After 9 months finally, realme GT3 240W arrived to the Malaysian market. I started using this device since last March when I was at MWC Barcelona 2023. It is the first smartphone in the world that can be purchased with 240W charging and also the first by realme with RGB support called Pulse Interface Design.
This device is also powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and after 9 months at a price of RM2799 for the 16GB RAM LPDDR5X + 1TB UFS 3.1 variant is it worth owning or should I buy a more powerful competitor device at a price hundreds of Ringgit cheaper?
INFO First Look Realme GT3 240W – Full Charge Only 10 Minutes
SPECIFICATIONS
Realme GT3 240W
6.74-inch OLED screen, 2772 x 1240, 1.5K,
144 Hz
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor (4nm)
1 X 3.19 GHz Cortex X2 chip
3 X 2.75 GHz Cortex A710
4 X 2.00 GHz Cortex A510
Adreno 730 Graphics Chip
RAM 16 GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage 1TB UFS 3.1
Primary Camera 50 MP, f/1.88 (Wide Angle)
8 MP, f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
2 MP, f/3.3, (Microscope)
Street Photography 3.0
16 Megapixel Front Camera
4600 mAh battery
240W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM Nano /5G
NFC Yes
Infrared Yes
Waterproof None
Fingerprint Scan System under the screen
Sale Price Starts at $649
*RM2912 (direct exchange)
DESIGN
The realme GT series is usually known for new innovations. GT3 240W i focuses on fast charging with an RGB system that also has high-level gaming capabilities. This device is actually the realme GT5 Neo for the global market with the familiar design of realme devices.
What stands out with this device is the back panel because it uses a giant camera bump. It is quite large, but thin enough to be placed on a flat surface without any problems. Next to the camera there is a transparent window showing the location of the chip protected by a plastic plate “Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1”. Around it are RGB Pulse Interface Design lights that light up according to user activity.
On top of the device there is an infrared sensor, a microphone hole and a small hole for the stereo speaker grill. Below is another microphone hole, SIM card slot, speaker grill and USB-C port. The right side only has the volume adjustment button and the left side only has the power button.
The device I tested uses a Pulse White color with a soft finish that doesn't smudge easily. This realme GT3 240W is also easy to operate. It's not too big for my hand and the build is thin enough to easily fit in a pocket.
SCREEN
A sizeable 6.74″ screen, AMOLED panel with true blacks, ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate but sadly no LPTO. The 1.5K resolution support is much appreciated for watching videos, considering it doesn't support HDR10+. The color of the screen is also quite sharp and beautiful. It's just that the brightness is limited to 1100 nits which is a bit disappointing with most devices in the same class already supporting over 1500 nits.
No LTPO wouldn't be a problem if the adaptive system on the software worked well. It's a shame it's not consistent because I can often feel the screen moving at 60Hz and 90Hz versus 120Hz and 144Hz. The bezel is also quite thick for a device priced at almost RM3000. One thing I can forgive is the lack of HDR10+ support but replaced with the same AI O1 Ultra Vision on Oppo that now has built-in realme UI 4.0.
BIOMETRIC SYSTEM
The fingerprint scanner used is an optical type, which is quite fast compared to the more expensive iQOO 12. Even my sweaty fingers can often be detected. As well as the face scan system that uses the selfie camera, it quickly identifies my face because in just a few seconds the device's screen can be unlocked by itself.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE – REALME UI 4.0, ANDROID 13
realme GT3 240W with realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13 is realme's most infused OnePlus device. I say this because Chase Xu who is the vice president of realme once told that the realme UI uses the same code as ColorOS and OxygenOS. For that GT3 provides a fast and smooth user experience as if using a OnePlus flagship device.
Over several months of use, the device rarely experienced lag issues even with heavy tasks. It's one of the best realme software I've ever used, but this global version still wants to show silly ads like realme C series devices. Every time the app is installed, there will be a special window that is supposed to be for security check, but at the same time there are ads loading also other applications.
Among the interesting features I found on this device are;
Pulse Interface
RGB lights that change according to user activity.
GT Mode 4.0
The first mode that improves performance and controls temperature.
IR Remote
An infrared sensor to turn the device into a remote control.
Realme Lab
Experimental features like pulse scan with fingerprint.
Microscope Camera
20x or 40x zoom at ultra close range.
PERFORMANCE AND BENCHMARKS – SNAPDRAGON 8+ GEN 1, GT TURBO 4.0
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip is among the best Android flagship chips. Even though it is more than a year old and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has already been launched, it is able to run high-end graphics smoothly. Too bad, the unit I tested is 16+12 GB (virtual) RAM and 256 GB internal storage compared to the Malaysian version later 16 + 12 GB and 1000 GB. So this benchmark score may be lower than the units sold later.
Here is a benchmark comparison between competing devices namely Nothing Phone (2) with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Xiaomi 13T Pro with Dimensity 9200+, and iQOO 12 with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The applications I use are AnTuTu 3D, Geekbench 6, 3DMark for WildLife Extreme. Solar Bay is not compared because 8+ Gen 1 does not support Ray Tracing.
Antutu 3D
realme GT3 240W – 1,249,785
Nothing Phone (2) – 1,142,277
Xiaomi 13T Pro – 1,431,444
iQOO 12 – 2,075,821
Geekbench 6
realme GT3 240W – 1446/3940
Nothing Phone (2) – 1734/4576
Xiaomi 13T Pro – 1284/3520
iQOO 12 – 2181/6631
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme
realme GT3 240W – 2798 / 16.76 FPS
Nothing Phone (2) – 2584 / 15.50 FPS
Xiaomi 13T Pro – N/A
iQOO 12 – 5045 / 30.22 FPS
First play with GT mode is very exciting. At first it was really smooth but this mod caused the device to heat up while other Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 devices didn't. But the realme UI 4.0 software with the new GT mode tries as much as possible to take advantage of this chip because it is able to make the performance higher than the Dimensity 9200+ chip.
TELEPHONY AND GPS
5G, 4G and WiFi connections on the device surprisingly operate very well and are quite balanced. The internet speed is quite fast, the telephony support for VoWiFi or VoLTE is also interesting and the video call quality is also clear and bright. The use of GPS is also quite fast for Google Maps and VWaze to lock the location and it is easy for me to follow the directions without getting lost.
CAMERA
realme GT3 240W is not a photography focused device like realme 11 Pro+. Even so, it still has good and acceptable camera capabilities. The main problem I had was inconsistent colors and focus especially in messy portrait mode. Even the ultra wide angle mode is limited.
What is interesting about the camera of this device is, there is a 2MP microscope sensor that can take pictures at very close range. Here is a sample of photos I took while in Barcelona and some in Malaysia. Each photo I include details such as mode and lighting situation. The device is quite weak in video recording as well as taking pictures in night mode.
The auto mode looks beautiful, the color is interesting but there is a glowing blue/purple effect in the tree part.
Ultra wide angle mode in the same place, the color continues to darken and the focus also runs away.
The auto mode still looks interesting but the details are not encouraging.
Auto mode in bright sunlight, colors are not sharp.
Indoor portrait mode with studio lighting but messy.
Among the best results with auto mode that preserves details.
A satisfactory 3x digital zoom for a device of this class.
The best ultra wide angle mode can only be found in Malaysia, but in Barcelona the quality is not good?
Auto mode in dark with only sunlight through the window.
Auto mode at dusk with various types of lighting, no glowing effect this time either.
The dim atmosphere inside La Sagrada Familia, a satisfactory result can definitely be a background image or a stock image.
A great microscope feature, but definitely rarely used.
AUDIO
The speaker of this device is a bit strange because the Dolby Atmos mode can only be activated if an audio accessory is connected. The stereo speaker of this device is not very impressive for a device priced at RM2,799. It is so focused on the bass that the vocals are all drowned out and the experience of listening to music or watching videos is not exciting.
BATTERY
In my use, the device has a battery life of around 4-5 hours SOT for heavy use with a 144Hz screen, active gaming, frequently opening social media apps, browsing the web and using the camera. Light use can get 7-8 hours of SOT. The 4600mAh battery on this device is quite good actually compared to competitors that use 5000mAh it is difficult to get SOT like this.
The 240W charging which is 0% to 100% in 9 minutes 30 seconds turned out to be true and it was as if the charging was completed in an instant. It's just that it requires me to turn on GT mode otherwise it gets slower. The cable provided is also a 12A type, and the charger uses GaN technology. Although realme claims it can last up to 1600 cycles, but the device heats up while charging and with my extreme usage there are concerns for it to have long term durability.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Every purchase of realme GT3 240W, you will receive;
1x realme GT3 240W.
1x 240W GaN Charger.
1x USB-C 12A Cable.
1x Silicone frame.
1x SIM pin.
1x set of manual and safety book.
CONCLUSION
realme GT3 240W is undeniably a good flagship device. It's just that this fast device is 9 months old and too late to be sold in Malaysia. This is because Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devices are already available at cheaper prices. The camera of this device is also ordinary, the main advantages are only on fast charging and RGB lighting.
If you want a good software experience, fast charging of less than 10 minutes, a microscope camera, good performance and 1TB storage – this is the device for you. But if you spend RM2699, which is RM100 less you can get the Xiaomi 13T Pro with more or less the same performance, better camera, IP68, 12/512 GB storage and memory and 120W charging which is fast enough.
Pro
Ridiculously ultra-fast charging.
The charger provided is a GaN type that can charge many other devices.
Realme UI 4.0 is very very smooth.
The device's packaging is comfortable in the hand.
Interesting and useful RGB lighting system.
Cons
The overall design looks normal.
Worry about the device overheating despite already having safety features.
Battery life may be affected because there is an RGB system.
Quite expensive price for an old device.