Realme 10 Pro+ Review: Design Brings This Phone To Your Attention

Realme ended the year with its new mid-range lineup that was first announced in China. Realme 10 Pro series is a sign that smartphones are evolving, mostly because their prices are going up, and brands have to somehow justify the hike. Usually we don’t associate quality design as a mark of a mid-range phone but with the price factor now hard to avoid, we are seeing some intriguing changes in the segment.

Take for instance the new Realme 10 Pro+ which brings a curved display, completely unheard for the sub Rs 30,000 segment but not the case anymore. With the advent of 5G devices, brands have to be smart with their approach towards features and in many ways Realme tries to balance that with its unique design over here. But is the Realme 10 Pro+ all looks and no brains? We used the device for a few weeks and here’s our review.

Realme 10 Pro+ Review: What’s Cool?

Design, this is where you have to start the review for this device. Realme has heavily marketed its curved design during the launch teasers and even while talking to us in person. People talk about the fragility of a curved display but it is impressive that Realme have managed to pack the feature in this range. The in-hand feel of the phone is also another big plus about this device, and you could easily mistaken it for a Rs 40,000 device.

Add to that, you have an AMOLED 120Hz refresh rate display that is bright, produces colours in high contrast and watching content on the screen is a delight. It doesn’t offer HDR but having Widevine L1 certification means Netflix content is available in higher resolution.

The new phone uses a new MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset, which is supposedly an upgrade on MediaTek Dimensity 920 that we got on the Realme 9 Pro+ earlier in 2022. In addition to giving you 5G support (for both telcos), this chipset is a capable performer in daily conditions and handles gaming quite efficiently. It also manages to keep the battery from draining out thanks to its better power management setup.

The primary remains the same as the 9 Pro+ but the results were decent, both in day time and low light conditions. We managed to capture images with good amount of details and the images clicked in low light was satisfactory, with very little noise.

We talked about the phone’s battery management earlier and its 5,000mAh unit certainly gets to see its benefits. The phone doesn’t heat up beyond a level, even while charging, which gets does in under 30 minutes thanks to the bundled 80W charger that clocks speed of up to 67W for this device.

Realme 10 Pro+ Review: What’s Not Cool?

Quite often our reviews of Realme phones start with talking about the software. The new Realme UI 4.0 version based on Android 13 is slick, the interface is fluid and most of the things work well. Having said that, brands like these have to start reducing the amount of bloatware that undermines the software experience for users.

But it is not just having these unwanted apps pre-loaded, you have some of them showing notifications, which nobody wants and clearly feel like a sponsored barter with those app developers. If Realme wants to be taken seriously as a premium brand, the software needs to be less invasive, which can allow the actual software to work seamlessly.

The main camera on the 10 Pro+ misses out on Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), which was there on its predecessor. You will feel its omission while shooting videos and when the light is low around the subject. The secondary cameras are once again bang average, especially the ultra-wide-angle unit. The details are missing and even the colours look washed out. Maybe a few software tweaks could help the sensor come alive again. Curved design is a pro and a con for us, because of its fragility and handling the curve phone is a delicate matter.

The company has not shared the price of the curved panel but we are assuming it is expensive, so people need to be careful while buying this phone, because a case can help with the back body but the edges of a curved display cannot handle accidental drops.

Realme 10 Pro+ Review: What We Think

The big highlight of this phone is the curved design, its in-hand feel and the overall performance is decent that most of you can manage with ease. The battery life allows you to keep the phone running for one full day without any jitters. The primary camera will keep you happy in most conditions, while the rest make up for the numbers. The display is bright and colour-rich.

However, the software is riddled with bloatware that needs to end, and the curved display can be a nightmare for butterfingers. Worth considering if you want a premium phone in the mid-range price bracket.