Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Won’t Launch in India, Confirms Realme Exec, And We Know Why

The Realme GT Master Explorer Edition has already been launched in China, and its specifications are identical to the rumoured OnePlus 9RT.

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The Realme GT Master Explorer Edition is now confirmed to not launch in India. Francis Wong, CMO of Realme India, revealed this earlier today on Twitter, when responding to a user query regarding the launch date of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition smartphone. The information has caused disappointment among followers of the brand, who have not held back to express their gross discontent for Realme making such a decision. However, a closer look at how things are shaping up to be gives us a fair idea around why might Realme have chosen to not launch one of its most premium phones in India.

The key reason might be the upcoming launch of the OnePlus 9RT. The latter is slated to be a follow-up to the OnePlus 9R, which was introduced with specific targeting of the Indian market. With more users considering the premium smartphone market, the OnePlus 9R was deemed to be a flagship grade smartphone that sits between the premium mid-ranger, the OnePlus Nord 2, and the flagship OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. The 9RT, once launched, would fill up the 9R’s space, and based on rumours, it is almost exactly the same phone as the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition, minus the branding and a few design changes.

While Realme and OnePlus are two very different brands with different marketing and branding approaches, it is important to note that they are both owned by BBK Electronics. The latter has previously also homologated its resources among its brands, such as taking OnePlus’ smartphones software into the Oppo ColorOS fold. As a result, it is likely that BBK Electronics is looking to cash in on OnePlus’ greater presence in the premium and flagship-grade smartphone segments, while Realme continues to cater to the more value centric markets.

The Realme GT Master Explorer Edition is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, along with up to 12GB LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It features a 6.55-inch Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification. To the rear, it features a triple rear camera with 50MP primary, 16MP ultra wide and 2MP macro units, while the front bears a 32MP selfie camera. The entire setup is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging, while there is also an under display, optical fingerprint sensor at hand. All of its specifications are near identical to the leaked specs of the OnePlus 9RT, so this is most likely why Realme has made such a decision.