The new Narzo 20 series is similar to the Realme C12 and Realme C15 in terms of design and features and when it comes to specifications, we are struggling to fit it in the right segment. It is priced Rs 500 less than the Realme C15 and comes with a better processor, but there are some compromises when it comes to cameras.
It is becoming difficult for us to understand what Realme wants to do here. In such a situation, only one question arises, is Realme making things complicated for buyers? Who should buy these new models and who will buy other smartphones? We are going to try to answer these questions in this review of Realme Narzo 20.
Realme Narzo 20 price and specifications
Contents
The biggest thing that differentiates the Realme Narzo 20 from the C1x series smartphones is its more powerful MediaTek Helio G85 processor. We saw slightly sluggish performance in the Realme C12 and C15 due to the Helio G35 chipset. This is a big improvement. The phone has been launched with 4 GB of RAM and there are variants with 64 GB and 128 GB storage to choose from, priced at Rs 10,499 and Rs 11,499 respectively.
The other big difference is in the camera setup. The Narzo 20 gets a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. It’s surprising that the company hasn’t used another low-resolution sensor in the phone and hasn’t given it a “quad camera” badge, which is the biggest marketing tool these days, but we don’t see it as a compromise. There’s a lot you can do with three cameras.
All other specifications are the same across all three models. The 6000mAh battery is undoubtedly a big selling point and you also get 18W fast charging. Interestingly, the Narzo 20 gets a USB Type-C port, while its smaller sibling needs a Micro-USB cable and charger to charge. All three models in the new Narzo 20 series have similar dimensions and feel quite thick at 9.8mm thickness, though the Narzo 20 is lighter than the other two phones at 208 grams.
All three phones have the same display specifications, but there is no information about which panel Realme has used in them. You get a 6.5-inch HD + (720×1600 pixels) panel, which comes with a waterdrop notch. It has a tray slot that supports two nano-SIMs and a microSD card. Also included is dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 support.
Realme Narzo 20 design and usability
We are not surprised that the Narzo 20 looks quite similar to the C-series models. It even comes in silver and blue colours just like the C-series. Our Narzo 20 unit is Victory Blue. The rectangular camera module houses three lenses and a flash and there is also a fingerprint sensor at the back, which may feel a bit on the top for users with smaller hands. Given that this is a relatively thick phone, it is not too difficult to hold, but if you are used to having long conversations you will definitely feel its weight.
On the front you have rounded edges and thick bezels all around the phone and the chin is relatively thick too. Realme says it uses Gorilla Glass, but doesn’t specify which version. Our unit came with a thin screen protector pre-applied, but there is no plastic case in the retail box. The power and volume buttons are all on the right side, which are easy to reach.
Realme has done a good job with the overall design. The phone doesn’t necessarily feel very premium, but the build quality is solid. It’s comfortable in shape and non-slippery, so using it with one hand isn’t too difficult.
Realme Narzo 20 software and performance
Our review unit came with Android 10 and the August 2020 security patch. The Realme UI skin is smooth and not too different from stock Android, while still offering a lot of useful features like split screen mode, game optimiser, app cloning, kids mode, private storage, smart sidebar, and gestures.
Of course, there is some preloaded bloatware, including several Realme apps, Amazon, Facebook and WPS Office. Apart from this, the phone also gets browser, music and video apps as well as apps like the theme store, which cannot be removed. The theme store and browser push notifications to the phone frequently, but we did not have any issues with the rest.
The screen was not bright enough in sunlight to enjoy the content optimally and we noticed that the automatic adjustment sometimes did not work automatically when needed. The screen resolution is a little low and the colours are not as vivid, but everything still looked quite crisp and the content experience was decent. The speakers are decent too, but not great. It is fine for gaming effects, but not for music enthusiasts. The Widevine DRM certification is only L3, so HD video streaming is not possible.
Gaming is considered to be the main strength of MediaTek’s Helio G-series processors, so we tried out a few popular games. Asphalt 9: Legends was smooth at maximum, but we did notice frame freezes during some scenes involving flips and crashes while gaming. Dead Trigger 2 ran smoothly. The Narzo 20’s rear upper portion did get a little warm when playing heavy games.
The 6000mAh battery was certainly good for its capacity. We were able to use the Narzo 20 for almost two days on a single charge. During this time, we streamed a full movie, took a lot of photos and videos, streamed various media content and also played a few games. In our HD video loop test, the phone lasted 29 hours, 6 minutes. Charging was also relatively fast, considering the battery capacity.
Realme Narzo 20 cameras
As we mentioned, the new Narzo 20 phone hasn’t added an extra weak sensor just to follow the trend like the Realme C1x model, which is a good thing. Competitors may offer four cameras, but trust me, you won’t feel the need for a low-resolution sensor at all. The lack of a depth sensor is surprising though, as it is a very low-cost feature that is available even on entry-level smartphones these days.
The primary camera is a 48-megapixel one, which does its job well and delivers decent photo quality. Colours are pretty good most of the time, but details are a bit dull and exposure isn’t always perfect. There is an option to shoot at the full 48-megapixel resolution, which lets you take pretty good shots, but it’s pointless to expect great details when you crop out a portion of the photo.
Depth of field works well though and the Narzo 20 locks focus quickly. There is a portrait mode that instantly identifies the edge of the subject, but you can’t set the blur effect before or after taking a shot. As we expected, photos taken with the ultra-wide camera were of poor quality and had a lot of distortion.
At night, the Narzo 20 does a decent job. The images show a lot of noise and lack of details and the colours of the shots are quite faded. There is a night mode, which really makes a difference. The bright areas are not overexposed and the colours are good too, but that doesn’t mean the shots come out clearly better all the time. You do end up compromising on details.
The low-resolution macro camera can keep you entertained, but the shots are not good enough. Colours are bound to be dull, with details and sharpness lacking.
The 8-megapixel front camera works pretty well during the day, but is not very effective at night. Beautification is on by default. There is also a portrait mode, which detected my face correctly, but added artificial blur to the background. Video recorded in 1080p, whether during the day or night, is shaky and details are not great. You can use the wide-angle camera, but you cannot switch between the two while recording a video.
Verdict
Realme has added more intrigue to its product lineup with the release of the Narzo 20. This phone easily outperforms the Realme C15. Although the C15 starts at a lower price, the Narzo 20 is actually less expensive when you look at its specifications. The Narzo 20 has a better processor and overall performance is clearly better. It also has a Type-C port and arguably more useful cameras.
According to Realme, the Narzo series prioritises performance and gaming, while the C-series models offer huge screens and big batteries and the numbered series focus on premium features along with style, camera and quality. This makes sense on paper, but there’s really nothing the C1x series models can’t do that the Narzo 20 can’t. The company could have made either of the series thinner and lighter with smaller batteries, but that’s not the case.
So the Narzo 20 makes for a better and safer option to recommend than its other siblings. It is a very strong offering in its segment. For a little over Rs 10,000, it is a good phone that also offers great battery life and a good gaming experience.
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