Realme 10 Pro+ 5G Review: An all-round value smartphone

• Realme today launched Realme 10 Pro 5G & 10 Pro+ 5G.
• The 10 Pro+ 5G starts at a price of ₹24,999.
• MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC powers the smartphone.

Realme launched two brand new devices - the Realme 10 Pro & 10 Pro+ 5G in India. Taking forward their numerical segment of devices, these new smartphones have some interesting upgrades, especially in the design department. I reviewed the 10 Pro+ 5G, which I used as my primary device for a week. Realme, in their briefing, mentioned how it is a safe purchase that provides a bang-for-buck experience. And on paper, it does have the specs to support that claim. But does it live up to the expectations? I will tell you in my full review.

Price & Availability

Realme 10 Pro+ 5G is available in 3 variants. The base variant is priced at ₹24,999 and packs 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. Then there is a variant with 8GB of RAM & 128GB of storage priced at ₹25,999. Finally, there is a top-of-the-line variant packing in 8GB of RAM & 256GB of storage, offered at a price of ₹27,999. The Realme 10 Pro+ 5G is available online at Flipkart & Realme India’s website. The phone is also available at Realme’s offline retail stores.

Realme 10 Pro+ Design

Realme has indeed taken a giant leap in design for both the 10 Pro & the 10 Pro+ 5G. Talking specifically about the 10 Pro+ 5G here, this year, we got a smartphone with a curved display. And yes, as one would expect, that makes it visually more premium.

The 10 Pro+ 5G’s design is clean and looks impressive, with a very comfortable in-hand feel. For a smartphone with a curved display, it doesn't make you feel underconfident when you are holding it, even without a case. I am also impressed with how compact and lightweight it is, considering the device packs in a 5000 mAh battery.

Lately, Realme has started offering some rather unconventional colors on their devices. The most recent example was the 9i 5G, offered in a Metallica gray color. As I had mentioned in my review, I prefer these experiments.

But, of course, there is a section of buyers out there who like to keep things blingy. For those, the 10 Pro+ 5G is offered in a Hyperspace color. And as fate would have it, this was the color for my review variant. I tried looking at it from a very rational perspective and credit where it’s due, the execution here is better than what I saw on the 9i 5G. Also, I liked the metallic blue lines running across the back of the device when looked at from certain angles. Also, the back isn’t as slippery as one would expect.

That being said, it’s still not my favorite color. The 10 Pro+ 5G is offered in two more colors. Nebula blue and dark matter, both have a matte finish. I suggest going with the black color; it looks subtle and offers a comparatively better grip.

Looking at the device from the back, Realme has executed the camera module differently. The three camera sensors are housed in two cutouts on the top left. We have seen a layout like this before on the Asus Zenfone 9. I also liked that, but it fits better here because of the taller form factor.

On the right, we have the power button alongside the volume rockers. The buttons are tactile and have a satisfactory clicky feel to them. While the 10 Pro+ 5G does feel like a solid device, it misses out on any official IP rating. I understand it is the price segment, but a certification like that always helps verify reliability.

At the bottom, you will find the SIM tray, the USB Type-C charging port, and the speaker grill. 10 Pro+ 5G can use two micro SIMs with the port. I also ran a 5G speed test on a Jio SIM on the device, which I discussed in the performance section.

This has become a norm now, but we don’t get a 3.5mm headphone jack here. While the 10 Pro does come with a headphone jack. Interestingly, at the product briefing, this was discussed at length, with the Realme team presenting reasons for the absence as a design choice and the fact that consumers are moving toward Bluetooth devices. I agree with the latter. I no longer carry wired earphones since my TWS buds are always in my pocket.

Realme 10+ Pro Display

The 10 Pro+ 5G comes with a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2412 Pixels. Before I move on to how the display looks, I must address the uniformity Realme has given to the bezels here. I recently reviewed the Vivo V25 Pro, which also had a curved display with a similar punch-hole execution. While that was also gorgeous, the bezels on the 10 Pro are slightly thinner, just enough for a reviewer to acknowledge it. Most buyers won’t bother with this, but I thought I should at least acknowledge the effort their team has put in here.

But now, let’s come to the in-hand feel, the useability of the screen. As with most curved displays, there is always a risk of accidental touches, something Realme has worked on for this device. And the result of those efforts has been just about fine so far.

By that, I mean the mistouches have remained but on rare occasions. I struggled while increasing the volume and would end up swapping out the toolbar. I learned my way around it over time, but initially, it can be annoying.

Otherwise, the touch response on display is solid and, combined with the haptic feed, gives an interactive experience.

The screen has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and a standard option of 60Hz. An auto-select option also switches the refresh rate according to what you have on the screen. I preferred the maxed-out 120Hz refresh rate throughout my testing. It feels smoother and gives a more uniform experience, which I found lagging in the auto-select mode. Mostly because there was a noticeable stutter between shifting the refresh rate between two different applications.

Before we move to the viewing experience, I want to discuss the in-display sensor. This is an optical sensor, and there is a pause before the device unlocks. I also found the sensor placement to be inconvenient for my taste. It’s placed right above the chin at the very bottom. This doesn’t sound much, but try unlocking the device with multiple things in your hand. It becomes inconvenient to stretch your thumb. Where the 10 Pro+ 5G makes up for this shortcoming is face unlock, which uses the selfie camera. It’s snappy and gets the job done more efficiently.

The viewing experience on the 10 Pro+ 5G is better than what I expected. Realme devices are not particularly known for best displays, but the 10 Pro+ 5G has an impressive screen.

The panel is also optimally bright, with a respectable performance in color accuracy. The images were sharp, and the results were sometimes better than what I have seen on the OnePlus Nord 2T, a direct competitor to the device. I watched content on the 10 Pro+ 5G over the weekend, and I don’t have any reasons to complain. The black levels on the screen were also satisfactory, but I could notice some lags in the HDR. Still, nothing that would bother your viewing experience. Fortunately, the phone supports HD content on streaming applications, so you can watch the content in the best quality.

The audio setup here completes the 10 Pro+ 5G’s arch. The device packs in a dual speaker set-up, which is very loud. The speakers also come with super-volume mode, which might affect the speaker in the long run. While I won’t recommend keeping the device that loud all the time, sudden bursts shouldn’t be an issue. I was amazed at how loud the speakers can get on a compact device like this. Of course, details are out of the window, it's all volume, but I won’t complain about what it offers.

Before I close this section, I suggest turning off the device’s auto brightness. No matter how many chances I decided to give it, it didn’t deliver the correct brightness. I had to finally give up and set it manually at my convenience.

Also, we do get a standard always-on display on the device, which can be customized. Useful as they are, it is legible but not distracting.

Realme 10 Pro+ Software

Realme 10 Pro+ 5G runs on Android 13 out of the box paired with the Realme UI 4.0. This is the latest iteration of Realme’s custom skin, and the team emphasized how Android 13 is supposed to make the experience more enjoyable.

These new changes take a lot of work to track since we are greeted with a thick buffet of third-party applications on the phone. Yes, of course, they can be uninstalled, but it just makes the first impression of the device go sour.

I took my sweet time to remove the unnecessary bloatware and get to the real deal. Post that, what I had was satisfactory. Realme UI’s biggest strength, in my experience, has been the balance between making the appearance animated and realistic. The case on 10 Pro+ 5G is similar.

The colors on the UI are popping, and the animations also look interesting. Of course, courtesy of Android 13, we now have more options to customize the device. I like to keep my smartphone’s appearance as seen in the advertisement. For example - my iPhone 12 still has the same boring wallpaper, but I like it that way.

But if you like to go crazy with colors and different font styles, there are plenty of options for you to go to town.

While I like the Realme UI, I would like to see a hybrid of stock Android features in some parts, particularly the drop-down menu. I recently reviewed the Asus ROG Phone 6, and the Zen UI was a perfect example of how it can be done. It had Zen UI throughout, but in the drop-down menu, we could see the big chunky tiles that belong to stock Android. The execution is similar on the Samsung Galaxy S22, which has recently got an Android 13 update.

That being said, the Realme UI appeals to the masses in the overall scheme of things. I have shown the device to a dozen people, who seem to love it.

Android 13 has brought in some improved features to the platform; one of my favorites is audio dictation. I like to take notes but only sometimes write them. Hence, I like devices that can listen well. Realme 10 Pro+ 5G is just that. The precision with which the microphone records the audio is impressive. The grammar, punctuation, and spellings were all correct. This is a godsend if you go to record an interview byte.

I have not particularly noticed any glitches in the UI so far, but there is one thing that has annoyed me. Whenever we open the menu, it accesses the search bar making the keyboard pop out of nowhere. It might seem like a small deal while you read it, but in real terms, it is frustrating after a while. I am a scroller not a typer.

Realme has promised that we can expect four years of updates on the 10 Pro+ 5G, which makes it future-proof. What makes it more commendable is the fact that it comes with Android 13 as is.

Performance

Realme 10 Pro+ 5G is powered by Mediatek Dimensity 1080 5G SOC. A favorite when it comes to this price segment. Going well with the theme of this device, the chipset performs well across sections by delivering a satisfactory performance throughout my testing. Nothing extraordinary, but just enough to make your experience wholesome, making it a worthwhile investment.

To cover this, I will start by talking about the gaming experience on the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G. I am a big fan of COD: Mobile, playing for up to an hour every night. The smartphone ran the game on high graphics and max frame rate setting. But there were compromises with the fps dropping to 30-40 when maxed out. There was a noticeable improvement with medium graphics, with a respectable score of 60fps constantly. Now, these are not groundbreaking numbers, but more than enough to match up with superior smartphones for gaming.

The same was the case with Genshin Impact, with the smartphone showing noticeable lag while rendering the open-world environment. With low graphic settings, it was all sorted.

This is exactly the performance I expected from the 10 Pro+ 5G, but its thermal management impressed me. I didn’t run into any unusual heating scenarios during my gaming sessions. Yes, the back does get a bit warm after 45 minutes of gaming, but it never gets uncomfortable to hold.

The 10 Pro+ manages to hold up well for heavy tasks, but it is truly in its element for everyday tasks. I am talking about emails, web scrolling, and social media. These activities also made me increasingly appreciate the display since it is a delight to scroll through its content.

For performance, I also ran a Geekbench score on the smartphone. The numbers were respectable, with a single-core score of 740 and a multi-core score of 2141.

Now the variant with me packs in 8GB of RAM and has an option for 8GB RAM expansion. A feature which I am yet to find a use for. The 8GB RAM efficiently held up lighter apps like Chrome web pages, Instagram, and Spotify running in the background at all times. I am also testing Garmin Venu SQ 2; so the Garmin app was also running in the background. It syncs with the watch in real time for metrics like step count and heart rate. The 10 Pro+ 5G could handle this as well.

The storage on my review variant is 128GB which might need to be increased in case you plan to use the device long-term. I suggest going with the 256GB variant if you plan to get the Realme 10 Pro+.

The battery performance on the device is also at par with my expectations. I was getting a screen-on-time (SoT) of upto 5 hours on average. The SoT dropped to 4.5 hours on weekends when I generally had long gaming sessions and watched content. But yes, on a light day, the SoT might go 6 hours with the 5000 mAh cell.

The phone does support 67W SUPERVOOC charging, enabled with the bundled adapter. The charging speeds aren’t crazy, but you can expect a 0-100% charge in about 50 minutes with the device data turned on and apps running in the background.

Now the Realme 10 Pro+ supports standalone(SA) and non-standalone(NSA) 5G bands. I tested the 5G connectivity with the Jio SIM and saw a download speed of up to 1.1Gbps and upload speeds of up to 40Mbps. These are respectable numbers. I also tested the device with my Vodafone Idea SIM, and the connectivity was just as it is on any other smartphone these days.

Realme 10 Pro+ Camera

The camera performance on the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G has left me confused, to say the least. It is mainly because it is solid in certain places and lacks luster in others. I will start with what I like, but first, the specifications.

The smartphone has a 108 MP primary camera, an 8 MP ultrawide sensor, and a 2 MP macro sensor.

On to what I like. The primary 108 MP camera on the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G will surprise you. The pictures here are sharp and retain a serious amount of detail. You can expect great pictures from the phone with color accuracy in natural lighting conditions. The camera also correctly picked up the skin tone, which is good news.




The camera also has AI scene enhancement, which is handy when clicking pictures indoors. However, outdoors, I could observe visible burnouts on the images with the feature.

Low light performance on the smartphone camera can be underwhelming. The low light mode enhances the scene, but the images lose out on details.


With that little dip, the primary camera bounces back with the video performance. The camera can record 4K videos at 60fps. The colors on the video are also accurate, with a very quick focus shift. You will be amazed by the video output here if you are a content creator. Audio recorded from the in-built microphone is crisp.

The 8MP wide-angle, while being a generic choice, does add value to the setup. Providing more room in your frame, the camera does it without changing the color tone of the frame. The camera also switches in a snap.
Finally, the 2MP macro sensor needs to be placed correctly. It does its job well, yes. Capturing a decent amount of details and retaining color accuracy. But Realme is the same brand that offered a macro sensor in the GT 2 Pro. I hope to see something new in the upcoming devices.


The selfie camera is a 16MP shooter, which has a noticeable lag while registering the action in the frame. This is negligible, and a generic user might not notice it.

For its main task, photography. It does a decent job; however, the skin tones here are off. The AI portrait selfie is here as well. I am not a fan of this feature, but if you prefer tweaking every bit of your face, you can have a ball with this.

Video performance from the selfie camera suffers the same problem. With the color tones needing to be corrected and subpar autofocus speed. So if you are planning to shoot with the 10 Pro+ 5G, stick to the primary camera. You won’t be disappointed.

Verdict

Realme 10 Pro+ 5G achieves exactly what it intended to. It’s a smartphone with mass appeal since it packs in everything you look for in a smartphone today. There is no specific feature on the smartphone that can be deemed a standout specification. But that’s not bad since it's all well-balanced and packed in a good-looking body.

So, who should buy it? The Realme 10 Pro+ 5G goes well with both- a young, dynamic user and perhaps someone who is not very open to experimenting with their devices. As I said, it's a device with mass appeal.