Realme C75 smartphone

WOW!! That was my reaction when I first saw the price of the C75. This phone costs less than 200 euros! Okay… it cannot do everything, but hey, it is a budget phone. Does that mean it is no good? Costs have to be cut somewhere. I do not know how Realme has done it, but this phone is perfect for people who do not want to spend much on a new phone yet still want to do plenty with it. Realme says: ‘This is a phone that can take a knock and is built to last.’ Sounds perfect! Let me walk you through my experience with the Realme C75.

Of course, we should also look at the specs. Here are the top 5:

IP69 dust & water protection:
This means your phone is protected against water at depths beyond 1 meter and against high-pressure jets. The best part is that the iPhone 15 has an IP68 rating, which is lower than the Realme's. That is impressive for a 200-euro phone. 

6000mAh battery capacity:
This is ideal. I also received a letter from Realme claiming that the battery lasts 23 days on standby. That means the phone can remain connected to the internet while inactive for 23 days. That does not tell us much on its own, but what does put things into perspective is that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a battery capacity of 4676 mAh. That is considerably lower. 

45W fast charging:
So you get a large battery and fast charging too. You could say it does not get much better when it comes to the battery. (Even faster charging would be nice, of course 🙂 but 45W is absolutely fine.)

AI Smart Experience:
This phone comes with AI features, which I will discuss later. 

6.72” 90Hz FHD display:
The Realme C75 is not a small phone, but I would not call it a large one either. It strikes a nice middle ground. I can definitely notice the difference between a 60Hz and a 90Hz display, so it is great that they have managed to include 90Hz.

And, of course, the rest of the specs:

Category	Specifications
Network	GSM / HSPA / LTE
Launch	Announced: 2024, November 26 Status: Available, Released 2024, December 01
Body	Dimensions: 165.7 x 76.2 x 8 mm (6.52 x 3.00 x 0.31 in) Weight: 196 g (6.91 oz) SIM: Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM Durability: IP68/IP69 dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) MIL-STD-810H compliant (does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions)
Display	Type: IPS LCD, 90Hz, 580 nits (typ), 690 nits (HBM) Size: 6.72 inches, 109.0 cm² (~86.3% screen-to-body ratio) Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~392 ppi density) Protection: ArmorShell glass Extra: Always-on display
Platform	OS: Android 14, Realme UI 5.0 Chipset: Mediatek Helio G92 Max (12 nm) CPU: Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) GPU: Mali-G52 MC2
Memory	Card slot: microSDXC (dedicated slot) Internal: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
Main Camera	Dual: 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF Secondary unspecified camera Features: LED flash, HDR, panorama Video: 1080p@30fps
Selfie Camera	Single: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide) Video: 1080p@30fps
Sound	Loudspeaker: Yes, with dual speakers 3.5mm jack: No
Comms	WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, LE Positioning: GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS NFC: Unspecified Radio: Unspecified USB: USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
Features	Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery	Type: 6000 mAh Charging: 45W wired Reverse wired: Yes
Misc	Colors: Gold, Black

First impressions

My first impression when I held the phone was that it felt like an iPhone. What stood out was how tall it is. That did not bother me during my time using it, but if you have very small hands, I can imagine navigation being awkward, though you could get used to it. Setup was quick and straightforward, but then I did find myself thinking… this is not a flagship phone. I can tell you it is not the fastest, which is part of the budget-phone trade-off. Of course, you can get used to that too. Taking a closer look at the camera, though, it takes decent photos. Apps run without trouble, but the phone occasionally froze in very demanding games (and I do mean very demanding games). So that should not be an issue in everyday use. Do you need a rugged phone and simply want to make calls and use basic apps? Then this is a perfectly good choice. 

Camera 

I have already touched on this, but it is worth going into a little more detail. The phone has a 50 MP main camera. At 200 euros, you get what you pay for. While the camera offers 50MP and takes decent photos, it simply cannot compare with a more expensive device. That is only natural, and as mentioned… are you looking for a nice phone that you mainly use to take photos or send WhatsApp messages…? It does the job and offers good value for money. 

Display 

The 6.72-inch display with 90Hz feels smooth, especially if you are used to a 60Hz screen. Colors are bright and vibrant, and the resolution is sharp enough for everyday use. What particularly stood out to me was that the screen remains reasonably readable in bright sunlight, despite not being an OLED display. Automatic brightness also works surprisingly well. It adjusts quickly without me having to step in manually. For a budget phone, this is really good.

Comparison with other budget phones

In the sub-€200 price range, the Realme C75 stands out with its solid specifications. The combination of a 6000mAh battery and 45W fast charging is rare at this price, providing long battery life with quick charging times. Its IP69 rating also offers a level of dust and water resistance often reserved for more expensive phones. Many competing phones in this price range lack some of the features found on the Realme, making the Realme C75 a good choice for users looking for an affordable yet well-equipped smartphone.

Overall, the Realme C75 offers an excellent balance between price and performance and is a strong contender in the budget smartphone market.