Design and Build: A Surprising Premium Feel
Holding the Realme C65, the immediate impression often contradicts its budget-friendly nature. The device features a sleek, flat-edge design that echoes more expensive smartphones, ditching the slippery, curved plastic backs common in this segment. The back panel employs a glossy finish that surprisingly resists fingerprints reasonably well, and it’s available in several vibrant colors like Starlight Purple and Starry Black. The star of the rear design, however, is the large, circular camera module. It’s prominently raised but integrates seamlessly into the overall aesthetic, giving the phone a distinctive and modern look.
At 185 grams, the Realme C65 has a substantial, reassuring heft. The weight distribution is balanced, making it comfortable for one-handed use over extended periods. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner doubles as the power button and is perfectly positioned for quick and natural thumb or index finger recognition. It’s fast and accurate, a significant upgrade over slower rear-mounted sensors. The phone retains the beloved 3.5mm headphone jack and includes a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion, a crucial feature for users who consume a lot of media or take numerous photos. The build quality feels robust, with no noticeable creaking or flex, suggesting it can withstand the rigors of daily use.
Display: A Vivid Viewing Experience for the Price
The Realme C65 boasts a large 6.67-inch HD+ display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. This is a standout feature at this price point. While the resolution is 720p (1604 x 720 pixels) rather than 1080p, the pixel density is still adequate for everyday tasks like browsing social media, reading articles, and watching videos. The real game-changer is the 90Hz refresh rate. Scrolling through menus, web pages, and social media feeds is noticeably smoother and more fluid compared to standard 60Hz displays found on most competing devices. This single feature significantly elevates the user experience, making the phone feel faster and more responsive.
The panel is an IPS LCD, which means it doesn’t offer the deep blacks of an OLED, but it compensates with good brightness levels (up to 800 nits peak) that make it usable outdoors in direct sunlight. Colors are vibrant and viewing angles are wide, making it an excellent screen for consuming video content on platforms like YouTube and Netflix. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, offering a degree of scratch and drop resistance that is uncommon in entry-level phones. The inclusion of a 120Hz touch sampling rate further enhances the feeling of responsiveness, making light gaming and typing feel more immediate.
Performance and Software: Reliable Daily Driver
Under the hood, the Realme C65 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor. This is a capable chipset specifically designed for efficient performance and light gaming. Paired with up to 8GB of RAM (which can be virtually expanded further using storage space) and 256GB of internal storage, the phone handles everyday multitasking with ease. Apps launch quickly, and switching between them is generally seamless. The Helio G85, built on a 12nm process, strikes a good balance between power and battery efficiency.
For gaming, the Realme C65 can handle popular titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and Genshin Impact, though you will need to dial down the graphics settings to Medium or Low for a consistently smooth frame rate. Less demanding games like Asphalt 9 or PUBG Mobile run quite well. The software experience is governed by Realme UI 5.0, based on the latest Android 14. This is a significant advantage, as it brings modern features, the latest security patches, and a promise of future updates. Realme UI is known for being relatively clean and feature-rich without being overly bloated. It includes useful customization options, a system-wide dark mode, and intuitive gesture navigation. The software optimization ensures that the hardware resources are used effectively, contributing to a lag-free experience for standard use cases.
Camera: The 50MP Star Performer
The headline feature of the Realme C65 is its 50MP AI primary camera. This high-resolution sensor allows the phone to capture a surprising amount of detail in well-lit conditions. In daylight, photos exhibit good dynamic range, accurate colors, and sharpness. The camera software employs pixel-binning technology by default, combining data from four pixels into one to produce sharper, brighter 12.5MP images with reduced noise. You also have the option to shoot in full 50MP mode for capturing even more intricate details, useful for cropping into images later.
The secondary camera is a 0.08MP auxiliary lens, which is primarily used for depth sensing in portrait mode. The portrait mode works effectively, with decent edge detection that separates the subject from the background. Low-light photography is a challenge for any budget phone, but the Realme C65 holds its own. The Night Mode uses multi-frame processing to brighten shadows, reduce noise, and improve overall clarity. While it won’t rival mid-range devices, the results are perfectly shareable on social media. The 8MP front-facing camera housed in a small waterdrop notch is adequate for video calls and selfies.
On the video front, the phone can record up to 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second from both the front and rear cameras. Footage is stabilized electronically, which helps reduce shakiness for casual video recording. The camera app is straightforward, offering modes like Panorama, Time-Lapse, and a Pro mode for those who want manual control over settings like ISO and shutter speed.
Battery Life and Charging: All-Day Power and Beyond
The Realme C65 is equipped with a massive 5000mAh battery, which is the gold standard for long-lasting endurance. For the average user, this translates to easily a day and a half, if not two full days, of use on a single charge. This includes activities like browsing, social media, messaging, taking photos, and watching several hours of video. Even with the 90Hz refresh rate enabled, the phone will comfortably last a full day, thanks to the efficient Helio G85 chipset.
When it’s time to recharge, the phone supports 45W SuperVOOC fast charging. This is an exceptional feature in the entry-level segment, where 15W or 18W charging is still the norm. The included charger can refuel the large battery from 0 to 50% in just about 30 minutes, and a full charge takes roughly an hour. This rapid charging capability mitigates any anxiety about running out of power, as a short top-up can provide enough juice for many hours of use. The combination of a long-lasting battery and incredibly fast charging makes the Realme C65 an ideal device for heavy users and those who are constantly on the move.
Audio, Connectivity, and Overall Value
The audio experience is delivered through a single, bottom-firing speaker. It gets sufficiently loud for watching videos and taking calls but lacks bass and can be easily muffled when holding the phone in landscape mode. The saving grace is the presence of the 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing users to connect their favorite wired headphones for a superior, private listening experience. Connectivity options are comprehensive, including 4G LTE support, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS. Call quality is clear, and network reception is stable.
The Realme C65’s value proposition is undeniable. It targets a segment where compromises are expected, yet it manages to deliver a surprisingly premium design, a smooth 90Hz display, capable performance with modern software, and a competent 50MP main camera. The pièce de résistance is the 45W fast charging, a feature that dramatically improves practicality. While competitors might offer similar specs in one or two areas, the Realme C65 presents a well-rounded package that excels across the board, setting a new benchmark for what an affordable entry-level phone can be. It proves that a limited budget no longer means settling for a subpar user experience.