Realme GT 6T Review: A Solid Performer, But Not a True All-Rounder
Realme took a detour with its GT series, seemingly shelving it after the release of the GT Neo 3. The Neo series, while offering premium pricing, fell short of delivering all-around stellar performance, leading to its lackluster popularity compared to the initial GT Master Edition and other models. However, Realme has brought back the GT series in 2024, introducing not one, but two models – the GT 6 and the GT 6T. The GT 6T is Realme’s first foray into the T series, aiming to deliver exceptional all-round performance at a competitive price point. But does it live up to the hype? And how does it compare to the recently launched OnePlus Nord 4? Let’s dive deep into the Realme GT 6T review and find out.
Realme GT 6T Review: Design – Treading a Thin Line
- Dimensions: 162mm x 75.1mm x 8.65mm
- Weight: 191g
- Durability: IP65 (dust and water)
Available in Fluid Silver, Miracle Purple, and Razor Green finishes, I received the Fluid Silver variant for review, boasting a premium 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, priced at Rs. 35,999.
The GT 6T’s design walks a tightrope between practicality and style. The rear panel features a dual-tone finish – a mirror-like section surrounding the three floating camera cutouts, contrasted with a misty metallic finish that gleams under angled light. While the flat frame adds to the phone’s sleek look, it’s most prominent at the top and bottom, leading to a noticeable difference in thickness. Despite the thin frame on the sides, Realme has managed to incorporate the power and volume rocker on the right, leaving the left side clean. The bevelled edges, combined with the flat sides, provide a good grip, mitigating the phone’s slippery nature.
Although the GT 6T’s design closely resembles the more premium GT 6, Realme has made some cost-cutting decisions on the finish and materials used. The rear panel, although appearing sleek, feels like soft plastic, readily yielding under pressure. This might be for weight reduction or accommodating the large VC cooling system, but it undeniably feels cheap for a mid-range phone. The glossy finish adds another layer of concern, making the phone quite slippery and attracting dust and smudges easily. This becomes a major issue in humid environments, as the rear panel quickly gathers grime.
Despite the use of plastic for the frame and rear panel, the GT 6T boasts an IP65 rating, offering good protection against dust and splashes. However, remember that water damage is not covered under warranty.
Realme GT 6T Review: Display – Looks Great, Runs Smooth
- Display: 6.78-inch, 1,264 x 2,780 pixels, full-HD+, 120Hz
- Display type: 3D curved, AMOLED (8T LTPO)
- Display protection: Gorilla Glass Victus 2
The large display sports 3D curved edges, which Realme smartly utilizes with a slide-out console called the Smart Side-bar. This feature proves useful for multitasking and can be accessed by swiping on the curved edge. Besides making the black borders appear thinner and uniform, the curved edges contribute to the phone’s sleek appearance despite its thickness.
Being an LTPO AMOLED panel, the display dynamically adjusts its refresh rate, dropping to 1Hz when idle and scaling up to 120Hz, 60Hz, or 30Hz based on the application, resulting in improved battery efficiency. Visibility remains excellent even under direct sunlight, and the extra brightness mode allows for manual adjustment, ensuring readability in challenging conditions. The HDR10 and Dolby Vision certification ensures a vibrant and immersive viewing experience, with supported content on OTT apps appearing as expected. Colour accuracy is better achieved in the Pro (Cinematic) screen colour mode, delivering a more natural and true-to-life representation. Additionally, HDR photos captured by the phone’s camera looked stunning on the Pro-XDR supported display, showcasing the full dynamic range.
Realme GT 6T Review: Software – A Messy Affair
- Software: Realme UI 5.0
- Version: Android 14
- Latest security patch: 5 June, 2024
The phone’s user interface is unmistakably Realme, offering the same customization options and settings found on OnePlus and Oppo devices. This also means that Realme has integrated newer AI-friendly features, bringing a fresh update to its software experience.
One of these features is AI Smart Loop, which utilizes AI to analyze your long-pressed content and predict relevant recommendations or apps. While this works for images, text selections, and screenshots, I found it underwhelming as the recommendations often felt repetitive. The same pattern held true for AI Smart Removal, which failed to consistently deliver satisfactory object removal, even in simple scenarios.
The software experience is hampered by the abundance of bloatware and preinstalled third-party apps, which cannot be uninstalled. This includes double apps for everything – SMS (Google Messages and Messages), file managers (Google Files and My Files), web browsers (Internet and Chrome), and even gallery apps (Google Photos and Photos). This can be overwhelming, especially for users accustomed to a near-stock Android experience.
Realme GT 6T Review: Performance – No Hiccups Here
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 (4nm)
- RAM: 8/12GB LPDDR5X
- Storage: 256/512GB UFS 4.0
With a mid-range processor of this caliber, I expected the GT 6T to deliver seamless performance, and it did not disappoint.
Daily usage on my 12GB RAM variant was smooth and lag-free, thanks to the responsive LTPO panel. Animations and transitions were fluid, and apps remained consistently in RAM for extended periods.
Gaming performance was equally impressive, delivering stable and smooth gameplay in Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt Legends Unite. The large vapor chamber cooling system effectively prevented heat-related issues, ensuring a comfortable gaming session even under prolonged use. This extended to the camera app, keeping the phone cool even when actively shooting in outdoor environments.
Benchmarks confirmed the GT 6T’s impressive performance, outperforming the OnePlus Nord 4, as evidenced by the table below. However, it fell short of the Poco F6 in terms of overall performance, mainly due to the latter’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC.
| Benchmarks | Realme GT 6T | OnePlus Nord 4 | Poco F6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu v10 | 1,462,980 | 1,074,178 | 1,457,491 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 | 19,517 | 12,336 | 15,743 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,843 | 929 | 1,835 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 4,756 | 3,817 | 4,693 |
| GFXB T-rex | 60 | 60 | 120 |
| GFXB Manhattan 3.1 | 60 | 60 | 112 |
| GFXB Car Chase ** | 60 | 60 | 71 |
| 3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL ** | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | 5,481 |
| 3DM Slingshot | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | 4,655 |
| 3DM Wild Life | Maxed Out | Maxed Out | Maxed Out |
| 3DM Wild Life Unlimited | 11,481 | 11,588 | 11,734 |
Realme GT 6T Review: Cameras – Fulfilling the Basic Needs
- Main camera: 50-megapixel (OIS), f/1.88 aperture, AF
- Ultra-wide camera: 8-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture, FF
- Selfie: 32-megapixel, f/2.4 aperture, FF
The GT 6T’s primary camera captures binned 12-megapixel photos that offer good detail and excellent dynamic range, ensuring clarity in both the darker and brighter areas of an image. However, colors tend to be over-saturated, and the 2X digital zoom significantly reduces image quality, especially in low light.
Daylight photos captured at the camera’s native focal length (1X) are impressive, boasting good sharpness and noise control. While color reproduction remains good, there’s a tendency for the camera to flatten textures, giving them a watercolor-like effect.
When using portrait mode, edge-detection performs reasonably well, but I noticed imperfections in scenes with complex background elements. Selfies captured by the primary camera are sharp, with decent detail and excellent dynamic range in daylight. However, they’re merely passable in low light due to flattened textures and aggressive noise reduction.
The ultra-wide camera delivers strictly average results, producing soft and blurry images even in daylight. While noise is well controlled, the combination of long exposures and a subpar lens setup creates a noticeable blurriness.
Videos captured in 1080p appear scaled down and lack detail in daylight. While 4K recordings are sharper, I noticed flickering when capturing intricate patterns or textures. Additionally, shadows contain noticeable noise, which is unusual. As expected, low-light video recordings prove only passable due to excessive noise.
Realme GT 6T Review: Battery – Charges Like a Rocket
- Battery capacity: 5,500mAh
- Charging rate: 120W (wired)
The GT 6T’s battery life is, as expected, exceptionally long. The large dual-cell battery not only recharges lightning-fast but can easily last for two days with casual use (no gaming). With moderate camera and gaming usage, the phone comfortably lasts a day and a bit more. In our standard video loop test, the phone achieved an impressive 24 hours and 32 minutes.
Charging the phone is equally impressive, reaching 93 percent from a dead battery in a mere 30 minutes and completing a full charge in 38 minutes. This exceptionally fast charging speed is definitely a highlight of the GT 6T.
Realme GT 6T: Review Verdict – Good, But Not Great
The Realme GT 6T, contrary to its more expensive sibling (GT 6), is the exact opposite of an all-rounder. While it delivers impressive gaming performance, similar to the older GT Neo models, the 6T appears to follow the same path of its predecessors, failing to deliver a complete package. Although the battery life and fast charging remain immensely appealing features, the phone falls short of expectations in terms of camera performance, especially considering its Rs. 32,999 price tag.
If a premium design and solid software experience are priorities, the OnePlus Nord 4 is a much better option, boasting an all-metal build that feels undeniably premium. Those prioritizing gaming performance and a similar feature set, but with a budget-friendly price, may consider the Poco F6, which delivers stellar performance thanks to its Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor.
When seeking better camera performance, Realme’s new 13 Pro+ 5G surprisingly retails at the same price point, offering a capable processor and excellent telephoto camera performance akin to its predecessor.
Ultimately, the Realme GT 6T is a solid performer with a fantastic battery life and rapid charging speed. However, its significant shortcomings in camera quality and software bloatware make it a less compelling choice compared to other options in its price range.
