Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) First Impressions: Super Fast Charging with Gaming Side

The Realme GT Neo 2 (review) lived up to my expectations for a gaming smartphone, and now its successor seems to be following the same formula. The Realme GT Neo 3 has several new features that bring it closer to the premium smartphones of 2022. Let’s take a closer look at this gaming-friendly smartphone from Realme.

There are two different models – Realme GT Neo 3 and Realme GT Neo 3 (150W). The 80W fast charging model comes in two variants, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, priced at Rs. 36,999 or with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, priced at Rs. 38,999. The other GT Neo 3 model supports 150W charging and comes with a 150W charger included. It also has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage and is priced at Rs. 42,999 people in India. The two models have different battery capacities: 80-watt models have 5000 mAh batteries, and 150-watt models have 4500 mAh batteries.

Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) comes with charger, charging cable and TPU case.

I have a top 150 watt model with me. It is similar in design to its predecessor. The phone has a polycarbonate body and a frosted glass back very similar to the GT Neo 2. It doesn’t feel too heavy at 188g. The only big design change is the inclusion of two racing stripes on the back for a sportier look. There are three color options to choose from: Nitro Blue, Sprint White and Asphalt Black. The Asphalt Black trim looks more sophisticated as it doesn’t have racing stripes.

The Realme GT Neo 3 features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to protect against scratches. The display has a peak refresh rate of 120Hz and a thinner bottom bezel than the GT Neo 2.

The Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) has a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution and a peak refresh rate of 120Hz.

The highlight of the Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) is its 150W charging capability. Realme claims the 150W model comes with its own Ultradart adaptive charging controller. You should be able to get to 50 percent in just five minutes.

The phone’s battery is divided into two blocks, each with a capacity of 2250 mAh. In terms of safety, Realme claims that its fast charging system is TUV Rheinland certified. The Smart MCU control system is said to instantly disconnect the battery from the power supply if it detects that something has gone wrong. The company also claims that its charging system ensures that the battery can retain 80 percent of its capacity after 1,600 charge and discharge cycles.

One major change in the new GT Neo 3 is that it has a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC inside. This new processor competes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and 870 SoCs, but you’ll have to wait for my full review to see how they compare in terms of everyday productivity and gaming. Realme says it has implemented a second dedicated display processor which it claims should help speed up features like motion estimation, motion compensation (MEMC), as well as reduce GPU load and overall power consumption.

In my review of the Realme GT Neo 2, I noted one major drawback – the camera performance, which was strictly average. While the GT Neo 3’s main camera seems to be lower in terms of sensor resolution, the new 50MP sensor has optical image stabilization (OIS). This should help the Realme GT Neo 3 take sharper photos in all lighting conditions, but especially in low light. The 8MP ultra-wide camera is the same as before, along with a 2MP macro camera. A 16-megapixel front camera is responsible for selfies.

The 150W charger included with the Realme GT Neo 3 (150W) is quite large.

The phone runs Realme UI 3 with Android 12 as the basis. It seems to have all the usual features of Android 12, but I noticed a lot of third-party apps pre-installed.

On paper, the Realme GT Neo 3 seems like a capable gaming smartphone. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, the new MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC, and offers blazingly fast 150W charging. The main camera also has optical image stabilization, which is not often found in cameras in this segment. Is the GT Neo 3 a good enough upgrade over its predecessor, and more importantly, how does it compare to the recently launched OnePlus 10R, which has nearly identical specs? We’ll find out all this and more in my full review, so stay tuned.

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