The Realme P3 Pro 5G, launched on February 18, 2025, in India, marks a significant evolution in Realme’s P-series, a lineup designed to deliver high performance at an affordable price. Priced starting at ₹23,999 (approximately $290 USD), this smartphone positions itself as a premium mid-range contender, targeting tech-savvy users—such as gamers, students, and young professionals—who seek a blend of cutting-edge features, robust battery life, and 5G connectivity without breaking the bank. Realme has carved a niche in the competitive mid-range market by offering devices that punch above their weight, and the P3 Pro 5G aims to solidify this reputation with its Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a 6,000mAh battery, and a glow-in-the-dark design.
The anticipation surrounding the Realme P3 Pro 5G was palpable in early 2025. Following the success of the P2 Pro in 2024, Realme teased the P3 series with promises of “next-level performance” and a segment-first Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, igniting excitement across tech forums and social media. Unveiled alongside the Realme P3x 5G, the P3 Pro stood out with its premium quad-curved display, enhanced durability, and a design inspired by cosmic phenomena. As a device tailored for India’s youth, it blends style with substance, aiming to dominate the sub-₹25,000 segment. This review explores every facet of the Realme P3 Pro 5G, assessing whether it delivers on its bold claims and offers true value for its target audience.
Design and Build Quality
Materials and Construction
The Realme P3 Pro 5G showcases a thoughtful design that balances aesthetics, durability, and cost-efficiency. It features a glass front, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, paired with an aluminum alloy frame and a back panel that varies by variant. The Nebula Glow and Galaxy Purple options sport a plastic back with a “Nebula Design” featuring celluloid texture and luminous color-changing fibers, while the Saturn Brown variant uses an eco-leather finish for a premium tactile experience. The glass front offers a sleek, modern look with decent scratch resistance, while the aluminum frame adds structural integrity and a subtle metallic sheen. The eco-leather back on Saturn Brown resists fingerprints and provides a soft grip, contrasting with the glossy, light-absorbing plastic of the other variants.
The Nebula Design, inspired by cosmic nebulas and ultraviolet light interactions, absorbs ambient light during the day and emits a soft green glow in the dark—a segment-first feature that adds a futuristic flair. While the plastic back lacks the premium heft of full-glass designs, the build quality remains robust, with no flex or creaks under pressure, reflecting Realme’s attention to assembly precision.
Dimensions, Weight, and Ergonomics
Measuring 163.5 x 77.3 x 8 mm (8.3 mm for the eco-leather variant) and weighing 190 grams (192 grams for eco-leather), the Realme P3 Pro 5G strikes a balance between screen size and portability. Its 8 mm thickness accommodates a massive battery while maintaining a slim profile, making it easy to carry in pockets or bags. At 190 grams, it’s lighter than many competitors with similar specs, reducing fatigue during extended use—whether gaming, streaming, or browsing.
Ergonomically, the quad-curved design softens the edges, enhancing grip and minimizing accidental touches. The 89.7% screen-to-body ratio, achieved with slim bezels, adds a premium feel, while the flat frame ensures stability on surfaces. The power button (with an under-display fingerprint sensor) sits on the right, with volume rockers on the left, both offering satisfying tactile feedback. The bottom houses a USB-C port, speaker grille, and SIM tray, maintaining a clean, functional layout.
IP68/IP69 Ratings and MIL-STD-810H Compliance
The Realme P3 Pro 5G boasts IP68 and IP69 ratings, ensuring top-tier dust and water resistance. IP68 allows submersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, while IP69 protects against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets—features rare in this price range. Additionally, MIL-STD-810H compliance certifies ruggedness against drops, shocks, and extreme conditions, making it ideal for users in harsh environments or those prone to mishandling. While Realme cautions that resistance may degrade over time, these certifications significantly enhance durability.
Color Options
Available in Nebula Glow, Galaxy Purple, and Saturn Brown, the P3 Pro 5G caters to varied tastes. Nebula Glow, with its glow-in-the-dark feature, appeals to trendsetters. Galaxy Purple offers a vibrant, glossy finish, while Saturn Brown’s eco-leather exudes understated elegance. Each variant enhances the phone’s visual appeal, blending practicality with personality.
The design is a standout—its durability, unique aesthetics, and ergonomic build make it a compelling choice in the mid-range segment, despite the plastic back’s less premium feel.
Display
Screen Specifications
The Realme P3 Pro 5G features a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution of 1272 x 2800 pixels, delivering a pixel density of ~450 ppi. This resolution offers crisp visuals, surpassing Full HD+ panels common in this segment, with text and images appearing sharp and detailed. The 20:9 aspect ratio enhances immersion, ideal for media and gaming, while the 89.7% screen-to-body ratio minimizes bezels for a near-edge-to-edge experience.
120Hz Refresh Rate Impact
The 120Hz refresh rate ensures fluid scrolling and animations, elevating the user experience over 60Hz displays. While not adaptive, it offers fixed 60Hz or 120Hz modes, balancing smoothness with battery life. In gaming, titles like BGMI (supporting 90fps) feel responsive, aided by a 240Hz touch sampling rate, though the full 120Hz shines in UI navigation and casual swipes. This smoothness adds a premium touch to daily use.
HDR Support and Brightness
HDR support enhances contrast and color depth, with the AMOLED panel delivering true blacks and vibrant hues for compatible content. Peak brightness reaches 1,500 nits (600 nits typical), ensuring readability in bright conditions, though it trails flagships exceeding 2,000 nits. The 3840Hz PWM dimming reduces flicker, easing eye strain, while 100% DCI-P3 color gamut ensures rich visuals.
Viewing Experience
The quad-curved edges and Gorilla Glass 7i protection enhance durability and immersion, with excellent viewing angles and minimal color shift. Sunlight legibility is strong, though reflections on the glossy screen can be a minor issue.
The display is a highlight—its size, quality, and smoothness make it a top contender in its class, despite lacking adaptive refresh technology.
Performance
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 Chipset
Powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a 4nm chipset, the P3 Pro 5G offers efficiency and mid-range prowess. Its octa-core CPU includes one Cortex-A720 core at 2.5 GHz, three at 2.4 GHz, and four Cortex-A520 cores at 1.8 GHz, paired with an Adreno 710 GPU. The 4nm process reduces heat and power consumption, delivering an AnTuTu score of ~826,979—impressive for its segment.
CPU and GPU Performance
Daily tasks—browsing, streaming, and app launches—are swift, with the 120Hz display amplifying responsiveness. Multitasking is robust, especially on the 12GB variant, while the 8GB model handles moderate loads well. Gaming shines with BGMI at 90fps on medium settings, though Genshin Impact requires low settings for stability. The 6,050mm² VC cooling system mitigates heat, though prolonged gaming may warm the device slightly.
RAM and Storage Options
Available in 8GB or 12GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, the P3 Pro 5G caters to different needs. The 12GB variant, with up to 14GB virtual RAM, excels in multitasking, while the absence of a microSD slot limits expandability—a drawback for media-heavy users.
Real-World Performance
In practice, the P3 Pro 5G delivers a snappy, reliable experience, excelling in mid-tier gaming and daily use. It’s not a flagship rival but offers exceptional value for its price.
Software Experience
Operating System and UI
Running Android 15 with Realme UI 6.0, the P3 Pro 5G offers a vibrant, feature-rich interface. Realme UI 6.0 refines animations, expands notifications, and integrates NEXT AI features like AI Writer and Circle to Search, enhancing usability. It’s cleaner than past iterations, though some bloatware persists.
Unique Features
AI enhancements—AI Ultra Clarity 2.0, AI Snap Mode, and AI Eraser 2.0—boost photography, while GT Boost optimizes gaming performance. Customization options (themes, icons) and a 2,500Hz touch sampling rate add flair and precision.
Software Updates
Realme promises two major Android upgrades (up to Android 17) and three years of security patches, ensuring support through 2028—a solid mid-range commitment.
The software is polished and innovative, though bloatware slightly mars the experience.
Camera System
Rear Camera
Specifications and Features
The dual-camera setup includes a 50 MP Sony IMX896 sensor (f/1.8, OIS, multi-directional PDAF) and a 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4). Features like LED flash, HDR, and modes (Night, Pro, Underwater) enhance versatility. Video recording supports 4K@30fps and 1080p@60/30fps with gyro-EIS and OIS.
Performance in Different Conditions
In daylight, the 50 MP sensor captures vivid, detailed shots with strong dynamic range, aided by OIS. The depth sensor enhances portraits, though edge detection can falter. Low-light performance impresses with Night Mode, reducing noise, though it trails flagships. Video is smooth, with stabilization excelling in 1080p.
Front Camera
Specifications and Features
The 16 MP Sony IMX480 front camera (f/2.4) supports 1080p@30fps video with gyro-EIS.
Performance Assessment
Selfies in good light are sharp with natural tones, though low-light shots show noise—adequate for casual use.
The cameras excel in daylight and hold up in low light, though the lack of an ultra-wide lens limits versatility.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery Capacity and Performance
The 6,000mAh battery offers exceptional endurance—8-9 hours of screen-on time with mixed use, stretching to two days for light users. Gaming or 5G reduces this, but it remains a standout.
Charging Capabilities
80W wired charging hits 50% in ~24 minutes and 100% in under an hour, with bypass charging reducing heat during gaming. No charger is included, a minor inconvenience.
Longevity Insights
Realme claims over 80% capacity retention after four years, suggesting long-term reliability.
The battery life is a major strength, with fast charging adding convenience despite the lack of a bundled adapter.
Connectivity and Additional Features
Network and Connectivity
Supporting 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G (numerous bands), the P3 Pro 5G offers future-ready speeds. Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, etc.) ensure robust connectivity, though NFC is absent—a drawback for contactless payments.
Additional Features
The under-display fingerprint sensor is swift, joined by sensors like gyro and compass. No 3.5mm jack pushes users to wireless audio.
Audio Quality
Stereo Speakers
The stereo speakers deliver loud, clear sound with decent separation, though bass is modest—solid for media and calls.
Wireless Audio
High-quality codec support enhances wireless listening, compensating for the missing jack.
Storage Options and Expandability
The 128GB/8GB and 256GB (8GB or 12GB) UFS 3.1 options suit most, but no microSD slot limits expansion. The 256GB variant is ideal for power users.
Pricing and Availability
Priced at ₹23,999 (8GB/128GB), ₹24,999 (8GB/256GB), and ₹26,999 (12GB/256GB) in India, the P3 Pro 5G offers strong value. Available in Nebula Glow, Galaxy Purple, and Saturn Brown, it’s sold via Flipkart, Realme.com, and offline stores, with offers like ₹2,000 bank discounts.
Comparative Analysis
Against the Poco X7 Pro (faster chipset, ₹29,999) and Redmi Note 14 Pro (better camera, ₹28,999), the P3 Pro 5G excels in battery life and design but lags in camera versatility and NFC. Its pros—durability, display, endurance—outweigh cons like no expandable storage.
User Feedback and Reception
Early reviews praise the battery, design, and performance, though some note camera limitations and UI bloat (per X posts). It’s lauded as a value-driven option.
Conclusion
The Realme P3 Pro 5G is a mid-range powerhouse, blending stunning design, robust performance, and exceptional battery life. Ideal for gamers and budget buyers under ₹25,000, it’s a top pick despite minor flaws like no NFC or microSD slot. Highly recommended.