The much-anticipated realme C55 has finally landed in the Philippine archipelago. It’s the first of its kind Android smartphone to bring the iPhone-like Mini Capsule functionality. Can the realme C55 be a “just right” phone to those who have a “just right” amount of savings to spend?

My quick unboxing and hands-on with the phone might help you decide.

Usual unboxing

Like we all expected, the realme C55 comes in this usual, highly-energizing yellow packaging.

Lifting the box lid reveals us its packet of extras. Beneath it is where the phone rests.

Opening the “motivational” packet reveals the SIM tray ejector pin, usual paperwork (specifically user manual and warranty card)…

as well as the typical smoked jelly case.

The deeper level of the box is where we can find its 33W SuperVOOC charger…

and USB-C to USB-A cable.

Unfortunately, there are no free wired earphones unlike before.

Visually pleasing

At first glance, the realme C55 is visually pleasing on both sides.

It boasts a flashy back — at least with the colorway that I have.

It is a stunner compared to other boring-looking plastic afforda-phones.

On hand, it doesn’t feel very cheap.

It looks and feels solid. Moreover, it’s just 7.89mm thin.

And while we’re at the topic, the realme C55 has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for the phone’s security and biometrics.

On the flip side, it features a large 6.72-inch display perfect for users who always want a bigger screen for multimedia consumption.

It doesn’t stop there. There’s the oh-so-crispy and juicy Full HD+ IPS LCD screen that’s great for watching visually-magnetizing content.

The fast 90Hz refresh rate is also a great addition instead of the outdated 60Hz panel for slicker scrolling, swiping, and multitasking.

Dynamic Island ❎
Mini Capsule ✅

The main highlight of this phone is none other than its iPhone 14 Pro Max-like UI feature.

Dubbed as the “Mini Capsule”, it mimics iPhone’s Dynamic Island functionality even when the realme C55 doesn’t have face unlock sensors and only has a single punch-hole camera cutout on its massive display.

For now, it can only display charging, low battery, and data consumption alerts. So yeah, definitely not the iPhone 14 Pro Max “killer” you’re hoping for.

Modest performer

The realme C55 is equipped with MediaTek’s Helio G88 processor based on a 12nm process. You can choose between a 6GB or an 8GB memory.

Internal storage is limited to either 128GB or 256GB options but the additional microSDXC slot will be helpful not just for that extra storage, but also for offline backups.

For light to moderate tasks such as scrolling through social media, browsing the web, listening to music, or watching videos, it’s adequate.

But if you’re the type of user who frequently uses apps that need extensive CPU and GPU power, the realme C55 shouldn’t be on your radar.

I’m not saying games aren’t totally playable. It’s just that, you cannot truly enjoy any game just by choosing the lowest playable graphic setting.

Reliable power

With the 5000mAh battery capacity of the realme C55, it can last a whole day on moderate use — and more than that if it’s on longer stand-by hours.

But the lack of a beefy chipset means we can’t maximize the phone to its extremes.

Just in case you forgot to fully-charge your realme C55, it has a decently-fast 33W SuperVOOC charging.

It’s not the fastest but definitely a lot faster than the 25W charger of iPhones and Galaxys.

Essential camera

You read that right! The realme C55 only has ONE usable camera — its 64-megapixel AI-powered shooter. The other circle? Well, just a 2MP depth sensor.

With enough natural light, photos should look good — better than its competition even.

But if you’re a huge night mode user, photo quality is enough but expect nothing too grand.

Its camera UI displays “2x” and “5x” zoom options — even if it doesn’t include a dedicated zoom lens.

Surprisingly, they came out alright with fair exposure, sharpness, and contrast.

But with the absence of the “quintessential” ultra-wide camera, you have no choice but to back out more if you’re opting to shoot “wider than wide” photos — or just completely ditch the idea overall.

This also means you’ll miss the ongoing “Gen Z selfie” trend — a.k.a photos taken using the rear 0.5x ultra-wide angle camera. Not that it’s a huge dealbreaker but will probably be if a parent decides to buy his/her Gen Z child a realme C55.

Senseless sensor

As previously mentioned, that second camera bump houses the realme C55’s 2MP depth sensor.

It just felt like a waste of space because it’s very evident that its depth segmentation is a hit or miss when taking portrait mode shots.

Pleasing portraits

And while selfies are (and will always be) subjective, my selcas (or “self-capture” in the dictionary of any Korean/Koreaboo) show how they are naturally-looking and human-like — no unnecessary smoothening. smearing, and blatant whitewashing a la K-Pop idol.

Still, you can keep your selfies with beauty mode turned on with various levels of adjustments.

Is the realme C55 your BudgetMatch?

The realme C55 is available in two configurations: the 6GB + 128GB base model starts at just PhP 8,999 while the 8GB + 256GB variant retails for PhP 10,999.

Here are the perks when you pre-order the realme C55:

realme TikTok Shop (April 18, 7:30PM to 11:30PM)

• PhP 1,000 OFF for both variants
• 6GB+128GB variant: FREE realme Mobile Game Finger Sleeves for the first buyers
• 8GB+256GB variant: FREE realme Mobile Game Trigger for the first buyers

realme Lazada Flagship Store (April 19 to 21)

• Php 1,000 OFF Flash Sale Discount for both variants (limited quantities only)

realme E-store (April 19 to 25)

• 5% Upfront discount and FREE TechLife Power Bank (worth PhP 799) for both variants

If you’re looking for an affordable smartphone that has the “essentials”, the realme C55 should be in your list. Its cameras perform great albeit the lack of an extra ultra-wide camera might shoo away some of you. For gaming alone, you really have to look elsewhere.

It’s better as an all-around multimedia smartphone especially with its vibrant and fast display, wired earphones-friendly, plus that microSDXC expandability that even flagship smartphones fail to supply in this modern age.