Realme C75x

At Rs. 46,499 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model, the Realme C75x is priced for its toughness, not its speed. Its strongest selling points are IP68/IP69 water and dust protection, ArmorShell glass with drop resistance up to 1.8 m, a large 5600 mAh battery and a 45W charger in the box.

The compromises are significant for the price: a 720p screen, the modest Helio G81 Ultra chip, a 5 MP selfie camera, a single speaker, no headphone jack and no NFC.

• Against the Samsung Galaxy A07 (Rs. 35,599): the Samsung costs far less, uses the stronger Helio G99 chip and promises up to 6 major Android upgrades, but has a 90Hz screen, a smaller 5000 mAh battery and slower 25W charging.
• Against the Honor X6c (Rs. 44,995): the Honor uses the same chip with a brighter 1010-nit screen and NFC on some models, but has a smaller 5300 mAh battery, 35W charging and a memory card slot shared with a SIM.

Verdict: worth it for riders, outdoor workers and anyone who keeps dropping or soaking phones. Buyers who want performance or a sharper screen get more for less elsewhere.

Official specs: a 6.67-inch IPS LCD with 720 x 1604 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 500 nits typical and 625 nits in high-brightness mode, protected by ArmorShell glass.

Real-world use: colours look good and brightness is strong enough to keep the screen readable in most outdoor conditions. The 120Hz rate makes scrolling feel smooth, and it is worth setting the refresh rate to always high in settings instead of auto switching. Touch keeps working with water drops on the screen, which helps in rain.

Limitations: the resolution is only HD+, there is no HDR support for streaming, and the bezels and chin are noticeably thick. The always-on display only appears for a few seconds at a time rather than staying on.

The MediaTek Helio G81 Ultra (12 nm) with LPDDR4X RAM handles everyday use well: social media, calls, messaging and browsing feel snappy, helped by the 120Hz screen.

Gaming: PUBG Mobile runs at HD graphics with the High frame rate, with up to 40fps support. That is fine for casual sessions, but this phone is not aimed at regular gamers.

RAM choice: the chip does not benefit much from extra memory, so the 6GB model gives nearly the same experience as the 8GB model if you can find it for less.

Limitations: for this price, stronger chips are available, including the Helio G99 in the cheaper Galaxy A07. A dedicated microSD slot lets you add storage without losing a SIM.

Official specs: a 50 MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and PDAF, and a 5 MP front camera. Both record video at up to 1080p at 30fps.

Real-world use:

• Daylight: photos come out with natural skin tones, good colours and balanced dynamic range. Processing takes two to three seconds after each shot, so check the final image in the gallery.
• Full resolution: photos save at 12.5 megapixels by default. The 50 MP mode, found under More in the camera, captures noticeably more detail.
• Low light: both cameras struggle, with soft images and lost detail. The AI Clear Face editor in the gallery can rescue rear-camera shots, but not front-camera ones.
• Portraits: edge detection around hair and shoulders is not always accurate.
• Selfies: the 5 MP front camera is surprisingly decent in daylight, even in harsh sun, but falls apart indoors at night.
• Underwater mode: thanks to the water rating, the camera app offers an underwater mode for photos and video.

Official specs: a 5600 mAh battery with 45W wired charging, and the 45W charger is included in the box. Realme quotes a full charge in about 90 minutes.

Real-world use: with moderate use the battery lasts around one and a half to two days, and heavy use on mobile data still gets through a full day. That makes it a good fit for ride-hailing drivers, delivery riders and travellers.

Charging time: reports of real charging time differ, from a little over an hour to about the quoted 90 minutes.

Limitations: there is no wireless charging, and 45W is good but not fast for a battery this size.

The phone runs Android 15 with Realme UI 6.0.

Useful features:

• Air gestures let you answer or reject calls and scroll videos with a hand wave.
• The power key works as a customisable dynamic button.
• AI tools include AI Clear Face for fixing blurry faces, AI Smart Loop, Google Gemini, Circle to Search and AI Boost.
• Water tools: an underwater camera mode and a water-eject function that clears the speaker when you hold the power key for a few seconds.
• An ultra-volume mode boosts the single speaker, though it cannot match dual speakers for fullness.

Ads and suggestions: out of the box, the App Market shows hot apps and hot games, and the home screen shows trending and banner recommendations. Switching these off in settings makes the software much cleaner.

Updates: Realme has not published an update commitment for the C75x, so do not count on more than limited updates.