STUNNING DESIGN, ON A BUDGET

Realme 2 comes with diamond- cut design and a notch for under R 10,000

This is the scheme of things today — the so called flagship phones come with great design and great specs at more than ` 50,000, mid- range devices create a concoction of specs and design at ` 20,000- 30,000 and then there are the entry- level value players that shun design and focus on bare minimum specs to woo buyers on a budget. Realme has decided to disrupt this last segment.

At its global launch in Delhi recently, the company revealed its design- first approach in the Realme 2. Priced at around ` 10,000, the device has a classy diamond cut design made from a 12- layer nano- tech composite material on the back panel, with a notch, and an AI- powered 4,230 mAh battery. Realme believes that for a first- timer, the look and colour of the device is probably what drives purchase decisions. Specs matter but not at the expense of design. After taking the Realme 2 out for a spin, we agree that the device has premium looks for a budget phone. AI in battery management has been the exclusive forte of expensive phones and it is heartening to get this feature at this price. The device also leverages AI for selfie shots and gaming acceleration. The notch screen houses shortcuts to many popular apps as well.

With a 6.2 inches full screen, the Realme 2 is powered by the Snapdragon 450 processor and comes with a 12 MP plus 2 MP back dual camera with an 8 MP front camera. It also offers small but interesting features like the AI- powered Smart Drive mode that detects via Bluetooth that you are driving and customises your calls accordingly. You can also choose to go into do- not- disturb mode while you are driving. The phone has three unlock options. Besides the regular fingerprint and face unlock, the device allows you to unlock via Bluetooth or when you are in your own WiFi zone.

The Realme 2 is available exclusively on Flipkart from September 4 and is priced at ` 8,990 ( 3 GB plus 32 GB), and ` 10,990 ( 4 GB plus 64 GB). It is available in red, black and blue. While the blue variant will be available from next month, it is a tough call to choose between red and black.