 🙂
Ultra-Macro:
I was shocked that it could take such a close-up.
The photo below was edited on the native realme 6i photo app (auto-filter):
I like that the realme 6i photo app has an Auto-filter function on its editing feature. It edits the photos correctly most of the time.
It also has a Time-Lapse video feature:
And here’s a sample of the Slow-Mo:
In-app video-editing:
The native app lets you edit videos with these extra features 🙂 You don’t need to download an extra video editing app if you don’t want to. The realme 6i can take videos up to 1080p at 60 fps.
Others
No problem at all with the WIFI. Connection was great. However, the realme 6i only has regular wifi. It doesn’t have 5G wifi, which is fine. Not a big deal. You can’t really expect that feature from a sub P10,000 phone, and there are still concerns about 5G, anyway. The regular wifi works great. Never experienced a drop or anything of the sort. Good reception. Kahit malayo, sagap pa niya ang WIFI!
I didn’t have any problems finding the device over Bluetooth, transferring files via Bluetooth, etc…
It can do Screencast 🙂 I haven’t really used this feature beyond testing it, because you usually cast to a Smart TV; but since it’s a smart TV, it already has its own native Netflix and YouTube app, so I didn’t really need this feature. But it’s nice to be able to cast to a smart TV if you need to.
It has an Eye Care mode. This mode filters out blue light from the screen to reduce eye strain. Recommended to use at night if you use your phone before falling asleep.
It has a built-in Screen Recording app. This might be useful if you ever need to record your screen.
I have my usual apps installed on the realme 6i and I’ve never experienced any “hanging”. Except for one — Shopee. But I suspect that it is a problem with the Shopee app because I experience the same thing on my other gadgets, too. But other than that, the realme 6i was very zippy and quick.
It already comes with a screen protector out of the box 🙂
Here are a few things that aren’t really negative, per se, but you might want to take note of:
720p Screen
This is probably the biggest nitpick I have about the phone since I am used to higher resolution screens. However, considering the sub-P10,000 price, I can’t really complain. If you don’t need a super high resolution screen, this is okay. It gets the job done. I got used to it after a few hours.
It only bothered me when I was editing photos and videos and browsing Instagram. But for watching YouTube and Netflix, I hardly noticed it. I didn’t have any issue with the screen resolution while watching videos 🙂
Also, I think the lower resolution 720p screen is a big factor why the battery can last so long! So if you’re not really picky about screen resolution, this is okay.
Slightly heavier
The realme 6i is a tad bit thicker and heavier than other phones. This is most likely due to the bigger battery. I am amazed at the long battery life, so the trade-off is worth it.
Dark Grey Phone Cover
This isn’t really a big deal, but the included dark grey phone cover hides the pretty Blue Soda color 🙂 I was hoping they included a clear case instead so I can showcase the pretty blue.
Summary
I think the realme 6i is good value for money. The phone feels solid, not flimsy at all. There are a lot of features packed into this sub P10,000 phone! ? Seriously, this is a lot of bang for the buck. Most of these specs — the 4GB RAM, the 128 GB internal storage, the quad camera, the big battery, would probably cost a lot more money from other brands, and you’re getting all of that for less than P10,000 🙂
Recommended for those who want a long battery life, who like watching shows on their phone, are into mobile gaming, do casual photography, or just like staying connected on social media.
With only P2,000 difference, I suggest going for the 4 GB RAM + 128 GB internal storage variant 🙂
