Realme GT Neo 2: The Affordable Powerhouse for Gamers Seeking Performance Without the Flash

Premium gaming smartphones are a significant investment – consider the Asus ROG Phone 5 that offers a comprehensive suite of features for gamers, albeit at a premium cost. Asus’ ROG Phone 5 (First impressions) is sold in three configurations, with prices ranging from Rs. 49,999 for the entry-level model to an impressive Rs. 79,999 for the premier ROG Phone 5 Ultimate.

However, many casual gamers may not require such high-end specifications, leading Poco to introduce the F3 GT (Review), which stands out as a commendable option in the mid-tier gaming segment, starting at just Rs. 26,999. Additionally, Realme has launched a smartphone with a similar price point that doesn’t exude a ‘gaming’ vibe like the Poco F3 GT. Lacking trigger buttons and RGB lighting, it comes in both vibrant and understated hues. So, does it meet the specifications for mobile gaming despite the absence of flashy features? Can it advance to become a versatile device?

Pricing of Realme GT Neo 2 in India

The Realme GT Neo 2 comes in three color options: Neo Green, Neo Blue, and Neo Black. There are only two configurations available: the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage priced at Rs. 31,999 and the higher tier with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at Rs. 35,999 in India. Both variants are competitively priced against rivals like the Poco F3 GT and Xiaomi’s Mi 11X. However, a 6GB RAM model is notably absent, which would have increased accessibility for users.

Design of Realme GT Neo 2

The Neo Green unit of the Realme GT Neo 2 that I reviewed features a distinctive dual-tone glass back. The green section has a smooth matte finish, with two glossy black stripes running the length of the panel. Constructed from multiple layers of glass, the back resists fingerprints and provides a good grip, making it practical for gamers. The Neo Blue and Neo Black variants lack these stripes; the former features a gradient, while the latter maintains a solid color.

The Neo Green variant of the Realme GT Neo 2 boasts a dual-tone glass back.

 

The mid-frame, while visually similar to metal, is made of polycarbonate and has a matte finish. A matte grey silicone case is included in the box, although it can make the phone somewhat slippery. The camera module protrudes about 3mm from the back and resembles those found on the OnePlus Nord 2 (Review) and Oppo Reno 6 Pro (Review). As a result, this phone tends to wobble on a flat surface.

While I appreciate the distinctive color options that Realme has created for the GT Neo 2, the bright Neo Green finish may draw excessive attention. Choosing the more subdued Neo Blue or the elegant Neo Black option could be wise for those desiring a less conspicuous device.

The Realme GT Neo 2 features an AMOLED display with a slim bezel.

 

The display bezel is impressively thin. The 6.62-inch screen is spacious (ideal for gaming) compared to the displays on the Realme GT Master Edition and GT. Utilizing this phone typically requires two hands. In terms of weight, the Realme GT Neo 2 feels lighter than its appearance suggests, at about 200g. It lacks an IP rating but does feature stereo speakers.

Specifications and software of Realme GT Neo 2

The Realme GT Neo 2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset. It is available with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, but there’s no microSD slot for storage expansion. The device supports dual Nano-SIM cards, offering dual 5G standby along with multiple SA and NSA 5G bands. Connectivity standards include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and standard satellite navigation systems. The phone is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that can be charged using the included 65W charger.

Running on Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11, the software resembles Oppo’s ColorOS closely and provides various customization options, including altering icon shapes, customizing the always-on display, and adjusting the weight of the Adaptive font. What I found annoying were the persistent notifications from the Theme Store, but these can be turned off in the Settings. The smartphone comes with several preinstalled third-party applications like Netflix, Facebook, Snapchat, and Josh. All of these, aside from the FinShell Pay app, are uninstallable.

Performance and battery life of Realme GT Neo 2

The GT Neo 2 features an AMOLED display with full-HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 120Hz. It also boasts a touch sampling rate of up to 600Hz, which is beneficial for gaming. The display exhibited somewhat vibrant colors, so I opted for the Gentle color mode during most of my review. A downside is the absence of HDR support, which would have enhanced the viewing experience considering the screen size and improved video streaming. Additionally, the phone’s stereo speakers are quite loud, contributing to an immersive gaming experience.

The Realme GT Neo 2’s AMOLED display features a 600Hz touch sampling rate.

 

In our benchmark tests, the Realme GT Neo 2 produced strong results. It outperformed its rivals with AnTuTu scores of 7,19,508 and Geekbench single and multi-core scores of 1,005 and 3,152, respectively.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset has sufficient power to handle even the most resource-intensive 3D games smoothly. Remarkably, the GT Neo 2 stayed cool during prolonged gaming, thanks in large part to its substantial stainless steel cooling system and a new “diamond thermal gel” layer for heat dissipation, as mentioned by the manufacturer.

A gaming mode known as ‘GT Mode’ is included on the Realme GT Neo 2. As seen in previous GT-series devices, it raises the processor’s clock speed and the display’s touch sampling rate (up to 600Hz); however, I didn’t perceive any significant difference in responsiveness with GT Mode activated versus deactivated. The Game Space app provides a slide-out console for customizing swipe and touch sensitivity, but these adjustments are not per-game specific, requiring users to modify them for each game.

The mid-frame of the Realme GT Neo 2 is constructed from polycarbonate.

 

The Realme GT Neo 2 has the largest battery within the GT-series lineup so far, boasting 5,000mAh. In casual use, the battery life is quite impressive, easily lasting a day and a half even with gaming. In our standard HD video loop battery test, the GT Neo 2 achieved an impressive runtime of 28 hours and 56 minutes. The charging speed is also noteworthy for a 5,000mAh battery, reaching a full charge from zero in just 44 minutes.

Cameras on Realme GT Neo 2

The Realme GT Neo 2 is equipped with three rear cameras – a 64-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. The front-facing camera for selfies is 16 megapixels. The camera app’s interface is comparable to those seen in other Realme smartphones utilizing Realme UI 2.0, where essential controls are easily accessible with a neat slide-out tray on the left for advanced settings like tilt-shift mode, frame selection, and shutter timer.

The Realme GT Neo 2 features three rear cameras.

 

Photos taken in good lighting conditions tend to be quite saturated, although they showcase a fair amount of detail and dynamic range. Switching from the primary to the ultra-wide-angle camera reveals noticeable shifts in color and tone, resulting in inconsistency between shots; some images may display natural colors, while others appear overly vivid. Indoor shots of pets and people yielded softer, less detailed images with overly saturated colors. The ultra-wide-angle camera captures even less detail, often producing noticeable purple fringing in brighter areas.

Daylight camera samples from the Realme GT Neo 2. Top: Primary camera, bottom: Ultra-wide angle (tap to see full size)

 

Selfies captured with the front camera provide decent detail and acceptable dynamic range but often appear overexposed. Edge detection in Portrait mode with the front camera is mediocre at best. However, using the Portrait mode on the rear camera resulted in good edge detection and dynamic range.

While the fixed-focus macro camera takes passable images, their 2-megapixel resolution lacks sufficient detail. Close-ups captured with the primary camera display considerably better detail.

Close-up samples from the Realme GT Neo 2. Top: Primary camera, bottom: Macro camera (tap to see full size)

 

In low-light settings, detail tends to diminish, resulting in some images appearing foggy. The Night mode enhances contrast and boosts saturation and sharpness, producing dramatic landscape photos, but each shot requires 3-5 seconds to process, making it unsuitable for capturing moving subjects in dim lighting.

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Low-light camera examples from Realme GT Neo 2. Top: Auto mode, bottom: Night mode (tap to see full size)

 

The video quality in daylight conditions is acceptable at best. While you can record in up to 4K at 60fps, there is no stabilization at this setting, leading to shaky footage. Recording in 4K at 30fps offers decent detail and stabilization, but like 1080p videos, it often suffers from overexposure. Videos shot in low light across all resolutions typically appeared murky.

Final Thoughts

After utilizing the Realme GT Neo 2 for over a week, it’s evident that it isn’t a well-rounded device. This primarily stems from its inconsistent camera performance, which doesn’t meet expectations given its pricing. To put it simply, superior camera capabilities can be found in the Realme GT Master Edition (Review), starting at a lower price of Rs. 25,999.

However, what the GT Neo 2 offers that is hard to find elsewhere is high-performance gaming capabilities, enabled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset and efficient cooling system. Unlike the Poco F3 GT (Review), it lacks dedicated trigger buttons and RGB lighting, but compensates with a high-quality AMOLED display and great battery endurance.

At this price point, it’s difficult to advise against it for mobile gamers. For users not focused on gaming, the Xiaomi Mi 11X (Review) also features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 and has an IP53 rating, although it sacrifices display quality, battery longevity, and charging speed for a sleeker design. Thus, the GT Neo 2 remains an appealing choice at Rs. 31,999, as long as you can accept its subpar camera performance.

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