Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, 12GB RAM, Iceberg VC cooling system, three useful cameras on the back and IP69
I’ll start from the end – a real flagship should be like realme GT 7 Pro . I was convinced of this after two weeks of use. The reason is not only the most productive hardware and advanced characteristics. The device is full of useful features in everyday life.
Technical specifications
- Screen: 6.78 inches, aspect ratio 20:9, AMOLED, 2780×1264 pixels, 450 PPI, frequency 120 Hz.
- Operating system: realme UI 6.0 based on Android 15.
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, 3 nm.
- CPU: Oryon Phoenix L (2 × 4.32 GHz) + Oryon Phoenix M (6 × 3.53 GHz).
- GPU: Adreno 830, 1.1 GHz.
- RAM: 12 GB.
- Memory: 256/512 GB.
- Main camera: triple, 50 MP (main, f/1.8, 24 mm, 1/1.45, PDAF, OIS) + (ultra-wide, f/2.2, 16 mm, 112˚, 1/4.0″) + 50 MP (telephoto, f/2.65, 73 mm, 1/1.95, PDAF).
- Front camera: 16 MP (f/2.45, 24 mm, 1/3.09″).
- Battery: 6500 mAh, 120 W charging, Power Delivery compatible.
- Dimensions: 162.45×76.89×8.55 mm, 222 grams.
- Slots: 2 nanoSIM.
- Communication: 5G, 4G+, Bluetooth 5.4, dual-band Wi-Fi 7, GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, NFC, USB OTG.
- Sensors: proximity, light, accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner in the screen.
Appearance and ergonomics
From the first acquaintance, the GT 7 Pro impressed me with the quality of workmanship. For its flagship, realme did not just take excellent materials, glass and metal, but also worked out the design. The idea of rounding the back glass and the display on all four sides had a positive effect on ergonomics. There are no direct transitions, so when gripping, nothing rests against the palm. And in practice, for its diagonal (6.78 inches) and dimensions (76.89 mm in width), the device turned out to be convenient.
There were no questions about wear resistance for two weeks either. The frame made of aircraft aluminum has a matte coating, which has proven itself very well and has remained without chips after minor bumps. The back glass is also in perfect order, but even if minor scratches appear over time, they will not be visible thanks to the successful pattern of brushed metal. Reliability is added by the top dust and moisture protection IP69. With it, you can also use the smartphone for underwater shooting.
The kit includes a black case made of thick silicone with a velvety coating. But you don’t want to put the gadget in it. And the screen has a film that is pleasant to the touch and quite durable, but not very easy to handle. Since the screen is rounded, the film has lifted on one side, causing an unsightly bubble to form. This is not a problem with the smartphone, but a feature of rounded screens.
Display and fingerprint scanner
The 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with 120 Hz showed its best side. Firstly, it looks great not only in terms of color rendering, but also due to the thinnest rounded frame. Secondly, it is perfectly readable in any conditions. However, comfort is much more important. Effective DC Dimming solves the problem of flickering in the entire brightness range, and the menu has an adaptive color temperature by sensor. That is, the display works great out of the box, and also allows you to adjust the characteristics to suit yourself.
The frame is thin and rounded, so all sensors are built directly into the display. The hole in the screen is only noticeable at an angle on a dark background, if you look closely.
One of the unique features of realme that I like is ProXDR. The option turns photos taken on a smartphone into UltraHDR content. That is, it increases the dynamic range of photos taken on a smartphone, making them more contrasty and detailed. The effect is achieved due to the highest local brightness of 6500 cd / m² and is available only in the standard gallery.
The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner showed itself to be excellent. The speed of optical under-screen fingerprint scanners was also excellent. Here the main feature is the ability to scan a finger even under water. Whereas the optical sensors of the previous generation are very picky about the cleanliness of the hand. And I really liked the lack of bright light during the scanning process, it became more convenient to work with the smartphone at night.
Cameras
For a flagship camera, a bundle of three modules with different focal lengths is important. And the realme GT 7 Pro has exactly three modules without “ballast” sensors.
Main: 24 mm, Sony IMX906, 50 MP, 1/1.56″, f/1.8 aperture, phase autofocus, optical stabilization.
Wide-angle: 16 mm, Sony IMX355, 8 MP, 1/4″, f/2.2 aperture, fixed focus.
Telephoto: 73 mm (3x zoom), Sony LYT-600, 50 MP, 1/1.95″, f/2.65 aperture, phase detection autofocus, optical stabilization.
The main camera copes with its task perfectly in any conditions. Photos are always balanced, and the speed of exposure metering and focusing allows you to shoot quickly and accurately.
Portrait mode has three focal lengths: 24mm (main camera), 49mm (2x zoom), and 73mm (telephoto).
Blur can be adjusted both during shooting and after the fact. The range is full: from strong blur at f/1.4 to sharp background at f/16.
The camera interface has buttons from the 0.6x wide-angle camera to 6x zoom. And the image is quite clear throughout the entire range, as the main camera and telephoto lens have a high resolution of 50 MP. The wide-angle camera is inherited from the realme GT 6, and it is simple for a flagship, as it has a low resolution of 8 MP and lacks autofocus. On the other hand, the optics are not bad, so in favorable conditions the quality of the pictures pleases.
The maximum zoom is 120x. Optical stabilization works during shooting, and software stabilizer helps to capture the image. The final result is more than well-developed considering the incredible zoom.
The camera supports Live Photos in a format compatible with Apple operating systems.
The standard gallery has an AI editor with four options: sharpening, blur removal, AI drawing, and removing unnecessary objects. Blur removal and sharpening are situational modes; you still have to manage to take shots with such defects. Therefore, below I will tell you more about the two remaining modes.
I liked the ability to remove people or unnecessary objects from a photo for the obvious result. The option works automatically: the processor itself finds people or selects an unnecessary object by tap, removes everything unnecessary and draws the missing image using a neural network. Due to this, geometry is also given well, look at a couple of processing examples below.
In the “Draw with AI” mode, you can schematically draw a missing object, and the neural network will add it to the photo with photorealism. Only 1 object is supported at a time, so the first time I drew a cloud, and the second time – the sun.
The 16 MP front camera with f/2.45 optics seems simple compared to the main ones. It has no autofocus and no ability to slightly expand the basic viewing angle (82.3 degrees) for group selfies. But there are beautifiers, portrait mode and the ability to illuminate the face with the screen in difficult conditions.
Software and performance
The smartphone combines the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite, made using a 3 nm process technology, with 12 GB of RAM and 256/512 GB of internal memory. This is probably the most powerful combination of all those available on the market.
To focus on performance, the GT 7 Pro has the so-called “GT Mode”. After activating it (via the curtain or in the battery settings), the throttling limit is shifted as high as possible to work with peak performance for a long time. And the Iceberg VC passive cooling system with an area of 11,480 mm² copes with heating! Most of the heat is distributed over the metal frame, while the back cover remains at a comfortable temperature even after an hour-long stress test. In normal mode, the algorithms find a compromise so that the case remains comfortably warm. This variability allows you to comfortably use the smartphone in everyday life and run any games without compromise.
I am more interested in everyday operation. And here the GT 7 Pro is extremely fast and stable. Animations in the interface work smoothly at 120 Hz, applications open faster than on other smartphones. And this is provided that the smartphone remains cool all the time without a hint of heating. There is a huge reserve of performance for years to come. We can make an unambiguous conclusion – Snapdragon 8 Elite turned out to be successful!
I think the responsiveness is largely due to the realme UI 6.0 shell based on Android 15. Its design is original, but at the same time in line with Google’s vision of interaction with the system.
And at the same time, everything is customized down to the smallest detail. For example, you can hide unnecessary icons (like NFC) from the status bar or change the shape of icons (one of the features of Material You from Google). This is a small part of the possibilities, in terms of customization, realme UI resembles advanced custom firmware. But with one remark, the native software works as stably as possible.
There is an IR transmitter for controlling the equipment, this is a signature feature of the GT series flagships from realme. I will also note the gorgeous stereo sound and high-quality vibration feedback. All small details are also worked out at a high level.
Autonomy and charging
The realme GT 7 Pro has a nearly record-breaking battery capacity among flagships, equal to 6500 mAh. This is the largest battery in a smartphone, made using silicon-carbon anode technology. And in practice, in everyday use mode (constant Internet, many notifications without games), the smartphone lasts 2 light days, and a little charge remains for the third. And in the Trashbox battery life test, it worked for almost 26 hours at a brightness of 200 cd / m², which is a record among the flagships in our rating.
Interestingly, upon reaching 1%, the smartphone closes all active applications and switches to super power saving mode. Thus, in an emergency, the device continues to work, makes calls and is able to open third-party applications. By the way, batteries with a silicon-carbon anode have a couple of advantages that help in emergency situations. Firstly, they work more stably at low voltage (at low charge), and secondly, they cope better with frost.
The 120W SuperVOOC charger provides a full charge in 37 minutes without heating up. The stock charger is bulky and has a full-size USB. And this is not a problem, since the GT 7 Pro is fully compatible with Power Delivery. For example, the smartphone takes full power from my 65W charger, marking the process as “ultra-fast” charging.
Review after two weeks of use
To say that the GT 7 Pro is an extremely advanced smartphone would be trivial, since this is the bare minimum for a flagship. The beauty of the new product is the huge number of useful options, which form the final impression. For example, which smartphone will offer the most top-end hardware, a case made of cool materials, impressive battery life or the ability to shoot underwater? These features are easy to find separately, and if you need everything together, then the realme GT 7 Pro will be almost the only available option. The only compromise I found was the lack of wireless charging, which is not needed by all users.
Pros:
- curved screen on four sides with a thin frame;
- IP69 dust and moisture protection and underwater shooting capability;
- ProXDR mode for viewing photos;
- The body is made of metal and glass.
You may not like:
- the cameras are excellent, but not the ultimate for a flagship.
- Some people might not find wireless charging enough.
