Review: Realme GT 6 – the return of the flagship killer?

After a few years absence, Realme’s GT series smartphones are back in Europe with the new generation Realme GT 6 and 6T. In doing so, the company offers choice beyond its budget offerings and those in the mid-range.

It’s interesting to note that the subject of this Realme GT review is positioned above the mid-range and below the flagship. The company describes it as a flagship killer, and we tend to agree to some extent.

The phone offers an impressive screen, flagship performance, adequate camera and a durable battery with very fast charging.

Design

The Realme GT 6 has a modern design, relying on a curved back and screen combined with a flat and thin side frame. It relies on a two-tone polished finish on the back, in this case in silver, with the top area around the main camera mirrored. It’s a rather nice solution, but it does easily leave traces of fingerprints and other smudges.

The build also includes a plastic side bezel and IP65 certification, which is a good addition. Hardware buttons are on the right of the case, there’s a USB Type-C port, speaker and card slot on the bottom, and another speaker on top. Along with the phone come a fast charger and a protective case.

Key features:

Display: 6.78″ LTPO AMOLED (2780 x 1264), 120Hz
Chipset: Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X RAM, 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
Main camera: 50MP f/1.69 aperture, OIS; 8MP with ultra-wide angle lens, 50MP with telephoto lens
Front camera: 32MP
Connectivity: 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, USB Type-C, NFC
OS: Android 14, realme UI 5.0
Battery: 5500 mAh, 120W
Dimensions: 162 x 75.1 x 8.65 mm, 199 g.

Display

It is based on a curved 8T LTPO AMOLED screen with a diagonal of 6.78 inches, a resolution of 2780 x 1264 pixels, a dynamic refresh rate of 1 to 120 hertz, the ability to reproduce 1.07 billion colors and a local peak brightness of 6000 nits (1600 nits in HBM). Among its other features are 100% DCI-P3 color space coverage, 2160 Hz PWM dimming, a built-in under-panel fingerprint scanner and a pinhole selfie camera.

A Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protective coating has also been added, and the company has added Dolby Vision, TÜV Rheinland Strobe-free, and SGS eye protection certifications. The panel is also compatible with Pro-XDR technology to display content with a wider dynamic range.

The screen has excellent properties that are practically flagship class. This includes very high quality viewing, up to 120 hertz refresh for a smooth and fluid picture, and eye protection. Having an extremely high refresh rate makes it suitable for all ambient light conditions.

Hardware and battery

The model uses a high-end Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which is manufactured using a 4-nanometer process and is combined with fast 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 file storage (no option to add a memory card).

The presence of a powerful chipset and a large amount of fast memory allow the device to achieve smooth operation, and the phone will not struggle with everyday challenges, more significant workloads, and many games. Efficient cooling technology has also been added with a large surface area dual evaporative chamber. The system consists of 9 layers. All this allows keeping a lower temperature even under continuous load.

The communication system is comprehensive with 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, NFC and USB Type-C port. Additionally, a high-quality sound system with two stereo speakers (one is also used for calls + a small hole in the top bezel) with Hi-Res Audio certification has been set. There are also two microphones with noise cancelling technology. A nice Tactile Engine Pro vibration effect is available, and there is also an IR transmitter for remote control of a variety of appliances.

There is a high capacity 5500 mAh battery that can offer considerable endurance. According to the company, you can count on 24 hours of video playback or 8 hours of gaming on a single charge.

There’s also an excellent 120W fast charging technology via the included charging adapter. This makes it possible to charge up to 50% in 10 minutes. Definitely a useful option for when you have little time to recharge. According to the company, even after 1600 charge cycles, the battery will retain over 80% of its capacity. This is helped by the presence of the special Supervooc S chipset.

Software

Software-wise, we find Android 14 with the realme UI 5.0 GUI, which is closer to the stock version of the OS, but has some additional add-ons. Also included is the ability to program various actions via the power button. There is also an option to measure the pulse via the fingerprint scanner.

There’s also no shortage of AI-powered options, including AI Smart Removal for removing unwanted objects from photos, AI Smart Loop for recognizing content on hold and offering recommendations for follow-up activities, and more. Also added Flash Capusle option giving an easier and interactive method to interact with some notifications, but is quite limited for now.

There are multiple multitasking options, including split-screen and pop-ups. There’s also support for Air Gestures for some functionality. You’ll also be able to take advantage of added privacy protection. While there’s no official confirmation on this, we expect three years of OS upgrades and four in terms of security.

Camera

The camera is a pleasant surprise, especially when it comes to a model designated as a flagship killer, where traditionally the camera remains in the background. In it we find a combination of three sensors, two of them quite capable. We’re talking about a 50MP 1/1.4” Sony LYT-808 sensor with f/1.69 aperture and optical stabilization, as well as a 50MP 1/2.8″ Samsung S5KJN5 with a telephoto lens for 2x optical zoom. The configuration is rounded off by an 8MP sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens.

The main and telephoto sensors perform excellently in optimum light conditions, with good performance in night conditions as well, automatically activating the corresponding mode. Of course, pixel fusion technology is employed, which helps to increase light sensitivity. There’s also technology for capturing fast moving objects,

However, when zooming in night conditions, we report degradation, which is somewhat expected. The ultra-wide optics sensor doesn’t impress with its capabilities, but it’s still there and you can use it to shoot wide scenes. The other modes attached to the camera include Portraits, High Pixel, Panorama, Long Exposure Photo, Professional, Street, Starry sky and more.

Video recording with the main camera is up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, and up to 1080p at 60 frames per second if you want stabilization. We note the positive impact of the optical and electronic stabilization systems. Available modes are Movie, Multi-scene, Time-lapse, Slo-mo and Tilt-shift.

For selfies, the 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor is relied upon, and it performs decently under optimal conditions, achieving detailed shots. There’s also the usual beautify, portrait effect and facial recognition unlock options.

Conclusion

The Realme GT 6 is practically in a class of its own, between mid-range and flagship. The company defines it as a flagship killer and its positioning is just as that as it comes with a price tag of around 700 euro.

For that you get an excellent screen, high performance, adequate camera and a durable battery with extremely fast charging. We wish it had more than a 2x optical zoom, but that’s the situation anyway, and the camera does very well in a number of scenarios, offering quite a few options.