Realme has rapidly grown as a flagship contender by offering premium specs at affordable price tags. The new GT Neo 5 now pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in its price range with a true flagship experience.

Design and Build Quality

With an elegant glass and plastic design, the GT Neo 5 cuts an attractive profile. Its curved edges make for a comfortable in-hand feel at just 199 grams despite a 6.7-inch display. Realme’s signature flat frame houses stereo speakers and RGB lighting on the back for additional flair.

Despite packing flagship-grade internals, the Neo 5 maintains a slim 8.9mm profile. It’s offered in three elegant colorways – Purple, Black, and White. Build quality feels case and confidence-inspiring for flagship standards.

Glorious 144Hz AMOLED Display

A true highlight is the gorgeous 6.7-inch AMOLED panel. With a towering 1400 nit peak brightness, images and HDR videos truly pop off the display. Its tall 20.9:9 aspect ratio also renders content immersively.

But what truly elevates the viewing experience is the buttery-smooth 144Hz refresh rate. Animations fly with fluidity rivaling the best displays. The FHD+ resolution also packs over 450PPI for crisp visuals. An under-display fingerprint sensor rounds off the all-screen front.

Lightning Fast Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Performance

Delivering flagship speeds is Qualcomm’s latest 4nm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. In benchmarks and real-world use, it breezes through resource-intensive tasks without breaking a sweat. The gameplay is buttery smooth even at max graphics.

Pairing the powerful S8+ Gen 1 is a generous 8/12/16GB RAM with 256GB UFS 3.1 storage for ultra-fast loading. With support for 5G and WiFi 6E, connectivity is equally future-proofed. Cooling is handled efficiently through a large vapor chamber.

Triple Rear Camera Prowess

Photography fans receive a versatile triple rear array. Headlining is a flagship-grade 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor capturing excellent detail. An 8MP ultrawide and 2MP microscope macro add more versatility.

Realme’s excellent camera software provides ample manual controls. 4K/60fps video is silky smooth with EIS stabilization too. Selfies look crisp from the 16MP front camera. In short, the GT Neo 5 aims to compete with the big camera guns.

Lightning Fast Charging

Keeping the power pack running long is a mammoth 5000mAh battery. But when it does run out, the GT Neo 5 supports a staggering 150W fast charging. Realme claims a full charge takes just 17 minutes – surely one of the fastest available.

Software Experience

Android 13 arrives out of the box under Realme’s intuitive Realme UI 4.0 skin. It offers seamless navigation and personalization galore. Realme also vows to provide timely updates keeping the Neo 5 feeling fresh for years to come.

Exceptional Value

At around $340, the GT Neo 5 is one of the most affordable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 options. It brazenly delivers a true flagship experience for hundreds less than competitors. Design, performance, display, software – there’s little to fault for the money on offer here.

Verdict

Realme has delivered the best value true flagship on the market with the impressive GT Neo 5. Enthusiasts demanding top-shelf specs need look no further for an incredible all-round package at a mid-range cost. It’s a gaming and multimedia powerhouse fitting of the GT lineage.