Realme GT Neo 3T review: Power-packed mid-ranger

• Realme has introduced the GT Neo 3T as its latest mid-range offering in India.
• The device features, Snapdragon 870 5G chipset, AMOLED display, and 80W fast charging.
• The smartphone will go on sale during the ‘Flipkart Big Billion Days’ on 23 September.

Realme has launched a new variant in its GT series, Realme GT Neo 3T. With the line-up of its GT series, we have to say that Realme is coming on strong this year, thanks to Dimensity 8100 chipset and Sony IMX766 camera sensor. The Neo 3 series has become one of the most popular models on the market, while the GT Neo 3T is like a balanced variant featuring a flagship chipset. Topped with other configurations like a 120Hz maximum refresh rate, 5000mAh battery, and 80W fast charging, make Realme GT Neo 3T is the most affordable mid-range smartphone with Snapdragon 870 chipset.

Is the Realme GT Neo 3T a step forward for the GT Neo series, and does it offer good value like its predecessor?

Realme GT Neo 3T: Price and availability

The Realme GT Neo 3T is available in three RAM and storage configurations - 6GB + 128GB for ₹29,999, 8GB + 128GB for ₹31,999 and 8GB + 256GB for ₹33,999 respectively.

The smartphone will go on sale in India from September 23. As a part of the launch offer during the ‘Flipkart Big Billion Days,’ buyers can buy Realme GT Neo 3T at a discounted price. This means the three variants of the smartphone will be available at ₹22,999, ₹24,999 and ₹26,999.

The Realme GT Neo 3T is available in three colour options - Drifting White, Dash Yellow and Shade Black.

Spec sheet

Pros

• Good performance
• Responsive 120Hz display with AMOLED screen
• 80W fast charging
• Decent design
• Good battery life

Cons

• Average camera
• Poor supplementary cameras
• Plastic build
• Lacks 3.5mm audio jack

Design and build

With Realme GT Neo 3T, the company has gone one step further by giving distinctive checkerboard design just like unique dual-tone glass back panel in Realme GT Neo 3. When the back panel of GT Neo 3T catches the light, half of its white pattern of blocks appears shiner than the rest.

The back panel, volume, power button, and sides are made of plastic. The back panel does not pick up any fingerprints, and the device is easy to grip without a back cover, but I suggest using it with a back cover as it tends to slip.

The camera has a little bump which makes the phone wobble when placed on a flat surface, but as we know, that’s a common trait on all phones these days. The bezel around the display is thicker than usual, which is good for gaming. What impressed me the most was its weight distribution and handy form factor. It's 194.5g, making it heavy compared to most 6.62-inch phones these days, like OnePlus Nord 2T 5G and Motorola G82 5G.

The volume button placement is on the left, and the power button is on the right. All the buttons are easily accessible. Other than that device comes with Type-C connectivity and dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, which are sufficiently loud enough.

You don’t get a headphone jack here, but the Realme GT Neo 3T has an in-screen fingerprint reader, which is fast and reliable, unlike the earlier generations.

Note that the Realme GT Neo 3T does not have IP certification, so it loses some points. It is one of the few areas, along with the plastic build, where Realme has cut corners to keep the price low.

Display

The Realme GT Neo 3T features a 6.62-inch punch-hole AMOLED display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The display delivers clear, accurate colour, satisfying touch response, and impressive thin bezels.

The Realme GT Neo 3T comes with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which visibly protects it from minor scratches. I have been using the device without the bundled TPU case, and so far, it has taken no damage but expect minor scratches to show over time. The plastic back panel can get slippery and tends to slide down if you don’t have a conscious grip on the phone. That’s why I suggest you use it with a back cover.

In my five days of usage, the display touch response has been pretty accurate giving you a wholesome experience. The device comes with some handy features like a floating window making it easy for you to switch between apps.

The 6.62-inch AMOLED display has impressed me with its video quality to a great extent. The colour reproduction was pretty accurate and close while streaming content over OTT platforms and YouTube, as the device support HDR technology.

The touch response and graphic performance were promising while playing games like Shadow Fight 3, Call of Duty: Mobile, Apex Legends Mobile, and Asphalt 9.

The execution of the 120Hz display is smooth, and you can feel it, especially while scrolling through the internet and gaming. The display also does a good job in terms of viewing angles.

Performance: Processor, camera, and battery

Realme has equipped GT Neo 3T with a Snapdragon 870 from Qualcomm. It is also the chipset that powers Realme GT Neo 2. So, regarding performance, expect many similarities between these two devices.

I played Call of Duty: Mobile for one hour at a maxed-out setting, and there was no frame drop or glitch. Also, after playing for an hour, the device’s temperature was still acceptable, thanks to Realme’s thermal conductivity alloy material for cooling. It seems to do the job well.

The optics department’s Realme GT Neo 3T features a triple rear camera. The main camera has a 64MP sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle, and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP front-facing camera for selfies.

Photos clicked by a 64MP Matrix AI camera in daylight showed decent detail and colour accuracy. The autofocus is quick in daylight, but it stutters in low-light scenarios.

You will undoubtedly see a noticeable shift in colour tone when switching between the primary camera and the ultra-wide-angle camera. Also, the night mode is just below average as it fails to deliver balanced exposure and good colour tones.

The device offers up to 20x zoom, but the results are good; up to 5x zoom as 10x and 20x will fail to capture details.

The 2MP macro camera clicks decent pictures but only in bright light. Also, while using Ultra Macro mode, you must keep the subject and hand extremely steady to focus and get a clear shot.

Again the 16MP front-facing camera is not very impressive because the photos get overexposed, and the colours look far from natural. But if you like filters, enhanced skin tones, and smoothness, you might enjoy using the front camera.

Video quality in daylight is good enough to post on social media. You can shoot 720p at 60fps, 1080p at 60fps and 4K at 60fps. GT Neo 3T also gets ultra steady mode that offers decent stabilisation while shooting videos.

The Realme has neither upgraded nor degraded the battery power of the new Realme GT Neo 3T. It has the same battery power of 5,000mAh that we saw in Realme GT Neo 3.

The device can comfortably last up to a day with average usage, including watching TV shows and movies, checking social media apps, going through emails, using slack and clicking pictures.

The Realme GT Neo 3T comes with an 80W SuperDart charger and takes 30- 35 minutes to charge from 0-100. The device can reach from 0-50 in just 15 minutes.

Verdict

After using the Realme GT Neo 3T, it's clear that the phone can be a decent pick if you are looking for a device under ₹30,000. Especially for power users or gamers. But it’s also true that it is not the best in camera departments when compared to OnePlus Nord 2T. It’s a good phone for its price, but if you’re looking for the best camera in the segment or UI experience, you might want to consider other phones like the OPPO Reno8 5G or OnePlus Nord 2T.

SEE ALSO:
Realme GT Neo 3 review
Redmi 11 Prime 5G review: Good 5G phone on budget