Realme was established by parent company Oppo less than two years ago, but it already has built a strong reputation for high value, low-cost handsets.
The company has released a mind-boggling 28 phones in just 22 months, with the latest – Realme 6 and 6 Pro – launching in India in early March. Realme has now launched these phones in the UK, including an even more budget 6i model.
The big news is the addition of a 90Hz display, practically unheard of at this price point, but a host of upgrades makes them likely to be considered among the best budget phones .
Here’s everything you need to know about the Realme 6 series.
When is the Realme 6 release date?
The Realme 6 series was announced in India on 5 March and has been on sale there for a while.
The Realme 6i will then follow on 20 April at the same time from the same retailers. The 6 Pro didn’t arrive April as hoped, but went on sale on 5 May .
Read our Realme 6 review and Realme 6 Pro review .
How much does the Realme 6 cost?
Here is the current confirmed pricing for each model. Note that only one SKU of the Pro model is available in the UK.
Realme 6i
- 4GB/128GB – £189
Realme 6
- 4GB/64GB – £219, ₹12,999 or US$177
- 6GB/128GB – £239, ₹14,999 or US$204
- 8GB/128GB – £269, ₹15.999 or US$218
Realme 6 Pro
- 6GB/64GB – ₹16,999 or US$232
- 6GB/128GB – ₹17,999 or US$245
- 8GB/128GB – £299, ₹18,999 or US$260
Note that only one SKU of the Pro model is available in the UK.
This makes them a bit more expensive than the Realme 5 series, but that can probably be justified by the upgrades on offer here.
What are the Realme 6 specs?
The headlining feature of the Realme 6 is its 90Hz display, one of the first phones at this price point to offer a high refresh rate display.
However, the recent release of the Poco X2 makes this news a little less exciting, particularly when that device offers 120Hz for around £175. It remains to be seen whether either of these phones will make their way to European markets.
Elsewhere, the Realme 6 and comes with the same 6.5in display as its predecessor, although the resolution has been bumped up to 1080p.
Both models feature quadruple rear cameras, including an 8Mp ultrawide sensor. The big upgrade with the Pro model is a 12Mp telephoto lens, as opposed to the 2Mp monochrome sensor. On the front (as opposed to 2Mp monochrome sensor), while it has a second punch-hole front facing camera in a pillbox arrangement. Other upgrades include a slightly more powerful processor, more storage options and a fractionally larger display at 6.6in.
As LCD panels, the Realme 6 and 6 Pro can’t support in-display fingerprint technology. The physical sensor is now side-mounted instead of on the back, while the Pro interestingly claims to be able to unlock your phone fractionally faster.
There are plenty more similarities between the two phones. You’ll be getting a 4,300mAh battery on all versions, a big upgrade from the already excellent 3,300mAh cell on the Realme 5. Both phones retain Realme’s custom skin, although this is now over Android 10.
A 3.5mm headphone jack is also still here, something worth mentioning as it becomes increasingly rare.
The Realme 6i is a litlle different with a 6.5in screen that is still IPS LCD but has a lower resolution and doesn’t offer a 90Hz refresh rate. It has three of the same cameras as the regular Realme 6 but swaps the main sensor down to 48Mp.
Interestingingly is has a larger battery at 5000mAh but slower 18W charging. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The UK model also comes with 128GB of storage as standard, double that of the regular 6.
Here we compare all three Realme 6 phones to help you choose the right model. See key specs below for the regular and Pro models.
Key specs
6.5in 1080p display (6.6in on Pro), both 90Hz
MediaTek Helio G90T (regular), Snapdragon 720G (Pro)
Mali G76 (regular), Adreno 618 (Pro)
64/128GB storage
4/6/8GB RAM (regular), 6/8GB RAM (Pro)
Quadruple rear cameras inc. 2Mp monochrome (regular), 8Mp ultrawide (Pro), 12Mp telephoto (Pro), 64Mp main (both)
Single 16Mp front-facing camera (regular), dual 16Mp standard and 8Mp ultrawide (Pro)
Side fingerprint sensor
4300mAH battery
Realme UI over Android 10
3.5mm headphone jack
191g (regular), 202g (Pro)
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Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.
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