realme C25Y Smartphone Review - Inexpensive fast charging phone with temperature problem
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75.1 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2022 | Realme C25Y T610, Mali-G52 MP2 | 200 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 74.9 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1 | 205 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 78.4 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2 | 190 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.30" | 2340x1080 | |
| 76.4 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Nokia G20 Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320 | 197 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 |
Case and equipment - A lot of memory for little money
realme is primarily known for its upper mid-range smartphones that want to compete with the flagship phones of other manufacturers for little money. However, realme also offers budget phones for the very small budget with its C-series. Today, we take a look at the realme C25Y, which wants to convince with fast charging technology and a high-resolution camera for considerably less than 200 Euros (~$227).
The realme C25Y is available in two configurations:
- realme C25Y with 64 GB mass storage and 4 GB RAM: 160 Euro (~$181)
- realme C25Y with 128 GB mass storage and 4 GB RAM: 170 Euro (~$193)
Our test device comes with the larger storage configuration, as well as in the color variant Glacier Blue, a light blue with color gradient. A dark gray variant called Metal Grey is also available.
The casing is made of a plastic back with a fine texture that cleverly enhances the haptic of the inexpensive material. The front allows even medium pressure to reach the screen, where it becomes visible in the liquid crystal, but the device is otherwise cleanly manufactured. A display protection foil is applied ex-works.
With a 6.5-inch screen and a weight of 200 grams (~7 oz), the smartphone corresponds exactly to the class standard in this price range.
In terms of features, we have to criticize the lack of NFC. In addition, the realme phone still uses a micro-USB port, which is about time to be phased out.
The microSD reader is installed separately from the two SIM slots, so it can be used simultaneously. The smartphone achieves average rates for its price range during data transfer with our reference microSD Angelbird V60.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.7 - 77, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Realme C25Y (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 (Toshiba Exceria Pro) | |
| Nokia G20 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication, software and operation - Fast for the price range
WiFi 4 is the fastest WLAN standard that the realme C25Y supports. At least the device achieves decent transfer rates of around 100 MBit/s in our tests with the reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, and the data rates also remain relatively stable. The Redmi Note 8 2021 shows that it is possible to go even faster, but our test device does not do badly in a class comparison.
The realme UI is based on Android 11, the security patches are from September 2021 at the time of testing and are thus already outdated. The smartphone will definitely get an update to Android 12 or realme UI 3.0.
The fingerprint sensor is located on the smartphone's back, which also picks up the realme C25Y directly from standby, but with a minimal delay. The recognition accuracy is good, but the fingerprint reader is quite high for our taste, so people with smaller hands might have a hard time reaching the sensor.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 | |
| Realme C25Y | |
| Nokia G20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 | |
| Realme C25Y | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Nokia G20 | |
Cameras - Meager sharpness in detail
The main camera is a 50-megapixel camera on the back that combines 4 pixels into one in normal operation and thus creates 12-megapixel pictures that are completely sufficient for the vast majority of applications and have a higher light sensitivity. However, those who want to use the full pixel count can also take 50-megapixel photos in a special mode.
The outdoor image quality is decent, but you can see pixel artifacts quite clearly in larger areas, which make the drawing look unclean. The dynamic range is OK, but the image sharpness is only average. In low light and high contrasts, the autofocus struggles to create a really sharp image.
Videos can be recorded with a maximum of 1080p and 30 fps, the quality is acceptable, but the autofocus is sometimes overwhelmed.
Besides the main camera, there are also 2 cameras with a resolution of 2 megapixels each: A macro camera and a support lens for blur effects.
On the front is an 8-megapixel lens that takes decent selfies, but you should not enlarge them too much: Then the image sharpness and detail accuracy quickly decrease.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main camera PlantMain camera EnvironmentMain camera Low Light
Display - Dark screen on the realme C25Y
The realme C25Y features a 720p IPS screen. The average brightness cannot compete with other smartphones in this price range and is only sufficient for outdoor use on cloudy days.
Since the black value is quite high, dark areas look rather gray in high screen brightness, but the accuracy of the color reproduction is on class level.
We noticed PWM flickering at very low screen brightness, so sensitive users should try the smartphone before buying it to see if they find it problematic.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 430 cd/m²
Contrast: 935:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.51 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 4.4 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
92.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.123
| Realme C25Y IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F IPS LCD, 1600x720, 6.5" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 IPS LCD, 2340x1080, 6.3" | Nokia G20 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | -15% | 29% | 434% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 44 ? | 58 ? -32% | 52 ? -18% | 44 ? -0% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 30 ? | 34 ? -13% | 28 ? 7% | 29 ? 3% |
| PWM Frequency | 178.6 ? | 178.6 ? 0% | 352.1 ? 97% | 2500 1300% |
| Screen | 11% | 26% | -4% | |
| Brightness middle | 430 | 446 4% | 496 15% | 485 13% |
| Brightness | 402 | 423 5% | 491 22% | 447 11% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 88 1% | 91 5% | 88 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.46 | 0.29 37% | 0.19 59% | 0.44 4% |
| Contrast | 935 | 1538 64% | 2611 179% | 1102 18% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.51 | 4.94 -10% | 5.5 -22% | 5.75 -27% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.79 | 8.81 -0% | 8.88 -1% | 10.53 -20% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.4 | 5.1 -16% | 6.6 -50% | 5.7 -30% |
| Gamma | 2.123 104% | 2.145 103% | 2.36 93% | 2.095 105% |
| CCT | 7645 85% | 7890 82% | 8432 77% | 8070 81% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -2% /
4% | 28% /
27% | 215% /
116% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 13 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 78 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 25 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 71 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 178.6 Hz | ≤ 10 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 178.6 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 10 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 178.6 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8687 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life - decent power, decent heat
The Unisoc T610 has 8 cores and performs up to 2 GHz. Thanks to it, the smartphone achieves very good performance rates for its price range, even the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 cannot keep up here. You should not expect high-end power, but the realme C25Y feels a bit smoother than its colleagues from the price range every now and then.
The eMMC storage on the other hand is not a paragon of speed and rather slows down the system with its low transfer rates.
The high processor power seems to lead to cooling problems: We measured almost 50 °C (122 °F) on the case after a longer load. That is unpleasant to touch and will probably get worse on hot days. Users who rarely play games on the smartphone or run similarly complex apps should not notice this, but everyone else should be aware of the hot casing under load.
The speaker is located on the smartphone's back, next to the micro-USB port, another relic from long-gone cell phone days. A small spacer should at least prevent the speaker from resting on the surface and being covered. However, it does not help much when the realme C25Y is placed on a soft surface, such as a bedspread. In terms of sound, the trebles are extremely overemphasized, so it is hardly fun to listen to music or movie soundtracks. External audio devices can be connected via a 3.5 mm jack or Bluetooth. This works well and improves the sound considerably.
The phone lasted just over 16 hours in our battery test, in which a script surfed the Internet via WLAN. That is a good value, and the large 5,000 mAhbattery pays off. The Nokia G20 lasts considerably longer. It is great that the realme C25Y can be charged with up to 18 watts and thus usually has a full battery within less than 2 hours and also quickly has enough power for several hours of use.
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C25Y | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 | |
| Nokia G20 | |
| Average UNISOC T610 (7.3 - 20, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 166, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C25Y | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 | |
| Nokia G20 | |
| Average UNISOC T610 (7.8 - 11, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 321, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C25Y | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 | |
| Nokia G20 | |
| Average UNISOC T610 (4.4 - 12, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 144, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C25Y | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 | |
| Nokia G20 | |
| Average UNISOC T610 (2.7 - 3.7, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 129, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| Realme C25Y | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 | Nokia G20 | Average 128 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 43% | 126% | 11% | 75% | 912% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 258.1 | 302.3 17% | 309.4 20% | 256.1 -1% | 283 ? 10% | 1883 ? 630% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 163.7 | 74.5 -54% | 159.7 -2% | 139.3 -15% | 195.1 ? 19% | 1476 ? 802% |
| Random Read 4KB | 84.3 | 77.8 -8% | 73.6 -13% | 63.5 -25% | 82.3 ? -2% | 278 ? 230% |
| Random Write 4KB | 14.9 | 47.21 217% | 88.9 497% | 27.4 84% | 55.4 ? 272% | 311 ? 1987% |
Temperature
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 49.4 °C / 121 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.5 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.3 °C / 72 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Realme C25Y audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 62% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 78% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 58% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life
| Realme C25Y 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021 4000 mAh | Nokia G20 5050 mAh | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi Websurfing | 968 | 879 -9% | 748 -23% | 1186 23% | 999 ? 3% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Untimely details in the realme phone
In terms of memory, the realme C25Y is hardly superior in this price segment, but you have to do without NFC and unfortunately you do not get a bright screen either. PWM flickering and a high black value further degrade the screen, and the speaker is also annoying with its unfavorable placement and extremely treble-heavy sound.
It is annoying that realme installs an outdated micro-USB port in its phone: USB-C has long since established itself as a standard and finally leads away from the connection and cable clutter. You should also not expect too many security updates, and there are sharper sensors in this price range when it comes to the camera. Furthermore, the smartphone heats up very much after prolonged load.
Is the realme C25Y recommendable? Well, the high computing power, the fast charging and the good runtimes can definitely convince. Even those who want a lot of memory for little money will get their money's worth. However, the numerous negative aspects that we mentioned above still make us hesitate with a recommendation overall.
The realme C25Y is a cheap phone with a lot of computing power for the class, but also some problems.
If you can also cope with less battery life, you might want to consider the Redmi Note 8 2021 which even has a Full HD screen. With the Nokia G20 you get quite pure Android and a wide-angle camera as well as even more stamina for similar money.
Price and availability
The realme C25Y is available with 64 or 128 GB of storage. In the United States, you can have the higher-end 128 GB model for roughly $200: Get the International Version, Grey on Amazon.
Realme C25Y
- 01/19/2022 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Price comparison
