Realme's X50m is a decently specced 5G phone – for the price of a 1995 Nissan Micra
- Reference: 1587645069
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/04/23/realme_x50m/
- Source link:
Under the hood is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G SoC, which is a mid-range platform that has an integrated X52 modem capable of supporting mmWave and Sub-6 frequencies. The base variant has a respectable 6GB of RAM, as well as 128GB of internal memory using the (slightly older) UFS 2.1 standard.
Surprisingly, there are a few features on this phone that you'd only really expect from a high-end mobe. For starters, the 6.57-inch FHD display boasts a 120Hz refresh rate — which, to date, has only really been found on pricier phones, like the OnePlus 8 and the Samsung S20 series.
Higher refresh rates are arguably more noticeably beneficial to the user experience than higher pixel densities as it gives a more fluid experience. Games feel more responsive. Scrolling through menus feels less perceptibly juddery.
But there is a trade-off when it comes to battery life, with higher refresh rates being particularly juice-hungry. The Realme X50m comes with a reasonably capacious 4,200mAh battery, which supports 30W fast charging. But the real test will be whether Realme allows users to scale down their refresh rate to something more conventional, like 60Hz, in order to extend their phone's runtime.
The Register has asked Realme about this very point.*
On the optics front, the phone has a dual selfie camera setup in an oblong hole-punch cutout. The primary front-facing shooter is a 16MP affair, using a Sony IMX471 sensor, and is complemented by a 2MP secondary lens.
Turn the phone around and you'll see four lenses. No surprises here – Realme has chosen to use a 48MP sensor for its primary camera. Accompanying it is an 8MP wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP monochrome sensor.
The Realme X50m runs on Android 10 with the firm's Realme UI. Of course, since Realme isn't a participant in the Android One programme, there's no cast-iron guarantee of an update to Android 11 and beyond.
On paper, this phone is surprisingly good value. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and we've asked for a review unit. But beyond that, it's interesting to see a 5G phone that's priced below the £250 mark. Typically, 5G handsets have commanded something of a premium, thanks to the cost of the modems, plus the esteem of having perceptibly faster mobile internet.
So far, this handset appears to be a China exclusive, with the phone hitting shelves later this month. No doubt it'll also eventually appear on the usual bazaars of Middle Kingdom kit — like Gearbest, GeekBuying, and the hilariously named BangGood.
But it may eventually make its way to Blighty's shores. Realme entered the European market in May of last year, starting with the compelling Realme 3 Pro. With 5G already present in most major UK cities, there's probably a sizeable appetite for a device like the Realme X50m. ®
Updated at 13:59 on 23 April 2020 to add
Realme told The Reg : "There are three options that users can choose: 120Hz, 60Hz and Auto mode. If users choose Auto mode, the refresh rate will change according to consumptions."
Sponsored: [1]Forrester Build a Digital Experience Portfolio
[1] https://go.theregister.co.uk/tl/1936/-8554/forrester-build-a-digital-experience-portfolio?td=wptl1936
Re: The thing about a 1995 Nissan Micra is...
> it's still usable after 25 years and is easily reparable.
... unless it mysteriously vanishes.
At one point, I had a 1.4l Nissan Micra - the four door model and of a 1997/1998 vintage. Purchased for £400 as a learner car for my partner, but it turned out to be a fun little go-kart - nippy, able to turn on a penny /and/ it sailed through it's MOT without a hitch, despite being comfortably over a decade old at the time.
As such, when the time came to get rid of my main car, the Micra was doing a good enough job that I didn't feel the need to rush out and find a replacement. Even if a few friends derived quite a bit of amusement from seeing my 6"2 frame unfolding from the front seat ;)
Alas, I was commuting to work via train at the time, and there was some on-street parking close to the station. And one day I came back to discover a Micra-shaped gap where my car used to be...
Never even had a whisper as to what happened with it, though a friend who's into tinkering with cars later told me that the 1.4l models are popular for banger racing and the like, so the odds are good that it got taken to a garage and stripped for parts.
It's a shame, as it was a fun little drive - and the lowest "total cost of ownership" car I've ever owned, despite the fact that it disappeared in a puff of smoke before it's time!
Re: The thing about a 1995 Nissan Micra is...
We had a company Micra. Would have prefered to take out the front seat and just sit in the back for legroom.
I think my old Civic met the same fate. Apparently they were popular for banger racing as well.
Re: The thing about a 1995 Nissan Micra is...
I want a late 80s/early 90s Fiat Panda 4x4. Those things are practically indestructible and weigh almost nothing so despite their small amount of poke they are still great at climbing hills.
Only problem is, [1]so does everyone else so they cost a bomb.
[1] https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/cars/listing/fiat/panda/panda-4x4-1-0/1987/198145
Re: The thing about a 1995 Nissan Micra is...
and surprisingly more expensive than you might think...
https://www.aandareliablecars.co.uk/used-cars/nissan-micra-1-3-16v-slx-cvt-5dr-bedford-202003068114832
Marketing
Typically, 5G handsets have commanded something of a premium, thanks to the cost of the modems, plus the esteem of having perceptibly faster mobile internet.
The marketing departments demanded the new name. In fact, in many situations people won't notice the difference. Good 4G networks won't have contention problems and shitty 5G ones will. On a good 4G network you can already stream video even in reasonably crowded places and on a shitty one you'll be twiddling your thumbs all the time as the connection drops.
Not sure how much a bargain this would be...
... given that the £230 price is for China.
TBH, I haven't a clue what the markup would be once you throw UK/EU tariffs, localisation and certification costs atop, but I'm guessing it'll be similar to the old UK/USA pricing delta, where something which cost $100 in the USA would cost £100 in the UK...
Beyond that, given that the mobile phone market is suffering the same shrinkage as everything else, I'm wondering if this is being pushed out as a loss leader or similar - something just to keep the factory ticking over and use up stockpiles which were previously earmarked for higher-margin phones which are now effectively unsellable!
Re: Not sure how much a bargain this would be...
Banggood will charge you £230 + around a tenner for shipping. You take a gamble on the import tariffs; HMRC stop about 1 in 5 of my packages and I have to pay duty on them; but it's still way cheaper than buying anything here.
Re: Not sure how much a bargain this would be...
> Banggood will charge you £230 + around a tenner for shipping. You take a gamble on the import tariffs; HMRC stop about 1 in 5 of my packages and I have to pay duty on them; but it's still way cheaper than buying anything here.
True, but there's a big difference between taking a gamble on the grey market and buying something that's going to come with a proper warranty, EU/UK certification and regional customer support/localisation.
Not that that's stopped me in the past :)
Re: Not sure how much a bargain this would be...
Not quite, because unlike the US, because China uses all-tax-included prices, and their VAT is 17%.
I worked in IT in China 10 years ago, I had to buy Dell server equipment, so spent a while comparing prices. Back then, the public price in .cn and .eu was about the same. It was 20% less in .us, and 30% more in .au.
I remember IT in corporate HQ in Australia told me they had some great discounts with Dell, which ended up being more expensive than the local public price.
If it comes to the UK at under £400, I could be tempted. Currently running a 22 month old Honor 9 and so far can't think of a single reason for replacing it. 5G is not a motivator for me as I'm not a big data user. I would imagine your average social media junkies will love it though.
It might retail for £230, but with those specs that's nowhere near what it costs to build. Not a word on how Android 10+RealMe UI will enable vendors to - ahem - 'top up' the difference, eh Reg?
Obviously perfectly happy to knock seven bells out of Apple and insult their customers for paying premium prices, but when it comes to Google/China 'You are the Product' dataslurp... nothing but tumbleweed. What a shame.
What does 5G on a phone let you do?
(Other than give you a Chinese virus of course, ba-dum.)
I can see ultra-fast wireless networking is great in many cases but given 4G is often already faster than home internet, what is the use-case especially on a small screen where, for instance, 4k video is not a huge gain?
Is there more to it than just pure speed?
The thing about a 1995 Nissan Micra is...
it's still usable after 25 years and is easily reparable.