Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) review: The new flagship killer?
A TEST REPORT from Yinan Xia 
on June 08, 2022, 14:00 pm | Write a comment
The Realm GT Neo 2 was one of the most popular models in the middle class. Not undeservedly, because with a focus on performance and the battery, the manufacturer brought a very successful smartphone onto the market.
To continue this trend, they promptly presented the successor, the Realme GT Neo 3. The data on paper looks very impressive, but you can find out in the following lines whether there are also hidden hurdles in using it.
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Realme GT Neo 3 design - the small deficit
As a company that is particularly aimed at a young target group, the design is a very important charisma. Special design, like the back of the Realme GT2 Pro, may well get stuck in the minds of consumers.
We've known the continuous stripe on the back since the first Realme GT from last year. The camera module is designed very simply in the typical Realme style, the various lenses protrude individually from the module, which creates a strong contrast between white and black in my present white model.
Processing (Image: TechnikNews)
The back consists of a very soft matte glass, which feels comfortable in the hand. Another trend Realme is following this year is the flat edges on the frame. However, since these are not so good in the GT Neo 3 from the transition and there is still a thick plastic layer to the display, this design makes a rather clumsy impression overall. Compared to the Realme GT 2 flagship series, this is where the difference is made.
Picture: TechnikNews
The GT Neo 3 is the first Realme smartphone with a central cut-out for the front camera. The edges of the screen are not particularly thin, but they are not annoying either. Along with a narrow chin below and good symmetry, I personally find the look quite pleasing.
Realme GT Neo 3 consumer experience - above average
On the front, the GT Neo 3 features a 1.080p OLED display. However, this was not manufactured by Samsung as a premiere in a Realme smartphone. While in the past that mostly didn't indicate good behavior, here you have to see the progress. The viewing angle stability is significantly improved, even if there is still very slight yellow discoloration when the device is tilted. The clarity, sharpness and brightness are all at a very high level and movements appear very fluid thanks to the refresh rate of 120 Hertz.
Picture: TechnikNews
The speakers are just as good, one at the bottom and one at the top of the smartphone's earpiece. Overall, they create a good sound that definitely does justice to the price. The vibration motor is also very well optimized so that the software can be supported by lively haptic feedback.
To get into the user interface, there is a fingerprint sensor, which is located in the screen, similar to other smartphones with OLED displays. This technology has been developed in a very mature way in the past few years and you don't really have to worry about the speed anymore. Only in the GT Neo 3 it is typically positioned too far down, which could lead to difficult operation.
The Prozessor – the exclusive strength
The one built into the Realme GT Neo 3 Processor is the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 – a particularly strong one Processor, the straight in relation to the current problematic Qualcomm Snapdragon stands out, because the Dimensity 8100 can be imagined as a combination of CPU from Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, GPU from Snapdragon 888 and power consumption from Snapdragon 865. Not like in the past, in the MediaTekProprocessors always had more performance on paper than real user experience in practice, the everyday performance of the Realme GT Neo 3 is very convincing.
Great job
Playing complex 3D games is very possible. There are no stutters or crashes, and the device doesn't get uncomfortably warm either, which will be relevant in the coming summer. It also plays a role here that Realme has installed the largest cooling surface to date in the GT Neo 3.
Long battery life
But not only in terms of performance, the advantage of the efficient SoC is also clearly noticeable in terms of battery life. Although the capacity of 4.500 mAh is not particularly large on my model, the GT Neo 3 has an above-average battery life of over eight hours of display use. This value is clearly superior compared to the competition.
Extreme loading speed
Of course, the charging speed, which is already highlighted on the packaging, can stand out even more than the battery life. The speed is 150 watts, which is 30 watts higher than the currently fastest standard, 120 watts. However, this advantage is only slightly noticeable in practice. If you activate fast charging in the settings, it takes a full 15 minutes for the battery to go from 0 to 100 Procent charged.
Picture: TechnikNews
The advantage of the new technology lies much more in its longevity, because after 1.600 charging cycles, i.e. more than four years of daily fast charging, the Realme GT Neo 3 should still be 80 Procent of its battery capacity. This value is twice as high as in Redmi Note 11 Pro More with 120 watts. At least now you can say that you no longer have to worry about battery health and can enrich your everyday life with the advantage of fast charging.
For people who only swear by an even longer battery life and always charge their smartphone overnight, Realme also offers a version of the GT Neo 3 with 80 watts and 5.000 mAh capacity.
Combined with the good battery life in itself and the extremely efficient ProOverall, the GT Neo 3 can be said to be the best smartphone on the market in terms of battery life and performance. The focus of the GT Neo 2 can be continued very well.
Software
The software is always the most boring but at the same time most important point on the numerous mid-range devices. Boring because it is usually always the same user interface of the respective manufacturer via Android. Important because small software weaknesses or lack of optimization can take a lot away from the experience.
The Realme GT Neo 3 actually has an advantage here, since it doesn't have any major comms with the Realme UI or ColorOS 12 user interfacepromisses.
Even if I already mention in flagship smartphones that it looks a bit sluggish due to its looks and operation, that is precisely the advantage on lower-positioned devices like the Neo 3. All the features you need are there and all the looks as well Operation easy to understand. It is actually very rare for errors, bugs or stutters to occur in the software – it is very mature. With such a good base, ColorOS or the Realme UI might not be my favorite UI, but it is definitely the most weightless and least in your way in the Android space. Even if there are of course still a few weaknesses, I can recommend it very well for normal users.
Realme GT Neo 3 camera system - major improvement
In last year's Realme GT Neo 2, the biggest weakness was probably still the camera system, but after that too Realme 9 series has already received very good cameras, the GT Neo 3 has also been upgraded here. The main camera is typically the IMX766 from Sony, which is also used in the OPPO Find X5 Pro is installed. Optical image stabilization is not missing.
With the main camera, you can see that the images are not noticeably inferior, even compared to smartphones of a significantly higher rank. Especially at night they have a high level of detail. Even if it triggered through the ISP of the MediaTek Prozessors, partly still Proproblems, such as noise in dark areas or oversaturated colors, that's it Problem no more strong.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
In comparison, it is more the ultra-wide-angle camera that weakens. Due to the low resolution and small sensor size, the images look rather bad than good. The camera app experience is the same with the Dimensity 8100 Prozessor, on the other hand, is very good, starting is quick and the preview is displayed smoothly.
Ultra wide angle (image: TechnikNews)
Conclusion – too high a price?
Looking back at the above test results, the Realme GT Neo 3 would have been a market game changer in the Neo 2's price range. Comparing it to other smartphones, it has many unique strengths. With an RRP of over 600 euros, however, one must unfortunately say that it is positioned too expensively in the market. The in most respects significantly better and higher quality Realme GT2 Pro currently costs even less on the market, which invalidates the Neo 3 somewhat.
But due to the fact that the GT Neo 3 still has an extremely good Proprocessor, the best battery experience and also a good main camera, you can get it at a reduced price prorecommend without hesitation. If the smartphone follows a path similar to its predecessor, we will see this in a timely manner and receive a very popular smartphone.
Thanks to Realme Germany for providing the GT Neo 3!
