realme C67 Review | Geek Lifestyle

We’re barely into the second month of 2024, but realme just refuses to slow things down. After the release of the Note 50 just a week ago, we’re saying hello to their first budget badass of the year, the realme C67. The brand’s C series has always focused on offering reliable devices for an affordable price. Usually, we’d get the essential features along with perhaps a few premium bells and whistles to justify the price. However, this time might be a bit different.

We have a spot spot for realme’s C series. For the longest time, sans the Narzo series of yore, it’s been the go-to smartphone series for those who want that smooth realme experience without breaking the bank. While it occupies a lower spot on the brand’s totem pole, it by no means shirks its responsibilities in terms of reliability. Sure, you may not get the premiere features of its higher tier models, but you still receive some quality tech that has its own particular strengths in terms of being a daily driver. However, the realme C67 quite cheekily straddles the line between budget phone and lower midranger with a few nice tricks up its sleeve.

Check out our unboxing of the realme C67

Reinvigorated by a capable Snapdragon chipset, a sweet 108MP camera, and a few features you won’t even find on some flagships, the realme C67 comes out swinging in all its budget-friendly glory. It’s the perfect follow-up to the introduction to their “absolute” budget series, and given how users will have more affordable smartphones to go around, we’re happy to enjoy the abundance in this particular selection. We gave the C67 a spin, had a good amount of fun, and crafted a review so you might consider picking up this cool, budgetarian bad boy.

Geeksthetic

Make no mistake, this is one gorgeous-looking phone–as expected from realme. Rocking the Sunny Oasis colorway, our unit just basks in its sweet aesthetics with a sleek, semi-holographic finish. Right out of the box, you’ll find yourself twisting and turning the phone in your hand. Is it blue? Is it green? Is it yellow? I don’t know, you tell me. This particular design is inspired by the concept of nature, and it absolutely shows.

In terms of weight and girth, you’ll find that it satisfies in that department. Coming in a generous 7.59mm, while only weighing 185 grams, it’s handy enough to just whip out and flaunt–or of course, use to your heart’s delight. While we wouldn’t recommend that you go swimming or sand-surfing with it, the additional IP54 dust and water resistance is something nice to have. Sexy and sturdy would be a good way to describe it. To the sides and back, you get the usual ports and pressable buttons–one of which serves as a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. We also get a 3.5mm headphone jack, which, in our opinion, still has a place in this day and age. Aside from some very nice stereo speakers, we also get a triple card SIM Tray for added connectivity and additional storage.

All this, sandwiched between a nicely arranged camera setup and a large display which we’ll be talking about more later, you do get a great-looking phone all around. Realme’s C series, by no means, was an unappealing lineup. However, the C67 definitely stands out among its older siblings. Is it a “youth” thing? Probably. We love it, though.

Binge-Watching Factor

A good phone needs a good display, and the realme C67 makes sure to make good on this certain rule of thumb. It packs a 6.7” 90Hz FHD+ display that project your games smoothly, and stream your videos up to 1080p. Sure, we’re not getting that mind-blowing 4K experience, but it’s sufficient in delivering a decent viewing experience. That very same display’s FHD+ resolution at 1080×2400 delivers some vibrant colors that pop out, even if you’re simply going through your shelf of apps. It’s also nice to see that the “chins” on budget phones gets smaller each year, as the display also has thinner bezels compared to its predecessors, delivering a 91.4% screen-to-body ratio.

As for what to watch, just choose your pick. Whether it be good ol’ Youtube or the streaming platform of your choice, you’re getting that enjoyable viewing experience. The picture pop, the video doesn’t pixelate, and you’re able to partake in your daily K-pop and anime fixes without any hassle. For a budget smartphone, the dual-stereo speakers are definitely a godsend, providing loud and clear audio, even if you crank the dial to maximum. As for those who enjoy their content in pitch darkness, worry not for you go as high as 900 nits if you so desire. Not exactly a visual solar flare, but powerful enough to keep you awake.

The C67’s display may not be the phone’s crowning glory, but it still offers a decent experience for a budget phone. Again, good phone–good display.

Gaming Prowess

Hello, gamer friends on a budget. Your 2024 prayers have been answered. In this day and age, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any smartphone that can’t run either Mobile Legends or COD: Mobile–arguably the wombo combo of modern mobile gaming. Long story short, if you’re into competitive mobile games and less graphically demanding titles, you can skip this because yes, it will run and it will run at max settings without a hitch.

That being said, if you’re a connoisseur who enjoys the aesthetics and gameplay of the gacha variety, you’ll still be pleased to know that you can play the popular Hoyoverse titles. Thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 685, you get just enough power to run those high-end titles from dusk til dawn. It also helps that we get that nice expandable 8 GB of RAM to push the gaming capabilities even further. For Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail you can simply install, and immediately go wall-to-wall with some decent settings. No need to crank things low, as one would expect. It’s still important to tweak those settings just a little bit to suit your tastes. It also helps that the C67 can have up to 256GB worth of storage (expandable to 2TB) to ensure that you can probably play these Hoyoverse games til their stories conclude. Long-time fans know what I’m talking about.

It’s safe to say that the realme C67 will be able to run any non-AAA title for the next decade, and we’re glad that one doesn’t have to compromise their leisurely activities for a good daily driver.

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

Now, for the realme C67’s star of the show. Yes, we always say that during our reviews, so bear with us. We’re serious, though. The C67 sports a 108MP 3x in-sensor zoom
camera that was previously a highlight in their numbered series. This essentially gives the C67 the capability to go toe-to-toe with smartphones one weight class above, at least in the photography department.

Now, more megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean more quality in photos. That being said, the C67 makes sure to add a few features to guarantee a better shooting experience. The camera’s HM6 Sensor is big enough for great light intake and the main shooter captures 12MP shots when using the standard photo mode. The 3x In-Sensor Zoom provides lossless quality for both normal shot and Portrait Mode. Yes, you get clear portrait shots with some nice, not-so-aggressive bokeh. However, cranking it up to 5X still provides decent shots, but a bit of noise–especially under dimmer settings. Then again, low-light photography is the bane of any non-flagship phone’s existence, so we curbed our expectations here.

: X1 Zoom

: X3 Zoom

: X5 Zoom

: Portrait Shot

: Portrait Shot X3

The hardware is maximized to take high quality full 108MP Resolution photos with its dedicated “108MP Mode” You get the full 108 when you switch on “Hi-Res” mode in the camera app’s user interface. This essentially gives you a clear, detailed image that you can crop as you wish. Take note that this will eat up your memory storage like crazy. As for additional features, you get the very cool street mode that allows you to shoot with a more professional attitude. It’s also worth noting that the C67 comes with some nice and steady EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) that helps out with those slightly shaky hands.

: Night Mode

: Night Mode X3

: Night Mode X5

As for selfies and video, you still get some decent output. The front-facing camera has an 8MP lens that gets you some nice shots under decent lighting. We truly appreciate how optimized the portrait AI has become in terms of providing good bokeh effects. You can also shoot video up to 1080p at 30fps for both front and rear cameras.

: Normal Selfie

: Portrait Selfie

The 108MP shooting capability is definitely a nice feature to make an appearance in the C series. For those who wish to step up their photography on a budget, it’s a great way to get started. However, those who care less about this aspect, or simply wish to save up on internal phone memory, the default shooter provides great photos as is.

Everyday Reliability

While the camera was the fabulous highlight, the C67’s quality-of-life features are its backbone. A brand would be remiss in offering an affordable smartphone that falls off as a daily driver. So far, realme has yet to make this mistake. The realme C67 can run with the best of its brethren–and arguable even longer, with its very beefy 5,000 mAh battery coupled with some 33W SUPERVOOC charging. Not only do you get more than a day’s worth of battery, but you can also top your phone up from 0% to 50% in just around 26 minutes–and 0% to 100% less than an hour and a half.

: Long press on capsule

: Swipe right or left to switch tracks

Now, on the topic of charging, you’ll see just how much time you need–courtesy of the realme C67’s Mini Capsule 2.0. Prior to this, this feature was relegated to charging and charging alone. It was nice to have on the Note 50 and C55, but it was mostly cosmetic; given how it was only found on flagship devices. Things are a tad different this time, as the 2.0 version now has a few more capabilites. Now, it activates once you start playing or streaming music, and allows you to switch tracks on the fly. It also displays weather and event notifications plus a nice step tracker for those who are constantly on the go. While it isn’t game-changing, it’s really nice to see this feature on a C series phone.

With some nice and sturdy Real Quality, you’re guaranteed that this phone won’t crumble under pressure–as we usually would. In terms of getting down to business, realme’s UI U Edition coupled with Android 14 makes those daily tasks followed by much-needed recreation a breeze. If you were still wondering if the C67 could keep up on the daily, you need not wonder any longer.

Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict

The realme C67 came as a pleasant follow-up surprise in the brand’s first quarter lineup. As a successor to last year’s C series iterations, it goes above and beyond in providing a midrange-esque experience without the need to spend extra. It’s stylish, it’s sturdy, and it’s still in the running towards becoming 2024’s best top affordable smartphone. Blurring the lines between two budget categories through capable hardware, smooth software, and some nice quality-of-life features makes the realme C67 a smartphone to consider for your shopping cart. We want more of this.

The realme C67 will be getting a sweet early bird checkout price of only PHP 7,699 and PHP 8,699 for its 8GB+256GB counterpart. You can avail of these discounts via the realme official TikTok Shop from February 1-7, and Lazada and Shopee from February 2-7, both starting at 7:30PM.

Offline pre-orders give buyers a free TechLife Flask 32oz worth PHP699 when you claim your unit from February 9 to 18 while supplies last. You can also get PHP 200 OFF on TechLife Wireless Earbuds. Participating realme stores will run a special Dice Game Promo from February 9-11 where lucky winners can score a variety of prizes, including a TechLife 10-Blade Remote Control Electric Fan, a TechLife Handheld Fan 2, or a TechLife Extension Cord with 3 USB Outlets. As for Home Credit users, you can avail of the realme C67 for 0% up to 18 months from February 7-29.

The realme C67 will be officially priced at PHP 9,999 for 8GB+128GB, and PHP 10,999 for 8GB+256GB.

More info, you can check realme’s official Facebook page and website.