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Realme GT Neo 3T Review Score
generalize
Nothing particularly new here, the Realme GT Neo 3T is almost identical to the Neo 2. However, it’s still a great phone that’s attractively priced and well positioned in the market as a whole.
advantage
- Amazing performance for the price
- Excellent battery and charging speed
- Good enough camera for most people
shortcoming
- Almost the same as Neo 2
- In less than ideal conditions, the camera can be dimmed
launch with super Realme GT Neo 3 150Wthe GT Neo 3T is more affordable.
It’s basically the same as the Realme GT Neo 2 due in late 2021, but with faster charging.
Realme GT Neo 3 vs GT Neo 3T vs Neo 2 Specifications
| Realme GT Neo3 150W | Realme GT Neo 3T | Realme GT Neo 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| exhibit | AMOLED, 1B color, 120Hz, HDR10+ 6.7 inches 1080 x 2412 pixels, |
AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) 6.62 inches 1080 x 2400 pixels |
AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) 6.62 inches 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 8100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 |
| Memory | 12GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| storage | 256GB | 256GB | 256GB |
| rear camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.3, 15mm, 120˚ (ultra wide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) |
64 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/2″, 0.7µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.3, 15mm, 120˚ (ultra wide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) |
64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73″, 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.3, 15mm, 120˚ (ultra wide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) |
| Front camera | 16 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/3.09″, 1.0µm | 16 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/3.09″, 1.0µm | 16 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 1/3.09″, 1.0µm |
| Battery | 4500mAh (150W model) 5000mAh (80W model) |
5000 mA | 5000 mA |
| TOLL | 150W and 80W models | 80W | 65W |
As you can see from the specs, it is almost identical to the Realme GT Neo 2 with the only differences:
- Slightly different 64MP camera sensor – the 3T’s 1/2″ sensor won’t be as good.
- Neo 3T has a faster 80W charging speed.
- It launched with Android 12, so it’s possible to upgrade to Android versions above Neo 2, offering longer life.
Design and Display
All GT-branded phones look the same. They’re both built well enough for affordable phones, and they all have decent-quality flat displays.
The GT Neo 3T uses the same display as the Neo 2 and GT2, with a punch hole on the left. The Neo 3 uses a slightly different display.
The main design difference between Realme phones is the colorways you can get, and sometimes textures. My Neo 3 is bland but looks clean and smart. In contrast, the Neo 3T’s canary yellow (Dash Yellow) checkered design is much brighter. I’ve been loving the different textures and less fancy shades Realme has been using lately; I love the look and feel of the GT2. I don’t have a strong feeling for this color, but you can always choose white or black.
camera
Like other mid-to-high-end Realme (and other brand phones), it’s just a main camera that offers decent performance.
For the Neo 3T, it has a 64 MP primary lens and a 1/2-inch sensor. It’s not as good as the Sony IMX766 sensor used on the Neo 3T and other Realme phones, but it still does a good job and is more than enough for anyone who mainly looks at photos and the phone and shares them on social media.
Large differences between sensors often occur when conditions are less than ideal. On a sunny day, you probably won’t notice much of a difference on your phone’s screen. However, the photo below shows some differences. At night, phones with IMX766 will beat this, which is something you should consider if you take a lot of night photos.
Just like all other Realme phones, Realme has some pretty aggressive AI processing. If you want a natural look, it’s best not to use AI. I don’t mind the AI, it can make the green a little radioactive, but in general brighter colors are more visually appealing.
Photo booth
Performance and Thermal Throttling
I did a more thorough performance analysis of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 used on this phone versus the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 used on the GT Neo 3 in another article.
While the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 isn’t as good as the Dimensity 8100, it’s still a great chipset and one of my favorites from the past year. It’s fast and efficient, which means you have all the performance you need without the stress of fast battery drain or thermal throttling.
Considering the price difference between this phone and the Neo 3, I would also say that you can get better performance with the SD870 and this phone.
Battery
Using the PCMark Work 2.0 battery life test, the Realme GT Neo 3T achieved a rating of 16 hours and 17 minutes, which is in the upper end of all the devices I tested.
It’s nearly 5 hours longer than the Neo 3, which is about 45% longer. However, the 3T has an 11% larger battery and a 10% lower average work score. I also think I might not have everything set the same.
Either way, this and the Neo 3 have excellent batteries.
For real-world use, there’s absolutely nothing to complain about, and it easily got me through a day of heavy use.
If you do experience low battery conditions, 80W charging is great. I’d say this is probably the best option for charging speed. I can’t imagine the many situations in which I might have completely drained my battery and couldn’t find 15 minutes to charge my phone to 60% (or 100% in 30+ minutes).
software
This is the fifth Realme phone I’ve reviewed this year, and the operating system is the same as the GT Neo 3 I reviewed yesterday. At this point, the software experience is well documented and largely the same as ColorOS and OxygenOS.
I really like Realme UI, but I think it’s more because I’m familiar with it.
Like my previous review, there’s a lot of nasty bloatware installed, but most of it can be removed.
I’ve found that Realme does pretty well with regular updates, but long-term OS upgrades may not be as good as others.
Price and Alternatives
Realme GT NEO 3T £369.00 (8GB+128GB).
The older Realme GT NEO 2 is pretty much the same, but with slightly better camera specs and slower charging. It looks like this is no longer sold through official channels, but you can get it on Amazon for around £370. There’s no reason to buy the Neo 2 unless it’s significantly cheaper than the Neo 3T.
The 150W version of the Realme GT NEO 3 is priced at £599.99 (12GB+256GB). or, Real Me GT 2 At £500, if you want something better than the 3T, this is probably the best option.
The new OnePlus Nord 2T starts at £369. It has a better camera than the Neo 3T, but a smaller display, a slower refresh rate, and a less-than-great chipset.
This Real Me 9 Pro+ at a lower price point. Its main camera has the excellent Sony IMX766 sensor, but it has a smaller display and a slower MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset.
Likewise, you have Poco X4 Prowhich is a lower price point with a better camera but a less powerful chipset.
I haven’t used it, but based on the specs, the Motorola Edge 20 Pro might technically be a better phone. It’s a year old, but has the same chipset and a better camera. It charges slower, though, and has a smaller battery.
comprehensive
The Realme GT Neo 3T is a great phone at an attractive price, but it’s almost identical to the Realme GT Neo 2, only slightly tarnished.
Still, it’s a solid choice for a phone. It seems to fit the Realme lineup and the market as a whole, with little direct competition.
Both the Realme GT2 and GT Neo 3T are around £200 more than that, which puts them in a completely different price category.
There is also little competition from other brands. If you want a good camera, I’d say the Nord 2T is a better choice, and if you don’t mind a phone that’s been out for a year (and therefore won’t be updated for so long), the Edge 20 Pro is a better choice Good choice.
Last updated on June 9, 2022 / Affiliate Links / Image from Amazon Product Advertising API
