realme C53 Review : Five Things I Love About It Plus Sample Camera Shots

In the ever-evolving world of smartphones, finding a budget-friendly option that doesn't compromise on features can be quite a challenge. Thankfully, the realme C53, which I have been testing for a couple of weeks now, emerges as an exceptional choice for the budget-conscious consumer in the Philippines.

With its attractive price tag of PHP 7,999, this smartphone presents an impressive array of features and capabilities. In this review, I will highlight five things I absolutely love about the realme C53, making it a standout device in its price range.

1. Premium Look, Affordable Price

Despite its shell being predominantly made of polycarbonate, the realme C53 manages to grab attention with its sleek and stylish design, reminiscent of the premium and much more expensive Apple iPhone 14 Pro. The device's design elements, such as the elegant curved corners, industrial feel in the hand, and slim profile of only 7.49 millimeters, contribute to its overall appeal.

The Mighty Black colorway of the realme C53 is particularly striking. The elegant so-black finish adds depth and sophistication to the device's appearance, further enhancing its premium appeal. The glossy finish gives it a sleek and polished look, making it a device that you'll be proud to flaunt in any setting.

Beyond its attractive design, the polycarbonate shell offers practical advantages as well. Polycarbonate is known for its durability and ability to withstand daily wear and tear. It is less prone to scratches and cracks compared to devices with glass or metal exteriors, ensuring that the realme C53 remains visually appealing over time.

The realme C53 is certainly a device that you will feel proud to take out of your bag or pocket as it  exudes a sense of sophistication and quality. I believe this shows realme's commitment to offering budget-friendly smartphones with premium aesthetics, making it an excellent choice for those seeking both style and affordability.

2. Large and Brilliant Display with 90Hz Refresh Rate

Despite its HD+ resolution, the realme C53's 6.74-inch display manages to leave a good impression with its brightness and brilliance. While some may argue that HD+ resolution falls short of the increasingly common Full HD or higher resolutions, the realme C53 compensates with its display quality, making it a delightful visual experience.

The increased screen real estate offers a more immersive viewing experience, drawing you into the content you're consuming. Whether you're engrossed in a movie, scrolling through your social media feeds, or exploring graphically demanding games, the realme C53's display ensures that every detail is presented with clarity and precision.

While higher resolution displays may offer slightly sharper image quality, the realme C53's HD+ resolution is more than sufficient for most daily tasks and multimedia consumption. It strikes a balance between visual quality and power efficiency, ensuring that the device delivers an immersive viewing experience without compromising battery life.

Another standout feature of the realme C53's display is its 90Hz refresh rate, which brings a smooth and responsive visual experience to the user. With a higher refresh rate compared to the standard 60Hz in this price bracket, the 90Hz display ensures smoother transitions and scrolling, resulting in a more fluid and immersive user interface. Whether you're browsing through your social media feed, scrolling through websites, or navigating your apps, the realme C53's 90Hz refresh rate provides a noticeable improvement in the overall responsiveness and smoothness of the device.

The 90Hz refresh rate is particularly beneficial for gaming enthusiasts, as it enhances the gaming experience by reducing motion blur and input lag. Gaming graphics and animations appear smoother and more lifelike, allowing for better immersion and precision during gameplay. The realme C53's 90Hz refresh rate screen provides a competitive advantage, enabling players to react faster and enjoy a more immersive gaming experience.

3. Reliable 50 MegaPixel Main Camera

The realme C53's 50 MegaPixel main camera is a standout feature that allows users to capture clear, crisp, and detailed images. This high-resolution camera brings a new level of photography capabilities to the budget-friendly smartphone segment, making it perfect for point-and-shoot enthusiasts.

With the realme C53's 50MP main camera, users can confidently capture a wide range of subjects, especially landscape and architectural shots when there's ample ambient light. The high resolution ensures that every detail is captured with precision, resulting in images that are rich in detail and clarity.

Here are some sample shots taken using the realme C53's 50MP Main Camera at the back. Tap on photos for larger view:

realme C53 also offers a capable 8 MegaPixel front-facing selfie camera with Portrait Mode and Beauty Mode. This camera is designed to enhance your self-portraits and capture visually-pleasing selfies with "professional-like" effects. The Portrait Mode creates a depth-of-field effect, blurring the background and keeping the focus on your face, giving your selfies a stylish and artistic look. It adds a touch of sophistication and allows you to stand out in your photos.

Additionally, the Beauty Mode on the realme C53's front camera lets you achieve flawless and natural-looking selfies. It intelligently smoothens and enhances your facial features, providing a polished appearance. You can adjust the level of beautification according to your preference, ensuring that you can capture selfies that highlight your best features while still looking authentic. Whether you want to capture a casual selfie or a glamorous portrait, the realme C53's front-facing selfie camera with Portrait Mode and Beauty Mode ensures that your self-portraits always turn out stunning and ready to be shared on your favorite social media platforms.

Here are some sample selfies taken using realme C53's 8MP Front Cam. Tap on images for larger view:

4. Decent Set of Internal Hardware

Under the hood, realme C53 houses a solid set of internal hardware that ensures smooth and responsive performance. The device is powered by a 12nm 1.8GHz Octa-Core Unisoc Tiger T612 CPU, which is capable of handling everyday tasks with ease. Whether you're browsing the web, streaming videos, or playing games, the realme C53 delivers snappy performance, ensuring a seamless user experience.

I am able to play Mobile Legends Bang Bang with high graphics and high refresh rate with no lags or stuttering at all. If you also play this popular mobile game, trust that you will get a good gaming experience running this title on realme C53.

To complement the CPU, the realme C53 is equipped with a Mali-G57 GPU, which provides efficient graphics processing power. For light gamers, this allows you to enjoy fairly graphically demanding games and visually intensive applications without compromising on performance or experiencing lag.

I ran AnTutu Benchmark Test on realme C53 and the handset got a score of 255,399, which is quite good for a smartphone in this price bracket.

The realme C53 AnTutu Benchmark Score Breakdown shows decent marks for the 12nm 1.8GHz Octa-Core Unisoc Tiger T612 CPU and the Mali-G57 GPU. I'm actually very surprised by the performance of this SoC.

The realme C53's 6GB of RAM ensures that multitasking is a breeze. You can switch between multiple apps, effortlessly navigate through menus, and enjoy a fluid user interface. The additional 6GB RAM Expansion further enhances the device's multitasking capabilities, enabling you to run even more apps simultaneously without noticeable slowdowns.

When it comes to storage, the realme C53 offers a generous 128GB of internal storage. This provides ample space for your files, photos, videos, and applications. You won't have to worry about running out of storage anytime soon, allowing you to keep all your important data and media conveniently stored on the device.

Moreover, the realme C53 supports expandable storage via a microSD card, allowing you to further increase the available storage space according to your needs. This flexibility ensures that you can easily manage and store your growing collection of media files without sacrificing performance.

5. Big Battery with Fast Charging Support

One of the standout features of the realme C53 is its large 5,000mAh Li-Po battery pack. This substantial battery capacity ensures that you can rely on your device to last throughout the day, even with heavy usage. Whether you're browsing the web, streaming videos, or playing games, the realme C53's battery can keep up with your demands, allowing you to stay connected without the need for frequent recharges.

In addition to its impressive battery capacity, the realme C53 supports 33W Fast Charging technology. This means that even if your battery does run low, you can quickly replenish it and get back to using your device. With the 33W Fast Charging support, you can charge up to 50% of your battery capacity in just 31 minutes, significantly reducing the time spent waiting for your device to charge.

The fast charging capability of the realme C53 ensures that you can spend more time celebrating your passions and less time tethered to a charging cable. Whether you're engaged in your favorite hobbies, capturing precious moments with the camera, or enjoying multimedia content, the realme C53's fast charging feature provides you with the convenience of quick and efficient charging.

The realme C53's battery performance and fast charging support make it an ideal companion for individuals with busy lifestyles. You can confidently use your device throughout the day, knowing that the battery can keep up with your demands -- and when it's time to recharge, the 33W Fast Charging feature ensures that you can quickly top up your battery and get back to doing what you love.

Recommendation

The realme C53 is a compelling choice for those looking to upgrade their smartphone without breaking the bank. With its attractive design, large HD+ display, impressive camera capabilities, decent internal hardware, and long-lasting battery life, it offers a fantastic user experience at an affordable price. I highly recommend the realme C53 to anyone seeking a feature-packed smartphone under PHP 8,000. It combines affordability with a plethora of desirable features, making it an excellent companion for your daily mobile needs.

So if you are in the market for a new smartphone and have a budget of less than PHP 8,000, the realme C53 is the perfect choice. Its striking design, vibrant display, reliable camera, smooth performance, and long-lasting battery make it a standout device in its price range. Don't compromise on features when you

realme C53 Specs

167.3 x 76.7 x 7.49 mm

182 grams

6.74 inches, HD+, 720 x 1600 pixels, IPS LCD

90Hz Refresh Rate

Waterdrop Notch Dual

Rear Camera Module:

50 MegaPixels, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF

0.8 MegaPixels

LED flash, HDR, Panorama

Front-Facing Camera:

8 MegaPixels, f/2.0 HDR

Video Recorder:

Back - 1080p 30fps

Front - 720p 30fps

Android 13

realme UI T

12nm 1.8GHz Octa-Core Unisoc Tiger T612 Mali-G57

6GB RAM + 6GB

128GB Internal Storage

Dedicated microSD Card Slot

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Bluetooth 5.0

4G LTE-A

Side-Mounted Fingerprint Scanner

3.5mm Audio Jack

33W SUPERVOOC Fast Wired Charging

50% in 31 minutes

Non-Removable 5,000 mAh Li-Po Battery

Polycarbonate Shell

Champion Gold, Mighty Black

realme C53 Price in the Philippines

Official Suggested Retail Price - PHP 7,999