Realme 7 Pro review - One step forward, two steps back - Android

Design

The Realme 7 Pro, like the Realme 7, is a small step forward from the Realme 6 series — and that’s not a bad thing. The phone trades bling for simple sophistication and does a reasonably good job at it.

Starting off with the back, the Realme 7 Pro has a lot in common with the visual identity of the Realme 7. The split tone finish on the plastic back looks great and feels pretty sturdy too. The matte finish doesn’t attract too many fingerprints, but scuffs can be a bit hard to clean.

Good ergonomics are table stakes, and the Realme 7 Pro does well here. Over on the right, the power button is particularly clicky, while the split volume rocker on the left feels pretty good as well. I did, however, notice just a bit of wobble in the volume keys. Finally, along the bottom edge lies the USB-C port, as well as the headphone jack.

Construction is generally good, but there's a hint of wobble in the volume buttons.

The front of the Realme 7 Pro has seen significant changes compared to the outgoing Realme 6 Pro. To start with, the Full HD+ panel has now been switched out from an 6.6-inch IPS LCD display to a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED panel.

The panel looks excellent, though the default color tuning is set a bit too cool for my preference. As is usually the case, switching color profiles is a cinch and the Realme 7 Pro’s display exhibits excellent color reproduction with deep blacks and punchy colors. I found brightness levels to be more than adequate for outdoor use.

Realme has made some interesting compromises with the display on the Realme 7 Pro, however. For one, the switch from an IPS to AMOLED panel brings with it the loss of a high refresh rate option. I don’t personally mind it too much, but a 90Hz panel definitely adds to the experience, and this should factor in your purchasing decision. In addition, the phone switches out Gorilla Glass 5 for Gorilla Glass 3.

Finally, the camera cut-out at the top is much smaller this time around, but for an unfortunate reason. You see, Realme has dropped the rather good dual camera front-facing module and, instead, has settled for a single 32MP front-facing camera.

The Realme 7 Pro presents itself as a well put together piece of kit. I found the under-display fingerprint scanner to be particularly capable. Of course, there’s no IPS rating here. Overall though, the phone takes some good steps forward. The reduced weight and overall dimensions go a long way in improving daily usability. The polycarbonate build isn’t as luxurious as some of the othe