Every so often, a phone hits the market that makes me question why we’re still spending $1,000 or more on flagship devices, and this time it’s the Realme Neo 7’s turn to do the same.
Just launched in China, and priced at just under $400 (to import), the Realme Neo 7 might not be perfect, but it’s so close to flagship territory that it makes most competitors look overpriced (to say the least).
Almost 2x faster than Google’s latest $1,200 flagship for 1/3 of the price?
Performance is another area where the Realme Neo 7 seems to shine thanks to the last-gen Dimensity 9300+ chip, which will outperform phones like the Pixel 9 Pro XL, scoring a whopping 90% higher than Google’s Tensor G4 in Antutu and 60% higher in Geekbench. We’re talking about a $400 phone versus a $1,200 one. And who would need a more powerful chip than what’s already in the Realme Neo 7? Realme even gives you the latest and greatest UFS 4.0 storage with 12GB of RAM in the base variant, which puts performance on par with the likes of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12, which is… bananas.
Ooops… It’s more durable than your $1,300 Galaxy S24?
IP68 is so 2015, because IP69 is the new gold standard for smartphone durability now.As recently discussed in my stories about Xiaomi’s new Redmi Note 14 Pro+ and Redmi K80 flagship-killers, durability is an area where mid-range phones no longer compromise.
And the same is true of the Realme Neo 7, which gets the (now) standard IP69 dust/water resistance rating treatment, which almost all new Chinese phones that cost more than $300 seem to have now.
The Real-me superpower: 7,000 mAh battery + fast charging = a phone that can last twice as long in a day – or over 5 years
The Realme Neo 7 should be able to last two days on a single charge without any issues. Unless you’re a super-heavy user. Not Plus zied.
However, the most impressive “little” detail about the Realme Neo 7 is that it packs a 7,000 mAh battery – and that’s not a typo.
Chinese phones are already at least a year ahead when it comes to battery tech compared to the “big three”, and they are not afraid to flex their muscles on Apple, Samsung, and Google. As it should be.
Realme claims the 7,000 mAh Si/C battery (typing this still seems unreal!) lasts up to three days, and although my guess is you’d have to be a light user to get this result, I’m pretty sure the phone will comfortably last two days for most people. Which is crazy.
To help you put that into context, let me remind you that Samsung and Google’s $800 Galaxy S24 and Pixel 9 can hardly make it through a day of heavy use. In fact, even the class-leading iPhone 16 Pro Max will struggle to make it to two full days on a single charge.
Of course, such a monstrous battery needs fast charging, which tops out at 80W here – relatively conservative given the battery size, but still much faster than anything you’ll find on a mainstream “western” flagship.
I’ve spoken about that before, but a huge battery + fast charging equals a very underrated combination – it means you don’t even need to charge your phone to 100% for it to last a whole day, which ALSO means you’d be preserving your battery health over time, AND you won’t have to wait for a full charge in case you need to go.
It’s a game-changing hardware combination, which will take years before getting to Samsung, Google, and Apple flagships. And here is Realme giving it to us for less than $400. On a phone that doesn’t even compromise on (almost) anything else.
A $400 flagship without a flagship-grade camera? There’s an easy solution for what isn’t a problem for 90% of smartphone users
Who needs a flagship phone camera when you can get a real camera with the money you saved?
Speaking of compromise, the Realme Neo 7’s camera system is where the real(me) cost-cutting has taken place, and I’m not mad at that.
The 50MP primary camera has a relatively small 1/1.9-inch sensor, suggesting it won’t rival the best flagships, but I’m sure it’s going to be sufficient for 90% of the users shopping in the $400 price segment – people like my mum and my uncle.
Meanwhile, the 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera might look useless, but it makes the camera system more versatile, and I’m happy it’s there. I’m sure future iPhone SE 4 users will agree.
And what do most people use their phone cameras for anyway? Instagram and TikTok photos/videos don’t require a $1,200 camera phone – unless you’re a pro/semi-pro creator.
But if photography or videography is your passion, you could (and probably should) invest in a dedicated camera like the popular Sony ZV-1 (fixed lens option), Sony ZV-E10 (mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses), or something like a Osmo Pocket 3 (or even the DJI Osmo Action).
The best part is that if you were to buy any of the above-mentioned cameras and the Realme Neo 7, it’d still cost you less than buying a $1,200 flagship phone – which is going to take worse photos than Sony’s cameras, and less impressive videos than the Osmo Pocket 3. AND won’t be dead when your phone is dead – which it might just never be, because it has a 7,000 mAh battery.
Don’t sleep on the affordable Chinese phones disrupting the smartphone market (like never before)
Silicon-Carbon batteries have started a new revolution in the smartphone market. Apple, Samsung, and Google need to catch up ASAP.
At under $400 (to import), the Realme Neo 7 seems like a truly special phone thanks to the value it offers, but mostly thanks to the insane battery-charging experience, which might be unrivaled right now.
Of course, it’s also worth considering other Chinese flagship-killers I’ve written about – like the slightly cheaper Redmi Note 14 Pro+ or the Redmi K80, which comes very close to the Realme Neo 7 in terms of battery and performance.
And while it might be worth waiting for the usual suspects in this price segment – the upcoming iPhone SE 4, Galaxy A56, and Pixel 9a, I can tell you right now that they won’t match the Realme Neo 7’s combination of battery life, performance, and overall value.
For example, the iPhone SE 4 might offer similar performance thanks to Apple’s flagship A18 chip, its battery life, display, design, and charging speeds will be straight out of 2020. But it has iMessage, so who cares!
And while the Pixel 9a and Galaxy A56 might give you better cameras and class-leading AI (in the case of the Pixel), the rest of the hardware won’t be a match for the Realme Neo 7 – or any of Xiaomi’s recent flagship-killers.
The Realme Neo 7 is just another Chinese killer-offering, which highlights how overpriced some mainstream mid-range phones are by comparison, and that’s good to see.
At the same time, it raises the everlasting question of whether you need a “flagship phone”. Because it IS a flagship phone – only without a zoom camera and wireless charging. And did I mention it costs $400 to import? Or you can wait for the global version…