Realme
Smartphones

Realme 15 Pro review

Mid weight champ

₹ 28,999

The smartphone world is a bit like a high-stakes poker game these days. Everyone's bluffing, everyone's got a trick up their sleeve, and the mid-range? That's where the real action is. Realme, bless their cotton socks, has thrown down the gauntlet with the 15 Pro 5G, promising a concoction of specs that sound suspiciously like a flagship, but at a fraction of the cost. It's like finding a supercar engine in a family hatchback, then discovering it also runs on fumes. But as we all know, the devil is in the details, and sometimes, a big engine doesn't mean a smooth ride. Let's see if this Realme can truly elevate its game, or if it's just another hopeful trying to punch above its weight.

Realme 15 Pro Review- Design

First off, when you unbox the Realme 15 Pro 5G, you'll notice Realme has put in some serious effort. This isn't just another slab of plastic. It boasts a rather elegant design, inspired by Parisian haute couture ateliers. You get Flowing Silver, Silk Purple, and Velvet Green. Each of them resemble a couture fabric swatch and in the case of the ‘Flowing Silver’ they’ve also added an angle-shifting chromatic coating. These aren't colours that scream for attention; rather, they blend seamlessly into the background, offering a clean, functional look that feels surprisingly mature and premium for its price point. The device is around 7.69mm thick and weighs about 187g, making it feel svelte in the hand. It's got a decent heft, but it's not going to give you wrist strain and with those finishes, you’re definitely not going to be slapping on covers.

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Realme 15 Pro Review- Display

The Realme 15 Pro 5G packs a stunning 6.8in Curved AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution. Colours are punchy, blacks are inky deep, and the contrast is excellent, it is exactly what you'd expect from an AMOLED. But the real magic happens with the 144Hz refresh rate. Scrolling through social media, swiping between apps, or just navigating the UI feels incredibly fluid, like butter on a hot pan, or perhaps a perfectly executed drift on a racetrack.And here's a party trick: it boasts a staggering 6,500 nits peak brightness. That's not just flagship-level; that's "burn your retinas if you're not careful" bright.

It ensures excellent visibility even under the harshest Indian sun. No more squinting at your screen like you've just seen a ghost, or trying to read your messages through a solar flare. It also has Corning Gorilla Glass protection and an in-display fingerprint sensor for quick and reliable unlocking, adding to that premium feel. The "4D curves" and other bits are just marketing fluff for a beautiful, immersive viewing experience.

Realme 15 Pro Review- Performance

Under the hood, the Realme 15 Pro 5G truly starts to get interesting. It's powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm) chipset. This isn't some underpowered budget chip that struggles with basic tasks; the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is a genuinely capable mid-range SoC that handles everyday tasks with impressive fluidity. We got a Geekbench score exceeding 3575 (multi-core), which is serious grunt for this segment. From juggling multiple apps and browsing social media to streaming high-resolution videos and even demanding games like BGMI or Genshin Impact, this chip ensures a smooth and responsive experience. It's a workhorse, not a show pony, but it gets the job done without a fuss – and sometimes, reliability beats raw, untamed power.

Realme has also included GT Boost 3.0, Gaming Coach 2.0, and AI Ultra Control for an enhanced gaming experience. These are software tweaks designed to squeeze every last drop of performance out of the hardware, like a seasoned pit crew tuning a race car. Memory configurations are generous, with options for 8GB or 12GB of RAM, coupled with 128GB, 256GB, or even 512GB of internal storage. However, a crucial point: there's no card slot for expandable storage. So, choose your storage variant wisely, because what you buy is what you get. No second chances, much like life itself.

Realme 15 Pro Review- Camera

Realme has touted a triple rear camera system featuring a 50MP primary sensor with the Sony IMX896 sensor and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). This is a big deal.The IMX896 is a serious piece of kit, and with OIS, you can expect sharp photos and stable videos, even when your hands aren't as steady as a surgeon's. In good lighting, this main camera captures genuinely impressive shots with excellent detail, vibrant colours, and good dynamic range. Portraits look natural, and the OIS helps immensely in tricky conditions.

But it's not just a one-trick pony. It is paired with another 50MP ultrawide lens (112˚ FOV), which is fantastic for capturing those sweeping landscapes or group shots without distortion. This is a proper ultrawide, not some token 8MP afterthought. It also includes a third camera, possibly a macro or depth sensor, which, let's be honest, is usually there just to make up the numbers. Selfies are handled by a high-resolution 50MP front camera, which is a huge bonus for high-quality selfies and video calls.

Video recording is a highlight: 4K at 60fps on both the front and rear cameras. This is excellent for content creators and anyone who wants smooth, high-resolution video. Realme has also included AI enhancements like MagicGlow 2.0 for more natural skin tones and improved zoom clarity. Other bits like the AI Party Mode are quite gimmicky but may appeal to a certain audience. Overall, the camera system is a definite highlight, living up to some of the hype, especially with that main sensor and 4K 60fps video.

Realme 15 Pro Review- Software

The Realme 15 Pro 5G ships with Realme UI 6.0, based on Android 15. Now, while it's not a "pure" Android experience like some, however it has matured considerably. It's cleaner, smoother, and less intrusive than previous iterations. You get a good balance of customization options and a relatively streamlined interface. Realme has also included AI Edit Genie and AI Party Mode for on-the-go content creation, which sounds intriguing, if a little vague. Voice controlled AI editing works for some basic stuff but it still has some way to go before you can make some serious changes and is a bit of a hit and miss sometimes. A bit of fun can be had as you can see from the images above… add funky specs on your dog, done! Want some hair on your otherwise scanty scalp, done too! It’s great for a chuckle. It also packs in other features like hand gesture scrolling which makes you look really silly after a while. Update promises are usually decent for Realme, so you can expect a couple of major Android updates.

Realme 15 Pro Review Battery

Powering all this tech is a truly monumental 7000mAh battery. This is the kind of capacity that gives you real peace of mind. For most users, it will comfortably last a day and a half of heavy use, and for lighter users, you might even squeeze out two full days. It's a true endurance champion – because a dead phone is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. It's the kind of battery life that makes you wonder if other phones are just being lazy, or perhaps just don't understand the concept of a long journey. And when it's time to juice up, Realme has you covered with blazing-fast 80W wired fast charging. This is seriously, seriously fast. You can go from 0 to a significant percentage in mere minutes. That's enough time to make a quick coffee, check your emails, and still have plenty of power to get you through the rest of the day. No more waiting around for hours, watching the battery percentage crawl like a snail on a hot pavement.

Realme 15 Pro Review Verdict

The Realme 15 Pro 5G is a genuinely compelling package that clearly aims higher than its price tag. It doesn't just rest on its laurels; it pushes the envelope with that excellent Sony IMX896 OIS camera, a stunning 144Hz curved AMOLED display, a powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, and a truly monumental 7000mAh battery with blazing-fast 80W charging. It’s for those who want a smartphone that looks good, performs reliably, takes fantastic photos, and, crucially, lasts forever, all without demanding a king's ransom. It’s stylish, powerful, charges like a rocket, and provides a camera experience that genuinely stands out in its segment. The AI wizardry is the icing on an otherwise delicious cake. If you're looking for a mid-range 5G smartphone that offers a taste of flagship features and delivers exceptional value, the Realme 15 Pro 5G is a brilliant choice. Absolutely brilliant.

 

Stuff Says

This phone doesn't just play the game, it changes it in the mid-budget segment
Good stuff
Bad stuff
  1. Flagship Sony IMX896 OIS camera

  1. Stunning 6.8-inch 144Hz Curved AMOLED display

  1. 7000mAh battery with blazing-fast 80W charging

  1. Cleaned-up Realme UI with AI features

  1. Some AI features might be more marketing than magic