Realme C67 was launched in Malaysia about three weeks ago at a price starting at RM799. What I have realized lately is that devices priced under RM1000 are now quite powerful in eliminating the stigma of "cheap is rubbish". What do you get with the C67? Here's a quick review for this affordable device.
SPECIFICATIONS
Realme C67
Screen 6.72″ TFT LCD, FHD+, 90HZ
Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 processor (6nm)
4 X 2.8 GHz Cortex-A73 chips
4 X 1.9 GHz Cortex-A55
Adreno 610 Graphics Chip
8GB LPDDR4X RAM
8GB Virtual
Internal Storage 128/256GB UFS 2.2
Micro SD 2TB
Primary Camera 108MP, f/1.8 (Wide Angle)
2MP, f/2.4 (Depth)
8MP f/2.1 Selfie Camera
5000 mAh battery
33W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual Nano/4G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof IP54
Scan System Side fingerprint scanner
face
Sale Price RM 799 (8/128 GB)
RM 899 (8/256 GB)
SCREEN
6.72″ IPS LCD screen with FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The refresh rate is dynamic between 60Hz or 90Hz depending on the situation. The screen is just satisfactory without supporting any HDR mode. It is also responsive to touch and has no issues watching video content. The only downside is the rather thick bezel and the large oval-shaped front camera hole.
This oval hole is the same as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The style is the same and unsurprisingly there are also some features that take inspiration from the iPhone. The Magic Capsule 2.0 system supported on the C67 brings Dynamic Island-like features.
On this model Magic Capsule supports battery charging display, weather notification, time reminder and music control. It's not as good as Dynamic Island but it's quite useful. For example a song on YouTube Music can be changed forward and backward by scrolling your finger right or left directly from the Magic Capsule.
Mini Capsules
BIOMETRIC
The fingerprint scanner is placed on the power button on the right side of the frame. The surface of the power button is flat and large so the fingerprint scanning process is very fast. There is also a face scan system that works quite well even in dark conditions because the screen will light up brightly to allow the owner's face to be recognized.
DESIGN
The body design of the C67 reminds me of the Realme 11 5G that I reviewed last year. The flat metal frame on the sides is matched with a glass-like polycarbonate panel on the back. The flat design makes the device feel sturdy and follows the current design trend. In the hand it feels comfortable, not slippery and does not hurt the hand.
The power button and audio adjustment are located on the right side. The dual nano SIM tray and a micro SD card slot are placed on the left side. Talam has three slots so two SIMs and one card with storage up to 2TB can be used simultaneously.
Below is a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C charging port and one of two stereo speakers. Meanwhile on the back there are two bumps that house a 108MP wide-angle camera and a 2MP depth camera. The hump is not so high and big. It's just the same as the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite and Oppo A78 5G. It is not an exaggeration to say that OnePlus and Oppo designs have been recycled on the Realme C67 as all three companies fall under the umbrella of BBK Electronics.
The body measures 164.6 x 75.4 x 7.6 mm which I categorize as thin despite being equipped with a 5000 mAh battery. There are no complaints about the design because it also comes with IP54 splash-proof capabilities. It's pretty rare to see a device at this price tag have any waterproof capabilities.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE
The Realme UI 4.0 operating system is based on Android 14 which should be praised because usually cheap devices are still given an operating system one generation back. The Realme UI interface is very similar to the original Android so it looks neat and easy to understand. Because there aren't many fancy extra features added, the C67 runs fairly smoothly even with a less powerful processor.
The Expesnion RAM system allows up to another 8GB of RAM to be added virtually giving the potential for up to 16GB of RAM to be used. I just activate 4GB virtual because it is enough. This feature is interesting but some storage will be taken up to the detriment as the device only has 256GB of storage. If you run out of storage, owners can use a micro SD card up to 2TB.
There are standard Multi Windows features, using the device with one hand, gestures, driving mode and e-book mode. As an entry-level device, the additional features offered by Realme on this device are not very luxurious.
BENCH MARK
The Snapdragon 685 was launched in early 2023 but is simply an update to the Snapdragon 680 with the main core operating at a higher speed. To see its capabilities Geekbench 6, Antutu 3D and 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme benchmark tests were performed.
We compare Realme C67 with Honor X7b (Snapdragon 680), Tecno Pova5 4G (Helio G99), Realme 11 5G (Dimensity 6100+), Samsung Galaxy M14 5G (Exynos 1330), and Oppo A98 5G (Snapdragon 695).
Antutu 3D Benchmark
Realme C67 – 304,413
Honor X7b – 313,453
Realme 11 5G – 373,331
Tecno Pova5 4G – 406,217
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 454,662
Oppo A98 5G – 411,010
Geekbench 6
Realme C67 – 470/1530
Honor X7b – 412/1425
Realme 11 5G – 720/1884
Tecno Pova 5 4G – 737/2005
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 924/2129
Oppo A98 5G – 885/2034
WildLife Extreme
Realme C67 – 133
Honor X7b – 120
Realme 11 5G – 327
Tecno Pova 5 4G – 1,263
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 1388
Oppo A98 5G – 1212
In all tests Snapdragon 685 lost to Helio G99, Dimensity 6100+, Exynos 1330 and Snapdragon 695. It was only able to beat Snapdragon 680. This was indeed expected due to the use of the old Cortex-A76 core.
Social media applications, web browsers and banking can be run by the C67 at a satisfactory level. Application installation is a bit slow due to UFS 2.2 memory only. Again this is not the C67's fault as it is an affordable device. If speed is what you are looking for, a device priced below RM100 is almost impossible to satisfy you.
The first can be run but only on medium and low settings. COD Mobile is still playable on low settings. The device does not heat up if this setting is selected. Overall as an entry-level device, user expectations should be lower as the performance will not be impressive.
TELEPHONY and GPS
The device only supports 4G and 5GHz WiFi networks. I don't feel the loss of no 5G support on the C67 because the price is cheap and the 5G network experience in Malaysia is still not very consistent. The GPS experience is also average where it is neither fast nor too slow. Its performance is comparable to an entry-level device.
CAMERA
The main camera consists of a 108MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP depth sensor. In front of the camera is only 8MP. The camera performance is just satisfactory. Without OIS the night mode produces images that are not sharp enough. The large sensor helps capture fairly good photos in bright ambient conditions. The picture is still quite dark when compared to mid-range devices.
BATTERY
The 5,000mAh battery provides all-day battery life with a SOT of up to 10 hours in normal use. Because it's only 4G, we realize the battery doesn't use up quickly. Recharge time is around 70 minutes using the 33W charger that comes with every purchase.
AUDIO
There is a stereo speaker with but only a standard style. At the highest audio settings the sound is a bit muffled but at this cheap price tag the stereo support is much appreciated. In addition, the C67 is also equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack that supports wired audio accessories.
IN THE BOX
Here's what's included in the box.
1x Realme C67
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x Silicone frame.
1x Charger 33W three pin
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
CONCLUSION
The Realme C67 continues Realme's tradition of offering entry-level affordable devices that are worth owning. It comes with a powerful processor for various applications as well as runs on moderate settings. There is still IP54 waterproof support as well as a stereo audio system that is rarely given to devices of this class.
The Mini Capsule gimmick on the C67 is also more useful than on the previous C53. In Malaysia Realme C67 is sold at a price of RM799 for 8/128GB and RM899 for 8/256GB.
Pro
Smooth 90Hz screen.
Large long lasting battery.
Android 14
Stereo speakers.
3.5mm audio jack
IP54 splash proof
Cons
Just a simple camera.
The chip is quite old, average performance.