Only a few days have passed since the Realme GT 7’s launch day, and the smartphone’s future in India already appears to be heading for new heights. For context, the Realme GT series has been at the forefront in offering smartphones with an exceptional blend of performance and value across various price ranges. However, they may have outdone themselves with the GT 7. It is the first phone to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e chipset, said to provide flagship performance at a mid-range price point. Furthermore, the smartphone boasts a genuine triple-camera setup, a durable structure, and a massive 7,000mAh battery.
Realme GT 7
Rs 39,999
What Is Good?
- Vibrant Display with Great Audio Quality
- Terrific Performance due to its MediaTek Dimensity 9400e SoC
- Efficient battery life
- Dependable cameras in daylight
- Attractive design with a robust body
What Is Bad?
- Pre-installed apps
- Low-light camera performance needs improvement
- Mushy power button and volume rockers
These specifications are sufficient to make the GT 7 a new trendsetter of all-rounder smartphones. But has Realme done everything towards cementing this title in real-world usage? Or does it settle as all foam but no beer? Read my review to find out.
Design and Build Quality
When any brand markets one of its smartphones as performance-driven, you naturally expect to see a glimpse of it in the smartphone’s aesthetic. The GT 7 entirely contradicts this belief. Doused in the IceSense Blue colour, it is nothing but an epitome of sophistication. The unit I received instantly mesmerised me with its finish, as it looks pretty. The colour appears fantastic, and the red accent around the camera module elevates the style.
| Design | Specifications |
| Colour Options | IceSense Blue (reviewed), IceSense Black, and Aston Martin Green (Special Edition) |
| Weight | 211g |
| Thickness | 8.3 mm |
| IP Rating | IP69 |
| Port and Button Placements | Bottom: Primary microphone, SIM Card tray, USB port, and speaker grille
Top: Secondary microphone and IR blaster Right side: Power button and volume button |
By the way, the finish excels at repelling smudges, ensuring the GT 7’s beauty remains preserved even after days of gaming on it.
While the design department is all sunshine and rainbows, the build quality falls short of matching its pace. The primary culprits in this case are the mushy power button and volume rockers. At a cost of around Rs 40,000 or more, any Indian buyer expects their product to be exceptional, particularly in noticeable aspects.
When you press the GT 7’s physical button, its experience mirrors that of phones worth half its price. I hope Realme resolves this in the next iteration, as a blemish is sometimes enough to spoil a masterpiece. With the IP69 rating against dust and water, using the phone in torrential rain won’t alarm anyone.
Display and Audio Quality
The GT 7 may have followed a design philosophy similar to that of the GT 7 Pro; however, it deviates in the type of display used. It features a flat display instead of a quad-curved one, yet its entertainment quotient is the same as the latter. Watching the One Piece series was a delightful experience, as each of its scenes were rendered beautifully with vibrant colours and impressive picture clarity.
While watching an episode, I left the brightness below 43 per cent because cranking up a notch above was all the GT 7’s display required to stun me.
| Display | Specifications |
| Size | 6.8-inch |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1.5K resolution (1264 x 2780 pixels) |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Display Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 7i |
| Peak Brightness | Claimed: 7000 nits, Tested: 2070 nits |
| Minimum brightness | 10 nits |
Fortunately, this smartphone also supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision, enabling anyone to watch their favourite movies in the director’s intended quality on streaming services like Netflix.
Speaking of the holistic multimedia experience, the GT 7 excels in this area as well. The stereo speakers can emit loud music with soothing audio quality and balanced output.
Performance and Software
The GT 7’s design and entertainment aspect may have tempted you, but its expertise in performance truly sealed the deal for me. It holds the title of being the first phone to rely on the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e SoC for blazing speed.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9400e |
| RAM | Up to 16GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | Up to 512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Storage Test | 195980 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 67 per cent of its max performance |
| Software Version | Realme UI 6.0 on Android 15 |
| Connectivity Details | Bluetooth 5.4, Wifi 7, and NFC |
| Number of Software Updates | Four years of software updates and six years of security patch updates |
On the benchmark front, its scores are on par with some of the latest flagships or a year-old ultra-premium smartphones.
But what truly bowled me over is the GT 7’s gaming performance. We conducted an extreme gaming test on it, with each game’s quality set to maximum, while screen recording the entire gameplay.
It effortlessly outperformed the OnePlus 13R and even the iQOO 13 in almost every parameter, whether it was the maximum frame rate, the average frame rate, or the 5% low frame rate. You can visit the video linked below to see the action unfold.
Ultimately, Realme has nailed it in utilising the power of a fairly new chipset extremely well. My real-world experience was truly spectacular, encompassing everything I did while reviewing this phone, including watching videos, gaming, and scrolling through social media.
The GT 7’s operating system also played a significant role in delivering an exceptional user experience due to its smooth animation and seamless transitions. Realme UI 6.0 is packed with nifty features, such as Live Alerts, a better rendition of Apple’s Dynamic Island, and AI Blur, an AI-powered tool that helps remove blur from any image.
The presence of a few preinstalled apps slightly mar the GT 7’s software experience, but it is still bearable.
Camera
Being a performance-driven smartphone, the GT 7 surprised me by taking appealing photos through its triple-camera system.
| Cameras | Specifications |
| Primary camera | 50-megapixel Sony IMX906, f/1.8 (OIS) |
| Secondary camera | 50-megapixel S5KJN5, 2x optical zoom, f/2.0 |
| Tertiary camera | 8-megapixel OV08D10, Ultra-wide , f/2.4 |
| Selfie camera | 32-megapixel, f/2.4 |
| Video capabilities | Up to 8K at 30fps for the rear and 4K at 60fps for the front camera |
The primary and telephoto duo delivers crisp photos with nearly accurate colours in daylight conditions. Some of the images these lenses captured are stunning, and you can even see minute details if you zoom in on them. The last point is tangible in the reptile’s photograph, clicked via the telephoto snapper.
Both cameras produce images with the same colour profile. Even their HDR tuning is remarkable for a performance-centric smartphone. However, portrait photography is the real highlight of the GT 7’s camera department.
Subject detection and background separation are almost on point. Furthermore, these cameras maintain the human skin tone in these images.
Given the 8-megapixel count, the ultra-wide camera performs adequately with a colour profile akin to that of the other two cameras.
Surprisingly, the low-light conditions do not significantly affect the performance of the primary and telephoto cameras. While both still produce photographs with nearly identical colours and excellent detail in ample lighting, the reduction in illumination blurs their images during sudden movement.
Its noise reduction algorithm diligently fulfils its duty in eliminating noise, but in doing so, it occasionally softens human faces or similar subjects. The ultra-wide camera is particularly susceptible to this issue.
You can take an appealing selfie through its front camera with nearly identical skin tone in ample lighting.
Battery and Charging
The GT 7 also has an exceptional track record in the battery department. Its 7,000mAh battery is brilliantly optimised to deliver a battery life adequate for its size. When we ran the PCMark battery test on this smartphone, it almost lasted for an entire day. It has outperformed the OnePlus 13R, a similarly priced competitor, by three hours and 33 minutes.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Capacity | 7,000mAh |
| PCMark Battery Test | 23 Hours 11 Minutes |
| Charger Support | 120W |
| Charging Speed | 47 minutes |
In my real-world experience, I extracted a similar performance with moderate usage. As I depleted its battery, it took me just 47 minutes to replenish its entire charge.
Verdict
The Realme GT 7 is an easy recommendation for those seeking a performance-driven smartphone that doesn’t compromise on essential features.
Its fresh MediaTek Dimensity 9400e chipset is optimised to deliver flagship-grade performance with tremendous battery efficiency. Moreover, its display and speakers provide a holistic multimedia experience that stays with you. All of its cameras capture memories in vibrant photographs with colours that closely resemble reality, in daylight conditions. Finally, Realme has encapsulated all these features in a stunning chassis.
However, the GT 7 is held back by some drawbacks you should consider: The change in light intensity instantly affects the quality of its cameras. While its operating system is seamless and feature-loaded, it comprises a few pre-installed apps. For a smartphone worth Rs 40,000, its power button and volume rockers aren’t as tactile as you would expect — this is merely a nitpick, but as a whole experience on a smartphone matters. Especially when you climb up the price ladder.
Ultimately, Realme has struck gold with its GT 7. It is so impressive that I can confidently say the Realme GT 7 Pro has become (slightly) obsolete since its introduction.
