realme Neo7 Review: Is This Mid-Range Gaming Powerhouse Worth Buying?

Dhaka
January 25, 2025, 10:51 AM
by Farhana Afrose Rini

UNB News
Dhaka
Publish- January 25, 2025, 10:51 AM
Farhana Afrose Rini
Update- January 25, 2025, 11:13 AM

realme Neo7

Released on December 11, 2024, the realme Neo7 has quickly gained attention for its impressive features tailored to gamers and multitaskers alike. With a sleek design, powerful performance, and standout camera capabilities, it aims to dominate the mid-range market. In this review, we’ll break down the realme Neo7’s key specs, pros, cons, and pricing in Bangladesh to see if it lives up to the hype.

Key Features of realme Neo7

Design and Build Quality

The realme Neo7 boasts a robust design with dimensions of 162.6 mm by 76.4 mm by 8.6 mm and a weight of 213g. It is slightly heavier (191g) and thicker (8.7mm) than the realme GT Neo6. The inclusion of IP68/IP69 certification sets Neo7 one step ahead of the realme GT Neo6 and other competitors like the OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT, as these devices only offer IP65 resistance.

Its sleek design and sturdy Crystal Armor glass on the front make it more premium and durable. However, its heft may not appeal to users preferring lightweight devices.

Display Quality

The realme Neo7 features a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 1264 by 2780 pixels (~450 PPI). The screen delivers vibrant colors and deep contrasts, supported by a peak brightness of 6000 nits, which is superior to the Honor GT’s 4000 nits and OnePlus Ace 5’s 4500 nits but comparable to the realme GT Neo6.

Its 120 Hz refresh rate ensures fluid scrolling and gaming, matching the industry standard for premium mid-range devices. However, while the HDR support is excellent for media consumption, the Honor GT’s slightly smaller screen (6.7-inch) offers a more compact alternative for one-handed use.

Camera Performance

The realme Neo7 houses a dual rear camera setup featuring a 50 MP (f/1.9) primary sensor with OIS and an 8 MP (f/2.2) ultrawide lens. The main sensor excels in low-light photography and delivers well-balanced colors, outperforming the realme GT Neo6 in dynamic range but falling short of the triple-camera system on the OnePlus Ace 5, which includes a dedicated macro lens. Meanwhile, the Honor GT’s camera performance is comparable but lacks the advanced image processing algorithms of the Neo7.

For selfies, the 16 MP (f/2.4) front camera provides decent quality but lags behind the 32 MP selfie camera of the GT Neo6, which captures more details.

The Neo7’s rear sensor supports a maximum of 4K video recording with stabilization, ensuring smooth footage, similar to its competitors.

However, the realme GT Neo6’s front camera can capture up to 4K footage which outwins Neo7, OnePlus Ace 5, and Honor GT featuring 1080p of utmost video recording capacity each.

Processor Performance

Under the hood, the Neo7 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset, paired with an octa-core CPU and Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPU. This 4 nm architecture ensures blazing-fast performance, placing it on par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in the OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT.

Compared to the realme GT Neo6’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, the Neo7 delivers marginally better thermal efficiency, making it a better choice for extended heavy usage. Benchmark tests show the Neo7 excelling in multitasking and intensive applications, with its chipset providing a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the GT Neo6.

Gaming Performance

Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the realme Neo7’s HyperBoost gaming engine, which optimizes frame rates and reduces latency for a smoother experience. Popular games like Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile run at high settings without noticeable frame drops. Thermal management is efficient, keeping the device cool during extended sessions, which is a slight improvement over the GT Neo6.

While the OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT offer comparable gaming experiences, the Neo7’s larger battery gives it an edge in terms of playtime. Its immersive display and stereo speakers further enhance the gaming experience.

Battery Life

The realme Neo7 features a massive 7000 mAh battery, a standout among its peers. This capacity allows for more than a day of heavy usage, even with demanding applications.

In contrast, the GT Neo6 has a 5500 mAh battery, and the Honor GT offers 5300 mAh. While the OnePlus Ace 5 comes close with a 6415 mAh battery, it still falls short of the Neo7’s endurance.

Charging of Neo7 is handled by an 80W wired solution, which can fully charge the device in just over an hour. Although the GT Neo6 offers faster 120W charging, the Neo7’s larger battery capacity compensates by requiring less frequent charging.

The absence of wireless and reverse wired charging in this price range can be a deal breaker for the realme Neo7.

Software and User Interface

Out of the box, the Neo7 runs Android 15 with realme UI 6.0, offering a smooth and user-friendly experience. The updated interface includes enhanced customization options, improved widgets, and better multitasking features. Compared to the realme GT Neo6’s Android 14-based UI 5.0, the Neo7 provides a more polished software experience.

The OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT run Android 15 with ColorOS 15 and MagicOS 9, respectively. While these UIs offer similar features, realme UI 6.0 stands out with its efficient resource management and minimal bloatware. However, the lack of long-term software updates compared to OnePlus devices may concern some users.

Storage Options

The Neo7 offers extensive storage configurations, including 256GB and 512GB options with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, as well as a premium 1TB variant. The use of UFS 4.0 technology ensures faster read and write speeds, ideal for data-intensive tasks.

However, none of these models support expandable storage, which might be a downside for users who need additional space.

The GT Neo6, OnePlus Ace 5, and Honor GT offer similar storage configurations.

Pros and Cons of realme Neo7

Pros

- IP68/IP69 dust and water-resistant.
- LTPO AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 6000 nits brightness.
- Powered by the Dimensity 9300+ chipset, great for gaming and multitasking.
- 12/16GB RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.0 storage.
- Massive 7000 mAh battery with 80W fast charging.
- Crystal Armor glass for enhanced durability.
- 5G, NFC, and infrared port support.
- Dual rear camera (50MP) and 16MP selfie camera.
- Supports 4K video recording.
- Runs Android 15 with realme UI 6.0.
- Stereo speakers and under-display fingerprint scanner.

Cons

- No 3.5mm audio jack.
- Lacks expandable memory (no MicroSD card slot).
- No reverse charging support.
- No wireless charging support.
- Selfie camera limited to 1080p video recording.
- Missing optical zoom or advanced camera features.
- FM radio is not supported.
- Gyro-EIS for video stabilization is unavailable.

Price of realme Neo7 in Bangladesh

The realme Neo7 is priced at BDT 45,000 in Bangladesh, and its competitive pricing makes it an appealing option in the mid-range segment.

Takeaways

The Neo7 is perfect for gamers, multitaskers, and users seeking a durable, high-performance device with excellent battery life. However, it may disappoint those needing expandable storage, advanced camera features, a 3.5mm audio jack, and reverse or wireless charging supports. However, if these are no issues, the realme Neo7 is a competent gaming smartphone in the mid-range segment.