Realme 3 Pro review: is this the best budget smartphone for gamers?

Realme 3 Pro: specs

First, Let's look at the specs of Realme 3 Pro.

Realme 3 Pro: quick look

There are quite a few things that jump off the page about the Realme 3 Pro. The phone plays PUBG in High settings by default, supports Fortnite Mobile, offers good RAM and storage capacity, runs on a powerful gaming processor — and more. And on paper, the Realme 3 Pro can confidently stand on the same level as the Redmi Note 7 Pro (read more about it in our head-to-head comparison of the Redmi 3 Pro and Redmi Note 7 Pro). But, outside of spec battles and benchmark reports, what kind of phone is the Redmi 3 Pro?

Realme 3 Pro: trendy design with a glossy back and gradient colors

Glossy backs and gradient colors are all the rage these days — and it comes as no surprise that we are seeing all of these traits on the Realme 3 Pro. The phone uses a dual tone gradient and is available in three striking color options: Lightning Purple, Nitro Blue and Carbon Grey.

The phone’s reflective back with a curve-shaped pattern gives it the look edging towards premium - which we believe was the company’s direct intention. On the back, you will also find a vertical dual camera setup with an LED flash as well as a capacitive fingerprint scanner with ceramic-like coating on top. There is also a Realme logo in the bottom left corner. 

With that, Realme 3 Pro’s plastic finish does feel a bit unimpressive, especially in contrast with the glossy gradient back. On the sides, you will find a power button on the right, volume up and down buttons and a SIM tray. On the bottom, there is a single speaker grille, a micro USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and the primary mic (there is a secondary noise-cancelling mic at the of the phone as well).

On the front, you will find the phone’s 6.3-inch Full HD+ LCD with a tiny waterdrop notch and minimal bezels allowing for an impressive 83.7% screen-to-body ratio.

When it comes to durability, the Realme 3 Pro feels reasonably sturdy while retaining a rather slim physique and weighing just 172 grams. With that, the phone still ships with a protective TPU case in case you have some really rough handling in mind.

Realme 3 Pro: ColorOS 6 UI (based on Android 9 Pie)

The Realme 3 Pro uses ColorOS 6, OPPO’s custom Android software based on Android 9 Pie. As the name itself suggests, this is quite a colorful OS, which can be quite overwhelming for some users. And, if you prefer the minimalistic look of stock Android 9, the phone’s rich OS may even be a deal breaker.

If you’ve never used an OPPO device before, there is a definitely a learning curve to conquer. It will take you some time to get used to the new icons and the general workings of the interface. Plus, the amount of bloatware can be quite discouraging.

With that, there are a few OS features that play to the phone’s advantage. For instance, on the ColorOS 6, you get Game Space, which is something mobile gamers will truly appreciate. Game Space optimizes the use of hardware resources for ultimate performance, lets you use a combo of Wi-Fi and 4G for better connectivity, hide unimportant notifications, lock brightness, etc.

Another interesting feature is the Smart Assistant drawer. Here, you will find several key widgets that allow for quick access to information about your calendar appointments, weather, upcoming trips, etc.

Realme 3 Pro: processor, memory and battery

The Realme 3 Pro has been praised as primarily a gaming phone, which caters to a younger audience. You get the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 onboard (eight Kryo 360 cores clocked at 2.2GHz; 10nm; Adreno 616 GPU), which, paired with the phone’s Game Space does offer an impressive gaming experience — not rivaled even by the Redmi Note 7 Pro. As we’ve mentioned earlier, the phone runs PUBG Mobile in High graphics by default. What’s more, it’s currently the most affordable smartphone to support Fortnite Mobile.

Another strong feature of the Realme 3 Pro is the battery — 4,045mAh with the support of VOOC Flash Charge 3.0. OPPO’s promise on this is promising: 7 full hours of non-stop PUBG gaming, 9.7 hours of HD video playback and 126 hours of music, 32 hours of calling and 383 hours of standby time.

The phone was initially announced in two versions: 4GB of RAM + 64GB of storage space and 6GB RAM + 128GB of storage capacity. Now, a third option has become available — 6GB of RAM paired with 64GB of storage.

Realme 3 Pro: good cameras for the price

Compared to the Realme 2 Pro, the Realme 3 Pro does way better in the camera department. The phone sports a 16MP Sony IMX519 camera with an f/1.7 aperture on the back, which is the same sensor you will find on the company’s flagship, the OnePlus 6T. The secondary 5MP sensor is used for depth of the background in bokeh shots. The cam features a Chroma Boost mode which enhances HDR with the help of AI. Plus, there is the Ultra HD mode, meant to compete with the Redmi Note 7 Pro’s 48MP rear cameras sensor. The main lens supports 2x zoom and comes with Nightscape mode. Naturally, there is also Portrait Mode that blurs the background a lot — and you don’t get any options to turn that down a notch. The Macro mode does quite a good job of capturing detail.

When it comes to video, the phone can record footage in up to 4K resolution at 30fps. However, there is no optical image stabilization onboard and things can get quite shaky. There is an attempt to compensate that with electronic image stabilization (EIS) and you get the ability to record 10-second-long 720p slow-motion videos at 960fps.

On the front, there is a 25MP selfie shooter capable of good amount of detail — but with a fierce beautifying mode that aggressively evens out skin. So, if you are going for the natural body-positive look, the phone’s default photo editing may get annoying. There is also a lot of blur in the front camera shots and we wish there would be more freedom in the camera app to adjust that.

Realme 3 Pro: the verdict

OPPO themselves are proudly calling the Realme 3 Pro a flagship — and we can see why. It’s a very strong phone and a real gamer’s treat. Available in the same price category as Xiaomi’s Redmi Note Pro, the Realme 3 Pro is emerging a strong competitor on the budget smartphone market. Targeting younger audiences with dedicated gaming features and appealing design, the Realme 3 Pro is shaping up to be the perfect entry-level phone under $200.