Realme C55: A Stylish Budget Phone with Compromised Performance?

The attention of the global market was captured by Realme’s C55 upon its launch in Indonesia, as it became the inaugural Android smartphone to feature a replica of Apple’s Dynamic Island functionality, dubbed «Mini Capsule» by Realme. The company has now introduced this cost-effective smartphone in India, yet it’s apparent that the Mini Capsule isn’t its most captivating aspect – in fact, it barely received mention during the launch presentation. What will draw significant interest in India is its pricing and aesthetics.

For many years, Realme’s C-series has been aimed at the entry-level market. While it’s noteworthy to see a C-series model flaunting a stylish design, it’s essential to remember that this comes at an increased price. The Realme C55 begins in the budget range, moving away from the typical entry-level sub-Rs. 10,000 pricing. This smartphone is designed to succeed the Realme C33 (2023) and also acts as an upgrade to the C35, both of which are entry-level devices powered by Unisoc SoCs.

I was quick to note the absence of 5G in this device and how the Mini Capsule appeared to be an underdeveloped feature at best in my initial impressions. Nearly a month later, no significant changes have been made despite some software upgrades, and I have encountered additional limitations. These primarily involve the user interface and battery performance. Is the Realme C55 still easily recommendable in a crowded budget smartphone market? Read on to discover more!

Realme C55 pricing in India

The Realme C55 comes in three configurations. The 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version is available at Rs 10,999; the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage model is priced at Rs. 11,999; and the configuration featuring 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage retails at an impressively competitive Rs. 13,999 in India. It’s great to have options, and it’s refreshing to see Realme offering such variety in its C-series lineup. Notably, the Realme C55 is the first C-series device to come with 8GB of RAM. The device is offered in two colors – Sunshower and Rainy Night. I received the 8GB RAM version in the Sunshower color for examination.

Realme C55 design

Realme aimed to refresh the C-series aesthetic with the introduction of the C35 last year. While that device marked an improvement over the rather elementary entry-level offerings previously found in the C-series, its design was virtually its only redeeming feature, as I noted in my review.

The rear panel and frame of the Realme C55 are constructed from polycarbonate

In terms of design, Realme has advanced further with the C55. It boasts a slim and contemporary appearance with its clean lines, sculpted body, and flat edges. The front features a flat display that, unlike the C35, incorporates a hole-punch design, aligning well with the smartphone’s modernity. While the bezels on the left, top, and right are slender, the bottom bezel is slightly thicker.

Turning the phone around, it becomes challenging to distinguish this as a budget device for two reasons. Firstly, the rear features a dual-tone finish, characterized by a finely striped matte texture across much of it and a glossy area surrounding the protruding camera lenses. This design feels refreshing for a budget smartphone. Secondly, the matte surface efficiently resists fingerprints. The rear panel and frame are made from polycarbonate, which provides better durability against drops compared to glass. Realme employs Panda glass for the display, which is prone to smudges but easy to clean.

The power button on the Realme C55 is nearly flush with the flat edges of the frame

The phone weighs in at 189g, which is slightly heavier, yet it feels quite slim at a thickness of 7.89mm. There’s no water resistance rating, and it lacks stereo speakers, but you will find a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Type-C USB port at the bottom. The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button, which I found a little challenging to engage since it rests nearly flush with the frame’s flat side.

Realme C55 specifications and software

The Realme C55 is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G88 SoC, which signifies the absence of 5G capability. Realme asserts that the device uses LPDDR4X RAM and EMMC 5.1 storage. The SIM tray accommodates two nano-SIM cards and also has a dedicated slot for a microSD card of up to 1TB, which is a convenient feature.

The connectivity offerings include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.2, alongside the standard array of sensors and location systems. The device houses a 5,000mAh battery and includes a 33W wired charger in the package.

The Realme C55 operates on Realme UI 4.0, based on Android 13. It comes pre-loaded with numerous Realme and third-party applications. This results in having two separate ‘Messages’ apps for SMS, two file management apps, two note-taking apps, and the list goes on. This redundancy can be confusing for new users, and it’s irritating as most of these apps cannot be deleted. Many of the pre-installed third-party applications can be uninstalled, allowing you to reclaim some storage space. Encountering ads and promotional notifications from the Game Center and App Market apps on a daily basis was also bothersome.

Realme C55 performance

The 6.72-inch full-HD+ IPS LCD display offers a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz, dynamically adjusting between 60Hz and 90Hz according to the application used and the content viewed. The display is vibrant and sufficiently bright for viewing outdoors on a sunny day, providing good viewing angles as well. It’s worth noting the presence of Widevine L1 certification, enabling full-HD quality playback for streaming.

The Realme C55’s IPS LCD display remains bright enough for outdoor viewing

However, the usage experience did not meet my basic expectations. Realme UI 4.0 does not appear to be well-optimized for the hardware, which became evident through general navigation of the interface, minimizing apps, and scrolling through video-heavy feeds in applications like Instagram among other regular tasks. There was persistent stuttering and noticeable lag, making it feel as if the hardware struggled to keep pace with my interactions. My tests were conducted with the 8GB RAM version, so I can only imagine how challenging the experience would be on the 4GB RAM variant. While there were moments of stuttering during video streaming, a recent software update resolved this issue, which was released shortly before publishing this review.

Regarding the Mini Capsule feature, only minor changes were observed since I last tested it a month ago. Many users might not even be aware of this feature’s existence, as the animated notification prompts that expand around the hole-punch camera could easily go unnoticed. Indeed, Samsung’s implementation of pop-up notifications is far superior, providing various types of alerts in a capsule shape that are much more useful than the limited notifications that Realme’s Mini Capsule offers.

Realme UI is filled with numerous spammy notifications

Benchmark results for the Realme C55 are as anticipated given its MediaTek Helio G88 SoC. Its scores are not particularly remarkable. For comparison, even the iQoo Z6 Lite achieved better benchmark scores with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. The Realme C55 scored 2,57,736 points in AnTuTu and 422 and 1,411 points in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests, respectively. The graphics performance was also subpar, which contributes to the stuttering and lag encountered in the UI. The device managed 39fps in GFXBench’s T-Rex test, 14fps in Manhattan 3.1, and 8.5fps in the Car Chase.

Gaming performance fell below expectations. Call of Duty: Mobile was playable at medium graphics settings and high framerate but tended to lag after about 15 minutes of gameplay, coinciding with the point when the device began to heat up. Asphalt 9 Legends proved to be too demanding even at the lowest graphics settings (Performance), resulting in significant lag and stuttering. Indeed, this smartphone is more suitable for simpler, casual games. The single speaker delivers loud audio, but sound quality becomes distorted at higher volumes.

Realme UI comes laden with a plethora of preinstalled third-party applications

During my day-to-day usage of the Realme C55, I engaged in an hour of gaming, an hour or two of video streaming (via Wi-Fi), and frequently browsed various social media applications alongside syncing two email accounts. Despite relatively light usage, I was surprised that the phone only managed to last a single day on a charge. While this could be attributed to the low-end processor, I expected the 5,000mAh battery to exceed a day of use, which is typically standard for most budget smartphones. In our conventional HD video loop battery test, it only lasted 14 hours and 43 minutes, which is lower than the performance of most other smartphones in this price range. Conversely, the 33W charger effectively charged the device from zero to full in 1 hour and 10 minutes, which is commendable.

Realme C55 cameras

The Realme C55 features a dual-camera setup on the rear: a 64-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor that assists in capturing depth data for Portrait mode. For selfies, an 8-megapixel front camera is available. The camera application’s interface is user-friendly, with all essential controls visible around the viewfinder. Realme claims that the 64-megapixel sensor is derived from the older GT Master Edition, so I was quite eager to test its performance in a budget-friendly device. However, it’s important to acknowledge that camera performance is also influenced by the processor, and the GT Master Edition is equipped with a more powerful mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC.

The Realme C55 features two rear-facing cameras, with only one accessible for user control

Image quality during daylight appeared unexpectedly impressive. Photos exhibited reasonable dynamic range and good detail. Colors tended to be slightly oversaturated, and a faint bluish tint appeared in some images, but given the price point, it’s hard to find fault. Close-up shots were sharp and detailed, with minimal noise. However, I noticed a delay in focusing indoors, even in daylight, often necessitating a manual tap to focus when photographing objects.

Realme C55 daylight camera samples. Top to bottom: Auto mode, close-up, portrait selfie (tap to see full size)

Selfies were somewhat sharpened in daylight, showing acceptable detail and dynamic range. Edge detection in Portrait mode while using the selfie camera was average for this price point. In low-light conditions, selfies tended to appear soft and noisy, regardless of the selected mode. Detection of edges was also inaccurate.

The camera’s performance in low-light conditions with Auto mode was lacking. It struggled to focus in poorly lit scenarios, resulting in images that were somewhat soft and devoid of detail. However, utilizing the dedicated Night mode substantially improved image quality, yielding greater detail and sharpness, while adding definition to textures. The results were commendable for this market segment, but capturing an image takes about 4-5 seconds, so if the phone isn’t held steady, image quality can deteriorate significantly.

Realme C55 low-light camera samples. Top: Auto mode, Bottom: Night mode (tap to see full size)

Video quality is capped at 1080p at 60fps, with footage displaying decent detail but lacking in dynamic range, leading to some clipped highlights. The absence of stabilization resulted in quite shaky recordings. In low-light scenarios, recording at 1080p 30fps offered improved quality with respectable dynamic range, yet it still suffered from low detail levels and noise. Clips were shaky, and focusing remained problematic.

Conclusion

In 2023, numerous smartphone manufacturers have begun launching 5G-compatible models in the lower tier of the budget segment. Examples include the Infinix Hot 20 5G (Review) starting at Rs. 11,499, as well as the Poco M4 5G priced at Rs. 11,999, among others. There are also smartphones like the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G, starting at Rs. 13,999 that offers superior software performance and good camera capabilities along with 5G access.

Realme believes it has identified a niche with a striking design (for a budget device) and a camera that captures quality photos in good lighting. Nevertheless, battery performance falls short of expectations for a low-cost smartphone, and the software is cluttered with unnecessary apps. My unit exhibited lagging and stuttering throughout the review period, even with 8GB of RAM. This complicates any recommendation for the Realme C55. It may be worth considering if you value camera quality or can overlook its drawbacks for its distinctive design.

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