Realme 6i

Being cooped up at home has caused many people to update their things. Some have gone clothes shopping, others buy toys, and the rest of us have taken to refreshing our devices. Realme, a brand that has been very aggressive lately, gives you a reason to ditch your old, slow smartphone, and join team Realme with the 6i. Is it worth the price of admission, or should you wait for the next wave of devices? Let’s take a look.

- Ren Alcantara

DESIGN

While it’s honestly hard to be impressed with smartphone design these days, realme has been able to keep things fresh. While more or less standard, the 6i has a visually striking back, done with a very interesting ridged design. The back itself is smooth, but it refracts light in a way that makes it look like that popular brand of expensive aluminum luggage. Realme is a brand that has mastered compromise, taking a little off here and there to keep costs reasonable, while still offering a phone that punches above its price class. The 6i is no exception. They opted against the use of a curved screen, but it’s larger, and the rounded corners make the bezels look smaller than they actually are. There’s a small notch at the top for the front-facing camera, and wonderfully little else, for a mostly uncluttered face. Controls are limited to a power button on the right side, with volume keys on the opposite edge of the phone. There’s also a fingerprint scanner on the back, which I still hold to be a great spot to put it, allowing it to unlock faster and more consistently than most phones with in-screen fingerprint scanners.

HARDWARE