Realme C85

The Realme C85 costs Rs. 54,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB version in Pakistan, and an 8GB + 256GB version is sold for more. On paper, that is a lot for a phone with a Snapdragon 685 and a 720p screen. What you are paying for is battery life and toughness.

• Strengths: a 7000 mAh battery that lasts two to three days with light use, a 45W charger in the box, bypass and reverse charging, IP69 Pro water and dust protection, a bright 1200-nit 144Hz screen, and useful AI and outdoor features.
• Weaknesses: a slow, older chip, a 720p IPS LCD instead of AMOLED, 4G only, an 8 MP selfie camera, 1080p video with no stabilisation, a single speaker, bloatware, and a short software update outlook.

The Itel Super 26 Ultra (Rs. 47,499) is cheaper and has a far better AMOLED screen and a 32 MP selfie camera, but a smaller 6000 mAh battery, only 18W charging and lower water protection.

Verdict: worth it only if battery life and water protection are your top priorities, for example for delivery riders, outdoor workers or people who travel a lot. If you care about speed, screen quality or cameras, this price buys better-balanced phones.

The Realme C85 has a large 6.8-inch IPS LCD at 720 x 1570 pixels with a 144Hz refresh rate and up to 1200 nits in high-brightness mode.

Brightness is the strong point. The screen is easy to read outdoors, brighter than most phones at this price, and an Outdoor Mode raises brightness further in sunlight. Colours look vibrant for an LCD.

The limitations:

• 720p resolution makes text and videos look noticeably softer than on Full HD or AMOLED rivals. YouTube still plays at up to 1080p 60fps, but the panel cannot show all of that detail.
• Opinions differ on 144Hz. Scrolling feels smooth, but the Snapdragon 685 rarely keeps up with 144Hz in apps and games, so the benefit is limited.
• As an LCD, it cannot match AMOLED's deep blacks, and there is a visible chin at the bottom.

The Realme C85 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 (6 nm) with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. It is a mature chip that is efficient, which helps battery life, but it is clearly slower than the MediaTek Helio G99, G100 and G200 found in rival phones.

In daily use: calls, WhatsApp, social media and YouTube run fine. Expect slower app loading and less snappy multitasking than in faster-chipped rivals.

Gaming: PUBG Mobile runs at Ultra frame rate on Smooth graphics or High on Balanced graphics, around 60 fps, which is fine for casual play but not for competitive gamers. A cooling system helps keep performance steady during longer sessions.

The Pakistani C85 is a 4G-only phone. The Realme C85 5G sold in other markets is a different model with a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip.

The Realme C85 has a 50 MP main camera with a secondary sensor on the back and an 8 MP selfie camera on the front.

• Daylight: the main camera's strength. Photos are clear, sharp and ready for social media, with vibrant processing and skin tones that suit local tastes. Each shot takes two to three seconds to process.
• Low light: reports differ. Colours can look muted and lifeless, and Night mode helps only a little, although some shots still come out acceptably.
• Portraits: portrait mode works on both the front and rear cameras, with an adjustable blur level.
• Zoom: the 2x option is digital only, so detail drops quickly.
• Video: both cameras record at up to 1080p, with no OIS or electronic stabilisation, so handheld walking shots look shaky.

AI Edit Genie in the gallery lets you edit photos by voice, for example to improve clarity or change a shirt's colour. It needs an internet connection. The gallery also includes AI Eraser, unblur, reflection removal and glare removal.

The Realme C85's biggest selling point is its 7000 mAh silicon-carbon battery.

• Battery life: with light to normal use, it lasts two to three days on a charge. Heavy use, such as long hotspot sessions or gaming, still gives about one to one and a half days.
• Emergency reserve: Realme claims that at 1% battery it can last about 8 hours on standby or handle a call of about 31 minutes.
• Battery health: Realme claims the battery is designed to stay healthy for 6 years. That is a company claim, not something that can be checked yet.

Charging: a 45W SUPERVOOC charger comes in the box, and a full charge takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. In practice, charging often settles near 30W even on the original charger, and about 30W on standard USB-C chargers.

Extras: bypass charging powers the phone straight from the charger while you game or watch, which reduces battery heat and wear. Reverse wired charging can top up earbuds or another phone, although reports differ on its speed.

The Realme C85 runs Realme UI 6.0 on Android 15, with an update to Android 16 expected. Realme has not published a long-term update promise for this phone. Expect about one major Android update, which is an estimate rather than a confirmed policy.

Useful features:

• AI Outdoor Mode raises ringtone, call and Bluetooth volume in noisy places and boosts weak network signal.
• Circle to Search, AI Smart Loop, Air Gestures and small extras such as shake-to-turn-on the flashlight.
• Call recording in Realme's own dialer works without an announcement to the other person.
• Bluetooth calling lets you call nearby devices when there is no network or Wi-Fi.
• A customisable Pulse Light on the back for notifications.
• A smooth "fluid glass" style for icons, Control Center and notifications.

Downside: bloatware and ads are preinstalled, including Hot Games and Hot Apps. Most of them can be disabled or uninstalled, but they should not be there at this price.