Realme C53 | The almost perfect good and cheap cell phone

Realme C53 | The almost perfect good and cheap cell phone

The Realme C53 is yet another intermediate device from the Chinese to land here in Brazil. Among the highlights of this smartphone is the 50 MP camera. The sensor promises good photographic quality, indicating that it may be superior to several competitors in the category.

In addition, the device has a screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, and this already guarantees an attractive differential in the display, mainly for practical use. However, the absence of 5G could impact the choice of some users for the product. But, is this enough to negatively impact the purchase of the C53?

Specification:

pros

• good quality screen
• balanced main camera
• headphone jack
• good autonomy
• Price

• Minor crashes in games and the camera app
• Doesn’t have 5G

Design, build, screen and sound

The Realme C53 has the entire body in plastic, but the edges are slightly rounded and the sides are straighter, something that makes it easier to hold the device. The version that went through Canaltech has the back in Champion Gold. It is the most striking option, with a gradient coated in glitter that varies between yellow, orange and purple, depending on the position in the sun.

The rear cameras are arranged in a module that references the one present in Apple’s Pro line of iPhones. Despite not agreeing much with the “Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V” vibe, this cell phone was physically beautiful.

At the bottom, the Realme C53 has a USB-C connector for charging and transferring files, and a P2 port for headphones. To complete, the only speaker present in the cell phone is in the same area.

As it is a mono audio, its general characteristics are expected. The volume is interesting, but the bass is lumped in with the other frequencies. This disturbs your perception, mixing with the mids and highs to the point of giving a greater perception of these tonalities. But for videos and movies it is enough, although headphones are more interesting for that.

The C53 screen has an IPS LCD panel in Full HD + resolution, with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and 6.74 inches. The presence of this frequency helps ensure greater fluidity in navigability. However, it is important to emphasize that it is not possible to keep it constantly at 90 Hz, as the system increases the rate according to the needs of each app.

Despite being LCD, I like the contrast level of the screen, as it gives the perception of being superior to some alternatives in the same price range. In places more illuminated by the sun, it is necessary to keep the brightness at the maximum to have good visibility of the information, but 30% is already enough in places with controlled light.

Configuration, performance, usability and software

A pleasant surprise of the Realme C53 is its specifications. It has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. In conjunction with the Unisoc T612 processor — equivalent to the Snapdragon 665 —, the fluidity of this cell phone will please anyone who wants to spend little money and have a usable cell phone.

In general, opening applications is fast, animations do not “choke” the device. The camera app opens quickly, but switching between the front and rear sensors for filming is a little slow.

For games, for the most part, I had no issues with crashes. The only time I felt a lag was when activating the propulsion in one of the races in Asphalt 9. It could have been something caused by the excess of graphic elements in the environment to load, but I thought it was important to highlight in the review.

The Realme UI T interface based on Android 13 is proof of the gradual and consistent evolution of the Chinese to deliver a good user experience. The amount of unnecessary applications — bloatware — is small, and the brand does not prevent uninstallation.

In the control center, there are several useful features, including NFC, and the settings menu has sober icons, without as many colorful options as it was before. In this way, the layout closest to pure Android draws attention.

cameras

Realme C53 cameras are good, especially the main 50 MP. In conjunction with the sensor, the software does a great job in photographs, as the white balance is very balanced, and there is no excessive saturation.

Focus is fast, and sharpness is above expectations for the category. In portrait mode, there’s good contouring and the HDR stays balanced in this capture mode. The C53 also does a good job with skin tone, stripping away the Asian look that Xiaomi took a decade to tweak.

The front camera is basic, but the selfies are not bad. As expected for an intermediate model, the 8 MP sensor does a balanced job, but without any big positive surprises.

Battery and Charging

Realme C53’s battery is good. In Canaltech’s standard test, it consumed 24% of the charge. Because it is an intense use experience over six hours, its consumption was balanced.

In this way, the expected autonomy is 25 hours, and this allows for a greater time than some competing intermediaries. However, this period may vary depending on your type of use.

With a capacity of 5,000 mAh and a charger with a power of 33 W, it is possible to restore power in less than 1 hour and 30 minutes.

direct competitors

As it is an intermediate device, the Realme C53 has as a major competitor the Redmi Note 12 5G. The main difference between the Xiaomi device and the Realme model is the presence of 5G.

Although this connectivity is still being adjusted to deliver high speeds, it is an element that already impacts the purchase decision. The presence of the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 platform delivers more speed and a slightly higher performance “slack” for games.

On the other hand, to have the Note 12 5G, it is necessary to pay, on average, R$ 1,500, which is R$ 100 more than that charged by the C53. In this way, you need to calculate whether it makes sense for you to pay more to have an almost equivalent performance, 120 Hz AMOLED screen and 5G.

Is the Realme C53 a good phone?

The Realme C53 managed to join the list of great cell phones to buy up to R$1,000. The model is good, cheap and has occasional defects that do not have a negative impact on its overall set.

Its performance is stable, the screen, despite being LCD, has a good color balance and the frequency of 90 Hz pleases navigability. The 50 MP camera has nice dynamic range, and provides interesting pictures in well-lit environments.

In addition, the price of around R$ 1,400 means that the absence of 5G is not a decisive element for the purchase. After all, when a cell phone meets the main needs of users without negatively impacting its value, it already becomes an interesting option to buy.