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Camera
Realme was first to bring a 64MP camera to the market earlier this year. With the Realme X2, it feels like a slightly more responsive package with output and speed improvements across the boards. As for specifications, we are looking at a 64MP f/1.7 primary camera with a Samsung sensor, followed by an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro shooter, and a depth sensor. On paper, these specifications are identical to the Realme XT. Still, it gains new abilities such as improved slow-motion video capture, video recording with the ultra-wide camera, ultra-steady video capture, etc.
The primary camera is one of the best we’ve seen in this segment, with vibrant colors, punchy contrast, and no shutter lag. The dynamic range is also on the higher side. There's a Chroma Boost option that pushes the saturation higher to create a more shareable picture, albeit inaccurate. The 64MP image capture does add a lot of detail and is significantly faster to process than the earlier iterations.
The 8MP ultra-wide shooter has a 117-degree field-of-view and has a fair bit of color parity with the primary camera. However, contrast and color temperature do often take a bit. For its primary function of full photography, the camera is more than adequate. Barrel distortion along the edges is also pretty minimal.
The night mode results aren't as prominent as one would expect, because it doesn't really kick in unless the frame is pretty dark. In other instances, we're looking at results just slightly better exposed than the Auto mode. In extreme conditions, the Realme X2 was able to give results that were close to what we saw, which is impressive.
All in all, the Realme X2 provided a very reliable camera performance, which is not very common in this segment. You will not be disappointed, regardless of whether you want social media-ready pics or editing leg space.
Verdict
The Realme X2 is a pretty easy recommendation for us. It retains all the great stuff from the Realme XT, such as a beautiful display, premium design, reliable cameras, and a battery and charging combo like no other. There are barely any weak points that stuck out to us in our testing, which is a commendable feat in this price segment.
The only real competition is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, which has very few differences with the Realme X2 and can go neck-and-neck in most aspects. You will be satisfied with either of the two.
Having said that, we do need to mention that the budget smartphone segment of India sees new players by the month. So, if you can wait, wait as long as you can, as you are pretty much guaranteed to have better options in the future. As of press time, the Poco X2 and the Realme X50 seem promising upcoming alternatives.
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