Realme Narzo N55 is the first smartphone in the company’s newly-established Narzo N-series lineup. The device is a budget offering that doesn’t deviate much from the previously launched Realme C55 (Review). Realme Narzo N55 comes with 90Hz refresh rate FHD+ display, MediaTek chipset, camera setup, battery capacity, fast charging technology and software similar to C-series smartphones. This begs the question, who is the Narzo N55 best suited for? Keep reading this review to find out.
Decision
What the Realme C55 is to Flipkart, the Realme Narzo N55 is to Amazon. Both the devices are almost identical except for their design and RAM capacity. The top-end Realme Narzo N55 variant is equipped with 6GB of RAM instead of 8GB, but it could still be a better option than the Realme C55 if you’re looking for more storage in the sub-Rs 13,000 price range.
low
- Personally, I find the Realme C55’s design more attractive than the Narzo N55’s. However, design can be subjective, and some may find the Narzo N55’s dual-tone design, or as Realme likes to call it, “Dynamic Splicing Design,” more appealing. The phone has a glossy back, with the top being more glossy than the bottom. The non-shinier portion hides fingerprints and smudges effectively. Apart from this, the build and design of the phone is similar to the Realme C55. To wit, the Narzo N55 is made of a plastic unibody and has flat edges that offer a good grip. The handset weighs 189 grams and is 7.9mm thick, which makes it comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Additionally, the camera rings in the back panel are slightly raised, which look somewhat large for a couple of sensors. The phone also has a pill-shaped LED flash which is flush with the chassis. For I/O, the handset houses a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack along with the speaker grille at the bottom edge. The fingerprint scanner is above the power button on the right side of the device.
- Apart from this, the performance and functionality of the Realme Narzo N55 is similar to that of the Realme C55. The handset flaunts a 6.72-inch FHD+ IPS display, which looks good both indoors and outdoors. It remains legible even in direct sunlight with its 680 nits peak brightness, and its 90Hz refresh rate ensures smooth operation of the user interface and supported apps. Furthermore, the handset can relay content from Netflix and other OTT platforms in 1080p resolution, thanks to its Widevine L1 support. Viewing angles are decent, and the bezels are reasonable for the price. Overall it is a good screen for the price.
- The Realme Narzo N55 also features a punch-hole setup for the selfie camera, which expands into a pill shape for at-a-glance notifications such as charging, data usage, and steps covered. The feature is still in testing and needs to be enabled from the Realme Lab section in the handset’s Settings menu.
- Under the hood, the Narzo N55 packs the MediaTek Helio G88 SoC paired with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of user-expandable storage. Like the C55, the performance of the Narzo device is satisfactory. The handset struggles a bit during heavy-duty tasks such as playing graphically-demanding games, but otherwise performs well and can handle even basic multitasking. Software-wise, the handset runs Android 13-based Realme UI 4.0 out of the box. You can read more about it in my Realme C55 review.
- For photography, the Realme Narzo N55 packs dual rear cameras with a 64MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. The handset sports an 8MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calling. Like the C55, the Narzo N55 delivers impressive daylight shots with good focus, calibrated exposure and ample detail. However, colors may appear slightly over-saturated, which is forgivable considering the affordable price point of the smartphone. In indoor and lowlight scenarios, images appear grainy, lack color accuracy, and struggle with focus speed. The dedicated Night Mode reduces noise levels, but details and sharpness may suffer. The portrait mode on the Realme Narzo N55 delivers decent shots with good edge detection.
- The Realme Narzo N55 packs a 5,000mAh battery that can easily last a whole day with regular usage. The handset comfortably lasted a full day and I still had 20 per cent juice left in the tank. The device also supports 33W fast charging, which can fully charge the phone in less than two hours. However, the side-mounted fingerprint scanner needs improvement as it sometimes fails to unlock the device in a single attempt. Additionally, the speaker quality of the phone is nothing to write about, but it gets the job done.
final call
Realme Narzo N55 price in India is set at Rs 10,999 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant, while the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage option costs Rs 12,999. Apart from the Realme C55, which starts at a similar price point, it competes with 5G-enabled infinix note 12i And this infinix hot 20Which has a 60Hz AMOLED screen.
Realme Narzo N55 is a good buy if you are looking for a budget smartphone on Amazon. The handset comes with a beautiful screen, respectable battery life and capable daylight cameras. Additionally, the 128GB storage variant of the Narzo N55 is more affordable than its competitors.
Editor’s rating: 3.5 / 5
pros
- good performance
- respectable battery life
- good cameras in daylight
Shortcoming
- Specifications are same as Realme C55
- IFI Fingerprint Scanner
- Software contains bloatware and ads
