realme GT NEO 2 Smartphone Review - Challenge to the top class
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.2 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Realme GT Neo 2 SD 870, Adreno 650 | 200 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.62" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.1 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2021 | OnePlus Nord 2 5G Dimensity 1200, Mali-G77 MP9 | 189 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 84.2 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2021 | Motorola Edge 20 SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L | 163 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 | |
| 82.2 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy A72 SD 720G, Adreno 618 | 203 g | 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 |
Case and equipment - Neon green challenger
In the price range around 500 Euros (~$568), there are many challengers to the top-class smartphones that are superbly equipped. At the same time, they do not come with all the latest technology that many users might not even need in everyday use.
The realme GT NEO 2 is now one of them and wants to shuffle the cards once again with its 120 Hz display, super-fast charging technology and extravagant color design on request.
According to the manufacturer, the back is made of a copper alloy that is supposed to dissipate the heat from inside the smartphone particularly effectively. The surface is covered with a nanocoating that shimmers matte and is available in black, light blue or unusual neon green. The casing looks sturdy and has a high-quality build.
There are two equipment variants:
- realme GT NEO 2 - 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage: 450 Euros (~$511)
- realme GT NEO 2 - 12 GB RAM / 256 GB storage: 550 Euro (~$625)
However, the larger storage option is only available in green or black.
NFC and Bluetooth 5.2 are on board, but there is no microSD reader to expand the storage.
Communication, software and operation - Smooth scrolling thanks to 120 Hz
Thanks to WiFi 6 support, the smartphone is very fast on the Internet, especially compared to the Samsung Galaxy A72. 5G support is of course also available in the realme GT NEO 2, and the frequency diversity should also be sufficient for traveling to more exotic countries.
The realme UI is tidy, and with Android 11 as the basis and security patches from October 2021, it is still quite up-to-date at the time of testing. The system is especially fun to use because of the fast screen, which makes everything appear even smoother than on a 60 Hz screen.
A fingerprint sensor under the screen and face recognition can be used for biometric unlocking. Both work quite quickly and reliably, and the combination of the two makes it even more convenient. However, you should keep in mind that facial recognition is not supported by an infrared or depth camera, so it is not as secure and also has its limits in the dark.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| OnePlus Nord 2 5G | |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A72 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| OnePlus Nord 2 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A72 | |
Cameras - Not completely convincing
A 64-megapixel lens is used as the main camera in the realme GT NEO 2. It uses pixel binning, i.e., 4 pixels are always combined into one pixel, and thus usually produces 16-megapixel images, but the full resolution can also be used if desired.
The pictures are actually quite crisp and pleasing with decent details, but the surrounding image on a dull day shows clear blurring. In low light and high contrasts, the brightness is okay and the image sharpness reaches an average level. Videos can be recorded in 4K with 60 FPS at most. Only digital zoom can be used here. If you want to record videos with the wide-angle camera, you have to select it before starting the recording. Autofocus and exposure control work quite reliably.
You can only switch between the main and wide-angle camera directly; a gradual hybrid zoom is not possible. The camera takes decent photos in wide-angle mode, but many details are lost when you look closer.
The front-facing camera with 16 megapixels takes decent selfies that still show a good variety of details even 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 PlantMain camera LandscapeMain camera Low LightWeitwinkelkamera
Display - Could be more true to color
The AMOLED display of the realme GT NEO 2 has an extended Full HD resolution and shows smooth movements thanks to a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The maximum brightness is on a very good level, but the color reproduction is rather mediocre. A blue cast is visible even in the color mode "mild", which is adjusted to sRGB.
PWM is present like in all OLED screens, but you can activate a DC dimming mode so that the screen then only updates with the refresh rate and does not flicker.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 767 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.47 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 5.9 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
98.1% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.275
| Realme GT Neo 2 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.6" | OnePlus Nord 2 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | Motorola Edge 20 OLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy A72 Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | -48% | -34% | 3% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 6 ? | 8 ? -33% | 9 ? -50% | 6.4 ? -7% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 6 ? | 8 ? -33% | 6 ? -0% | 3.2 ? 47% |
| PWM Frequency | 532 | 119.6 -78% | 252.5 -53% | 367.6 ? -31% |
| Screen | 7% | 9% | 8% | |
| Brightness middle | 767 | 594 -23% | 479 -38% | 730 -5% |
| Brightness | 767 | 594 -23% | 480 -37% | 734 -4% |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 99 2% | 94 -3% | 97 0% |
| Black Level * | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.47 | 2.74 21% | 2.06 41% | 3.2 8% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 9.23 | 6 35% | 4.54 51% | 8.8 5% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.9 | 4.2 29% | 3.5 41% | 3.5 41% |
| Gamma | 2.275 97% | 2.278 97% | 2.205 100% | 2.05 107% |
| CCT | 7800 83% | 7322 89% | 6794 96% | 6605 98% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -21% /
-11% | -13% /
-5% | 6% /
6% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 16 % 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 (32.5 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 532 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 532 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 532 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8485 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Fast and enduring
With its SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G, the realme GT NEO 2 cannot be a threat to real high-end smartphones. However, it offers a lot of performance in its price range and can outperform all comparison devices. The Snapdragon 870 5G is also used in originally much more expensive smartphones like the Motorola Edge 20 Pro.
The UFS 3.1's storage is a great thing. The speed difference compared with the much slower UFS 2.0's storage in the Samsung Galaxy A72 is particularly striking.
realme particularly emphasizes the innovative cooling system of the GT NEO 2. Nevertheless, the casing heats up considerably in our tests: 44.8 °C (112.6 °F) as the maximum value after a longer load is almost unpleasant. We mainly measured at room temperature. Users who use the smartphone on hot summer days might have problems.
The realme phone uses the earpiece as a hybrid speaker for stereo effects and thus supports the actual main speaker, which is found on the bottom edge. Thus, a decent volume is achieved when needed, and at the same time the sound does not overdrive and is quite balanced and pleasant. External audio devices can be connected via Bluetooth or USB-C.
The realme GT NEO 2 lasts for over 16 hours in our battery test, which is a good rate. The 5,000 mAh battery can be recharged with a maximum of 65 watts and thus hardly needs more than half an hour for a full charge. If you only charge the smartphone for a few minutes, you will still get a few hours of runtime with moderate use.
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | |
| OnePlus Nord 2 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A72 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (22 - 54, n=16) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5.5 - 166, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | |
| OnePlus Nord 2 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A72 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (50 - 62, n=16) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.4 - 321, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | |
| OnePlus Nord 2 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A72 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (17 - 34, n=16) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 144, n=208, last 2 years) | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | |
| OnePlus Nord 2 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A72 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (18 - 23, n=16) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1.2 - 129, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| Realme GT Neo 2 | OnePlus Nord 2 5G | Motorola Edge 20 | Samsung Galaxy A72 | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 10% | -33% | -63% | 19% | 40% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1761 | 1827 4% | 1011 -43% | 490.8 -72% | 1737 ? -1% | 2040 ? 16% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 763 | 1256 65% | 471.4 -38% | 260 -66% | 1164 ? 53% | 1655 ? 117% |
| Random Read 4KB | 281.1 | 223.7 -20% | 190.2 -32% | 119.2 -58% | 286 ? 2% | 283 ? 1% |
| Random Write 4KB | 260.2 | 239 -8% | 210.6 -19% | 114.7 -56% | 319 ? 23% | 327 ? 26% |
Temperature
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.8 °C / 113 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 41.8 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 21.4 °C / 71 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Realme GT Neo 2 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 34% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 53% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
OnePlus Nord 2 5G audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 42% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 60% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life
| Realme GT Neo 2 5000 mAh | OnePlus Nord 2 5G 4500 mAh | Motorola Edge 20 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A72 5000 mAh | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi Websurfing | 962 | 958 0% | 716 -26% | 877 -9% | 1028 ? 7% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Good overall package at an affordable price
The realme GT NEO 2 once again attacks the upper class. Even though it cannot quite keep up with real top phones in terms of features, it finds a good compromise between a lot of performance for everyday use and being easy on the wallet with its pricing.
The large battery with good runtimes and extremely fast charging times is a highlight, as is the case made of a copper alloy that is stable and well-made. The speakers sound clean, the WLAN is fast, and thanks to DC dimming mode, there is a better chance that sensitive natures will not get headaches from the screen.
The quite high heating under longer load could be an issue for users, but in return the smartphone brings a lot of performance for its price range.
The realme GT NEO 2 offers a lot of performance and long runtimes and is available at a low price. The very warm casing during long load could be an issue.
If you then get the device for considerably less money in a discount campaign (the device was available for just under 370 Euros (~$420) shortly after release during Black Friday 2021), it turns out to be a price-performance bargain and makes it difficult for the competition. Hardly anyone offers more power in this price range, but you get similarly long runtimes with the OnePlus Nord 2 5G. The Motorola Edge 20 comes with an even faster screen, but the speakers are only mediocre.
Price and availability
The realme GT NEO 2 is available from the manufacturer as well as at various retailers. Among the big online retailers, for example, our partners amazon.de, notebooksbilliger.de and Cyberport have the phone on offer.
Realme GT Neo 2
- 08/31/2022 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Price comparison
