Realme introduces a 25MP selfie-centric smartphone powered by MediaTek

Oppo’s sub-brand, Realme, has just announced a new affordable smartphone that’s big on selfies. It has a high resolution 25MP front camera and it’s also the world’s first smartphone to run on MediaTek’s new P70 processor.  

The device looks identical to its current Realme 2 Pro and it even retains a similar 6.3″ Full HD+ IPS display that comes with a waterdrop notch. Under the hood, the U1 is powered by a 12nm MediaTek P70 processor that consists of 4x Cortex-A73 high-performance cores and 4x Cortex-A53 high-efficiency cores.

The device comes in either 3GB RAM + 32GB storage or 4GB RAM + 64GB of storage. As usual, you can expand storage with its dedicated microSD slot. 

In terms of imaging, the Realme U1 has the highest resolution selfie camera in the family with a 25MP f/2.0 shooter that uses Sony’s IMX576 sensor. For greater clarity, the selfie camera supports 4-in-1 pixel binning that gives you a larger 1.8 micron pixel size. On top of that, it also features AI beautification features along with Hybrid HDR for the front camera. 

The back of the Realme U1 comes with a 13MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 dual-camera setup that offers portrait mode with portrait lighting. Like the Realme 2 Pro, the U1 also comes with a 3,500mAh battery that charges via microUSB. Out of the box, it runs on ColorOS 5.2 that’s layered on top of  Android 8.1 Oreo. 

In India, the Realme U1 with 3GB RAM + 32GB storage is priced at 11,999INR (about RM719) while the higher spec 4GB RAM + 64GB storage version is going for 14,499INR (about RM868). 

Apart from the phone, Realme has also announced a special case that comes with a clear back logo. In India, the Realme U1 Iconic case is going for 499INR (about RM29.90). 

On top of that, they have also introduced the Realme Buds earphones that also costs 499INR (about RM29.90). It’s a pair of wired in-ear headphones that promises to offer louder bass and the cable uses kevlar fibre for greater durability. The earbuds can attach to each other via magnets and you also get a triple-button controller with a mic to manage your media playback. 

The Realme U1 will go on sale in India starting 5 December 2018. At the moment, there are no details on the device’s availability and pricing for the Malaysian market.