Just like the rains, I got an unexpected email from realme last week, asking if I was interested to review an upcoming phone. I had been mesmerized by my partner’s realme 6i which, incidentally comes in my favorite color—GreenTea.
I had been trying to convince him to just give it to me as it was the perfect phone and the namesake of this blog (just add the lemon).
So of course I immediately said yes, but little did I know that this one would turn the tables and it would be him begging me for the exchange.
The realme 6i had been a constant on my feed for the past month, as one of the brands best-selling phones, because of its almost flagship features but at a very accessible price.
The best part was that, I wasn’t just going to review the “usual” realme 6i variant. They told me that it was going to be a new colorway and a limited edition at that—Blue Soda. The name itself was enough to grab anyone’s interest.
I tried not to search for any leaks, so as not to ruin the surprise and when the package arrived, I ripped off the bubble wrap and in my excitement almost forgot to take photos of my unboxing. Thankfully my partner was there to restrain me a bit.
Eventually, after a few more agonizing minutes, it was time to take it out of the plastic, and it was gorgeous! Unlike the usual dark blue tones of other phones, this one was a very bright hue, and reminded me of the blue sky and the summer we never got to enjoy this year. Well at least I could reminisce all the past summers just by taking a look at this phone.
I believe that color affects our mood and the blue soda spells happy right away—something we all need this time.
So without futher gushings, here’s what I think of the realme 6i Blue Soda
Likes:
Nice screen
Great photos during daytime,
USB C and quick charging
Unique color and design
Selfies come out really nice
Made for gaming
Value for money
The bright blue color is perfect for Gen Z’s
Dislikes:
Easily gets dirty
More prone to smudges and scratches
Screen a bit difficult to see in bright sunlight
Night photos could be better
The realme 6i, the blue soda has a smooth shiny finish which takes inspiration from a beloved beverage- sweet and fizzy soda. It was designed by Master Industrial Designer Naoto Fukasawa. The genius behind Muji and has collaborations with Maruni and Issey Miyake.
Compared to the matte finish of the GreenTea variant, this has a glossy back which makes it more prone to fingerprints so I suggest you use the plastic case. I loved that realme includes a free case, however, I wished they made it a bit more clearer because the dark case somehow “kills” its bright blue color.
Compared to the matte finish of the GreenTea variant, this has a glossy back which makes it more prone to fingerprints so I suggest you use the plastic case. I loved that realme includes a free case, however, I wished they made it a bit more clearer because the dark case somehow “kills” its bright blue color.
Checking the other contents of the box, we have a, SIM Tray Ejector Pin, Warranty Card, Quick guide, Soft Gel Protector Case, 18W Quick Charger, USB Type-C Cable, Screen Protect Film- Pre installed.
I liked the “Welcome to the realme family” message as it feels like the company appreciates you choosing their smartphone. The preinstalled screen protector is another bonus especially since its hard to get one these days and ordering online will take some time.
I’ve been using it for the past week and here are some of our photo samples.
The 48MP AI camera is impressive especially when taking photos outdoors or when there’s enough lighting. The colors are not too saturated and look really good. I didn’t have to edit some of the photos I posted on Instagram.
I also liked the selfies, as the beauty mode isn’t too obvious unlike other phones.
My only problem, as I mentioned above is when you are taking photos outside, it’s a bit hard to see the screen under very bright sunlight.
I never really tried macro photography before, and the realme 6i introduced me to an entirely new way of taking close up photos.
macro shot
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| photo taken while driving along EDSA |
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| portrait |
Powering the real me 6i is a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC, I’m not much of a techy, but I did notice that everything runs smoothly on the realme 6i, I could open several apps, and switch between different ones without the system lagging or worse encountering any errors.
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| food shot |
As for the battery the 5000mAh is supposed to last you more than a day, which makes it perfect for gamers and those who can’t seem to put down their phones as soon as they start watching YouTube videos. Most of the ML gamers I know swore by its battery life.
And if you do get low battery, the realme 6i comes with an 18W quick charger so you don’t have to wait long before its fully charged again.
You get all these features at a price below P10k making it one of the best deals for those looking to buy a new phone but don’t want to break their budget.
Full specs:
REALME 6i SPECIFICATIONS
DISPLAY: 16.5cm (6.5”) Mini-Drop Fullscreen
Resolution: 1600*720 HD+ with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass
CPU: MediaTek Helio G80 SoC; Octa-core, Up to 2.05GHz
VARIANTS: 3GB RAM + 64GB storage
4GB RAM + 64GB storage
4GB RAM + 128GB storage
*Storage expandable up to 256GB
REAR CAMERA: 48MP AI Quad Camera (Normal + Wide-Angle + Macro + Portrait)
Main Camera: 48MP - 4 in 1 Pixels, 26mm, FOV 79°, f/1.8 Aperture,
Wide-Angle: 8MP; f/2.25 Aperture; FOV 119°
Macro: 2MP; f/2.4 Aperture, 4cm Focus Distance
Portrait:2MP; f/2.4 Aperture,
VIDEO up to 1080P/30fps Video Recording
FRONT CAMERA: 16M; f/2.0 Aperture; FOV 80°
Video: Up to1080P & 720P/30fps Video Recording
CONNECTIVITY: SIM Card Type: Dual nano-sim cards, MicroSD Expansion/Triple Slots
Wireless; Supports 2.4G Wi-Fi; Supports Bluetooth 5.0
BATTERY: 5000mAh 18W Quick Charge
USB Type-C port
COLOR: Blue Soda, White Milk, Green Tea Master Design Background
SIZE & WEIGHT: 164.4mm*75.4mm*9.0mm 199g
SYSTEM: realme UI based on Android 10
