Barely a month after releasing their entry-level smartphone the C11, realme has launched a new member of its C-series smartphones, the C15. It’s a smartphone made to take on a whole new level of connectedness with its massive 6000 mAh.
DESIGN: 4/5
Before we get into anything deeper, it’s worth noting that the realme C15 is mostly an upgraded C11. The design is similar to C11, with its 6.5-inch HD+ Mini-drop display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone’s front facing cam can be found on the notch on the middle of the display, while at the back is the quad-camera setup and the fingerprint reader. At the left is the sim card and microSD tray, at the right is the volume and power button, and at the bottom is the headphone port, the microUSB port, a microphone hole, and the downward-firing speakers.
The realme C15 is available in two color variants, Marine Blue and Seagull Silver which have the same texture as that of the C11 but is somewhat much more gorgeous to look at that the other. Additionally, the special PH Squad box realme sent us gives it a much more appeal than the usual plain yellow box realme is known for.
HARDWARE: 4.5/5
The realme C15 sports the same SoC as the C11, the MediaTek Helio G35. The realme C15 comes in two configurations of RAM: a 3GB variant and a 4GB variant, both do come with 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256 GB via microSD.
The realme C15 sports a quad-camera setup at the back, with the primary lens being the same 13-megapixel lens as the C11, a secondary 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2-megapixel Black and White lens, and the brand’s new 2-megapixel depth sensor which they dubbed as the retro lens.
Highlighting the realme C15 is its massive 6000 mAh battery which has an 18W fast charging capability. realme has also equipped the C15 with reverse charge technology which can your other devices via OTG.
Other features of the realme C15 include a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and face unlock capabilities.
USER EXPERIENCE: 4/5
In terms of performance, the realme C15 is pretty much the same as the realme C11. The newer C15 can run heavy-games such as PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile in low and up to medium settings. Despite long gaming sessions, the realme C15 remains relatively cool to the touch just like the C11.
Like the realme C11, the screen of the C15 is clearly not the best out there; but in its class I’d say it’s pretty decent. It’s not the brightest, but not dim enough to not see the phone under direct sunlight. The massive 6.5-inch is also good for a bit of multitasking, with apps readable when opening the multitasking window.
Camera performance, the main camera remains the same. Images captured were good in daylight and decent in an indoor setting. Unfortunately, the night-mode remains much to be desired in both the primary camera and much worse on the ultra-wide angle. The realme C15 does offer better portrait and bokeh shots thanks to the black and white lens and the new retro lens.
Since I forgot to touch on video features on the review of the C11, the realme C15 has the following capabilities; shooting 30fps in both 1080p and 720p. Other special video features include timelapse, and slow-mo. While it’s not the greatest out there, the realme C15 does shoot good videos when in 1080p.
Now on to the battery, I have to laud realme for the battery performance of the C15. I tested the battery playing by a few games and taking the phone’s camera on a spin. I then played a looping video until the battery reached 19 percent which took about 20 hours on 85 percent battery and still had about 10 percent of power by the 24 hours mark.
The downside of having a massive battery is simply the charging time. The realme C15 needed about three hours of charging time to reach 100 percent – and that’s with the included 18W fast charger out of the box. But considering the fact that you only need an additional hour compared to the standard 4000 mAh phones, I’d say it’s good enough for me.
VALUE: 4/5
The realme C15 comes in at PHP 6,490 for the 3GB + 64GB variant, and PHP 6,990 for the 4GB + 64GB variant. For that price, it’s on a bit of a crossroad, with the much powerful realme 6i just a thousand more pesos. But for the people who are on a tight budget, the realme C15 still offer a pretty decent value for its price like in through realme C-series smartphone.
Specifications:
- Display: 6.5-inch HD+ mini-drop display
- Processor: MediaTek Helio G35
- GPU: IMG PowerVR GE8320
- OS: realme UI 1.0 (based on Android 10)
- RAM: 3GB
- Internal Storage: 64GB
- Camera: Rear: 13-megapixel, 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, 2-megapixel black and white lens, 2-megapixel retro lens; Front: 5-megapixel
- Connection: VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Beido, GLONASS, OTG
- Battery: 6000 mAh with 18W fast charging
- Other Features: Fingerprint reader, Face Unlock
- Dimensions: 164.4mm x 75.9mm x 9.8mm
- Weight: 209g
What’s Hot:
- 6000mAh battery
- Quad-camera setup
- Big display
- Great pictures for its class
What’s Not:
- Charging time takes a while
- Night-mode still meh
Bottomline:
The realme C15 maintains the great value for your money spirit of the realme C-series.
Reviewed by Gabriel Pe
Also published in Gadgets Magazine August 2020