realme C15 first impressions: 6,000 mAh of sexiness! [review]


Unboxed back - Realme C15 (Philippines)
Unboxed back - Realme C15 (Philippines)

realme C15 is the third Helio G35-powered smartphone to arrive in the Philippines, following the release of the realme C11 last month and the Redmi 9C this week. It launches today in India, and you can watch the livestream on the realme India YouTube channel.

Limited edition C15 custom box designed by Vince Ricohermoso - Realme C15 (Philippines)
Limited edition C15 custom box designed by Vince Ricohermoso – Realme C15 (Philippines)

Our review unit came in the custom design box featuring artwork from Vince Ricohermoso, who won the doodle challenge. Only 1,000 units of this special limited-edition box will be available for purchase on Lazada Philippines.

In real life, the C15 is one sexy-looking phone – on our Marine Blue unit, at least. There’s something very calming about the color and the way the curves on its fingerprint-resistant back catches light.

Front (selfie) camera - Realme C15 (Philippines)
Front (selfie) camera – Realme C15 (Philippines)

Like all realme phones that have come out lately, the 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen has a “mini drop” notch for the front-facing camera, which maximizes our display area without being too obtrusive.

This phone also has a “square camera” module, if you’re into that kind of aesthetic made popular by the iPhone 11.

Rear (main) camera - Realme C15 (Philippines)
Rear (main) camera – Realme C15 (Philippines)

You will be pleased to know that the quad-camera module actually has four sensors: you can take photos with either the 13MP f/2.2 main camera or the 8MP f/2.4 ultrawide camera.

It is supported by two additional camera sensors to improve picture quality: a 2MP f/2.4 monochrome camera, and an extra 2MP f/2.4 camera which probably works as a depth sensor.

We took some sample photos in varying light conditions, including the long-exposure night shots below which were taken in Pro mode. We think that the results look good. What do you think?

realme C15 packs a 6,000 mAh battery which, combined with low power draw on the Helio G35 and Android optimizations, should easily support more than a day of continuous use. The phone also supports reverse charging via its microUSB port.

So far, two variants have been launched in India: 3GB RAM + 64GB storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB storage.

In the Philippines, the price of the realme C15 will be revealed at the livestream launch happening on August 20 6PM at the realme Philippines Facebook page.

Stay tuned for our full review and price reveal on August 20!

Unboxed front - Realme C15 (Philippines)
Unboxed front – Realme C15 (Philippines)

realme C15 technical specifications (Philippines)

  • Display: 6.5 inches; 720 x 1560 pixels; IPS LCD; Gorilla Glass
  • SIM: Dual SIM (nano-SIM, dedicated slots)
  • OS Android 10 (Q); realmeUI 1.0
  • Chipset (SoC): MediaTek Helio G35 (12nm)
  • CPU: Octa-core 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53
  • GPU: PowerVR GE8320
  • Memory (RAM) + internal storage: 3GB+64GB, 4GB+64GB
  • Expansion: microSD (dedicated slot)
  • Main camera (rear): 13MP f/2.2 (wide) + 8MP f/2.3 (ultrawide) + 2MP f/2.4 (monochrome) + 2MP f/2.4
  • Selfie camera (front): 8MP f/2.0 (wide)
  • Connectivity: 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 5.0 A2DP aptX
  • I/O: microUSB 2.0; 3.5mm audio jack
  • Biometrics: rear fingerprint sensor
  • Battery: 6,000 mAh; 18W (supports reverse charging)
  • Colors: Marine Blue, Seagull Silver
  • Price (Philippines): TBA August 20, 2020
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