Realme launches its latest flagship, the X50 Pro 5G, in a new Rust Red color.
Érika García/CNET
Chinese phone-maker Realme just launched the Realme X50 5G Pro, its second 5G-capable phone in the last couple months. Earlier this year, in January, it launched the X50 5G. Realme made waves in 2019 when it launched a parade of low-priced handsets that were relatively high in quality. With the X50 5G and X50 5G Pro, it turns out the company is also targeting the premium end of the market. The new phones made their debut at simultaneous livestreamed events held in New Delhi and Madrid after the original event, scheduled for Mobile World Congress, was canceled due to the coronavirus.
The X50 Pro 5G showcases the Snapdragon 865 chip that we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S20, just one of its specs that you’d expect to see on a flagship phone. It also includes a rear quad-camera setup (led by Sony’s 62-megapixel sensor), a 90Hz refresh rate and super-fast charging capabilities that Realme says can fully charge the larger battery in just 35 minutes.
Weighing in at 207 grams, the X50 Pro 5G is on the heavier side of the weight spectrum for phones, though it can still be comfortably carried around in one hand. It’s a more powerful version of the Realme X50, which was launched in January, and both phones’ designs include a dual punch-hole display, two front-facing cameras and four cameras arranged vertically on the rear.
Although Realme isn’t breaking ground in terms of hardware, it does offer unique and refreshing colors. The X50 Pro 5G includes low-saturation color options it calls Rust Red and Moss Green for its latest flagship. The Shenzhen-based company has a track record of serving up smartphones with a quirky and envelope-pushing aesthetic, including devices inspired by vegetables such as onions and garlic, and construction materials such as concrete.
This is also Realme’s most expensive phone since it was founded in 2018. Although prices for some countries are in the process of being finalized, the base X50 Pro 5G model which comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage starts at 599 euros (approximately $650, £500 or AU$1,000), while the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version is priced at 799 euros.
Not unexpectedly, prices are lower in India, where the model of the X50 Pro 5G with the highest storage is available for 44,999 rupees (roughly $625). Realme says it will start selling in Europe in April. It’s unclear whether these phones will be available in the US in light of the ongoing trade war, though Realme has signaled interest in penetrating the American market.
Key specs
- Processor: Snapdragon 865
- Display: 6.44-inch AMOLED with a 20:9 aspect ratio
- Rear cameras: 64-megapixel main cam, 12-megapixel telephoto lens, 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, and black & white portrait mode quad camera setup
- Front cameras: Two selfie cameras: wide lens (32-megapixel Sony IMX 616 sensor) and 8-megapixel ultrawide lens
- Battery: 4,500-mAh dual cell battery with 65-watt fast charge
- Refresh rate: 90Hz
- RAM: 6GB, 8GB or 12GB
- Storage: 128GB or 256GB
- In-display fingerprint unlock
- Dual speakers
- No headphone jack