Geek Lifestyle Review: Realme C2

Last December, we reviewed the C1, realme’s entry-level smartphone that was fairly impressive, especially for its price. Now, realme released it’s follow-up, the realme C2. This new “entry-level” king packs a smaller notch, a more powerful processor, and a slightly lower price.

The realme C2 looks like a clear step up specs wise, but what about in actual use? Does it deserve the “real entry-level king” moniker? We find out here in our review!

Geek-sthetic

In the looks department, the realme C2 is a clear upgrade over the C1. Unlike last year’s model, the C2 sports a matte finish wit cool ‘diamond-cut’ design that stands out without being too flashy. Aside from looking great, the C2’s finish also means that it has a nice grippy feel; the phone won’t slip out of your hand easily.

From the front, the C2 now has a smaller dewdrop notch (which looks a lot better in my opinion) on its 6.1-inch display. While it does have a bit of a chin, it’s not too distracting. If you’ve noticed, the C2 does not have a fingerprint scanner, but it does have face unlock for hassle-free security.

Binge-watching Factor

As mentioned above, the realme C2 has a 6.1-inch display with an HD+ resolution. For a phone with a 720p display, the realme C2 is actually pretty good for binge-watching. While not the sharpest, the screen outputs nice colors and can get plenty bright.

Audio is also pretty decent, as it gets plenty loud at max volume. Unlike some phones, max volume on the realmce C2’s onboard speakers aren’t horribly distorted. Though of course, I’d still recommend headphones for longer binge-watching sessions.

Gaming Prowess

Last year’s C1 struggled a bit when it comes to gaming, but thanks to the C2’s Helio P22 processor, games actually ran decently well on the phone. Of course, you’ll have to turn the settings to low or medium on games such as PUBG Mobile and/or Mobile Legends, but gaming on the C2 is definitely not a bad experience.

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

The realme C2 packs a 13MP + 5MP rear camera setup, as well as a 5 MP selfie shooter. As the C1 also has a similar camera setup, photos taken by the phones have similar level of quality, with the C2 being just a tad better for daytime shots.

For outdoor shots with ample lighting, the realme C2 takes pretty good photos. Colors come out nicely with good amount of detail. Of course, this is a budget phone so don’t expect to zoom in and have insane detail.

When it comes to night photography though, the realme C2 struggles a bit. If you don’t have steady hands, expect night shots to come out a bit blurry. Low-light shots are still serviceable though, especially if there are a good amount of light sources (or if you have really steady hands).

Above are more sample shots taken with the realme C2. Notice that color reproduction is very good, especially when considering that these are taken with a budget phone.

Now for front camera, selfies taken with the C2 are around the same quality as C1 selfies. This means that front camera shots are fine enough, but don’t expect too much detail.

Everyday Reliability

Thanks to the Helio P22, the realme C2 is a good performer of day-to-day tasks such as social media and email/word-processing apps. While it’s not the snappiest phone for general use, I didn’t really experience massive slowdowns in my use of the C2.

As for battery life, the C2 can easily last for a whole day, even if it’s battery is slightly smaller at 4,000mAh (the C1 had a 4,230 mAh battery). With proper battery management, the phone can last up to two days on a single charge.

Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict – 8.5/10

Overall, the realme C2 is a good budget smartphone option. The C2 has a nice design, good performance (both for gaming and for general use), and it can easily last for over a day on a single charge. There’s also the fact that the phone’s display and onboard speakers are great for binge-watching.

The C2 has no real weakness, it’s only problem being the competition; specifically, realme’s own realme 3 (which offers a slightly better value in my opinion). Still, if you’re on a tight budget, the realme C2 is definitely a good choice!

Realme C2 Specs: