Realme C55 Launch: Androids Response to Dynamic Island with Mini Capsule Feature

Following the introduction of the C55 in Indonesia, Realme has now officially released its entry-level smartphone in India. The device closely resembles its global counterpart and comes in the same color options, suggesting minimal differences. Notably, this marks the first instance of an Android device incorporating an iPhone-inspired Dynamic Island notification feature surrounding the front camera’s cutout. Nonetheless, Realme’s version significantly diverges from what Apple introduced with its iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max last year. Continue reading to understand why.

First off, let’s discuss the pricing. The Realme C55 has debuted in India in three configurations, each featuring LPDDR4X RAM and eMMC 5.1 storage. The variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at Rs. 10,999, the one with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage at Rs. 11,999, and the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 13,999. This phone is set to hit the shelves on March 28.

Let’s highlight the phone’s most distinctive yet least marketed feature, which Realme has named ‘Mini Capsule’. Realme describes it as still being in beta, similar to the fingerprint scanner that also serves as a heart rate monitor found in the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G (Review). Interested users can activate it by going to Settings > Realme Lab > Mini Capsule (enable) > Battery (enable).

The implementation of Dynamic Island by Realme is termed Mini Capsule

While it resembles a Dynamic Island imitation in functionality, it is not quite there yet. Unlike Apple’s Dynamic Island, which adapts to present various active notifications, Realme’s Mini Capsule is largely unnoticeable. I struggled to determine whether the feature was active at all. The only instance when I recognized it was when I connected a charger, and the borders around the hole-punch camera stretched into the shape of an elongated pill indicating that the phone was charging via SuperVOOC, along with the battery percentage. A moment later, it shrinks back down and that’s all there is to it!

Surprisingly, the Mini Capsule remains visible for only a few seconds, making it easy to overlook. Currently, Realme states that it is used solely for displaying battery charging notifications, low battery alerts, data usage (flashing notification when you hit a data limit), and activity tracking (appearing as a pop-up notification).

Aside from its invisibility most of the time, it hardly performs the task that an LED notification light would. More crucially, Mini Capsule lacks interactivity like Apple’s Dynamic Island; tapping it won’t let you check battery status, which is already indicated in the status bar. To be fair, Realme has mentioned that this feature is still under development, so we can hope Mini Capsule becomes more useful with subsequent updates.

The Realme C55 has a stylish appearance for a budget smartphone

The Realme C55 is part of the C series that serves as its budget range. I was slightly taken aback to see Realme apply its new design language from its number series here. I received the Sun-shower variant of the Realme C55, which reflects both the name of the finish and the design philosophy it embodies.

Crafted from polycarbonate, the phone’s frame and rear panel are finished with Panda Glass on its display. The frame features a matte texture, while the back sports an eye-catching dual-tone design combining a matte surface and a smaller glossy strip around the rear cameras. Although the phone has a sleek profile at 7.89mm, it does feel slightly hefty at 189.5g.

Realme UI 4.0 is loaded with numerous pre-installed third-party applications

The device boasts a 6.72-inch full-HD+ screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. Despite Realme claiming a 91.4 percent screen-to-body ratio for this display, the bulky bezel at the bottom is difficult to ignore. The Realme C55 runs on Realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13. During my short time with the phone, I noticed a significant number of third-party applications aside from the standard Realme apps that came pre-installed.

Equipped with the MediaTek Helio G88, which is a well-established SoC, it may offer a glimmer of hope for those using the underwhelming Realme C35 with its Unisoc T616 SoC, yet it still feels somewhat outdated for a device in the Rs. 15,000 price range. Furthermore, it lacks 5G connectivity, unlike some competitors in this category such as the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G.

The Realme C55 features just one usable camera

The Realme C55 comes equipped with two rear cameras, including a primary 64-megapixel lens sourced from the renowned Realme GT Master Edition. The secondary 2-megapixel camera is solely for depth sensing. There is also an 8-megapixel front camera for selfies. The device packs a 5,000mAh battery along with 33W wired charging support.

The Realme C55 includes a 33W charger in the box

The Realme C55 represents a notable improvement over the C35, which did not live up to my expectations in several respects (aside from its attractive design), even at its budget-friendly price point. The C55 showcases Realme’s design prowess once again, and its software and camera performance appear promising, but I will reserve my full opinion for the complete review.

At this stage, the Mini Capsule feature, while distinct for an Android smartphone, seems to be in the very early phases of development. I still need to assess its practicality for daily use, but at present, it is not a decisive factor in your purchasing choice. Nevertheless, it is a feature with significant potential for enhancement, especially considering that the C55 costs less than a quarter of the Apple iPhone 14 Pro in the Indian market.