Realme X2 Pro Review

Verdict

The Realme X2 Pro offers excellent value for money thanks to a powerful processor, large battery, great screen and an attractive design. It will be an excellent choice for most, but if camera performance is a priority then you might want to look elsewhere.

Pros

• Enduring battery life
• Attractive design
• Versatile camera
• Strong performance
• Good value for money

Cons

• Inconsistent camera

The headline specification for this device is the Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, the very best available from Qualcomm at the time of launch. In addition, the handset includes an eye-catching quadruple camera.

The price you pay will depend on your selection of RAM (ranging from 6GB to 12GB) and storage (available with either 128GB or 256GB), with the base model coming in at €449 (or £385). It’s available in two colours: Neptune Blue or Lunar White.

It seems reasonably priced then given the specs, but let’s delve a little deeper to find out how the Realme X2 Pro fares for performance.

Related: Best budget phones

Realme X2 Pro design – It catches the eye, for the right reasons

The rear panel of this Realme X2 Pro is a deep blue colour with a glossy finish, which catches the light nicely for a hint of class. It’s smooth to the touch, although it does pick up smears and fingerprints easily. The only adornments to the back of the phone are the Realme logo, which is set perpendicular to the vertically aligned quadruple camera unit. There are a couple of subtle gold accents on the phone, one being a circle surrounding the main camera lens, and the other being a highlight on the power button.

As for the front of the phone, the screen is a fairly substantial 6.5in with slim but noticeable bezels running round the edge. At the top there’s a wide speaker set above the screen and a subtle teardrop notch jutting into it.

Overall, this is a good-looking device that’s attractive without looking too flashy or gaudy.

Realme X2 Pro camera – A four-camera setup, but low-light images are disappointing

As mentioned, the Realme X2 Pro is kitted out with a total of four rear camera sensors, comprised of the following:

• 64-megapixel main wide-angle camera
• 13-megapixel telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom
• 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens
• 2-megapixel depth sensor

Theoretically, this arrangement offers a good deal of versatility – and while performance is mostly very good, there are a few caveats.

Realme X2 Pro main camera: Food

This close-up of food shows the X2 Pro main camera’s strengths, with high levels of detail and colours that are lively and well reproduced.

Realme X2 Pro main camera: Flowers

However, the above image of flowers that was also taken with the main camera proved disappointing, with the petals appearing pinkish rather than the deep red of the actual subject.

Realme X2 Pro: Nightscape off vs Nightscape on 

But it was low-light performance that was especially mediocre. Without the night mode applied, the bright lights are completely blown out and detail is poor. In the “corrected” image (slide right), taken with Nightscape, the blown-out highlights have been reduced only a little, and there’s a warm yellow glow to the image – but the detail is far worse. Would you be happy with either image on your Instagram profile?

Realme X2 Pro: Main Camera vs Ultrawide Lens

The above image contrasts the main wide-angle lens. There’s a noticeable colour shift when switching between the two, which is immediately obvious if you’re browsing your gallery. But there’s a little distortion around the edges, which can occur when taking some ultra-wide shots. Detail remains decent, although is a noticeable step down from the main camera.

Realme X2 Pro: Ultrawide Lens vs Telephoto Sensor

This image taken from the football stands shows the zoom on the 3x telephoto lens in comparison to the ultra-wide, demonstrating the impressive range this camera setup offers. Shots from the telephoto were clear.

Overall, there’s a decent level of detail on display in the pictures and there’s plenty of versatility in these shots. But there remain disappointing aspects: colour representation, for example, particularly with regard to the low-light shooting. It’s still a serviceable camera for a mid-range contender, but it’s one area where it notably falls short of its flagship rivals. If photography is your absolute top priority, perhaps look elsewhere.

Realme X2 Pro display – Bright and crisp, this screen is worthy for all types of content

The screen measures 6.5in, with just a small teardrop notch located at the top. I didn’t find this slight intrusion distracting. In fact, I found the screen a pleasure to use since it’s particularly bright and crisp. Videos, social media feeds, and games are all enjoyable on this display, which boasts a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, further enhanced by HDR10+. What’s more, this AMOLED display has a refresh rate of 90Hz, which makes scrolling super-smooth – and in this respect the screen here matches expensive handsets such as the OnePlus 7T Pro and the Google Pixel 4.

This is an excellent screen for the price point, and is one of the phone’s best features. It’s a letdown only if you’re a notch-phobe. Otherwise, it ticks all the right boxes.

Realme X2 Pro battery – The 4000mAH unit is unlikely to let you down

The X2 Pro packs a 4000mAh battery, which seems plenty generous. It exceeds the size offered by flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, and leaves the Google Pixel 4‘s 2800mAh battery in the dust.

It lasts well through the day, even with high usage. I didn’t ever worry about it running out on me. If you only use your phone in moderate amounts, you’ll likely get through a couple of days without a top-up. To take a real-world example: one hour of video streaming took the battery down from 100% to 95%, which stands up well in comparison to some thirstier rivals.

The Realme X2 Pro boasts incredible 50W SuperVOOC fast-charging capabilities, but the adapter supplied isn’t compatible with a UK plug socket, so we can’t comment on this definitively. But both Realme and its parent company Oppo have an enviable track record for blistering fast-charge capabilities, so we can well believe the claims.

Realme X2 Pro performance – Everyday tasks prove no problem at all

One of the key recommending factors of the X2 Pro is that it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus, Snapdragon’s most powerful mobile chipset of 2019 (you’ll find it on other top-performers such as the OnePlus 7T Pro).

This is one of the very best chipsets you can buy. On this device it’s paired with 12GB of RAM, so it will come as no surprised to learn that it runs everyday tasks with ease. Mobile games also perform excellently on the X2 Pro, working in tandem with the screen for a smooth and responsive experience.

Below are the performance benchmarks compared to the high-performing Huawei Mate 30 Pro, which it exceeds in several key respects:

If you’re a gamer or a power user looking for a powerful device at a reasonable price, then it’s hard to look past the Realme X2 Pro.

Realme X2 Pro security and software – Up to date security features work a treat

The X2 Pro offers both a fingerprint scanner and face unlock for easy access, and registering for both of these methods doesn’t take long at all. While the active area for the in-screen fingerprint scanner seems quite small, it didn’t prove a problem when I tried unlocking the device. Likewise, the face unlock worked swiftly.

The operating system is Android 9, with ColorOS 6.1 being the user interface. Fortunately, aside from the basic tools that come in handy, there aren’t too many pre-installed apps, so it escapes the charge of bloatware. The software runs smoothly on this device and it feels clean and easy to navigate.

Should you buy the Realme X2 Pro?

If it’s in your price range, then the Realme X2 Pro is likely to be a strong contender due to it offering great value for money and a strong performance in the right areas. The screen and general performance are both excellent, battery life is super-reliable, and the design is tasteful too. In all of these respects, it’s well worth the money.

Photography is the key negative in this device’s all-rounder credentials – you might be better off with a specialist such as the Google Pixel 3a, if that’s your priority — but otherwise the Realme X2 Pro is an excellent handset for the price.

Trusted Score