Oppo sister brand Realme launched a new high-spec phone, the Realme GT2 Master Explorer Edition, on Tuesday, at a relatively low price.
Why it matters: Oppo’s Realme is known for making phones with high spec combinations at a low price, similar to Xiaomi’s sub-brand, Redmi. The GT2 features Qualcomm’s latest processor and new RAM technology.
- Gaming features in this phone are also competitive among its rivals at the same price range, making it a good choice for gamers on tight budgets.
Details: Realme GT2 Master Explorer Edition is now the cheapest phone fitted with Qualcomm’s new processor, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a chip that higher-end Android phones tend to use. The phone sells 12.5% cheaper than three other phones that have used the chip, based on a calculation from TechNode.
- The phone has a 6.7-inch punch-hole display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, supporting on-screen fingerprint recognition. The display, however, has a lower definition than its rivals’ high-end models, a compromise made for cost control.
- One of the phone’s standout features is its adoption of the new LPDDR5X RAM with lower battery consumption, which helps reduce power consumption by 20% more than the previous generation of Realme phones, according to Realme’s Weibo post.
- In gaming features, Realme has adopted imaging chips from US-based firm Pixelworks, which generate extra frames for a smoother performance. This tech also helps offload GPU workload to reduce overall power consumption, which prevents overheating and helps to extend gameplay time on mobile devices.
- The phone also comes with a simulated arm trigger feature with pressure sensors for gameplay which, according to Realme, makes it the first company to use this function worldwide.
- The phone has three back cameras and 100W charge for a 5,000 mAh battery.
- Available in three colors, the phone will be available on July 19, pricing from RMB 3,499 ($520) for 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage to RMB 3,999 ($595) for 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage.
Context: Top Chinese phone brands Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, have all established sub-brands like Redmi and Realme, and iQOO to better serve targeted groups that are more price sensitive.
- These subbrands allowed the main brands to raise prices. For example, the price of Xiaomi phones has grown by around 30% since 2018.
- In the first quarter, Oppo took 22% of the market shares in China’s budget smartphones priced between RMB 3,000 to RMB 3,999 and 27% in phones priced between RMB 1,000 to RMB 2,999, ranking the third according to CINNO Research, a Chinese hardware insight firm.