Smartphone manufacturers will always collaborate with various external brands to attract people's attention. There are clothing brands, some with automotive and some with food or drinks.
Realme recently partnered with Coca-Cola for the Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition. After using this device for almost a month I can say this is an interesting and unique mid-range device.
SPECIFICATIONS
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition
6.72″ LCD screen,
1080 x 2400 , 120Hz
Snapdragon 695 5G processor (6nm)
2x 2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold chips
6x 1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver
Adreno 619 Graphics Chip
RAM 8 GB LPDDR4X
Virtual Memory 4/6/8 GB
Internal Storage 128 GB UFS 2.2
Micro SD
Main Camera 108MP f/1.75 Wide Angle
2MP f/2.4 Portrait Camera
16MP f/2.45 Selfie Camera
5000 mAh battery
67W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scan System Side finger scanner
Sale Price RM 1399 (8/256 GB)
SCREEN
The screen of this device is similar to the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite which is a 6.72″ FHD+ LCD panel and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. The device tries its best to hide the thick bezel with a red and black background image that makes the screen look immersive even though the chin is actually quite thick.
Like the Nord CE 3 Lite, I also turned the device into a Netflix and YouTube viewing device. Full HD support no problem displayed just no HDR recognition. The color of the screen is bright and as far as use in the home and office there is no problem to see the screen.
Refresh rates on basic mid-range devices are all the same to me. The majority of third-party apps will feel slow and stuck but on Realme's own launcher and apps there is no problem. Any use for almost a month of this device's screen is fine.
DESIGN
There is no doubt that the design of this device looks boring because many brands already use it. Flat screen design, flat series and the back has two round camera bumps. But I can accept this Realme design because it has Coca-Cola. Realme does not use strange patterns but instead divides the back panel into a dull black color and continues to display half of the Coca-Cola logo. The finish on this Coca-Cola is a cold and wet imitation of a can of water.
All the buttons are on the right side which is the power button together with the fingerprint scanner and the volume button. Every button is easy to press and feels good. On the camera bump there is a Coca-Cola red circle and the finish used is also the type that does not catch fingerprints.
This handy device also still includes a 3.5mm audio jack port on the bottom along with a USB-C port, a speaker grille and a microphone hole. The same hole is also visible on the top of the device. On the flat screen of this device there is only a hole for the selfie camera and the phone's grille is also clearly visible on the top bezel of the device.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE – Realme UI 4.0
Like most Realme devices we've tested this year, the Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition also runs Realme UI 4.0 based on Android 13. I can honestly say there's no difference and the user experience is pretty much the same as any Realme device.
As usual since this device is a mid-range device Realme UI 4.0 will be filled with ads encouraging users to download apps through the App Market app store. It often appears every time a new application is installed or updated.
What makes this device feel unique is the Coca-Cola theme only. But the theme is only on icons on the home screen, background images and some ringtones and sound effects. Others are what you see on the Realme 10 4G, Realme 10 Pro+ or Realme C55 for the most part.
Realme UI 4.0 is good and fast software. Although the software code is ColorOS similar to Oxygen OS for OnePlus, this Realme device feels smoother and faster. Maybe Realme is getting smarter in their software optimization and memory management.
If you are a OnePlus or Oppo user and want to switch to Realme, believe me it is very easy for you to understand the intricacies of the system including finding hidden settings. Only for this Coca-Cola edition the application icons on the first day of use will be a little confusing because they have been changed.
There are some interesting features that I noticed included in this device namely;
Coca-Cola Sound Effects And Themes – Gives a special background image on the home screen and lock screen, Coca-Cola ringtones and the camera shutter sound of the Coca-Cola glass bottle cap being opened.
Dirac Audio Tuner – An alternative to Dolby Atmos with sound levels that can reach 200%.
RAM Expansion – Adding virtual memory from 4GB to 8GB makes the device have RAM up to 16GB.
Special Features – Additional features and functions similar to Oppo and Realme flagship devices such as Flexible Windows, Smart Sidebar, Split Screen, and what I just noticed is Quick Return.
Realme Lab – All Realme devices have this for users to try out Dual-mode audio and Sleep Capsule.
BENCH MARK
The overall performance of this device is more or less the same as the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite because the chip is the same Snapdragon 695 5G and the memory is also the same which is 8GB RAM LPDDR4X with virtual memory support reaching 8GB RAM while the internal storage is 128GB UFS 2.2. This is an interesting match for a mid-range device. With good software memory can definitely be managed efficiently.
Like other devices in the same class I will only test the first two which are Asphalt 9 and Marvel Snap. Marvel Snap device is quite smooth but there is a slight lag that only happens sometimes. Asphalt 9 however feels smooth and satisfying to play. Although not the best but it is sufficient. The benchmark score is as follows;
Geekbench 6
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola – 852/1907
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite – 876/1972
Samsung Galaxy A34 – 1032/2254
AnTuTu 3D
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola – 406,243
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite – 400,999
Samsung Galaxy A34 – 474,409
3DMark
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola – 1127
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite – 1209
Samsung Galaxy A34 –
TELEPHONY And GPS
I'm not sure why the more Android devices I test the worse the signal reach on the iPhone. Android has always been the best in terms of Internet connectivity. On this device although 5G is supported I didn't have a chance to test it. But 4G support is stable with VoWiFi support. Voice phone calls are all clear and loud while the GPS is just fine taking a while to load.
CAMERA
The camera quality of this device is also more or less the same as the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite. 108MP main sensor and also a 2MP sensor for depth. This year many devices in this class focus on only two sensors where usually the second sensor is a gimmick. Wouldn't it be great if the dual-camera was one wide-angle sensor and the other ultra-wide? Most of the pictures I take are auto mode with only occasional use of 3x mode or 108MP mode.
The camera quality of this device is quite good actually. Details can be preserved well, colors are prominent and sharp. Focus on me is just adequate with acceptable portrait mode as well as satisfactory selfie mode. What I don't like is the lack of OIS which makes night photography difficult. Then the annoying thing is the rather long post-processing.
BATTERY
Like drinking refreshing and energizing Coca-Cola water, so is this Realme 10 Pro device. The battery of this device is able to last for a long period of time which reaches 9 hours SOT for normal use and around 6-7 hours SOT for heavy use. The 33W SuperVOOC charging is not my favorite as competitors are already towards 65W for devices of the same class.
AUDIO
Realme still continues to support voice levels reaching 200% with its own audio technology. The stereo speakers on this device are only there because the quality is not satisfactory. The sound sometimes buzzes when it is too loud or seems to drown if the sound level is above 50%. Thankfully the device has a 3.5mm audio jack port and uses Bluetooth 5.1 for connection to modern TWS.
IN THE BOX
Here is what is received in the box with purchase.
1x Realme 10 Pro Cola-Cola Edition.
1x 33W Charger.
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x Silicone protective frame.
1x Manual, safety book
1x set of Coca-Cola stickers
1x Coca-Cola bottle shaped SIM pin.
CONCLUSION
If you ask me if this Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition is worth owning I will say only if you are a big fan of Coca-Cola. This device also does not offer high performance because it is just a mid-range device given a unique color and interface.
Malaysia is 1 of 5 countries where this phone can be purchased. For the local market there are only a few hundred units so if you want to get it as a collection this is your only chance. It could then possibly be sold to a Coke memorabilia collector sitting overseas.
But for the price of RM1599 (RM200 more expensive than the regular Realme 10 5G) you can get the more powerful Redmi Note 12 Pro+, or the Redmi Note 12 with a better screen (RM300 cheaper). But if you want your money really worth spending the latest iQOO Z7 is RM1499 (RM100 expensive) with 12GB RAM and Snapdragon 782G chip which is twice as powerful.
Realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition is this product that is marketed for the niche group. It is based on the most popular carbonated drink in the world which makes it beautiful to look at while at the same time it is thirsty for performance. As a smart user which one do you want?
Pro
Attractive and simple design.
Long lasting battery.
Adequate screen.
Acceptable 108MP camera.
Cons
There is nothing interesting on Realme UI 4.0.
Performance is not very satisfactory.
Disappointing speaker audio.
Realmeow Coca-Cola is for media only.