realme recently release the latest phone series in their existing product. The Note series, take note (no pun intended) that this is the ever first and is released and launched here in the Philippines. The name "Note" series however is not very new in the smartphone market as it is already used by other smartphone brands as well, most of it are midrange to premium phones. For the realme Note series however, this is a more entry based phone segment belonging to budget smartphones. But don't let this fool you, this is not just an ordinary budget smartphone, realme send me the very 1st realme Note smartphone in the segment, the realme Note 50. I just got the unit days ago and I've already tested it's basic features and everything else and my first impression is that this is more than just an entry level unit not lets get into the details.
Hardware and Design
realme phones are traditionally contained in a yellow box that is packed tightly and less clutter. Upon seeing the unit with my own very eyes, I'm amazed on how thin the realme Note 50 is. As per specific, it's 79mm which is truly astonishing for a budget phone for its segment. The corner bezels are smooth and looks very premium. The tri-cameras at the back is the only bump part of the realme note 50 which makes it very sleek and clean. The back finish is not slippery and does not attract fingerprints as well.
Similar to most realme phones, the power and the volume button is at the right side with the sim/SD card slot, the realme note 50 supports Dual SIM and SD. What surprises me is that the realme note 50 has biometrics finger print support at the power button which is very rare for an entry level smartphone, on top of that, there is face recognition which is common to mid range to flagship smartphones. The realme note 50 screen is already covered in a screen protector from the box so it will scratch free at first use, you might want to get a tempered one for complete screen protection.
It has 4GB of RAM but it's expandable to 8GB RAM with dynamic RAM expansion, that helps run multiple applications smoothly.
If you think that's all for the hardware, your're wrong, the realme Note 50 has been certified to have dust and water splash protection in case of untowards incidents like a light fall and water spillage. Overall, the design and hardware feels more premium than the usual budget smartphone and that is a win for budget conscious customers.
Usage and Battery
realme note 50 boast a 5000mAH long lasting battery life which again is amazing for its ultra slim size and price which will be revealed at the end of this review. You can't get this much from any branded smartphone at its segment and series. This is already a good catch if you are searching a long lasting companion without spending that much. I boot the device for the 1st time and it utilizes the same realme UI T Edition which is used by its higher end segment series. Setting up the phone is easy and gives you option to include or not preinstall apps which I like personally. You can customiza the looks of the phone and personalized according to your needs, plus it is secured and safe.
I used the phone for whole day event at the Sinulog Festival an event and I was amazed how the phone lasted for many hours and even doesn't consume half of it's battery life. Though the phone doesn't have quick charging, it includes a free Type-C charger and cable from the box that charges smartphones pretty quick.
Multimedia and Camera
realme Note 50 has a Unisoc T612 Processor which powers the phone without spending much battery life and is great handling applications, since it is powered by Android 13, it can run all applications and execute task on a day to day basis without much problem. Daily activities like browing Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and many more with no problems even running then together in the backgroud. I haven't experience any major lags whatsoever. The 90Hz refresh rate makes watching videos and movies worthwhile.
It has a good amount of storage 64GB that can store up to 15,000 Photos depending on size and install multiple apps and can gaming applications as well. On top of that it is expandable up to 2TB using the micro SD Card slot which is more than enough to store videos and large files in the phone. You won't even need a cloud storage anymore.
For the camera, it has a 13MP AI that captures great photos for its segment and price point. It's not all about the camera's pixel size but the software accompanied by it, the realme optimized camera software makes the images very clear and less blurry supported by its secondary lens and dedicated portrait lens. I have capture some images with the realme Note 50 and honestly, it's better than I expected, images are vibrant and there is less noise, definitely useful in day to day captures. It's also true with the 5PM selfie camera that captures excellent selfies and handles live-streams and video calls very well.
realme Note 50 captured images
Gaming Review
This is one of my favorite segments and this is what is mostly used the heaviest in terms in smartphone activity, it's true that social media browsing and messaging are the top apps but gaming test the true capability of the smartphone. Take note that this is an entry level phone and just to set the right expectations with the specifications presented so far here. Now or the gaming review, I was actually surprised that it can perform well with online games like Mobile Legends, Call of Duty and PUBG. I experience almost no lags even in peak gaming and the phone doesn't heat that much which usually what happens in prolonged gaming.
Price and Verdict
This what makes the realme Note 50 stand out from the rest, for ONLY P3,599 this has to be the most affordable entry-level phone filled with mid-range to premium features packed in a single smartphone. From biometrics finger-print sensor, facial recognition, 5000mAH, 8GB RAM (expansion), 2TB Expandable memory and many more, the realme Note 50 is perfect for younger teens and students for their daily social media and multimedia needs with gaming and streaming as well. Or a secondary backup phone for daily usage and those who wants to get the buck out of the phone that has complete all around features without breaking the bank. The realme Note 50 is for budget conscious consumers that just want to use without the fear of losing it while commuting or in public places.