Realme 10 Pro+ review

introduction

The Realme 10 series has been expanded with two new phones: Realme 10 Pro and Realme 10 Pro+, coming soon after the vanilla Realme 10, which we have already reviewed. Among the three phones, the Realme 10 Pro+ is the one that brings enough new features to be called a true sequel to the successful Realme 9 series. And this is the phone we have for a review today: meet the Realme 10 Pro+.

Due to component shortages and logistical issues, phone makers are having a hard time launching new mid-range phones that are substantially better than their predecessors. Fortunately, that’s not the case with the Realme 10 Pro+, as it offers an updated design, a better display, a more powerful chipset, an improved camera, and even a slightly faster charging speed than the Realme 9 Pro+.

Let’s start with the design. Realme 10 Pro+ is the first phone in the Realme series with curved front and back panels, making it look noticeably thinner. And it’s not your popular lesser 2.5D curved edge, it’s a true 61-degree curve, similar to Galaxy Edge phones of the past.

Then there’s the larger, now 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with an even faster 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch response, 10-bit color support, and higher maximum brightness of 800 nits. This is a welcome improvement over the 6.4-inch 90Hz AMOLED in the Realme 9 Pro+, although we’re not sure fans of more compact devices would agree.

The chipset has been updated: now Realme 10 Pro+ uses the brand new Dimensity 1080 5G chip, superior to the Dimensity 920 5G inside Realme 9 Pro+. The new chipset houses a faster CPU and better image processing performance.

Battery capacity remains at 5,000mAh, but charging speed is now 67W, up from 60W on the Realme 9 Pro+.

The final improvement concerns the stereo speakers: just like Realme 10, Realme 10 Pro+ offers Ultra Volume Boost, which can offer up to double the volume at the expense of audio quality.

Realme 10 Pro+ runs on Android 13 with Realme UI 4.0 and is the first phone since the Pixel 7 duo that we meet with the new version of Android out of the box.

The Realme 10 Pro+ specifications at a glance:

• Body: 161.5×73.9×7.8mm, 173g; glass front, plastic frame, plastic back.
• Screen: 6.70″ AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10+, 120Hz, 800 nits, 1080x2412px resolution, 20.1:9 aspect ratio, 394ppi.
• chipsets: MediaTek Dimensity 1080 (6 nm): Octa-core (2×2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MC4.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM.
• Operating system/software: Android 13, Realme UI 4.0.
• Rear camera: Broad (main): 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.67″, 0.64µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 112˚; Macros: 2MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, 25mm (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/480fps, 720p@960fps, Gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 67W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 17 min (advertised).
• Various: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; stereo speakers.

However, not everything has been improved by the Realme 9 Pro+. The Realme 10 Pro+ has lost the audio jack, there is no information on the manufacturer of the display glass and the rear panel is made of plastic instead of glass. There’s no official word on waterproofing, not even basic splash resistance, which is also disappointing.

And this is a summary of the presentations.

Realme 10 Pro+ unboxing

The Realme 10 Pro+’s retail package is predictably plentiful – you’ll find the 67W fast charger and requisite USB-AC cable inside the box. There is also a soft protective case inside the card compartment.

Even better, the Realme 10 Pro+ comes with a thin protective film pre-applied at the factory. It does a good job of keeping scratches away, but it’s also quite the fingerprint magnet.