VP/Tech Review | realme C65: The Essential Phone for Champions

realme just launched the latest addition to the C-series— the realme C65. Packed with cutting-edge features, it promises to offer a quality champion experience.

This year, the brand aims to elevate its consumer experience through flawlessly intertwining cutting-edge features with captivating design. Continuing their commitment to redefining what entry-level phones can be, the realme C65 aims to be your gateway to an experience built for a champion.

So if you’re looking for an all-around phone without putting a hole in your pocket, this might be for you. Without further ado, let’s see if the realme C65 wins us over during our unboxing and review.

Unboxing

The realme C65 comes in realme’s iconic yellow box containing all the inclusions of this phone. The top part of the box satisfyingly slips off to reveal a small box that says Make it Real. This box contains the SIM ejector tool, the free plastic case, the quick guide booklet, and the warranty card.

Removing that box reveals the phone carefully wrapped in plastic. Under the phone lies the type C cable and the powerful 45W SUPERVOOC charging brick that fits in the crevices inside the box.

The unboxing experience provides a pleasant experience overall. In 2024, the free plastic case and the charger set are privileges you can’t turn a blind eye to.

Build and Display

The realme C65 comes in two colorways — Starlight black and Starlight Purple. The one on our hands sports the Starlight Purple variant that features a special finish inspired by the concept of starlight.

You won’t have trouble holding it as it is undeniably slim at 7.64mm and only weighs 185 grams. Designed with the right angle in mind, the boxy build of the phone allows it to stand on its own. There is a slight camera bump at the back, but it does not cause any shaking when laid flat.

Moreover, the phone features a 200% UltraBoom downward-firing speaker that produces a clear and punchy sound. Also at the bottom of the phone is the type C charging port and the audio jack for your charging and connectivity needs.

On the display, the phone features a 6.7” 90Hz HD+ Display that gives off a sleek and modern feel. The screen has vibrant colors that make consuming media even more pleasing to the eye.

Speaking of displays, the realme C65 has a TÜV Rheinland Certification for its Low Blue Light emission. This was given to the phone after a series of tests that determined its ability to reduce the blue light it produce.

Furthermore, the realme C65 has an IP54 dust and water resistance rating. This ensures durability to a certain extent against environmental conditions such as dust and water splashes.

Processor and Storage

In true champion fashion, a TÜV SÜD 48-Month Fluency Rating was given to the realme C65. This certification assures that the device can withstand rigorous tasks and maintain peak performance even under harsh conditions.

The phone comes with up to 16GB of RAM with up to 8GB of Dynamic RAM Expansion (DRE.) A feature that uses up to 8GB of internal storage as Virtual RAM whenever you need it. With the help of DRE, the phone can open and run apps faster without slowing down or even lagging. realme says it can even run 21 apps in the background and retain optimal performance.

Additionally, the phone packs a massive 256GB internal storage capable of storing thousands of media for you to consume.

Moreover, the realme C65 comes with the MediaTek Helio G85 providing optimal performance even at its entry-level price point. Based on our testing, the phone could run multiple apps without any performance issues. You’ll have no problem multitasking using this phone if you want to use it for work or at school.

Furthermore, the realme C65 has no problem catering to your casual gaming needs. Based on our testing, it could run Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Asphalt 8 smoothly even after hours of playthrough in its default setting.

Additionally, the phone runs using the realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14. This gives the phone a fresh look while maintaining the perfect balance between sleek and organized.

Real Essentials

Continuing their effort to give their consumers the quality champion experience, the realme C65 comes with the Real Essentials. A collection of hardware and software features built for a champion. Aside from innovating the entry-level market, these are quality-of-life improvements aiming to give their consumers a hassle-free experience while using the phone.

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Air Gestures – this feature uses the selfie camera to read hand gestures using AI algorithms to perform actions like swiping up and down.
Dynamic Button – open an app or an intended function by either double tapping or double pressing the power button.
Mini Capsule 2.0 – with an expanding animation, it utilizes the front camera’s punch hole at the top of the screen to show certain notifications and toggles.
Rainwater Smart Touch – maintains display accuracy and allows a proper register of clicks even when it’s wet.
Smart Code Scan – instantly detect and scan a QR code through a simple double-tap gesture at the back of the upper part of the phone.
Customized Lower Brightness – allows the display to dim by as low as 1 Nit for less strain on the eyes.
AI Boost – you can choose between Smooth Boost or Game Boost to enhance the phone’s productivity and performance depending on your needs.
Riding Mode – a dedicated app window where users can easily navigate between apps while riding in a vehicle.

While these features might seem niche, our testing showed that it significantly improves the realme C65 experience. Our favorites are the dynamic button and the AI Boost feature that highly improves the phone’s performance while multitasking or gaming.

Charging and Battery

The realme C65 comes with a 5000mAh battery that can last more than a day of casual use. A standout feature of this phone also comes from its 45W SUPERVOOC fast-charging capabilities.

Based on our testing, the phone can charge from 1% to 50% in just around 30 minutes. Furthermore, the phone reached 100% in one hour and 17 minutes true to the brand’s claim. The realme C65 also has intelligent charging algorithms to keep your battery safe and healthy even after 1,600 charging cycles.

Camera

Now in terms of cameras, the realme C65 comes with a 50MP main shooter and an 8MP front-facing camera.

The back camera takes vibrant photos, especially with great lighting or outdoors. Photos taken indoors show a bit of grain, but nothing too invasive and unbearable. It is more than you’d expect for phones at this price point.

It delivers in giving you true to life colors with minimal processing. The phone also does a good job of balancing the light in photos so you don’t have to worry about it too much when shooting.

For videos, the phone can record up to 1080p at 30fps. You can also customize the look of your photos and videos thanks to the features embedded inside the realme UI.

Overall Thoughts

The realme C65 is a solid option in the current entry-level market. In true realme C-series fashion, it proved to be a solid piece of tech for champions who want something that works.

At its core, the realme C65 is a well-rounded and reliable phone. Users can guarantee themselves a long-lasting battery, a decent viewing experience, and an overall improvement in quality of life. So, if you’re looking for the quality champion experience in a budget phone, the realme C65 might be for you.