realme XT smartphone in review: Good low-light performance
The Chinese manufacturer realme is very successful with its smartphones, especially in Asia and on the Indian market in particular. With well-configured devices and low prices, the company wants to be successful in this area with exclusive sales via eBay Germany.
In this test, we compare the realme XT to the competition listed below. In addition, other smartphones from our database can be added for comparison under each section.
Comparison devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79.7 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2020 | Realme XT SD 712, Adreno 616 | 183 g | 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.40" | 2340x1080 | |
| 78.6 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2019 | Nokia 7.2 SD 660, Adreno 512 | 180 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.30" | 2340x1080 | |
| 75.5 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2019 | Gigaset GS290 Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2 | 190 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.30" | 2340x1080 | |
| 80.5 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2019 | Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite SD 710, Adreno 616 | 179 g | 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.39" | 2340x1080 | |
| 78.4 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2019 | Motorola Moto G8 Plus SD 665, Adreno 610 | 188 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.30" | 2280x1080 |
Case - realme XT with Gorilla Glass 5
The front and back sides of the realme XT are made of glass, which is protected from cracks by the use of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The frame is composed of metal, and the "Pearl White" and "Pearl Blue" options are available as colors. The workmanship is of very high quality, and there are no rough gaps or untidy processing. The physical controls are also firmly in place. On the back, however, the quad camera setup protrudes quite far beyond the surface. Size and weight are roughly the same as with comparable smartphones.
Connectivity - Android smartphone offers NFC
The realme XT has a memory card reader, which also retains the dual SIM function. Both nano SIM slots support LTE, but the VoLTE and VoWLAN functions were not available to us in the menu. Furthermore, apps can't be moved to the memory card, nor can the latter be reformatted to internal storage.
There's also a USB Type-C port with the USB 2.0 standard and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The manufacturer has forgone a notification LED.
Software - Android Pie and ColorOS 6
Users of the realme XT are looking at an Android Pie system with the ColorOS 6 interface and security patches at the level of October 5, 2019. This user interface offers modified icons and a restructured settings menu, as well as its own assistance and operating functions. Newcomers and Android connoisseurs, however, can quickly find their way around. The realme also includes preinstalled third-party apps such as Opera and Aqua Mail. These can be deactivated within the menu but not removed.
Communication and GPS - Impaired location function
The realme XT can establish cellular connections in GSM, 3G and LTE networks. With LTE Cat. 12, speeds of up to 600 Mb/s are possible for downloading data, and a maximum of 100 Mb/s can be reached when uploading data.
In close ranges, users can access NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi with the standards 802.11a, b, g, n and ac (Wi-Fi 5). In our Wi-Fi test, the Android smartphone achieves a good result in the upper center of our test field with 322 Mb/s for receiving and 248 Mb/s for sending data.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Nokia 7.2 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Realme XT | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Gigaset GS290 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Nokia 7.2 | |
| Realme XT | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Gigaset GS290 | |
With the GPS Test app, we test how well the realme XT can determine its location. With the support of GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, we achieve an outdoor accuracy of up to four meters. In enclosed spaces, no location was possible.
We compare the realme XT to our Garmin Edge 500 reference device on our mandatory bike tour. However, aggressive task-killing did not allow us to register the distance covered with realme's smartphone.
Telephone and call quality - Clear connection optimized for speech
The realme XT's telephone app offers numerous features that users will also know from other smartphones. The Android phone demonstrated a good volume and clearly transmitted speech during calls.
Cameras - realme XT shows good low-light performance
Realme has equipped the XT with a quad camera on the back. It features a 64 MP sensor, an 8 MP wide-angle sensor and two 2 MP sensors for depth information and macro shots. Moreover, there is a 16 MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture on the front. This allows sharp portrait shots with many details and good colors. In the settings menu, the image quality can be influenced with a color filter and beautification functions as well as with the activation or deactivation of HDR.
The main camera provides photos with good image quality. The panoramic shot shows some details and good colors. At higher zoom levels, however, structures appear a little soft and object edges are somewhat blurred. In close range, our test subject shows many details and strong colors. The bokeh effect also comes well into its own. Under low-light conditions, the realme XT still gets a lot out of the photo. Objects in the image remain visible, and even colors are recognizable. When zooming in, however, coarse-grained edges appear. In addition to the color and filter options, an "expert" mode is also available in the camera menu. This allows the adjustment of the ISO value and shutter speed as well as of white balance, focus and brightness.
The video mode also allows recordings in wide-angle format and offers a similar quality to our test photographs. Moving images appear sharp and fluid. Lighter shaking is also compensated for by an image stabilizer. Color filters can be applied to the recording here too. A professional mode, on the other hand, is not available. The image quality can be selected from the 720p, 1080p and 4K options. The frame rate can be set to either 30 or 60 fps.
Our test photograph with the ColorChecker Passport shows that the camera of the realme XT reproduces colors brighter than they should be.
Accessories and warranty - Case included in the box
The realme XT comes with a USB power adapter with the corresponding USB Type-C cable, a SIM needle and a silicone protective case. The manufacturer also offers common smartphone accessories such as power banks and headsets.
The manufacturer grants buyers of the XT a warranty period of 24 months.
Input devices and handling - Slow fingerprint scanner
Users of the XT can use Google's "GBoard" for text input. The touchscreen reacts immediately to inputs, and with its smooth surface, it also allows for longer drag-and-drop movements.
To unlock, users can use the fingerprint scanner built into the screen. It showed some delays in our test. Facial recognition, on the other hand, worked quickly and reliably. Since the realme XT doesn't provide user account control, you can only save one face.
Display - Over 6 inches with Super AMOLED
The screen in the realme XT consists of a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel and offers a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. The average brightness is 414 cd/m², and the brightness distribution is 97%. With the sensor activated, we measure a maximum brightness of 418 cd/m². The lowest adjustable value is 1.98 cd/m². In the APL50 test, the realme XT reaches a maximum of 512 cd/m².
As is typical for OLEDs, the realme XT exhibits PWM at a frequency of 242.7 Hz. This can be unpleasant for users with sensitive eyes in the long run.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 414 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 4.3 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
95.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.31
| Realme XT Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.4" | Nokia 7.2 IPS, 2340x1080, 6.3" | Gigaset GS290 IPS, 2340x1080, 6.3" | Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.4" | Motorola Moto G8 Plus IPS, 2280x1080, 6.3" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 5% | 5% | 53% | 7% | |
| Brightness middle | 414 | 604 46% | 465 12% | 618 49% | 597 44% |
| Brightness | 414 | 593 43% | 460 11% | 626 51% | 596 44% |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 92 -5% | 88 -9% | 97 0% | 93 -4% |
| Black Level * | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.52 | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.4 | 5.1 -16% | 5.3 -20% | 1 77% | 5.93 -35% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 11.2 | 10.3 8% | 7.3 35% | 2.4 79% | 9.42 16% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.3 | 6.4 -49% | 4.2 2% | 1.6 63% | 5.3 -23% |
| Gamma | 2.31 95% | 2.23 99% | 2.09 105% | 2.24 98% | 2.232 99% |
| CCT | 6532 100% | 8149 80% | 6558 99% | 6389 102% | 7632 85% |
| Contrast | 1510 | 2325 | 1148 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 242.7 Hz | ≤ 99 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 242.7 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 242.7 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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
With OLEDs, the non-measurable contrast ratio and a black value of 0 cd/m² are also typical. In addition, the CalMAN analysis shows that colors are displayed with a slightly too high blue content in the "standard" mode. Users can change the color temperature to "warm," creating a more balanced image.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.6 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. » 12 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 4.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2 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. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
The realme XT is easy to use outdoors. Reflections are limited even in slightly brighter ambient light.
The OLED panel of the realme XT displays image content from different angles without distortion. From very steep angles, however, a slight green tint is shown.
Performance - Mid-range smartphone offers good performance
The realme XT is aimed at users with medium demands on the performance of a smartphone. With Qualcomm's Snapdragon 712 and 6 GB of RAM, it's well equipped and shows the according results in our benchmarks too. Above all, it has to hold its own against the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite, which only succeeds in individual disciplines. Compared to the other competitors we've chosen, it shows a much better performance.
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Realme XT | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (8346 - 11143, n=2) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Realme XT | |
| Nokia 7.2 | |
| Gigaset GS290 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (6832 - 8276, n=2) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Realme XT | |
| Nokia 7.2 | |
| Gigaset GS290 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (33 - 33, n=2) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme XT | |
| Nokia 7.2 | |
| Gigaset GS290 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (36 - 36, n=2) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (12 - 482, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme XT | |
| Nokia 7.2 | |
| Gigaset GS290 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (23 - 24, n=2) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme XT | |
| Nokia 7.2 | |
| Gigaset GS290 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (26 - 26, n=2) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (8.3 - 341, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite (Chrome 78) | |
| Realme XT (Chrome 79) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 () | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus (Chrome 78) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite (Chrome 78) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (47 - 72, n=2) | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus (Chrome 78) | |
| Realme XT (Chrome 79) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=206, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite (Chrome 78) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (10328 - 13562, n=2) | |
| Realme XT (Chrome 79) | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus (Chrome 78) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Motorola Moto G8 Plus (Chrome 78) | |
| Realme XT (Chrome 79) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 (2912 - 4383, n=2) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite (Chrome 78) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=164, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The realme XT has 64 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. This shows good results when reading data in the storage benchmark, but it falls short of our expectations when writing and is more at the level of UFS 2.0 storage. With our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference card, the memory card reader reaches values that are at the same level as the other smartphones in our test field.
| Realme XT | Nokia 7.2 | Gigaset GS290 | Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite | Motorola Moto G8 Plus | Average 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -21% | -15% | 67% | 51% | 35% | 576% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 483.8 | 290.8 -40% | 274.2 -43% | 421.5 -13% | 302.5 -37% | 513 ? 6% | 1859 ? 284% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 173.7 | 161.4 -7% | 196.8 13% | 252.1 45% | 217.4 25% | 175.2 ? 1% | 1445 ? 732% |
| Random Read 4KB | 112.5 | 79.6 -29% | 54.7 -51% | 113.5 1% | 59.9 -47% | 117.1 ? 4% | 278 ? 147% |
| Random Write 4KB | 25 | 13.38 -46% | 19.77 -21% | 116.6 366% | 124.9 400% | 81.1 ? 224% | 310 ? 1140% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 85.4 ? | 83.3 ? -2% | 81.1 ? -5% | 86 ? 1% | 72.6 ? -15% | 73.4 ? -14% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 63.3 ? | 64 ? 1% | 73.9 ? 17% | 63.9 ? 1% | 52.2 ? -18% | 55.4 ? -12% |
Games - Suitable for gaming with reduced details
In the realme XT, a Qualcomm Adreno 616 GPU takes care of displaying image content. This graphics unit belongs to the upper middle class, but it reaches its limit with slightly more demanding image content. Both the touchscreen and the position sensor are well suited for controlling games.
Emissions - Minimum heat development and moderate speakers
Temperature
Our measurements show that the realme XT reaches surface temperatures of up to 26.9 °C (~80 °F) when idle and a maximum of 33.6 °C (~91 °F) under load. The smartphone only feels warm, and there are also no restrictions that can be attributed to high temperatures on the inside.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.6 °C / 92 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 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.1 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The speakers in the realme XT offer comparatively high volume and a sound spectrum with pronounced higher tones. Therefore, the Android smartphone is well suited for the reproduction of speech. However, external speakers or headphones should be preferred for media content. These can be connected, among other ways, via the 3.5 mm audio jack. This holds corresponding plugs firmly in place and doesn't affect the sound quality negatively.
Realme XT audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 29% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 62% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 49% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life - 12 hours on Wi-Fi
Energy consumption
The realme XT shows a very low energy requirement with at least 0.55 watts in idle usage and a maximum of 4.92 watts under load. With an output of 20 watts, the included power adapter also has sufficient capacity.
| Off / Standby |   0.01 / 0.21 Watt |
| Idle |  0.55 / 1.39 / 1.44 Watt |
| Load |
2.97 / 4.92 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Realme XT 4000 mAh | Nokia 7.2 3500 mAh | Gigaset GS290 4700 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite 4030 mAh | Motorola Moto G8 Plus 4000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -60% | -45% | -4% | -105% | 4% | -60% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.55 | 0.77 -40% | 0.88 -60% | 0.8 -45% | 1.7 -209% | 0.54 ? 2% | 0.885 ? -61% |
| Idle Average * | 1.39 | 2.32 -67% | 2.05 -47% | 1.2 14% | 2.3 -65% | 1.285 ? 8% | 1.451 ? -4% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.44 | 2.41 -67% | 2.1 -46% | 1.6 -11% | 3.5 -143% | 1.32 ? 8% | 1.608 ? -12% |
| Load Average * | 2.97 | 4.44 -49% | 4.73 -59% | 2.6 12% | 4.7 -58% | 3.01 ? -1% | 6.55 ? -121% |
| Load Maximum * | 4.92 | 8.79 -79% | 5.61 -14% | 4.5 9% | 7.5 -52% | 4.88 ? 1% | 9.92 ? -102% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
In our practical Wi-Fi test, the realme XT achieves a runtime of almost 12 hours. Therefore, it makes good use of its 4,000 mAh battery and almost reaches the runtime of the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite.
The supplied charger has a quick-charging function and takes about one-and-a-half hours to fully recharge the battery.
| Realme XT 4000 mAh | Nokia 7.2 3500 mAh | Gigaset GS290 4700 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite 4030 mAh | Motorola Moto G8 Plus 4000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 718 | 570 -21% | 934 30% | 734 2% | 980 36% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Good mid-range smartphone
For a price of less than 300 Euros (~$334), the configuration of the realme XT is quite impressive. A strong camera, the good system performance, and the attractive design leave little to be desired. The processing is of very high quality, and users only need to familiarize themselves with the structure of ColorOS 6.
The realme XT offers a really good configuration for its low price. Users only need to occupy themselves a little bit more with the software.
Only the energy management was somewhat negative in our testing. Users would be better off deactivating the power-saving function for each app individually within the menu in this case. Simply turning off the intelligent energy management was not enough to prevent the automatic termination of apps in our test model. Apart from this trick, the realme XT is an all-round recommendable phone.
Realme XT
- 09/03/2022 v7 (old)
Mike Wobker
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