Realme C55: A Budget Phone with a Unique Feature, But is It Enough?
Realme’s newest budget offering, the C55, has finally arrived in India after its initial launch in Indonesia. The phone boasts a striking design, a 90Hz refresh rate display, and a 64MP main camera, all at a competitive price point. However, the most talked-about feature is the "Mini Capsule", Realme’s take on the Dynamic Island notification system seen on the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. While the concept is intriguing, Realme’s implementation currently falls short of Apple’s impressive functionality. Let’s dive deeper into what makes the Realme C55 tick and whether this novel feature is enough to make it a compelling choice in the crowded budget phone market.
A Familiar Design with a Unique Touch
The Realme C55 embraces the design language seen in Realme’s numbered series, offering a modern and stylish aesthetic for a budget phone. It arrives in the "Sun-shower" color option, featuring a dual-tone finish with a matte frame and rear panel, complemented by a polished area around the rear cameras. The phone feels sleek in hand at 7.89mm thin, although it tips the scales at 189.5g, making it slightly heavier than expected.
Displaying Potential with a 90Hz Refresh Rate
The Realme C55 features a generous 6.72-inch full-HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. While Realme emphasizes the 91.4 percent screen-to-body ratio, the sizable bezel at the bottom is hard to ignore. Despite its size, the display seems decent for everyday use, offering smoother scrolling and a vibrant visual experience.
Realme UI 4.0: A Familiar Yet Bloated Interface
The Realme C55 runs on the familiar Realme UI 4.0, based on Android 13. However, the user interface feels slightly cluttered with a plethora of preinstalled third-party apps alongside typical Realme bloatware. While these apps can be easily uninstalled, their presence might irk users who prefer a clean and minimal experience.
A Familiar Processor and the Absence of 5G
Powering the Realme C55 is the MediaTek Helio G88, a tried-and-tested chipset that might seem like an upgrade for those accustomed to the Unisoc T616 found in the Realme C35. While the Helio G88 offers a noticeable performance improvement, it still feels dated compared to the processors powering other phones in the Rs. 15,000 segment. Moreover, the phone lacks 5G support, a feature becoming increasingly common in the budget segment, further limiting its appeal in the long run.
Cameras that Deliver and a Battery that Lingers
The Realme C55 boasts a two-camera setup on the rear, with a 64MP main camera borrowed from the Realme GT Master Edition. This primary camera, which performed well in our review of the GT Master Edition, is accompanied by a 2MP secondary camera primarily used for depth data collection. The front-facing camera is an 8MP unit. Initial impressions suggest that the cameras deliver satisfactory results for this price segment, and a full review will delve into their performance in various lighting conditions.
The phone houses a 5,000mAh battery that promises long-lasting usage and supports 33W wired charging, allowing for quick recharging. While the battery capacity is standard for the segment, the fast charging support is a welcome addition, ensuring users can quickly power up their phone.
The Mini Capsule: A Unique Feature with Limited Functionality
The Realme C55’s most talked-about feature is the "Mini Capsule", Realme’s take on the Dynamic Island popularized by Apple. While it occupies a similar position on the screen, around the selfie camera cutout, its functionality falls short of Apple’s implementation.
In its current beta state, the Mini Capsule primarily functions as a visual indicator for battery charging status, low battery warnings, data usage notifications, and step counting. Unlike Apple’s Dynamic Island, which dynamically changes shape and displays various notifications within a compact and interactive space, Realme’s Mini Capsule remains static and only briefly displays these notifications.
This limited functionality and lack of interactivity mean that the Mini Capsule feels like a mere visual aesthetic compared to the truly useful and innovative Dynamic Island. While Realme claims that the Mini Capsule is under development and will offer more features in future updates, its current implementation adds little value to the user experience.
Realme C55: A Decent Budget Phone with a Limited Novelty
The Realme C55 offers a decent upgrade over the C35 in terms of design, display, and camera performance, but its lack of 5G support and the incomplete implementation of the Mini Capsule might deter users looking for a cutting-edge budget phone. While the design and display are impressive for this segment, the limited functionality of the Mini Capsule makes it a novelty rather than a compelling feature.
Ultimately, the Realme C55 stands as a solid budget phone with certain improvements over its predecessor. However, its lack of 5G connectivity and the underdeveloped Mini Capsule mean it might struggle to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. Users seeking a feature-packed and future-proof budget phone might find other options more appealing. Whether the Mini Capsule eventually evolves into a truly useful and integral feature remains to be seen, but for now, it is only a novelty in its current form, unlikely to influence your buying decision.
