Is the Realme GT Neo 2 the Perfect Phone for Mobile Gamers?
The world of gaming smartphones has exploded in recent years with manufacturers vying to offer the most powerful and immersive experience possible. But with such high-end devices comes a hefty price tag. While many casual gamers wouldn’t necessarily need the top-of-the-line hardware, some manufacturers like Poco have stepped up to fill the gap with more affordable gaming options like the Poco F3 GT, which offers a solid gaming experience at a mid-range price. Now, Realme has joined the fray with the GT Neo 2, a phone that doesn’t scream "gaming" like its competitors.
It lacks dedicated trigger buttons and RGB lighting, opting for a more subtle and versatile design. But can it truly meet the needs of the mobile gamer without resorting to the bells and whistles of dedicated gaming phones? And even beyond gaming, does it deliver a compelling overall experience? Let’s delve into the Realme GT Neo 2 and see if it truly lives up to the hype.
Realme GT Neo 2: Price and Availability
The Realme GT Neo 2 comes in three striking finishes: Neo Green, Neo Blue, and Neo Black. It’s available in India in two variants:
- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs. 31,999
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs. 35,999
The pricing of the GT Neo 2 is highly competitive when compared to other devices in the same category, such as the Poco F3 GT and Xiaomi’s Mi 11X. However, the lack of a 6GB RAM option may limit its accessibility to some budget-conscious consumers.
Realme GT Neo 2: Design and Build
The Neo Green Realme GT Neo 2, the variant used for this review, boasts a unique dual-tone glass back panel. It features a soft, matte-finished texture on the green portion, while two glossy black stripes run down the entire length of the panel. The multi-layered glass construction prevents fingerprints, making the phone easy to grip, an essential feature for those long gaming sessions. The Neo Blue and Neo Black models lack the stripes, offering a gradient finish and a plain finish, respectively.
The mid-frame of the phone is made of polycarbonate, cleverly disguised to look like metal, and has a matte finish. The box includes a matte gray silicon case, although it does make the phone a bit slippery. The camera module protrudes slightly from the back panel, resembling those found on the OnePlus Nord 2 and Oppo Reno 6 Pro. This slight protrusion means the phone might wobble a bit when placed on a flat surface.
While Realme has designed unique colorways for the GT Neo 2, the bright green Neo Green finish is quite vibrant and might not suit everyone’s taste. The smoky Neo Blue or the satin-like Neo Black might be more appealing for those seeking a more subtle aesthetic.
The bezels around the display are quite thin, framing the 6.62-inch screen.
The display’s width is ideal for gaming, surpassing the screen size of phones like the Realme GT Master Edition and the Realme GT 5G, but it does require two hands for comfortable use. Despite its size, the phone feels surprisingly lightweight at approximately 200g. However, the phone lacks an IP rating, which might leave some users concerned about water and dust resistance. On the plus side, the phone does feature stereo speakers, enhancing the immersive gaming experience.
Realme GT Neo 2: Specifications and Software
Under the hood, the Realme GT Neo 2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, offering impressive performance. The phone is available with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, sadly without a microSD slot for expansion. Two Nano-SIM slots are included, supporting dual 5G standby and various SA and NSA 5G bands.
The phone embraces modern communication standards, offering Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and the usual satellite navigation systems. It also houses a 5,000mAh battery capable of fast charging through the included 65W charger.
Software-wise, the Realme GT Neo 2 utilizes Realme UI 2.0, based on Android 11. Visually, it shares a striking resemblance to Oppo’s ColorOS, offering extensive customization options. These include the ability to alter icon shapes, personalize the always-on display, and even modify the Adaptive font’s weight. However, the annoying notifications from the Theme store may be a nuisance for some users. Thankfully, these can be disabled in the Settings. The phone comes pre-loaded with several third-party apps, including Netflix, Facebook, Snapchat, and Josh, but most can be uninstalled. The only exception is the FinShell Pay app.
Realme GT Neo 2: Performance and Battery Life
The Realme GT Neo 2 boasts an AMOLED display with a full-HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, coupled with a 600Hz touch sampling rate designed to enhance gaming responsiveness. The display showcases slightly punchy colours; I preferred the Gentle screen colour mode for most of my review period. The lack of HDR support is a minor disappointment given the large display size, as it could have further enhanced streaming video content.
The phone also features stereo speakers that reach impressive volumes, bringing an immersive feel to games.
In benchmark tests, the Realme GT Neo 2 delivered exceptional performance exceeding that of its competitors. It scored a remarkable 7,19,508 in AnTuTu and achieved 1,005 and 3,152 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests, respectively.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor possesses ample power to effortlessly handle even the most demanding 3D games. Furthermore, the large stainless steel cooling system and the “diamond thermal gel”, a new layer of heat dissipation, collaborate to keep the phone cool even during extended gaming sessions.
The GT Mode, a gaming mode familiar from earlier GT-series models, pushes the processor’s clock speed and the display’s touch sampling rate to its full potential. However, I didn’t notice a significant difference in responsiveness compared to when the mode was off. The customary Game Space app features a slide-out console for customizing swipe and touch sensitivity, but these settings are not per-game optimizations, requiring adjustments between games.
The Realme GT Neo 2’s 5,000mAh battery is the largest in a GT-series phone thus far, offering exceptional battery life. With casual usage, the phone easily lasted a day and a half, even with some gaming. In our standard HD video loop battery test, it achieved an impressive 28 hours and 56 minutes, demonstrating its endurance. Charging was also remarkably fast for a 5,000mAh battery, taking only 44 minutes to reach a full charge from zero.
Realme GT Neo 2: Cameras
The Realme GT Neo 2 features a triple rear camera setup, including a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Selfies are handled by a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. The camera app interface is familiar from previous Realme smartphones with Realme UI 2.0. Essential controls are readily accessible, with a neat slide-out tray on the left side offering access to advanced functions like tilt-shift mode, frame selection, and a timer for the shutter.
Photographs taken in daylight showcased decent detail and dynamic range, but overall, they appeared oversaturated, with a noticeable shift in color and tone when switching between the primary and ultra-wide-angle cameras. Color consistency across photos was inconsistent, with some appearing natural while others displayed wild saturation. Indoor photos of pets and people lacked sharpness and texture, resulting in images with overblown colors. The ultra-wide-angle camera delivered even less detail and suffered from noticeable purple fringing in brighter areas.
Selfies captured with the front-facing camera showed good detail and decent dynamic range, though they tended to be overexposed. Edge detection in Portrait mode with the front-facing camera was acceptable at best, while using the Portrait mode with the rear camera resulted in better edge detection and dynamic range.
The fixed-focus macro camera produces decent photos, but its 2-megapixel resolution limits detail. Close-ups taken with the primary camera provided significantly more detail and superior quality.
In low-light conditions, detail was lacking, with some photos appearing murky. Night mode enhanced contrast, saturation, and sharpness, resulting in dramatic landscape shots. However, each shot required a 3-5 second exposure time, making it impractical for capturing fast-moving subjects or people in dim lighting.
Video quality in daylight was at best decent. While recording at up to 4K at 60fps, the camera lacks stabilization at these settings, leading to shaky footage. 4K video at 30fps performed well with good detail and stabilization, but like 1080p videos, tended to be overexposed. In low-light conditions, video shot at any resolution appeared murky and underwhelming.
Realme GT Neo 2: Verdict
After spending over a week with the Realme GT Neo 2, it’s clear that it’s not a true all-rounder. This is primarily due to its unreliable camera performance, which doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by its price tag. Frankly, you can achieve better camera results with Realme’s own GT Master Edition at a much lower price starting from Rs. 25,999.
However, the Realme GT Neo 2 excels in a specific area: hardcore gaming performance. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC and the phone’s cooling system provide a truly impressive gaming experience. While it lacks dedicated trigger buttons and RGB lighting like the Poco F3 GT, it compensates with a high-quality AMOLED display and excellent battery life.
For mobile gamers, the Realme GT Neo 2 stands out as a highly compelling option at this price point. If you’re not a hardcore gamer, consider Xiaomi’s Mi 11X, also equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor and boasts an IP53 rating. However, the Mi 11X compromises on display specs, battery life, and charging speed in favor of a slimmer design.
Ultimately, the Realme GT Neo 2 remains a solid value proposition at Rs. 31,999, especially if you can overlook its average camera performance and prioritize a premium gaming experience.
