Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G Review – A Radical Shift

Narzo has had its share of ups and downs in the last 2 years. Originally established as a separate brand under Realme, it is now being reintegrated. In 2024, Realme is making significant strides, and Narzo is also going through a transformation. While staying true to Realme’s core DNA, Narzo’s focus is now on creating visually appealing phones with enhanced camera capabilities. The first product to showcase this change is the Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G, a device priced under ₹30,000 that seems promising, at least on paper.

The Realme Narzo 70 Pro boasts a 2,000 nit AMOLED display, a top-notch Sony IMX890 primary camera, and a range of exciting features like Air Gestures, Rainwater Smart Touch, a VC cooling system, Flash Capsule, and more. Can the Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G carve out a distinct position for itself in the highly competitive mid-range market? Let’s dive into our review to find out more.

Design & Display

The Realme Narzo 70 Pro boasts a solid, premium design language. Unlike the Realme Pro and number series phones, it does not have a vegan leather back. Instead, the company has chosen a dual glossy + matte glass back. The phone comes in two color options, Green and Gold, and we have the Green variant.

The flat plastic frame has a glossy finish, similar to what we recently saw on the Realme 12+ 5G. Design is subjective, but we feel that the glossy glass back and flat sides can easily attract fingerprints and may appear too flashy at times.

In terms of button placement, the power and volume buttons are conveniently positioned on the right side, while the bottom of the phone features the USB Type-C port, speaker grille, and SIM slot. The top houses the secondary mic and a 3.5mm audio jack (which is a welcome addition).

Moving on to the front, we are greeted by a large 6.67-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The display is impressively bright, boasting a peak brightness of 2,000 nits – the highest in its category. Expect deep blacks, vibrant colors, and support for HDR10 playback (although currently limited to YouTube). An interesting addition is the “Rain Water Smart Touch” feature, allowing the touchscreen to function even in wet conditions.

The screen also includes an in-display fingerprint scanner that worked flawlessly during our testing. The phone is equipped with dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and an audio jack, both providing a quality audio experience.

Software & Performance

The Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G operates on Realme UI 5.0, a highly customized skin based on Android 14. It offers a wide range of personalization options, allowing you to customize icons, fonts, wallpapers, and themes to suit your preferences. One unique feature is the ability to match the system icon colors with your wallpaper, creating a cohesive look. Additionally, the Always-on Display supports the addition of a Bitmoji to add a touch of personality.

The Narzo 70 Pro also includes a variety of innovative features, such as Air Gestures, which enable hands-free navigation of the phone. It also features Floating Window, dual carrier aggregation, Flash Capsule (realme’s version of Dynamic Island), Microsoft sync, and much more.

The company also promises to reduce the amount of pre-installed bloatware, and the Narzo 70 Pro lives up to this promise. However, the software update policy still needs improvement, as it currently only offers 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates.

In terms of performance, the Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, along with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The benchmarks are impressive (AnTuTu v10: 604,530; Geekbench 6: 956 single-core, 2265 multi-core), but real-world usage is more important. Throughout our month-long testing, the phone handled everyday tasks smoothly without any lag. Gaming performance is decent, as it can handle lighter to mid-range titles like Asphalt 9 Legends with consistent frame rates. Overall, considering the price, the performance is more than satisfactory.

Camera & Battery

Realme phones, specifically the Realme Narzo 70 Pro, prioritize camera functionality. This phone offers a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor as its primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 16MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

When it comes to camera performance, the primary camera excels at capturing detailed and vibrant images in daylight. The colors are punchy and the overall photo quality is good, with natural colors, pleasing HDR, and impressive details. The primary sensor also allows for 2x zoom, although the best results are achieved in optimal lighting conditions.

Images taken with the ultra-wide camera maintain a good level of detail. The selfie camera, equipped with a reliable 16MP lens, delivers decent image quality in well-lit environments, producing natural skin tones when face beautification filters are turned off.

Where the Narzo 70 Pro 5G truly shines is battery life. The 5,000mAh battery consistently delivered nearly two full days of use on a single charge during testing. The phone also boasts fast-charging capabilities, with the included 67W charger topping up the battery in under an hour.

Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G Review – The Verdict

The Realme Narzo 70 Pro is impressive with its solid performance, capable camera system, and long-lasting battery life, all wrapped in an attractive design. The MediaTek Dimensity chipset ensures smooth multitasking and gaming, while the vibrant display enhances the viewing experience. The camera setup delivers decent results, especially in well-lit conditions, although low-light performance could be improved.

Overall, the Realme Narzo 70 Pro offers great value for budget-conscious consumers seeking a reliable smartphone with robust performance and battery life. It may not excel in every aspect, but its combination of features and affordability makes it a compelling option in the mid-range smartphone market.

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