Oppo Realme 2 Pro Full review | Gsm Arena Review

Introduction

The Realme 1 had performance on the cheap. The Realme 2 had a cool notched screen on the cheap. And today the Realme 2 Pro combines both - all wrapped in a stunning looking body.
Mesmerizing looks aren't uncharted territory for Realme, in fact, the Oppo-subsidized maker has revived the forgotten diamond-like pattern and made it trendy again with the Realme 1 and 2. But now the company spices things up with this fresh milky-blue paint job that is an instant eye-catcher.
Having tight connections with Oppo also pays off with access to some cool tech. The Realme 2 Pro highlight feature has to be the bezel-less 6.3" display with a dewdrop-like notch. It's the screen that premiered on the Oppo F9, but now you can have that high-end experience at a bargain price.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Not only the Realme 2 Pro fixes the notch in the Realme 2, but it also upgrades the performance big time. Many users were bummed by the choice of Snapdragon 450 for the Realme 2. But now the Pro model makes up for that by putting the latest revision of the Snapdragon 660 chipset. It has already proven to be an excellent performer in the middle and especially the budget range.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
The Realme 2 Pro also improves the camera - it has a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor with bright f/1.7 lens for the main camera and another 16MP snapper for the selfie photography. 4K video recording is available, too, while the power of the Snapdragon 660 allows for video stabilization on the 1080p videos.

Oppo Realme 2 Pro Specs

  • Body: Multi-layer plastic back, polycarbonate frame, Gorilla Glass 3 front;
  • Screen: 6.3-inch, 19.5:9, FHD+, IPS LCD
  • Rear Camera: Primary 16MP, f/1.7 lens; Secondary 2MP - serving as depth sensor; LED flash; 2160@30fps video recording, digitally stabilized 1080p@30fps
  • Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.0; 1080p@30fps video recording
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 with AI- octa-core Kryo 260 CPU, Adreno 512 GPU
  • Memory: 4/6/8GB RAM, 64/128GB, dedicated microSD slot for up to 256GB expansion
  • OS: Android 8.1 Oreo; ColorOS 5.2 on top
  • Battery: 3,500mAh, 10W charging
  • Connectivity: Dual SIM (4G), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, microUSB 2.0
  • Misc: Rear-mounted always-on fingerprint scanner
The Realme 2 Pro is a massive upgrade over the Realme 2, and that's what the two should have been in the first place. We appreciated the phone, sure, but it still looked like a step backward with that cut in speed, instead of a different take on the budget phone. Today we are happy to see the Pro model covers all our concerns we had for the Realme 2 and then some.
Now it's time to pop this Realme 2 Pro out of the box and see what it's made of.

Unboxing the Realme 2 Pro

The Realme 2 Pro has the same retail bundle as the Realmes before it. Its paper box contains a 10W charger, a microUSB cable, and a soft transparent case.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
All Realme units come with a factory-applied screen protector, and the one on the Realme 2 Pro perfectly fits the screen and has the same notch as the actual panel beneath. And as always, we appreciate the extra effort even though the Realme 2 Pro has a Gorilla Glass by Corning to keep its screen safe.

Design

The Realme 2 Pro may pack a whole bunch of new hardware on the inside, but its exterior, while painted differently, is the same as on the Realme 1 and 2. And that's not a critique, we liked those handsets a lot.
The company released three phones in less than six months, which explains why different takes on the design were out of the question. Still, Realme did find a way to make those devices unique - with cool paint and diamond patterns on the back. And now the Realme 2 Pro continues to use its rear panel as a canvas.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro reviewRealme 2 Pro next to the Realme 2
The diamond-patterned Realme 1 and 2 were stunning, no doubt, but the Oppo-backed company wanted to do things differently and the third phone in the series impresses with its uniform color instead of 3D-like patterns. Exit diamonds, enter the Ice Lake hue!
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme says the Ice Lake paint was inspired by the bitterly cold Arctic Ocean and you can almost feel it looking at that mesmerizing back. Once again, Realme made one very catchy phone by just mixing the right hue for its paint.
But enough about the back. The front has one of the key features the Realme 2 Pro relies on to win a lot of users - the large 6.3" with a small dewdrop-like notch for the camera. It's a huge step over the chunky cutout we saw on the Realme 2, and one of the most non-intrusive notches we've seen so far.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro reviewRealme 2 Pro vs. Realme 2
Both Oppo and Vivo had ideas how to make the notch less irritating. The Oppo F9 was the first with this waterdrop-like notch, while Vivo chose to use the Essential shape for the cutout. We can't decide on who did it better, but both notches surely look better than the large dark strip on the previous Realme 2.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro reviewVivo V11 vs. Realme 2 Pro vs. Realme 2
And while we are on it, the V11 and the two Realme phones are perfect specimens of how the smartphone colors have evolved over the course of the last year.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro reviewVivo V11 vs. Realme 2 Pro vs. Realme 2
The dewdrop notch houses the 16MP selfie camera and a well-hidden proximity sensor. That's it, there is nothing else. The obligatory earpiece is hidden within the thin display enclosure that separates the screen glass from the frame, and it's barely noticeable.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
The whole screen is covered by a Gorilla Glass 3 piece. There is a screen protector, which was applied in the factory.
The 6.3" display is almost bezel-less, with the almost coming from the tiny chin at the bottom needed to hide the display controller.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
The frame is made of polycarbonate and also comes in this nice arctic color. It has a glossy finish, which makes it both slippery and susceptible to fingerprints and smudges.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Then the back looks a lot like glass, but it's actually made of plastic. Realme promises both the frame and the back panel to be very sturdy and heat resistant. How tough exactly we can't tell, but what we can share is that this glass-like panel is not as slippery as it looks. On the contrary, it balances the glossy frame very well and offers one very secure grip.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
The new dual-camera sits on a small hump at the back. It has a new 16MP sensor with a bright lens, but it keeps the 2MP snapper for depth sensing. The round fingerprint scanner is also around, always-on, and with blazing-fast and accurate recognition.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
We already mentioned the Realme 2 Pro hasn't changed much in shape since the Realme 1 and 2. The Pro spreads at 156.7 x 74 x 8.5 mm and weighs 174g - just a millimeter and a half narrower than the previous Realme phones.
The Realme 2 Pro has a single speaker at the bottom, next to the dated microUSB port. There is also a 3.5mm audio port, and the phone offers the so-called tri-card slot. The tray easily fits two nano-SIMs and a microSD card.
Realme 2 Pro - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro
The Realme 2 Pro is yet another looker from the Oppo-backed maker. It might not have the diamond-patterned back, but Realme is surely on the right path with this new signature paint job. The Pro also has one of the trendiest screens right now that contributes to the hypnotizing looks and will surely lure a lot of potential buyers.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review

Display

The Realme 2 Pro employs the same 6.3" IPS LCD screen with a dewdrop-like notch we saw on the Oppo F9. It's of 1080p resolution that adds up to a very decent pixel density of 409ppi.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
The native resolution is actually 1,080 x 2,340 - that's 19.5:9 aspect. We've seen other screens of such tall ratio, but they typically have much larger notches like the Realme 2's. Kudos to Oppo for changing its notch design with the Oppo F9 and now for bringing it on the cheap with the Realme 2 Pro.
We suspected the screen might be lifted from the Oppo F9 and our display tests confirm it. The panel's maximum brightness goes north of 530 nits. Combined with the deep blacks the Realme 2 Pro display posted an excellent contrast of 1750:1. We measured the same brightness and contrast on the Oppo F9's display.
The minimum brightness level of 2.2 nits is quite nice to have too, meaning you can comfortably use it in complete darkness.
Display test100% brightness
Black, cd/m2White, cd/m2Contrast ratio
Oppo Realme 2 Pro0.3065371755
Oppo F90.295261814
Oppo Realme 10.354231209
Oppo Realme 20.2864111437
Xiaomi Mi A20.2774201516
Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite0.3854881268
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera0.285301893
Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus0.5485551013
Xiaomi Redmi 50.3785031331
Honor Play0.4144701135
Oppo F70.2284461956
vivo V110418
The Realme 2 Pro did very good in our sunlight legibility test, posting a fine score for an LCD panel. In real-world terms, the handset remains perfectly usable outdoors.

Sunlight contrast ratio

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  • Expand
  • vivo V114.113
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera3.393
  • Honor Play3.349
  • Oppo F73.333
  • Oppo Realme 2 Pro3.235
  • Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite3.087
  • Oppo F93.069
  • Oppo Realme 23.006
  • Xiaomi Redmi 52.951
  • Oppo Realme 12.932
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus2.913
  • Xiaomi Mi A22.696
The color rendering is average - the screen offers mostly accurate colors and we measured an average DeltaE of 5.8. The representation of the white and the grays is way colder than it should be (around DeltaE of 11).
If you opt for the Warm screen color temperature from Settings, the blue tinge is suppressed and the average DeltaE drops to 4 - an excellent result for the class.

Battery life

The Realme 2 Pro is powered by a 3,500 mAh battery - about 20% lower capacity from the Realme 2's 4230 mAh unit. It supports regular 5V/2A charging, which restores about 30% of a depleted battery in 30 minutes. Not exactly fast, but as fast as you can expect in this price segment.
The Realme 2 Pro has a more powerful chip and with the shrunken battery we expected a drop from the class-leading 121h endurance the Realme 2 had.
We ran the battery tests and while indeed the Realme 2 Pro has a lower battery endurance than the regular model, surprise, surprise, it's still an excellent one. The Realme 2 Pro, just like the Realme 2, aced our battery test with a 97-hour Endurance rating. It did a great job in all tested scenarios - video playback, calls, web browsing and had a very good stand-by performance.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Realme 2 Pro for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern, so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.

Speaker

The Realme 2 Pro has a single bottom-firing speaker at its disposal, just like the Realme 1 and 2. Stereo might be out of the question, but the speaker can still put on a good show, even in the budget segment. The speaker is indeed tuned to focus on the mid-tones, but no matter the kind of music you are playing, it indeed sounds good and is pretty loud at that.
Speakerphone testVoice, dBPink noise/ Music, dBRinging phone, dBOverall score
Huawei Honor 5X71.165.670.7Average
Xiaomi Redmi 566.168.482.1Good
Honor Play68.373.875.8Good
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera68.471.684.8Very Good
Oppo Realme 266.471.687.2Very Good
vivo V1170.773.880.7Very Good
Oppo Realme 164.870.589.9Very Good
Oppo Realme 2 Pro69.174.881.4Very Good
Oppo F768.073.884.8Very Good
Oppo F971.774.481.6Very Good
Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite70.674.086.1Excellent
Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus71.172.787.7Excellent
Xiaomi Mi A289.572.289.8Excellent

Audio quality

The Realme 2 Pro did great when connected to an active external amplifier, delivering splendidly clean output and nicely high volume levels.
Plugging in headphones did an average amount of damage relegating the output to 'decent' - stereo crosstalk increase was above average, some intermodulation distortion crept in and frequency response went slightly shaky. Volume levels dropped to just below average too.
TestFrequency responseNoise levelDynamic rangeTHDIMD + NoiseStereo crosstalk
Realme 2 Pro+0.05, -0.03-93.393.10.00190.0073-92.7
Realme 2 Pro (headphones)+0.33, -0.33-92.992.50.0100.370-51.7
Oppo F9+0.05, -0.07-92.892.80.00160.0073-92.1
Oppo F9 (headphones)+0.19, -0.50-92.091.80.00900.380-51.9
Xiaomi Mi A2+0.02, -0.06-91.691.60.00180.014-95.3
Xiaomi Mi A2 (headphones)+0.08, -0.12-92.692.60.00280.120-69.0

Realme 2 Pro frequency response
Realme 2 Pro frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process

Color OS 5.2 and Android Oreo 8.1

The Realme 2 Pro runs on ColorOS 5.2, based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The Chinese maker hasn't really extended any effort to customize the UI to differentiate the India-targeted Realme sub-brand. Instead, Oppo fans will find a familiar sight and should feel right at home.
The launcher benefits from a so-called AI engine with real-time translation, fast Face Unlock, navigation gestures, and split-screen multi-tasking. Introduced with v5.0 were also new app shortcuts (long tap), new security features including safe, and better gaming mode.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
ColorOS customizations run deep, as usual, making it far off from the standard Google-developed mobile experience. The Realme 2 Pro has all Google services pre-installed, so you are ready to start your complete Android experience right out of the box.
The so-called AI builds on-device user behavior models for faster app startups and better resource management. It also uses this behavior to show relevant information on the left-most homescreen pane - calendar appointments, quick shortcuts, weather, world clock, package tracking, flight info, among others. You can configure those, or just leave them to the "AI".
The user interface is very familiar. There's no app drawer on the default launcher. Instead, every app you install appears onto the homescreen.
Lock and home screens - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Lock and home screens - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Lock and home screens - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Lock and home screens - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Lock and home screens
The fingerprint sensor is always-on, and it's fast and accurate. You can also set up face unlock in addition to fingerprint security - it's equally fast as the Realme 2 Pro wakes up the moment you pick it up.
The face recognition is indeed blazing fast, faster than on the iPhone X. It relies on 120 recognition points and supposedly can't be fooled by a picture. Surely, this implementation is not as secure as Apple's Face ID, but it's there, and it's user-friendly.
Face recognition settings - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Face recognition settings - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Face recognition settings
Oddly, our Realme 2 Pro came without a Theme Store.
The notification shade features notifications, quick toggles, and a brightness scrubber. The task switcher reminds of Apple's, though it has an End All button. And split screen is available for all compatible apps.
Notifications - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Toggles - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Task Switcher - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Split screen - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Split screen - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Split screen - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Notifications • Toggles • Task Switcher • Split screen • Split screen • Split screen
The Full-Screen Gesture model is available for the Realme 2 Pro. When enabled, Full-Screen Gesture navigation positions three small lines at the bottom of the UI. Swiping up from the middle one acts as a home button but if you stop the gestures mid-way - you'll summon the task switcher (like on the iPhone X). Swiping on the left or right ones acts as Back. You can change one of those to open the recent apps manager if you like.
You can hide those lines since they are only visual aids. And if you don't like these controls, there is a standard Android navigation bar to fall back to as well.
Navigation settings - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Navigation settings - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Navigation settings - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Navigation settings - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Navigation settings
Clone apps and file safe functions are on board, as well as real-time translation thanks to an improved voice assistant.
There is a Phone Manager quite similar to what Huawei and Xiaomi have on their phones under the same name. It handles memory cleaner functions, app permissions and encryption, and virus scan, among other things.
Oppo provides multimedia apps of all sorts - Gallery, Music, Video, but it lacks FM radio.
Phone Manager - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Gallery - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Videos - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Files - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Phone Manager • Gallery • Videos • Files
An improved Game Space allows you to handpick which notifications to pass through when you are playing with friends. There are also different performance modes and an option to lock the brightness only for certain games.
Game Space - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Game Space - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Game Space - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Game Space - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Game Space

Performance

The Realme 2 Pro is employing the Snapdragon 660 with AI chip by Qualcomm, which is a real treat for a budget phone. It packs an octa-core Kryo 260 CPU in a 4x2.0GHz + 4x1.8GHz configuration. The Adreno 512 GPU should be a fine performer for 1080p screens, while our Realme 2 Pro also packs the whopping 8 gigs of RAM.
If you know your chipsets, you would also spot that the high-performance cores are clocked at 1.95GHz instead of the regular 2.2GHz. This is still within the official CPU specs but it's worth keeping this in mind when analyzing the results below.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
As usual, we'll start our benchmark tests with Geekbench. You can see that the difference in clock speed takes its toll on the Realme 2 Pro numbers when compared to what we're seeing from other Snapdragon 660 phones such as the Xiaomi Mi A2 and the Meizu 15. Of course, in real life use cases, this marginal difference would be impossible to spot.
A single of those Kryo 260 cores is on par with the rest of the S660 phones (V11, Meizu 15), and also close to what the Helio P60' A73 can do (Oppo F9, Realme 1). It is only bested by the 2.4GHz A73 one inside the Honor Play's Kirin 970. And it's a huge improvement over the Realme 2's A53 core. The Kryo 260 is still proving to be one of the better CPUs to have in charge of your daily Android operations.

GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)

Higher is better
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  • Honor Play1899
  • Meizu 151620
  • Xiaomi Mi A21617
  • Oppo F71531
  • Oppo Realme 11511
  • Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)1497
  • Oppo Realme 2 Pro1462
  • vivo V111457
  • Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite881
  • Xiaomi Mi A1877
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus874
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus874
  • Sony Xperia XA2 Plus839
  • Oppo Realme 2790
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5766
Multi-core operations are an easy task for the Realme 2 Pro. It does as well as the other S660 and Helio P60 phones and only the Kirin chip in the Honor Play can beat it, but not by much.

GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)

Higher is better
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  • Honor Play6696
  • Oppo F75901
  • Meizu 155877
  • Oppo Realme 15741
  • Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)5673
  • vivo V115535
  • Oppo Realme 2 Pro5531
  • Xiaomi Mi A24625
  • Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite4388
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus4309
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus4309
  • Xiaomi Mi A14292
  • Sony Xperia XA2 Plus4144
  • Xiaomi Redmi 54018
  • Oppo Realme 23881
The Adreno 512 GPU is a solid performer - and in this price range it's the best GPU you can get in a 1080p smartphone. If you decide to spend a little bit more cash, the Honor Play will double the frames the Realme can handle.

GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better
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  • Honor Play36
  • Meizu 1515
  • Xiaomi Mi A214
  • Xiaomi Redmi 513
  • Oppo Realme 112
  • Oppo Realme 2 Pro12
  • vivo V1112
  • Oppo Realme 212
  • Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)11
  • Oppo F711
  • Sony Xperia XA2 Plus9.1
  • Xiaomi Mi A16.3
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus6.2
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus6.2
  • Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite6.1

GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)

Higher is better
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  • Honor Play21
  • Meizu 159.2
  • Xiaomi Mi A28.6
  • Oppo Realme 17.5
  • vivo V117.4
  • Oppo Realme 2 Pro7.2
  • Xiaomi Redmi 56.8
  • Oppo F76.7
  • Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)6.5
  • Oppo Realme 26.3
  • Sony Xperia XA2 Plus5.1
  • Xiaomi Mi A13.5
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus3.4
  • Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite3.4
  • Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus3.4
Over at the compound AnTuTu test the Realme 2 Pro shows some real muscle and is on par with its peers. The Honor Play is obviously faster, but it's a little bit more expensive.

AnTuTu 7

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  • Honor Play204876
  • Oppo F7139414
  • Oppo Realme 1138524
  • Oppo Realme 2 Pro132958
  • Xiaomi Mi A2130927
  • Meizu 15125444
  • Sony Xperia XA2 Plus86374
  • Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite77964
  • Oppo Realme 275434
The Realme 2 Pro is the fastest Realme to date and a huge improvement over the Realme 2. It is a very dependable performer thanks to its Snapdragon 660 chip. It's as great for gaming as it is for daily operations and browsing the social media. The Android OS and is Color OS launched are fast and fluid and we saw no lag even when using Split Screen.
We didn't notice any hot spots around the Realme 2 Pro even when running those benchmarks for longer durations and there was no throttling at all.
Overall, the Realme 2 Pro offers great performance for the class and nobody should be experiencing hiccups of any kind whatever the tasks at hand.

16MP+2MP dual camera

The Realme 2 Pro comes with a 16MP+2MP camera combo on its back. Just like on the Realme 2, the 16MP cam can be used on its own, while the 2MP module is used for depth detection (read: portrait shots with defocused backgrounds).
The primary sensor has been upgraded - it's a 16MP Sony IMX398 one with 1.12µm pixels and sits behind a very bright f/1.7 lens - a great improvement over the f/2.2 lens on the Realme 2 and we expect some better low-light shots. Phase-detection autofocus, and a LED flash complete the camera specs.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
The camera app UI is lifted from the Oppo software branches, without any changes or special re-branding. It recently got the so-called AI-boost, which is a fancy name for scene recognition. You'll see a small icon when a scene is successfully recognized, and the software will tweak all settings accordingly. Food, snow, pets (dogs and cats), sunsets, grass, among other scenes, are caught mostly correctly.
The interface of the camera app has borrowed a lot from the iOS app, of course. Most settings are on the left (or top, depending on the orientation), while different modes are selected on the right next to the shutter key.
Camera app - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Camera app - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Camera app - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Camera app - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Camera app
The app offers two trendy modes - 2x telephoto zoom and blurred background. Those have dedicated shortcuts on the viewfinder, but as you can imagine, the 2x zoom is purely digital.
Luckily, the Expert mode is back! Its shutter speed control offers fine adjustment and it's good mostly for very low-light shooting - it starts at 1s and increments at full stops to a maximum of 16s. Manual focus and ISO adjustments are present as well.

Image Quality

In daylight the Realme 2 Pro captures turned out nicely sharp with plenty resolved detail, excellent contrast, and accurate colors. The dynamic range is about average - there are clipped highlights here and there, but nothing that the HDR can't fix. The noise control is improved a bit - now you can see noise only in areas of uniform color, while it was all over the place on the 13MP photos by the Realme 2. The foliage presentation also got better since the Realme 2, but the grass could still benefit from some further improvements.
Overall, the Realme 2 Pro photos are sharper, more detailed and less noisy when compared to the Realme 2, and we are quite happy with the new sensor.
Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/2424s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/2807s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/2735s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 35, 1/2051s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/2963s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 34, 1/1240s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 76, 1/773s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/1939s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro 16MP camera samples
The 2x zoom is purely digital, there is no telephoto lens on the Realme 2 Pro. But Oppo still opted for a toggle on the viewfinder, so here is what you'll get if you use it.
Realme 2 Pro zoomed 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/2481s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro zoomed 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/3232s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro zoomed 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 41, 1/2013s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro zoomed 16MP camera samples - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/1839s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro zoomed 16MP camera samples
The HDR mode works nicely on the Realme 2 Pro. You also get auto mode, which does a good job of jumping in, when the conditions call for it. HDR processing is not too extreme and generally helps rescue some details in shadows and highlights.
HDR off - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/2807s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review HDR on - f/1.7, ISO 33, 1/2807s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
HDR off • HDR on
The 16MP camera on the Realme 2 Pro has a bright f/1.7 lens, and it does help the pictures at night. The Oppo F9 had a similar 16MP camera with a f/1.8 lens, but half of the night shots we took with it were blurry. Well, we had no such issues with the Realme 2 Pro. In fact, the photos we downloaded from the Realme are among the best low-light images you can get from a phone in this class, if not the best.
There is plenty of detail and little noise. Since there is no multi-stacking happening, most of the detail in the shadows and the background is lost, but what's visible is very well processed and the noise has been scrubbed without destroying much of the fine detail.
Overall, the low-light images of the Realme 2 Pro camera are a massive improvement over the previous models and excellent for this class.
Realme 2 Pro 16MP lowlight samples - f/1.7, ISO 684, 1/17s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP lowlight samples - f/1.7, ISO 747, 1/17s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP lowlight samples - f/1.7, ISO 2232, 1/17s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Realme 2 Pro 16MP lowlight samples - f/1.7, ISO 3257, 1/14s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP lowlight samples - f/1.7, ISO 568, 1/25s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP lowlight samples - f/1.7, ISO 3666, 1/14s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Realme 2 Pro 16MP lowlight samples
If you have a tripod or you can stabilize the Realme 2 Pro, then you can snap pictures like these using the Expert mode.
Realme 2 Pro 16MP photos shot with the Expert mode - f/1.7, ISO 64, 1/0s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP photos shot with the Expert mode - f/1.7, ISO 64, 1/0s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP photos shot with the Expert mode - f/1.7, ISO 64, 1/0s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Realme 2 Pro 16MP photos shot with the Expert mode
You should also check how the Realme 2 Pro does against the Realme 1 and the Oppo F9 in our Photo Compare Tool. We've pre-selected these two, but you are free to pick any other phone to compare it against.
Photo Compare Tool Photo Compare Tool Photo Compare Tool
Realme 2 Pro vs. Realme 1 vs. Oppo F9 in our Photo compare tool

Portrait mode

The Portrait Mode spits high-res 16MP images. The photos are very good - subject separation works well, there aren't many abrupt transitions from sharp to blurred, the bokeh is nice, and overall - those are among the better portraits we've seen, flagships included.
Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait shots - f/1.7, ISO 164, 1/50s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait shots - f/1.7, ISO 222, 1/33s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait shots - f/1.7, ISO 139, 1/100s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait shots - f/1.7, ISO 97, 1/908s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait shots
The Realme 2 Pro offers a few Portrait Lighting modes if you are into those kinds of effects.
Realme 2 Pro 16MP portraits with lightning effects - f/1.7, ISO 201, 1/50s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portraits with lightning effects - f/1.7, ISO 201, 1/50s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portraits with lightning effects - f/1.7, ISO 201, 1/50s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portraits with lightning effects - f/1.7, ISO 201, 1/50s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro 16MP portraits with lightning effects

Selfies

The Realme 2 Pro has a new 16MP selfie camera sitting behind a f/2.0 lens. It's a fixed-focus lens; there is no dedicated flash or anything else fancy of the sorts.
The 16MP selfie cam does a very decent enough job. Despite the unimpressive dynamic range (there is HDR for that though), there is really not much to complain about. There is more than enough detail, the colors are nice, and the images are sharp enough.
Realme 2 Pro 16MP selfies - f/2.0, ISO 183, 1/17s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP selfies - f/2.0, ISO 320, 1/33s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP selfies - f/2.0, ISO 100, 1/50s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP selfies - f/2.0, ISO 131, 1/25s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro 16MP selfies
The selfie cam also offers the simulated bokeh, just like many other Oppo selfie snappers.
Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait selfies - f/2.0, ISO 200, 1/33s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait selfies - f/2.0, ISO 320, 1/33s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait selfies - f/2.0, ISO 100, 1/100s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait selfies - f/2.0, ISO 100, 1/50s - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
Realme 2 Pro 16MP portrait selfies
There is a beauty mode, complete with an automatic "AI" setting, to play around with as well. And a pretty extensive animated sticker collection.
Beautification and stickers - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Beautification and stickers - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Beautification and stickers - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review Beautification and stickers - Oppo Realme 2 Pro review 
Beautification and stickers

Video recording

The Realme 2 Pro records videos in 2160p, 1080p and 720p at 30fps. There is an always-available digital stabilization for the 1080p videos which does an excellent job in stabilizing the footage. Unfortunately, there is no EIS for the 4K video capture.
The 4K clips are captured at 42Mbps with stereo audio. The video quality is average - the resolved detail is enough but nothing impressive, while the dynamic range is below average. But the color presentation and the contrast are very good.
The standard 1080p/30fps mode is encoded at about 17Mbps. Audio is recorded in stereo at 128Kbps. The videos look soft probably because of the always-on video stabilization - they are mediocre in detail and dynamic range, but the colors are fine.
As usual, we've provided unedited samples straight out of the camera for you to download - 2160p@30fps (10s, 53MB), and 1080@30fps (11s, 28MB).
Finally, you can use our Video Compare Tool to see how the Realme 2 Pro stacks against the Mi A2 and the Honor Play when it comes to video capture.
Video Compare Tool Video Compare Tool Video Compare Tool
2160p: Realme 2 Pro against the Xiaomi Mi A2 and the Honor Play in our Video compare tool

The Competition

Realme has done it again - they've made another phone that's great looking, powerful, with trendy screen and even better camera experience. And yet, the price is strikingly low.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review
The Realme 2 Pro is intended for the Indian market, and there it will face some fierce competition. But Realme has nothing to worry about as the Pro model has the lowest price among its peers, again, and it will be a tough one to beat.
Xiaomi Mi A2 (Mi 6X) Oppo F9 (F9 Pro) Huawei Honor Play Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Redmi 5 Plus) Oppo Realme 1 
Xiaomi Mi A2 • Oppo F9 (F9 Pro) • Honor Play • Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 • Realme 1
Take the Xiaomi Mi A2 for example. It has a similar screen, though with bezels and no notch, the same Snapdragon 660 processor, and equally capable cameras. Android One with regular updates is quite tempting, too, but the Realme 2 Pro is cheaper, better-looking and has an audio jack and expandable storage to brag with.
The Oppo F9 is basically identical to the Realme 2 Pro but it costs double. The F9 will give you a higher-res selfie camera and VOOC charging. But are those worth all that extra cash?
The gaming-oriented Honor Play also costs more and has a larger notch, but it has a class-leading chipset with advanced cooling, as well as fast battery charging. Worth the extra? Not really.
Then there is the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, or Redmi Note 5 In India. It's priced the same as the Realme but has inferior performance and can't do portraits. But if you are into MIUI that's the one phone, you're most likely to consider.
Finally, if you want to save a few bucks, the Realme 1 is as a bargain as on day one. It has a large 1080p screen, and while it won't impress with camera skills, you'll still get snappy performance with that Helio P60 chip.
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review

The Verdict

The Realme 2 Pro is what the Realme 2 should have been in the first place - a true successor to the Realme 1, better in every way, and still offered at a tempting price. The Realme 2 Pro keeps the cool looks, but improves the screen, the performance, the main and the selfie cameras, and has more storage.
The Realme 2 Pro is a bargain in India and just like the Realme 1 - it's a tough one to match, let alone beat. Sure, there are cheaper phones out there, but if you are after the best bang for the buck in the lower midrange sector - we have a new champ in this category, and it's the Realme 2 Pro.

Pros

  • Catchy paintjobs
  • Bezel-less high-res screen with a dewdrop notch
  • Fast Snapdragon 660 chip with plenty of RAM
  • Top-notch battery life
  • Great all-round camera experience day and night
  • Good selfies

Cons

  • It's a plastic phone made to look like a glass one
  • Slow to charge
  • No NFC or FM radio
Oppo Realme 2 Pro review

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