In video games, players often fall into two camps: strategists who plan every move carefully, and instinctive players who prefer to try multiple approaches and see what works. Games often reward both careful planning and experimentation. Much like in gaming, brands can either play a long, carefully plotted game or rely on speed and volume to stay competitive. Some focus on precision launches with longer product lifecycles, while others prefer frequent refreshes to stay visible across price tiers. In 2025, realme leaned towards the latter approach as it launched more than four smartphones under Rs 20,000, prioritising rapid portfolio refreshes and wider shelf presence.
Realme P4x
Rs 15,999
What Is Good?
- Smooth and responsive performance
- Fluid display with high refresh rate
- Long-lasting battery life
- Sturdy and reliable build
What Is Bad?
- Display colours could be more vibrant
- Charging is slower than ideal
- The camera struggles in low light
- Software comes with bloatware
And, right now, the realme P4x appears to put this approach into focus. On paper, its specifications are hard to ignore for the segment: a capable processor, a 144Hz display, a large 7,000mAh battery, and a set of additions that clearly prioritise everyday utility. A brief look back also shows that the P4x brings meaningful upgrades over its predecessor, all of this, notably, while sticking to its budget roots.
That said, strong specifications alone do not guarantee a strong everyday experience. The real question is whether realme has managed to translate this on-paper promise into a mass-market device that actually delivers. I spent a week with the realme P4x to find out how well it holds up in real-world use.
Performance and Software
Let’s start with performance, the aspect of the P4x that drew most attention upon its release. In day-to-day use, this smartphone glides through every task thrown at it, whether exploring social media apps, watching hour-long videos, or engaging in a few rounds of battle royale. That’s largely because the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 SoC, powering the experience, has been brilliantly tuned to deliver suitable performance for every scenario.
This brilliant optimisation is even more evident during intense gaming. For context, BGMI, at its lowest graphic setting, achieved an average frame rate of 86.6fps and a 5% low frame rate of 81.3fps. A narrow gap between these two metrics often reflects highly responsive and stable gameplay, which is exactly what I observed here.
I also tried running the newly-launched mobile port of Red Dead Redemption 2 on the P4x. Though the game is currently capped at 30fps, it remains quite graphically heavy for most phones. Yet I consistently experienced smooth 30fps gameplay here during my exhilarating run. More notably, this phone maintained a temperature of 38°C even after extended gaming.
Before heading to the software aspect of the P4x, let’s look at where it stands among its competitors.
As you can see from the test results, the P4x has surpassed the Infinix GT 30, which features the same SoC and was previously a chartbuster, by a significant margin. This further corroborates that Realme has done a phenomenal job in extracting the full potential of this hardware.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | Up to 256GB UFS 3.1 |
| Storage Test | 107021 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 82 per cent |
| Software Version | Realme UI 6, based on Android 15 |
| Connectivity Details | Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6 |
| Number of Software Updates | Two years of major OS upgrades and three years of security updates |
The P4x remains solid in the software department as well, but with a few caveats, which I discuss later on.
The Realme UI 6 effectively utilises fluid animations and quick app launches to enhance everyday interactions. Moreover, it offers AI-powered features that genuinely help users achieve the best results. For example, the AI Recompose crops any image into three different composition styles and even lets users refine its look with cinematic filters.
While the P4x’s user interface has incredible genes, a few rough edges prevent it from being flawless. It is a generation behind the expected norm, Android 16, which is something other brands, like Motorola, have started to ship their phones with. Moreover, the user interface is bloated with pre-installed apps that look questionable and may enable spammy notifications once activated.
Display and Audio Quality
While the P4x’s software always tries to render the raw performance of its hardware visible, its 144Hz panel backs its ambition with seamless transitions and responsive feedback. Additionally, the handset’s screen provides ample display space for an immersive movie experience.
Having said that, the reliance on LCD technology hampers its ability to produce vibrant colours that people generally experience on phones that come with an AMOLED panel, such as the Infinix Note 50s.
For context, as I watched One Piece on the P4x for hours, its vivid world and striking action set pieces immediately drew my attention to this hitch. Although the colour production could have been better, it renders live-action scenes from the series, such as Stranger Things Season 4, with admirable clarity.
From a brightness standpoint, the content on the screen is easy to view in indoor settings, but becomes somewhat less legible under direct sunlight.
- Size: 6.72-inch
- Type: LCD
- Resolution: 1080×2400 pixels
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz
- Display Protection: Armorshell Protection
- Peak Brightness
- Claimed: 1000 nits
- Tested: 702 nits
Aside from visuals, audio plays an equally important role, and the P4x’s stereo speakers deliver a competent performance, but with their own set of limitations. At nearly full volume, they struggle to produce a richer sound in the mid-spectrum, particularly in the instrumental section of any song, and muffle human vocals. Once the volume is dialled back, these shortcomings become far less noticeable, and the output starts to feel more balanced. At higher levels, however, loudness is clearly where the focus lies. The P4x is capable of filling a room, aided by its 400% volume boost feature, which prioritises reach over finesse.
Battery and Charging
The P4x packs a 7,000mAh battery, aligning with realme’s push to stay competitive in a segment that is rapidly embracing 6,000mAh-plus capacities under Rs 20,000. While the intent is clear, the execution leaves some room for improvement. In our PCMark battery test, the P4x fell slightly behind rivals with similarly sized batteries, including the Redmi 15C and the Motorola G67 Power, suggesting that capacity alone does not tell the full story.
What’s more surprising is that the Nothing Phone 3a Lite also surpassed its results, despite having a significantly smaller battery. Fortunately, this battery performance issue isn’t a concerning setback, as it can be resolved with a software update to enhance power management.
Now, if I discuss my personal experience, the P4x effortlessly delivered screen time over seven hours during my moderate use. To add context, my daily routine consists of binge-watching episodes of my favourite anime series, scrolling through memes on my social media feeds, and finally winding down with a few rounds of BGMI.
Among these attributes, the charging speed sticks out as a slight inconvenience, with the bundled 45W charger taking around an hour and 45 minutes to charge the battery fully. Considering the P4x’s large battery capacity, a faster charging solution would have been a welcome addition.
Cameras
A closer look at the P4x’s specification sheet suggests that the camera is not the primary focus here. The phone features a single rear camera without optical stabilisation, signalling a clear emphasis on other priorities. That said, realme has tuned the camera to remain reliable for everyday photography.
| Cameras | Specifications |
| Primary camera | 50-megapixel, f/1.8 |
| Secondary camera | 2-megapixel, monochrome, f/2.4 |
| Selfie camera | 8-megapixel, f/2.0 |
| Video capabilities | Up to 4K at 30fps for the primary camera and 1080p at 30fps for the front camera |
In daylight, photos from the primary camera capture adequate detail, with colours that remain largely true to the scene. Contrast handling is generally reliable as well, though it tends to slip in more challenging conditions, such as smog-heavy environments.
Talking about portrait photography, its output is run-of-the-mill. Image processing generally struggles to separate a human subject from the background, often blurring parts of their body, such as hair strands or glasses.
Low-light scenarios are where the primary camera takes a hit in image quality. While it still produces crisp and reasonably colour-accurate images under ample lighting, it starts to show noticeable grain and softens finer facial details in dimly lit environments.
The front-facing camera delivers charming selfies in well-lit environments, but softens facial details as the light drops.
Design and Build Quality
The P4x, from its rear profile, looks quite stunning in its Lake Green variant. As the light hits its matte texture, it becomes even more beautiful to gaze at.
With its squircle frame and long camera island added into the equation, the overall design leans more towards subtle elegance and a cohesive aesthetic. Having said that, flipping to the front profile and glancing at the thick bottom chin somewhat takes away its charm.
From an ergonomic standpoint, holding the P4x for an extended period is inconvenient, which isn’t surprising given its weight of 208 grams.
Moreover, due to its narrower structure, reaching the notification shade with one hand becomes a challenge for people with small hands, including myself.
- Colour Options: Matte Silver, Lake Green (our review unit), and Elegant Pink
- Weight: 208g
- Thickness: 8.39mm
- IP Rating: IP64
- Port and Button Placements
- Bottom: Primary microphone, SIM Card tray, USB Type-C Port, and speaker grille
- Top: Secondary microphone and speaker
- Right side: Power button and volume button
The P4x comes off as a sturdy device when held. With its military-grade certification, it provides reassurance for everyday use. That being said, an accidental slip into a pool with the phone in hand can strike fear into you, as its IP64 rating makes it less resistant to water bodies.
Verdict
The Realme P4x has its share of compromises. The LCD misses the vibrancy of AMOLED panels. Charging feels slow for a phone carrying a massive battery. The camera struggles once the lighting conditions become challenging, and the software still comes with some unwanted clutter. The speakers, too, lack depth at higher volumes.
While these drawbacks are easy to point out, they rarely get in the way of daily use. Performance remains smooth, the 144Hz screen keeps interactions fluid, battery life comfortably lasts a full day, and the build feels reassuringly sturdy. Overall, the P4x shapes up as a well-rounded and dependable option in its price segment.
