Making the great budget smartphones has always been Realme’s forte, and the newly launched C21Y is a demonstration of that ability. The Realme C21Y is the successor to last year’s Realme C20 that created waves. The C21Y has all the good things from the older devices, but with updated hardware at a very comfortable price of Rs. 8,999*. Where most budget phones are considered good only for calling and texting, this one claims to do a lot more.
The C21Y is unquestionably among the better-looking budget devices. It takes its design DNA from Realme’s mid-range smartphones to offer a premium look and feel. The device is just 9.2mm thick and weighs nearly 200 grams. It is good to see a thin and lightweight form factor in this segment, which is usually limited to high-end devices. The C21Y uses a plastic chassis for enhanced durability. Realme says it is also the first budget device to have the TUV Rheinland certification. It passes several durability tests that are proof of the phone’s robust built quality.
The rear panel has curved edges, so you can hold the phone comfortably. Realme has introduced its new Geometric Art Design that adds a subtle texture to the panel. You can choose the phone in Cross Blue and Cross Black colours. Despite its slim profile, the phone sports a 5,000 mAh battery that can power the phone for a day. Realme’s Super Power Saving mode also helps significantly improve the battery performance of the device.
Another area where the C21Y truly excels is its performance. The phone comes with a Unisoc T610 octa-core processor rated for a max speed of up to 1.8 GHz. Realme says the CPU is specially designed for budget smartphones. It is power-efficient, and it can handle everyday apps smoothly. The CPU is paired with the Mali-G52 GPU, so you can also play some entry-level games.
You have the flexibility to choose the C21Y in two configurations. The base model has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, while the top-end one comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage. These specs also deliver smooth multitasking performance. You can listen to music while scrolling through Instagram, Facebook or open multiple Google Chrome tabs without facing any stutter or lag. The phone comes with a microSD card slot supporting storage expansion up to 256 GB.
The phone comes with a large 6.5-inch HD+ resolution screen that ensures you can have a great content watching and gaming experience. A large screen also makes reading text easy and puts less stress on the eyes. Realme has also managed to keep the bezels minimal, which is a nice thing on a budget smartphone.
The Realme C21Y is a budget device, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take good quality photos with it. The phone is equipped with a 13MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It offers a wide field of view, and it supports Realme’s Super Nightscape Mode that lets you capture high-quality, low-light photos. There is also a new Chroma Boost mode that uses AI to produce natural-toned pictures. The phone records Full HD videos at 30fps and it is great for Instagram Reels and streaming live on Facebook.
The phone’s 2MP secondary camera allows you to have DLSR-like bokeh effects in your photos. There is another 2MP macro camera for close-up photography. Taking selfies with a large group of people become easy with the C21Y’s 5MP front camera. It supports Realme’s AI Portrait mode that can blur the background when taking selfies. You can also use this mode while recording videos.
The C21Y runs the Realme UI R Edition based on Android 11 OS. Realme says the UI is designed for budget smartphones and offers a stock Android-like look. The new Simple Mode makes the icons larger so even non-tech savvy users can easily use the phone. Customization options such as the dark mode are also present. The phone also supports the Private Space feature that encrypt photos, videos, audio files, and documents so you can secure them using a password.
The Realme C21Y is a Dual-SIM LTE device. The phone has Wi-Fi 802.11n for wireless network connectivity and Bluetooth 5.0 with A2DP for a rich wireless audio experience. The phone also comes with a fingerprint scanner at the back and facial recognition support using the camera upfront.
The Realme C21Y is a solid everyday use device. The phone is designed beautifully, it features good cameras and has enough processing power to run apps and games. At Rs. 8,999*, this phone is a bargain. You can have the phone delivered to your doorstep by ordering it from www.reliancedigital.in. For a hands-on experience of the device, feel free to visit your nearest Reliance Digital Store.
Note – Prices are subject to change. Please refer to the product page for the latest prices, details and availability.
