Realme U1 is the company’s first selfie-centric smartphone. But is it worth recommending over the Xiaomi Redmi Y2 and Redmi Note 6 Pro? Read our review to find out.
The mainstream smartphone market might seem saturated with Xiaomi and Honor usually dominating this space, but up-and-coming-brands such as Realme have proven that there is still room to grow. A recent report has pegged the company as one of the top emerging bands in India, thanks to aggressive pricing and a rapidly expanding portfolio.
Realme is adding another series to its portfolio, and the first model to debut is the Realme U1 — the company’s first ‘Selfie Pro’ smartphone. Given how popular Oppo’s F series has been, it’s no surprise that the once sub-brand of Oppo is adopting a similar strategy. Other than having a high-resolution front camera, the Realme U1 is also the first phone to debut MediaTek’s Helio P70 SoC, which is said to be more powerful and efficient than its predecessor, the Helio P60.
The Realme U1 will compete with Xiaomi’s Redmi Y series, which is another line of selfie-focused smartphones, and of course other notables such as the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 ( Review) and Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro ( Review) in the sub-Rs. 15,000 price band. Let’s see if it’s worth recommending over such strong competitors.
The Realme U1 looks very similar to the recently launched Realme 2 Pro ( Review), and that’s not a bad thing. The rounded edges offer good grip, and the matte finish of the rear means it’s not slippery. The display is raised a bit from the rest of the body, so its edges don’t seamlessly blend with the sides of the body. The same goes for the laminated rear panel. Thankfully, the back of this phone didn’t pick up any scuff marks during the course of our review, which is a good sign. At 8mm thick, the Realme U1 is comfortable to hold and isn’t too heavy at 168g either.
Button placement is good, and with typical use, we were able to reach the power and volume buttons without trouble. The SIM tray on the left can accommodate two Nano-SIMs and a microSD card, so you need not sacrifice one for the other. At the bottom of the Realme U1 we have a speaker grille, a Micro-USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone socket. Once again, the lack of USB Type-C is a bit disappointing. Our main issue is with the placement of the speaker grille, because it can easily be blocked the moment you hold the phone horizontally. This means that audio sounds muffled when playing games and watching videos, if you’re not careful.
The 6.3-inch display on the Realme U1 has a 450nit maximum brightness, which makes it very legible under direct sunlight. It’s an IPS panel with a 1080×2340-pixel resolution, which means you get sharp images and vivid colours. You also get a basic colour temperature adjustment slider in the Settings app. Realme has used Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for the front of this phone, which is a somewhat old generation, but it’s better than nothing. The phone is also comes with a screen guard pre-applied, and ours picked up dings and scratches quite easily. The screen guard is a massive fingerprint magnet and so is the laminated back, so keeping the Realme U1 looking spotless can be a real chore.
The waterdrop or dewdrop notch looks pretty, and is a minimal hindrance in full-screen apps. Still, if you find it getting in the way, you can flip a switch in the Settings to mask it for individual apps. There’s a single camera in the notch, as the earpiece and a group of sensors are above it. Due to the limited space, there’s no notification LED.
The laminated back has a nice visual effect when light bounces off it. We have an ‘Ambitious Black’ unit for review, but you can also get the Realme U1 in ‘Brave Blue’ and ‘Fiery Gold’. The dual camera module on the rear doesn’t bulge out too much, and the chrome trim held up well during our review period. The fingerprint sensor works well and is quick at authentication. It also has a slightly different texture than the rest of the back, making it easy to find. Face unlock is still very quick and inflow-light, the display lights up to compensate for the lack of good light.
The Realme U1 ships with a 10W power adapter, USB charging cable, silicone case, SIM eject tool, and the usual warranty and quick-start guides.
