realme 7 Pro review: The new midrange charging king

After its successful launch of the C series, realme has just launched the new 7 series with the realme 7 and 7 Pro in the Philippines.

Proudly carrying the title as the fastest charging smartphone in the country, the realme 7 Pro comes as an offering to cater to the highly digital lifestyle that we are all slowly transitioning to these days.

We’ve had this phone for a while now and we’re ready to share our thoughts with you. This is our realme 7 Pro review based on real-world usage.

Design

For the 7 Pro’s back panel, realme went for a mirror-inspired look that’s accentuated by a split design with an anti-glare finish. This brings out a subdued sheen whenever light strikes it and the split pattern positively makes the rear more appealing.

We have the company’s branding slapped on one end and the quad-camera module together with its LED flash on the other.

There are two variants available for this model namely: Mirror Silver and Mirror Blue. Obviously, what we have here is the latter.

The power button sits on the right side while the volume buttons are on the opposite side. You also have the three-slot SIM tray lined up alongside with support for dual SIM cards and a microSD card that supports up to 256GB.

Down below, we see the 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port, and the speaker grille.

For security, the 7 Pro already uses an in-display fingerprint scanner instead of having it mounted on the side together with the power button.

realme is proud to have both the 7 and 7 Pro be the first smartphones in the world to receive TÜV Rheinland Smartphone Reliability Verification. This means these devices went through 22 major tests and 38 minor tests that cover many common usage scenarios of components reliability, among other things.

This simply means you’re sure that the phones can handle the beatings of daily usage.

Additionally, the company says the 7 Pro is dust and splash resistant using three-layer protection. Although, there have been no mentions of IP certification so it’s still best to be careful about getting it wet.

Display and Multimedia

Up front, we’re introduced to a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display. The use of AMOLED instead of an LCD screen promotes power efficiency and makes the use of an in-display fingerprint scanner easier.

The panel has a Full HD+ resolution with a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio which maximizes the screen real estate for streaming videos and playing games. And since it’s meant for users’ media consumption, it comes with dual stereo speakers using the grille at the bottom and the earpiece that doubles as a loudspeaker.

This provides a better auditory experience when you don’t have headphones around since you’ll hear more balanced audio unlike when only the bottom-firing speaker is present.

And when you plug in a pair of headphones, you can enjoy the sound technology of Dolby Atmos with Hi-Res certified audio.

We’ve been playing games and watching videos on the phone with both wired headphones and the wireless Buds Q and we can say that its customizable sound really helps make content consumption more enjoyable.

Cameras

For those who are starting with creating content online or if you simply enjoy shooting photos and videos, the 7 Pro’s camera department has your back.

As we’ve seen earlier, it carries a quad-camera setup headlined by Sony’s 64-megapixel wide camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, a 2-megapixel B&W portrait sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

During the time we’ve been using the phone, we were able to easily take photos of everyday things, and the cameras, with their varying specialties, made things a lot easier to make our shots look more than enough for social media uploads.

For normal snaps, the wide-angle camera maintained good clarity throughout as well as deliver punchy colors. For wide, open spaces, its ultra-wide lens shows more elements and squeezes them in the frame.

Macro shots also came in handy and showed details well under good lighting, and the portrait sensor does a great job of separating the subject from the background. It still hasn’t perfected getting the hair strands right but it has definitely been improved when compared to previous portrait features.

The rear cameras also support up to 4K video recording at 30fps and can shoot 1080p 120fps slow-mo videos. Video recording is supported by UIS and UIS Max video stabilization which, again, we loved during our time with the realme 6 Pro. Other video effects include Portrait Video and AI Color Portrait Video.

The front in-display camera is a small circular hole at the upper left side of the screen. It’s a 32-megapixel sensor so you still get good details whether you’re taking selfies or doing live streams. On top of those, stabilization for video selfies is also supported as well as a handful of filters and a beautification mode.

Performance

At the core of the realme 7 Pro is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G CPU that promotes power and efficiency. This means it’s built to take on medium to heavy tasks like gaming while keeping battery consumption on the down-low.

And speaking of gaming, we ran usual titles like Asphalt 9: Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Call of Duty: Mobile with very little to no lags. When it’s time for work, we used it for productivity apps as well as video calls and it was more than capable of those tasks.

Navigating the phone was pretty straightforward thanks to its realme UI based on Android 10. It brings an experience that’s close to stock Android and is fresh and intuitive in layout.

We’re also glad to report that the in-display fingerprint sensor unlocked the phone quickly with no fuss while the dual speakers were useful during times that we don’t have a pair of headphones lying around.

Battery

This is where realme prides itself the most. With its 65W SuperDart Charge technology, the company promises a charging time of its 4500mAh battery from 0-100% in just 34 minutes.

We’ve been looking forward to testing this out so as soon as the battery ran out, we grabbed its charger and recorded the time we started charging the 7 Pro. It took 40 minutes to fully charge the device which is six minutes over its claimed time. We emptied the battery again and did the same thing, and got 38 minutes of charging time.

It didn’t meet its claimed record during our tests but it’s still good to know that in that short amount of time, you’ll have a lot of power that can easily last you the entire day.

We even tried charging it for only seven minutes (while having a drawing contest) and got a significant amount of power in the device. That’s still impressive in our book, and easily our Creature Feature for this device.

Final Thoughts

The realme 7 Pro is indeed made for the demands of today’s work and play habits. It basically gives you a device equipped with really capable cameras for creating content and capturing everyday subjects, internals that can support both your working and gaming needs, and a premium-looking design that easily matches your own aesthetics.

On top of those, it’s been armed with a battery system that can last you a full day and easily tops up even with a short time of charging.

Priced at PhP 17,990, the realme 7 Pro is a device that can definitely keep up with you whether you’re doing the things you need to accomplish or simply kicking it back while streaming videos or playing games.

realme 7 Pro specs:

  • 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen
  • 2400 x 1080 resolution, 90.8% screen-to-body ratio
  • 64MP wide-angle, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP B&W portrait, 2MP macro cameras
  • 32MP in-display selfie camera
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB UFS 2.1 storage, expandable up to 256GB via microSD
  • 4500mAh battery
  • 65W SuperDart Charge via USB-C
  • realme UI based on Android 10
Search

Huawei FreeBuds 4i review: Charge less, listen more

05/12/2021

These days, there are just so many TWS devices to choose from. Ranging from expensive ones with extensive features to more wallet-friendly choices, wireless earbuds can already be regarded as a staple in a modern lifestyle. But, again, with so many choices out there, coming home to something familiar like the Huawei FreeBuds 4i shows that you can get a reliable device with advanced features all at a friendly price.

Now smaller, sleeker, and considered more powerful, what else does the Huawei FreeBuds 4i offer? Read on to find out.

Design

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i has undergone a semi-dramatic design overhaul when compared to its previous FreeBuds 3i. It ditches the old pill box-shaped design in favor of a smaller, more pocketable oval-shaped charging case. It’s not the most compact TWS charging case around but it can easily fit in your pants pocket or the palm of your hand.

The back of the case is rendered flat so it’s won’t wobble around when you put it down on a flat surface. There’s also a button on the right for manual pairing, an LED indicator up front, and the USB Type-C charging port at the bottom.

We’re still getting that high-gloss finish though which is very smooth to the touch and actually makes the device quite easy to clean. Our FreeBuds 4i comes in the Ceramic White color but there are two other colors available — Carbon Black and Red (Yes, it’s simply called Red)

As for the buds, they’re now shorter and smaller but seem just a tiny bit thicker. The design is also more rounded overall with a better fit for the ears thanks to the new ergonomic design. If you’re coming from the 3i or something similar, you’ll appreciate the shorter stems which help add a “barely-there” feel to the buds. It also feels less cramped in the ear and is easier to wear for longer periods of time.

Sound performance

Equipped with a 10mm driver, the FreeBuds 4i is an above-average performer in its price range and produces quality sound with a good balance of highs and lows. The improved earbud design and its silicone tips also provide a good seal in the ears that helped in improving overall sound. The lows have also been improved and are now much more present and alive while highs remain clear and balanced.

Don’t expect to crank up the volume to max, though, as you lose that balance as audio gets louder. At 80-100% volume, the bass will come up pretty thin while the highs can become just a bit overpowering. Though, in truth, this shouldn’t be a problem because it’s not healthy to max out the volume when listening on earphones in the first place.

Operating the FreeBuds 4i is easy thanks to the touch-capacitive sensors found on both buds. Much like the 3i, you’ll be able to customize what taps on the earbuds do. Actions are limited to double taps and tap and hold for each earbud, though.

In terms of controls, I’m still looking for a bit more flexibility. I personally find having just double taps and tap and hold quite limiting and had me reaching for my phone at times to take full control of the device.

In terms of latency, the FreeBuds 4i claims to have a minimal amount so you can enjoy content seamlessly. For playing music, taking calls, or playing games, I didn’t experience any lag to the point of inconvenience. The only time it became noticeable was when I started playing resource-heavy games like Genshin Impact. Audio would sometimes come about half a second late which wasn’t the best when watching cut scenes or cinematics. It didn’t happen often, though, so it’s forgivable.

ANC and Awareness mode

Back on the FreeBuds 4i are the Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) and Awareness modes. Huawei has been providing consistently good active noise cancelation across all its TWS devices so far and the FreeBuds 4i is no exception. The ANC on the 3i seems to perform better though but both still perform more than acceptable, more so in this price range.

You’re not getting pro-grade cancelation but it is enough to drown out surrounding noises. I was even able to drown out the noise of a TV playing music nearby. I could still hear it at a minimal volume but once I started playing music, I could barely hear it anymore.

As for Awareness mode, it’s a convenient feature to have and performs just as it should. The buds were able to take in the surrounding sound and feed it to my ears quite clearly. Even with the buds on, I was comfortably able to talk to others and could hear what was happening in the room thanks to the dual mics that can recognize and enhance voices. Though, of course, once you play music or any other audio, the surrounding noises become less audible.

While you can use the FreeBuds 4i straight out of the box, I would highly suggest downloading Huawei’s AI Life app to really get the most out of the device. It’s a great way to access all of the features without needing to touch the buds. You’ll also be able to monitor your battery life better and customize your taps.

Overall, the FreeBuds 4i show enough improvement to warrant an upgrade from past models. You’ve got better sound quality, overall, and have access to easy-to-use features that are really convenient.

Battery

Huawei claims that the FreeBuds 4i can last up to 10 hours of playback with ANC disabled and up to 7.5 hours with ANC enabled. I wore the FreeBuds for one whole working day, about 8 hours, and the FreeBuds 4i lasted with a little extra juice to spare. The battery life is very impressive, no doubt about it.

You can even get more life out of your buds with the charging case. We were about to get about 3 more charges from the case before it ran dry.

A 30-minute charge of the case with the buds in them resulted in 55% battery for the earbuds while the case was at 25%. It took about an hour to charge the case to full. Huawei says that even a mere 10-minute charge should be able to provide up to 4 hours of playback.

Creature Feature

In our reviews, The Modern Creatures aims to find special features in devices that make them worth having. For the Huawei FreeBuds 4i, it would have to be its battery life.

If you’re the type of person who appreciates not having to charge the whole day, then the Huawei FreeBuds 4i is just for you. Its long-lasting battery made me realize the luxury of not having to constantly charge your device and I really liked it.

And even if I was caught in a situation where the buds ran out of battery, I could take a break, leave them in the case to charge and they’d be ready again by the time I’d get back.

Final thoughts

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i offer the same reliable and quality performance the line has come to be known for. Not only are you getting good performing ANC on an affordable device but also good battery life to support it. Narrowing things down, if you value quality, balanced sound, and dependable features at a very good price, the Huawei FreeBuds 4i is something really worth considering.

The Huawei FreeBudss 4i is currently priced at PhP 3,599. There’s an ongoing promotion as well over at the official Huawei store where you can get a free thermos for every purchase or go for the bundle that includes a Huawei Band 4e. It’s also available at Huawei’s official stores on Lazada and Shopee.

REVIEWS