realme 10 Pro 5G Review – Great Looking Thin Bezels

realme just recently launched the new #realme10ProSeries5G, and we’ll be taking a look at one of them in this realme 10 Pro 5G review.

For full disclosure, realme Philippines has sent over the realme 10 Pro 5G for us to review. However, this doesn’t affect my opinions and findings on the device.

What it comes with Out-of-the-Box

Before anything else, let’s start with what accessories does is come with out-of-the-box. Inside is the unit itself, as well as a SIM Ejector tool, user guide, warranty card, included clear case, USB-A to USB-C cable, and power adapter/charger. You can check out my unboxing and first impressions video of the device below.

Design, Build Quality, and Ergonomics

Aesthetically, the 10 Pro 5G is very similar to the realme 10. The only visible difference you will notice off-the-bat between the two is the size, and the back’s texture. The 10 Pro 5G is slightly bigger than the 10. It also has a matte or flat looking back, compared to the smooth, glossy one on the 10 (at least for the colorways that I have of the devices.

Build quality is pretty standard. Even though it has a plasticky feeling to it, it still feels sturdy. Ergonomically, it feels the same as the realme 10. It also has a flat side, which actually helps in having a good grip of the device. It volume buttons on the side is easily accessible, as well as the side-mounted fingerprint scanner which is perfectly aligned with my thumb.

Display Quality

Now the display is actually one of my gripes. It’s a 6.7-inch LCD display, a bit of a downgrade from the Super AMOLED display that the non-Pro 10 has. Don’t get me wrong, it still looks good while watching videos and playing games, but it should be better considering it is the Pro version of the series. If you really want a Pro variant with AMOLED though, you have to opt for the realme 10 Pro+ 5G.

Now even though its display is only LCD, it still looks decent and performs pretty well. It has up to 120Hz of refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz. I believe these are more than enough to have a smooth scrolling experience and a very snappy performance in games. Color reproduction is decent, and it has very thin bezels which makes watching YouTube and Netflix more immersive and enjoyable.

Audio Quality

Speaking of, you can’t really talk about entertainment without asking about its audio quality. It’s sounds really good when watching videos or listening to music, so crisp and loud. In fact, it can fill the room with music very well thanks to its Ultraboom speakers where you can crank it up to 200%. You won’t need to have a separate Bluetooth speaker.

The device also has stereo speakers, one at the bottom of the device and the other one is its call speaker. But I did notice when listening to my playlist that the speaker at the bottom is a bit louder than the other one. It’s not a deal breaker or anything, but it may be a bit annoying when you are meticulous with your music.

Performance and Gaming

I’ve been daily driving this device even before its launch, and it has been performing well on my daily tasks. I haven’t encountered any lags or hangs to date. It also performed great while playing games, though I’ve only played Asphalt 9 and Genshin Impact. The device runs smooth on Genshin while on low and medium graphic settings, but is a little bit laggy on high though. I’ve been also editing some videos on the device with CapCut, and renders fairly fast. Though it’s important to note that I’ve only been editing short form videos for TikTok and IG Reels.

The device also feature up to 8GB if RAM Expansion. It uses your extra storage to use as RAM when needed, to keep it running smooth.

If you are interested on how it fairs in benchmarking apps, the numbers are posted below.

• AnTutu v9 – 410465 (CPU: 125795, GPU: 99732, MEM: 70479, UX: 114459)
• AnTuTu v9 Storage Test – 26318 (Seq. Read: 8067, Seq. Write: 7602, Random Access: 10712)
• Geekbench 5 – Single-Core: 685, Multi-Core: 1976, OpenCL: 1390, Vulkan: 1373
• PCMark – Work 3.0: 9876, Storage 2.0: 18519
• 3DMark – Sling Shot: 4080, Sling Shot Extreme: 2916, Wild Life: 1212, Wild Extreme: 361

User Experience

The device runs on realme UI 4.0, which is based on Android 13. Much like the 10, it’s pretty user-friendly. The interface is easy to navigate, and it feature colorful icons. Now, it does come with bloatware, but not as much as previous models. So if you do want to uninstall all of them, it won’t take much of your time.

Thanks to its fast storage and RAM, opening apps and its operation is speedy. It also has a fairly substantial storage capacity, which you can also expand via microSD. But if you are running on dual SIMs though, it will occupy that microSD slot, so it’s important to keep that in mind.

Connectivity

The important thing (at least for me) the 10 Pro has that the 10 doesn’t, is 5G connectivity. I’m sometimes out-and-about and bring my laptop with me and work just about anywhere. So need fast 5G internet to keep up with my work. It’s pretty fast on the device, as you would expect from any 5G phone.

Aside from the usual USB Type-C and Bluetooth connections, the device also has NFC. Now I don’t actually use NFC that much, but if you do, it’s good to note that it’s there.

Battery Life and Charging

Battery life on the realme 10 Pro is great, which is not really a surprise. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing some of realme’s number series, and in my experience, their battery performance has been really great. The 10 Pro is no exception, it houses a 5000mAh battery which lasts almost a day and a half of use for me. That even includes a quick game of Asphalt 9 every now and then.

Charging is also a breeze thanks to its 33W SUPERVOOC Charge support. Its 33W SUPERVOOC Charger can juice it up to 50% in just 29 minutes, and up to 100% in just 74 minutes. I only wish it had wireless charging support though. But I guess it’s rare to see that feature in realme’s midrange offerings.

Cameras

Lastly, and probably the most important feature each smartphone should have, is a good camera system. While writing this realme 10 Pro 5G review, I’ve already taken quite a few photos and videos casually. And I can say that they are quite high quality. It features a much larger sensor than its non-pro variant, a 108MP ProLight Camera. It is also supported by a Samsung HM6 sensor to ensure your shots are crisp and clear. On the front side is a 16MP AI Selfie Camera for your clear and vivid self-portraits.

The non-pro realme 10 already captures excellent photos. It’s even more clear and crisp on the realme 10 Pro 5G. Its camera can shoot great images even in low light situations thanks to its Nanopixel Plus Technology. It also feature Quickshot Acceleration Engine for faster night photos, Parallel Processing for continued rapid captures, and Intelligent Frame Taking for self-optimization when shooting your subject. Its night photos are so good and captures fast that I find myself using it the most.

It also feature an optical zoom of up to 3x, which can be ramped up digitally up to 6x. The one thing it’s missing is an ultra-wide-angle camera. It’s a feature that I use often, especially in tight places. So it’s a bit of a bummer that the device didn’t come with it. If not having an ultra-wide-angle lens isn’t a deal-breaker for you, then you should consider its other camera capabilities. Below are some quick sample shots that I took with the device.

If you are interested in getting the realme 10 Pro 5G, local pricing, availability, and full specifications can be found on the link below.