The Realme X50 launch also reveals a new customized skin for Android

Despite the fact that CES 2020 is now in full swing, Realme still decided that today was a good day to launch its X50, the first phone from this brand to rock dual-band 5G thanks to its Snapdragon 765G SoC. However, this device may well be able to pull in some attention for itself this week. Not only does it have an on-trend processor, its specs compare effectively with those of direct competitors such as the Redmi K30, and it even has a new version of Android to show off.

This new skin is called Realme UI, and is touted by its developer to reduce memory usage by 20%, app startup latency by 14% and battery usage by up to 40%. However, as it is still based on ColorOS 7, under which Android 10 runs in turn, these claims just may not hold up in real-world testing.

The new UI also distinguishes itself with new app icons, widgets and a "high-saturation, high-brightness" color-palette. It also has its own take on aspects of Android such as customization and the do-not-disturb (DND) mode.

They will be showcased on the X50's 6.57-inch FHD+ display - however, this is an IPS panel, which means the fingerprint sensor is relegated to the side in the case of this freshly-launched device. On the other hand, it makes up for this somewhat with a 120Hz refresh rate.

This display also features a 16+8MP dual punch-hole camera, as indicated in some early leaks. On that note, the Realme X50 is indeed a quad-camera device: these lenses are found in a rear-panel module that is set into 1 corner, and not centrally as suggested in some renders. They are of a 64, 8, 12 and 2MP resolution respectively, which handle main f/1.8, ultra-wide, telephoto and macro photography respectively.

The X50 has 2 color options, called "Polar" (a pale lilac-ish blue) and "Glacier" (bluish-green). They are presented in a light-shifting rather than a gradient manner within their glass panels. The phone comes in 6, 8 or 12GB RAM SKUs, paired with 256GB, 128GB or 256GB of fixed storage respectively.

The 8GB variant is the cheapest (as the X50 lacks a microSD card slot), and starts at 2499 yuan (about US$360). The 6GB model is 2699 yuan (~$389), although it is not yet available on Realme's Chinese store yet. The 12GB top-end version is on there, however, and goes for 2999 yuan (~$432).