Realme GT 2 Pro review: High-end at a fair price?
A TEST REPORT from Nils Ahrensmeier 
on April 29, 2022, 15:00 am | Write a comment
With the Realme GT 2 Pro, Oppo’s subsidiary has launched its first flagship. TechnikNews tested it.
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Scope of delivery of the Realme GT 2 Pro
The Realme GT 2 Pro comes with the device itself, a case, a quick charger and a USB-C cable.
Design and workmanship
The Realme GT 2 Pro has a unique design because it has a back made of recycled paper. For me, the design has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages? It doesn't slip in your hand, feels good and is more sustainable than glass or ceramic. The disadvantages? It is therefore not waterproof, a "feature" that many other flagships have. But if you don't want a back made of paper, Realme also sells a version with a glass back, only in "Steel Black". The cameras are located in an element that protrudes slightly from the frame. The arrangement is similar to the OPPO Find X3 Pro, just not directly in the frame.
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- The Realme GT 2 Pro has a paper back.
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- On the bottom is a USB-C port and a speaker.
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- On the left is a volume rocker.
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- The frame is made of metal.
The frame of all models is made of metal, the workmanship makes a flagship impression. The volume up/down button is on the left of the device, easily accessible and feels high-quality. The on/off switch was placed on the right side, there is no jack connection. The device is noticeably larger than a Xiaomi 12/X, especially because of the 6,7-inch display. However, it feels good in my hand, if you want a comparable device with a smaller frame, you will only have the Xiaomi 12.
Display
The GT 2 Pro has a 6,7″ OLED display with HDR 10+ support and a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hertz. Very nice: The 120 Hertz refresh rate is equipped with the latest LPTO 2.0 technology. This means that only the number of Hertz that is currently required is used. This saves battery, above all.
The Realme GT 2 Pro has the first LTPO 2.0 display without rounded edges.
What is also a highlight of the device: the display has a resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels, what a ppi (pixel pro inch) number of 512. That's sharper than most other smartphones out there and is on a par with the Pixel 6 Pro. The display of the GT 2 Pro is the only panel on the market that supports LTPO 2.0 and doesn't have a curve. The only criticism during my test period was the maximum brightness. I don't have an exact measurement, but the device definitely doesn't get as bright as the Pixel 6 Pro, S22 Ultra, and the like. I noticed this especially in strong sunlight, as I had to turn up the manual brightness quite a bit.
Hardware
The Realme GT 2 Pro was and is one of the first smartphones with the latest and best processor from Qualcomm on the market. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Accordingly, you also get performance; the device did not show any performance problems in any category during the test period. In addition, the processor is future-proof, as it dates from the end of 2021 and will therefore still deliver a lot of performance over the next few years.
There are two storage variants on the market, one with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of UFS 3.1 storage, and a more expensive one with 12 and 256 gigabytes. We find the usual 2022 flagship setup in terms of other standards: Bluetooth 5.2, 5G, Wi-Fi 6 (no 6E), only USB-C according to the 2.0 standard is out of line. In my opinion, 3.1 should be mandatory for fast data transfer. The optical fingerprint sensor is located under the display and works reliably, an insecure face recognition (via camera) is also available.
The fingerprint sensor on the GT 2 Pro is fast and reliable.
Overall, the hardware was at the usual flagship level, I only miss a stronger vibration motor.
camera
The Realme GT 2 Pro has three cameras on the back.
The Realme GT 2 Pro has a similar camera setup to the Oppo Find X3 Pro from last year. We have a 50 megapixel main camera, a 50 megapixel ultra-wide angle camera and a 3 MP micro camera. Yes, most likely the same one from the Find X3 Pro. What we don't have is a telephoto camera, which is a pity. As a front camera, we find a 32 megapixel lens in the spec sheet.
The main camera takes good pictures in bright daylight with a lot of dynamics and high sharpness. Sometimes the sensor could trigger faster, however, and I missed 1-2 shots as a result. The autofocus works quickly, so there is no need to refocus. Compared to shots from the Pixel 6 Pro or Find X5 Pro, the pictures look a little worse, but they are much closer to a flagship main camera. The same applies to the ultra-wide angle, but in terms of image sharpness and dynamics, the photos do not come quite close to the main camera. Incidentally, there is a "fisheye" and "150 degree" mode for the ultra-wide angle camera in the app, which are nice gimmicks.
Apropos, nice gimmicks: The microscope lens. I have to say that it really impressed me, but it's nothing more than a nice gimmick. If I had to choose between the lens and a decent telephoto sensor, I would definitely go with the telephoto camera. You have to get used to it, especially with the right distance to the object, but the shots are then exciting.
Realme GT 2 Pro battery
The battery of the Realme GT 2 Pro is large at 5000 mAh and is recharged via cable at a fast 65W. On the one hand, that's pretty fast (about 35 minutes), but wireless charging is not supported. That's a shame, because this feature usually sets mid-range devices apart from flagships. 80 watt fast charging would also have been nice, because with the OnePlus Nord CE 2, BBK (the company behind OPPO, OnePlus, Vivo and Realme) introduced 65 watt fast charging for under 400 euros. After all, they want to introduce a mid-range smartphone with an impressive 3 watt fast charging soon with the Realme Neo GT 150.
The Realme GT 2 Pro can charge with 65 watts.
But how does the battery itself perform? Well, you can get through a day with the smartphone, but it's a bit tight, especially at full resolution. At least with my rather high usage habits. But the fast charging always catches you up, so if you have the chance to charge it up quickly, you won't have any problems with the GT 2 Pro in everyday life.
Realme GT 2 Pro software
The software used is Realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12 or ColorOS 12. Especially after having used an OPPO Find X5 Pro or OnePlus 10 Pro shortly before, the similarity is very noticeable.
Conclusion on the Realme GT 2 Pro. During my test period I received two updates. Realme is still working hard on the software, which I think is commendable. I like the slightly slimmed down ColorOS, especially because Realme can also deliver 3 major Android updates and four years of security updates. A few third-party apps and bloatware are unfortunately pre-installed, but can be removed immediately after installation.
The Realme GT 2 Pro runs Realme UI 3 based on Android 12.
Conclusion on the Realme GT 2 Pro
The Realme GT 2 Pro is not surprisingly the best smartphone that the company has ever brought to market. A powerful processor, a sharp, fast display and stylish software make for a very good overall package, especially considering the price. The company only wants a recommended retail price of 749 or 859 euros for the smartphone, but the street price is currently 699 euros for the 256 gigabyte version. For this price, you currently get an unbeatable overall package; in this price range, it would also be my personal choice. Realme should only make improvements to the battery and the camera in a successor.