The Chinese smartphone makers have been flooding the market with entry-level 5G phones. And not to be outdone by the competition, Realme is introducing their cheapest 5G series. Realme Q2 5G series just came out in China, split into three variants, Realme Q2, Q2 Pro, and Q2i. They all have a reused design but pack impressive value.
Realme Q2 5G
Think of the Q2 as a much cheaper Realme X7 variant. Realme is recycling the design and chipset wholesale, but the Q2 has better internals and a smoother display. If you’ve seen the Realme X7, the Q2 wouldn't look any different.
The phone is mirror-finished with Realme's branding on the back in giant letters. There’s a hole-punch in the screen and the camera lives on a raised bump. The fingerprint scanner does double duty as the power button.
MediaTek’s mid-range Dimensity 800U 5G is at Realme Q2’s heart. Because it falls into the more affordable price bracket, the Realme Q2 is missing the ground-breaking 65W SuperDART charging the X7 has. Its battery is a standard 5000 mAh that charges over 30W. 4GB/6GB of memory handles multi-tasking and the storage is 128GB.
Realme Q2’s other big highlight is the 6.5” display that rocks a fluid 120Hz refresh rate, at 180Hz touch sampling. It’s a full HD+ LCD panel reaching a decent 90.7% screen-to-body ratio.
The camera is a triple-lens system with a 48MP main, combined with the predictable 8MP wide-angle sensor, the 2MP macro, and the 2MP depth array. The 32MP resolution of the front camera has been cut in half. The Realme Q2 starts from a very exciting $177 (~ Rs. 29,999).
Realme Q2 Pro 5G
The Realme Q2 Pro follows the same playbook. It’s a Realme X7 Pro without the flagship MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chip. It’s identical in design to the X7 Pro, but the camera setup and the Dimensity 800U is shared with the base Q2. The Q2 Pro retains the 65W SuperDART fast charging that presumably charges its 4300 mAh battery in 30 minutes.
The screen is still SuperAMOLED with an optical fingerprint scanner but lacks the high 120Hz refresh rate. And while the design remains unchanged from the X7 Pro, the Realme Q2 Pro comes in a grey leather edition. It’s available in 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB variants and is aggressively priced at $273 (~ Rs. 38,999).
Realme Q2i 5G
Realme Q2i 5G looks entirely different from the other two but it’s the cheapest 5G phone you can buy. Unsurprisingly again, the Q2i is a Realme C12 with different internals.
MediaTek’s entry-level Dimensity 720 5G processor does the number-crunching, alongside 4GB of RAM and 128GB of user-expandable storage. A 5000 mAh battery powers this setup (supports 18W fast charging).
The Q2i 5G has a basic 6.5” IPS HD+ screen with a notch. The camera configuration uses three lenses: a 13MP primary sensor coupled with 2MP macro and depth cameras. It’s available for $148 (~Rs. 24,999).
