realme GT Master Edition Smartphone Review - Designer piece with 5G
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Version | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 09 / 2021 | Realme GT Master Edition SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L | 180 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 83.1 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | OnePlus Nord CE 5G (Nord Core Edition) SD 750G 5G, Adreno 619 | 170 g | 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.9 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 05 / 2021 | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G SD 780G 5G, Adreno 642 | 159 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 83.4 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Sony Xperia 10 III SD 690 5G, Adreno 619L | 169 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.00" | 2520x1080 | |
| 85.9 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Realme GT 5G SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 186 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 |
Case, equipment and operation - Current connections without WiFi 6E
Realme wants just 349 Euros (~$413) for the GT Master Edition, compared to the price recommendation of the realme GT so you save 100 Euros (~$118) and even get a higher-resolution front camera and still super-fast charging, but also a slightly slower SoC and less working memory.
Sounds like mixed feelings, but for its tight budget, the equipment of the realme GT Master Edition does look promising at first glance.
The design varies depending on the color option: If you choose Voyager Grey, you get a plastic back designed by industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa that is reminiscent of a rolling suitcase. On the other hand, those who choose the black or white color option get a plain matte back without design gimmicks. Apart from that, the exterior of the realme GT Master Edition is unexceptional.
The chassis is stable and has a high-quality build. Gorilla Glass, like in the realme GT is not used here, or at least the manufacturer is not allowed to advertise it.
Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC are on board, and 5G is currently the fastest mobile standard with a wide range of frequencies. A microSD card cannot be used to expand the storage, but there is enough space with 128 GB or 256 GB of mass storage. However, you only get 8 GB of working memory in the large storage version, which costs 50 Euros (~$60) extra.
The extremely fast WiFi 6E is not supported by the GT Master Edition, in contrast to the normal realme GT. Thus, the maximum possible WLAN speed is also somewhat lower, but it is still quite decent in a class comparison thanks to WiFi 6.
The touchscreen is scanned up to 360 times per second and can thus be operated reliably and quickly. The 120 Hz display allows smooth scrolling, and the fingerprint sensor is located underneath, which reliably detects applied fingers and unlocks the display quite quickly.
Cameras - Moderate in the dark
The camera setup on the back is similar to that of the realme GT. The main camera shows a rather strong blue cast, and some details look a bit blurry. We like the display quite well in low light and high contrasts. However, the image content is hardly recognizable when there is only 1 lux of light.
The wide-angle lens shows itself with passable pictures that do not reveal very many details, though.
In a dedicated Street Photography mode with less algorithm interventions and more setting options, you should be able to take pictures quickly and authentically. There are also special filters that were developed together with Kodak.
Videos can be recorded in a maximum of 4K resolution and 60 fps.
The front-facing camera has a high resolution of 32 megapixels and takes decent pictures at first glance, but they quickly become blurry when zoomed in.
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 FlowerMain camera EnvironmentMain camera Low LightWide angle lens
Display - 120 Hz screen in the realme phone
The AMOLED display is slightly darker than in the realme GT Master Edition, but overall on a par with the class. The possibility to completely turn off single OLED diodes theoretically results in a complete black, so that the contrast is infinitely high and colors shine stronger.
However, AMOLED displays flicker when the brightness is reduced, which is also the case in the realme GT Master Edition. Thus, you should try the display first if you are sensitive here.
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Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 587 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.06 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 4.3 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.322
| Realme GT Master Edition AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | OnePlus Nord CE 5G (Nord Core Edition) AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.6" | Sony Xperia 10 III OLED, 2520x1080, 6" | Realme GT 5G Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | 55% | 47% | 29% | 59% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 6 ? | 3.6 ? 40% | 4 ? 33% | 5.6 ? 7% | 3.2 ? 47% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 8 ? | 2.4 ? 70% | 3.2 ? 60% | 4 ? 50% | 2.4 ? 70% |
| PWM Frequency | 245.1 | 373.1 ? | 367.6 ? | 242.7 ? | 242.7 ? |
| Screen | 24% | 23% | 33% | 33% | |
| Brightness middle | 587 | 590 1% | 863 47% | 536 -9% | 605 3% |
| Brightness | 584 | 596 2% | 860 47% | 540 -8% | 606 4% |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 97 0% | 93 -4% | 97 0% | 97 0% |
| Black Level * | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.06 | 1.9 53% | 3.2 21% | 1.1 73% | 1.3 68% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.28 | 3.8 39% | 5.2 17% | 1.9 70% | 3.1 51% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.3 | 2.1 51% | 3.9 9% | 1.3 70% | 1.3 70% |
| Gamma | 2.322 95% | 2.13 103% | 2.33 94% | 2.27 97% | 2.25 98% |
| CCT | 7270 89% | 6698 97% | 7299 89% | 6494 100% | 6372 102% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 40% /
32% | 35% /
29% | 31% /
32% | 46% /
39% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 19 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 3 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 16 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.3 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 245.1 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 245.1 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 245.1 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 8437 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Hot power pack
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G is a fairly new SoC and considerably weaker than the Snapdragon 888 in the realme GT. However, the Master Edition can keep up well with similarly priced devices, or even surpass them in most cases.
Although realme advertises a vapor-chamber cooling system, it seems overstrained during longer loads in reality: We measured up to 47.6 °C (~118 °F) on the smartphone's casing, which is almost a critical temperature and clearly noticeable. On hot summer days, the device could definitely reach its limits or get so warm that it becomes uncomfortable.
The speaker can get quite loud, but seems less balanced than the stereo speakers of the realme GT. The sound is nevertheless fairly decent, without excessive treble emphasis. There are definitely worse sound systems in other smartphones of the price range, but real audio fans will probably resort to Bluetooth or the 3.5 mm jack for sound output. This works flawlessly and delivers good sound to headphones or external speakers.
The 4,300 mAh battery is a bit smaller than in the realme GT and thus the runtimes are also a bit shorter: 12:08 hours in our WLAN test is a rather mediocre result; other smartphones offer much more. Thanks to the 65 watts fast charging, the battery is recharged very quickly. Even a full charge takes less than an hour, and the battery nets a few hours of use within minutes.
| Realme GT Master Edition | OnePlus Nord CE 5G (Nord Core Edition) | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | Sony Xperia 10 III | Realme GT 5G | Average 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -23% | -9% | -25% | 2% | -3% | 70% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1002 | 951 -5% | 949 -5% | 840 -16% | 1587 58% | 911 ? -9% | 2043 ? 104% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 798 | 466 -42% | 710 -11% | 400.8 -50% | 575 -28% | 734 ? -8% | 1659 ? 108% |
| Random Read 4KB | 213.1 | 187.6 -12% | 207.9 -2% | 172.3 -19% | 198.7 -7% | 229 ? 7% | 285 ? 34% |
| Random Write 4KB | 247.7 | 168.1 -32% | 206.9 -16% | 210.7 -15% | 208.4 -16% | 245 ? -1% | 327 ? 32% |
Temperature
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47.6 °C / 118 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 45.7 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.1 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Realme GT Master Edition audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 63% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Realme GT 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 22% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 43% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life
| Realme GT Master Edition 4300 mAh | OnePlus Nord CE 5G (Nord Core Edition) 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G 4250 mAh | Sony Xperia 10 III 4500 mAh | Realme GT 5G 4500 mAh | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | ||||||
| WiFi Websurfing | 728 | 924 27% | 734 1% | 809 11% | 755 4% | 1035 ? 42% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Weaker and cheaper
The differences between the realme GT and the GT Master Edition quickly become noticeable: The Master Edition partly feels like a completely different smartphone, even though the rear-facing camera and the basic design are the same for now. However, the completely different SoC, the lack of stereo speakers, the WLAN with less maximum speed, the somewhat slower memory, and the shorter runtimes make the class difference clear.
Of course, you save 100 Euros (~$118) and some retailers even offer a discount of 50 Euros (~$60) on the Master Edition at the time of the test, but you should consider whether you really want to do without the many advantages of the realme GT. You should also consider the high temperature increase under load before buying the Master Edition.
The realme GT Master Edition is well equipped and reasonably fast in a class comparison, but the camera is a bit weaker, as are the battery runtimes. In return, charging with 65 watts is an advantage that the Master Edition can make use of. The extremely short charging times mean that it is no longer necessary to charge the smartphone overnight, but quick intermediate charging is possible at any time.
The realme GT Master Edition is a stand-alone smartphone that is well-equipped but also shows weaknesses in some areas.
Performance-wise, only the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G can keep up with the similarly priced devices in the comparison. In terms of battery life, the OnePlus North CE is unbeaten.
Price and availability
All variants of the realme GT Master Edition are currently only available in the manufacturer's online store at. There is also a €50 (~$60) discount on the 128 GB version.
The GT Master Edition is otherwise only available at Amazon for the same price, i.e. $399. At notebooksbilliger.de you currently pay the recommended retail price.
Realme GT Master Edition
- 08/31/2022 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Price comparison
