Reviews
realme 15 Pro review: A step forward or a step back?
Banks on battery and video chops, but stumbles on value and reliability
After a month of use, the realme 15 Pro 5G’s final grade hinged on one question: Is it worth the asking price?
realme decided to axe the “Pro Plus” variant from its numbered series starting with the realme 15 lineup. The simpler batch is composed of the base, the Pro, and a 15T in between.
The move meant realme nudged the “Pro” variant into pseudo-premium territory. Although, marketing focused on its 7,000mAh battery for all-day battery, as well as its capable cameras.
After a month of use, I think the latest numbered series is a letdown compared to the ones that came before them (and impressed, at that).
Camera performance: Stills
In spite of what it buoys as a triple 50MP branding, the glaring missing piece with the realme 15 Pro is the telephoto camera.
The 50MP main camera can only support up to 2X optical zoom without a dedicated telephoto lens.
Meanwhile, the 50MP ultra-wide shooter does improve the quality of 0.6X captures, and in some captures, they’re noticeable.
But the difference wouldn’t matter too much when viewed on small screens. Where I can leverage this advantage is for filming. More on that in a few.
I would have loved for realme to have kept the long-distance shooters. Anything beyond 2X, although aided by AI and further processing to retain detail, looks inferior in quality.
The telephoto camera is something I’ve appreciated beginning from the realme 12 series to the 14 series. The optical quality of dedicated cameras from rivals are far better, and on some shots, you want that “crop factor” too.
Results wise, yes, you will still get sharp, clear, and color-accurate captures from the 15 Pro at 1X and 2X zooms.
Here are some samples:
There are two preset shooting modes: Vibrant, which amply brightens the light parts, and Crisp, which kind of underexposes the result at a glance.
But details under Crisp are actually retained even in the dark parts, and this allows for more flexibility in editing like just shooting up the shadows or lowering the contrast a bit.
In a nutshell, when the lighting conditions are already sufficient, opt for Crisp as Vibrant tend to overexpose light parts too.
A few side-by-side photos:
One of the noticeable issues are the lack of depth on non-Portrait captures. It has something to do with the inconsistencies in contrast and HDR on some shots where there are blown-up parts or darkened ones.
Portrait Mode still excelled by emphasizing subjects with smooth segmentation. This goes for all subjects, from food to people to inanimate objects.
Instead of an AI Snapshot Mode, we also got just the more common Street Mode, also known as DIS on other realme devices.
From a triple flash setup from the 14 Pro Plus, realme went with a dual flash arrangement. One emits warm light while the other, white.
On the positive side, the 50MP front camera offers a good mix of naturalness and social media-ready quality for stills.
Night and low-light processing could be better.
Camera performance: Filming
When it comes to filming, the realme 15 Pro does offer a lot more shooting versatility compared to its predecessors.
The 50MP ultrawide camera can shoot up to 4K videos at 60fps. Ditto with the selfie camera. Color science is pleasing, though low-light performance lags, as in the case of stills.
I love the stabilization on both rear cameras. It allows for steadier content, especially on “parallax” shots for social media videos.
However, you still cannot zoom in when you start the video from 0.6X zoom, unlike other legitimate flagships.
The ultrawide angle can be leveraged for establishing shots or to show a wider view for audiences in tight spaces. For me, zooming in to around 1.5X for a crop factor also enabled me to highlight subjects more.
Here are a couple of vlogs I made using the phone:
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I would recommend the phone for creators who prioritize video versatility over mobile photography. But creators don’t buy phones in a vacuum; the rest of the package matters.
General performance
Performance-wise, the realme 15 Pro does have a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor. It’s capable, but not competitive at this price.
The value-performance triangle feels stretched, and it’s a poor trade-off for performance-focused consumers.
Also, the phone supports Wi-Fi 6 but that is underutilized since the processor isn’t as powerful as other PhP 30,000 handsets.
For instance, the HONOR 400 Pro can render and upload videos on social media way faster, along with better GPU performance.
Moreover, the 15 Pro’s 5G connectivity is also challenged in difficult areas, compared to, say, OPPO devices with its AI LinkBoost. It takes some to switch back to 5G or 4G networks.
As I am about to transition to its display, it’s also worth noting that there have been occasional video latency when filming.
I wasn’t able to see what I was filming in real-time as smoothly as I would have wanted to. It was just jittery. But when I review them afterwards, they turn out just alright.
Editing reels on my preferred mobile app also experienced some hurdles during video playback.
Fortunately, I didn’t experience the same for gaming, although I haven’t exhausted it too much for challenging titles.
I only had Call of Duty Mobile and Racing Master and both games went smoothly even with high graphics settings. Jaggies weren’t persistent throughout sessions.
Display issues
Another constant issue with the 15 Pro throughout my time with it was the display.
Although we weren’t able to document it, there have been several instances where the display just blacked out or had green static screen issues.
There were also moments of dark vignettes appearing. I had to press the power button to turn the display off for a second first before unlocking it again to revert back to normal.
Furthermore, there have been instances that the display was unresponsive to touches or had ghost touches.
I experienced this a few times with tapping the shutter for capturing photos. I had to go with the volume buttons instead.
Typing on the keyboard just led to misspelled words too. I don’t know what triggers all of these, but there have been way too many unsmooth experiences.
To be fair, I did ask some colleagues on whether they’ve had the same issues and they said no. Let’s just assume we’re all telling the truth.
The 6.8-inch 144Hz panel itself does deliver crystal-clear visuals as in the case of viewing videos at full HD or checking photos. There are several presets if you want the display to look more vivid or natural too.
With a 6,500-nit peak brightness, there’s no problem looking at what’s on it too when outdoors or against the window light in some cases.
But as I’ve mentioned endlessly, I am not a fan of curved displays. Side swipes misfire, which is pretty common. And you don’t get the full picture on vertical content either.
All-day battery
Perhaps, the 7000mAh battery is the realme 15 Pro’s champion feature. It’s the one area where marketing and reality aligns.
The phone easily provides ample power for 10 to 12 hours of use outside. That’s with Power Saving Mode and mobile data on.
“All-day battery life” in the context of smartphone usage will always be subjective. But I wouldn’t say I was challenged to drain it.
On lighter days, the phone was more of a mobile hotspot and I only had to glance on the display every now and then. Naturally, I still had about 40 to 50% left.
Usage included browsing, communication, photos and videos, editing reels, uploading them, and more in between.
Charging takes just about an hour to refuel back to 80%, which is quite impressive given this has a larger battery capacity.
Design
Truly marking the start of a new chapter, realme decided to likewise ditch the circular, timepiece-inspired camera islands and instead went with a squarish module on the upper left, containing the two huge cameras on top of each other.
Next to these are the dual flashes and a small ring light similar to what vivo calls Aura Light. Yet, the realme counterpart only activates for notifications and gaming instead of for photography.
The unit I have been reviewing came in Velvet Green which is the more leathery variant. The Flowing Silver counterpart, meanwhile, feels like a continuation of the shiny pearl white back on previous numbered series offerings.
On paper, they have virtually the same display size, thickness, and weight as the 14 Pro, but it’s evidently thinner and lighter than the 14 Pro+.
And I personally felt this when wielding the phone on a daily basis. The side frames look thinner too, and adds a subtle wedge to improve grip and ergonomics.
If anything, the backside doesn’t feel slippery at all for this variant and you can absolutely just one-hand it at times without fear of accidental drops.
Lastly, the 15 Pro retains IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance for extra protection.
Is this your GadgetMatch?
Sad to say, the realme 15 Pro 5G is a Swipe Left. It’s not a bad smartphone — but not a compelling one either.
The handset lacks that definitive punch for a mid-ranger in late 2025. There’s a disconnect between price and value proposition for the package it delivers.
Even with discounts on ecommerce platforms that will lower the asking price to about PhP 27,000, the unbalanced feature trade-offs still don’t feel justified.
You are paying premium for a mid-ranger. And you can get devices about PhP 5,000 less (or beyond).
From steady performance to acceptable cameras, to AI features and long battery life, the realme 15 Pro doesn’t stand out in a crowded market. That’s the real problem.
realme 15 Pro 5G specs
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, 4nm process, Octa-Core, up to 2.8 GHz
- OS: Android 15 with realme UI 6.0
- Memory: 12GB base RAM, up to 12GB expansion
- Internal storage: Up to 512GB
- Display: 6.8-inch 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED display with 10-bit color, HDR10+, 6,500 nits peak brightness
- Battery: 7000mAh silicon-carbon
- Charging: 80W wired
- Cameras: 50MP main (Sony IMX896 with OIS), 50MP ultra-wide angle, 50MP selfie
- IP68 and IP69
To be honest, I didn’t expect to like Project Hail Mary. I assumed that the decision to reveal the book’s biggest plot twist in the trailer was a mistake. I thought that the two-and-a-half-hour runtime might be too long. I worried that a hard sci-fi story like this one would be hard to translate into a feature-length film. Thank goodness I was wrong.
Project Hail Mary adapts Andy Weir’s novel of the same name. Indeed, that’s the same Andy Weir who wrote The Martian. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a molecular biologist, wakes up in an interstellar ship without his memory. With everyone else on board dead, he must find the answers to two questions on his own: who he is, and why he’s far away from Earth.
Though a soul-searching mystery might be entertaining in its own right, it wouldn’t be an Andy Weir story if it didn’t have some MacGyvering in space. Grace’s mission is apparently one of global importance. When a spacefaring virus starts to feed on the Sun and other surrounding stars, Earth sends a mission — that is, Ryland Grace and his deceased crewmates — to Tau Ceti, a faraway star somehow immune to the so-called astrophages.
Less problem solving, more emotion wrangling
Despite Weir’s tendencies to throw his protagonists into problem after problem, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who directed the adaptation, offers a more emotional story. Now, make no mistake; the original novel is already a tearjerker, but the film ups this even further by masterfully adapting the story’s most iconic character, Rocky.
Upon reaching Tau Ceti’s orbit, Grace realizes that he’s not alone. He isn’t the first visitor to the mysterious star. An alien spaceship is already orbiting the star. However, far from visions of War of the Worlds, this particular alien has a single mission: to save their own star from the same astrophages.
Rocky, as Grace calls them, looks like a living rock. Initially unable to communicate with the alien, Grave eventually builds a friendship with Rocky by translating the latter’s chirps to human words.
In the book, Rocky communicates with Grace (and the reader) through the broken English from a translating software. Naturally, the film adaptation offers more creative freedom. Instead of just text, Rocky gets a voice, thanks to James Ortiz, who offers a friendly-but-snarky character to the alien. As a result, Rocky feels more like a sidekick than just a (literally) alien entity.
Though it comes at the cost of some science-filled problem solving, Rocky’s slight change is more cinematic and can tug tighter at the heartstrings.
A healthy dose of humor
Rocky’s voice isn’t the only change. Despite the long runtime, the adaptation already prunes or shortens plot beats from the novel.
To be fair, all these changes don’t detract from the essence of the novel. Sometimes, they simplify. Other times, Lord and Miller infuse their trademark humor, which can be jarring for those expecting a more technical sci-fi story. But again, the novel’s spirit is still intact.
If anything, the added humor keeps the film entertaining throughout two-and-a-half hours. Now, if you’re tired of the so-called “Marvel humor,” there are moments of slapstick and snark sarcasm that pushes the limits of typical movie tropes. It’s just the price that an adaptation like this has to pay. Project Hail Mary’s plot is too complex to condense into the archetypal 90-minute window.
As someone who read and loved the original novel, it was difficult to see stitches between the book’s story and the screenplay’s changes. And I think that’s what makes the adaptation work so well.
Should you watch Project Hail Mary?
Project Hail Mary is as faithful as an adaptation can be. It doesn’t change the story for the sake of Hollywood. All the changes you’ll see are just ways to keep audiences engaged because of the long story. If you loved the book, there’s no way you wouldn’t love the adaptation, too.
Now, if you haven’t read the book, firstly, you’ll still love this movie. It’s a highly compelling story with high stakes and an emotional rollercoaster. Secondly, read the damn book. It’s a masterpiece of science fiction.
Not every flagship needs to reinvent the wheel.
Some phones try to wow you with dramatic hardware changes. Others focus on making the experience smoother, smarter, and easier to live with every day.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra falls squarely into the latter category.
At first glance, it doesn’t look dramatically different from last year’s model. But spend enough time with it — watching shows, listening to music, recording concerts, charging it between episodes — and the changes begin to make more sense.
A practical display trick
@gadgetmatch The Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces something we haven’t really seen on a mainstream smartphone before: a built-in Privacy Display. 🫣 #Unpacked #Unpacked2026 #SamsungGalaxyS26 #withGalaxy #GalaxyS26 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch
The headline hardware feature this year is Privacy Display.
It’s one of those features that immediately feels useful in the real world. When activated, the screen limits viewing angles so people beside you can’t easily see what’s on your display.
Anyone who has ever used their phone on a train, plane, or crowded café will understand the appeal.
Some users might notice the display resolution dropping when the feature is active, but that’s a natural trade-off given the nature of the feature. Limiting light dispersion requires compromises, and Samsung appears to have struck a reasonable balance between usability and privacy.
More importantly, it’s a feature that solves an everyday problem instead of chasing a spec-sheet headline.
@gadgetmatch Say goodbye to prying eyes with Samsung’s newest built-in Privacy Display. 😎 #Unpacked #Unpacked2026 #SamsungGalaxyS26 #withGalaxy #GalaxyS26 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch
A meaningful charging bump
Another upgrade that quietly improves daily use is charging.
The jump from 45W to 60W charging feels significant.
Previously, I had to watch two anime episodes before the Galaxy S25 Ultra was fully charged from around 20-ish percent. With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, that’s down to roughly a single episode.
It’s a simple comparison, but it’s also how most people experience charging in real life: plugging in while watching something.
Faster charging means you spend less time thinking about battery levels and more time actually using the phone.
Now Playing: Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3
Speaking of anime, I used the phone to catch up on Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen.
The latest battle between Yuji Itadori and “Judge Man” Higuruma looked absolutely stunning on the large Ultra display. As is to be expected.
Samsung has long been known for excellent smartphone displays, and that reputation continues here. The panel remains one of the easiest ways to enjoy streaming content on a mobile device.
Now Playing: Steal on Prime Video
The phone also became my late-night streaming companion.
I spent a few evenings watching Steal on Prime Video as I wind down at night. It stars Sophie Turner as a rank and file investment company employee caught in a high stakes hostage situation.
It’s a steady thrill watch – one you can finish in a weekend – where you can watch Turner on Prime before she shifts gears into tomb raiding.
Phones like the Galaxy S26 Ultra increasingly double as our primary personal screens, and the large display makes that transition feel effortless.
@gadgetmatch Audio Eraser now works on third-party apps! 🤩 #Unpacked #Unpacked2026 #SamsungGalaxyS26 #withGalaxy #GalaxyS26 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch
This also feels like the kind of scenario where Samsung’s Audio Eraser could come in handy. The feature can reduce background noise from videos — even from clips on apps like Instagram or YouTube.
While we’ve demonstrated it as a feature that works, I never really felt the need to use it during my week with the phone. Still, it’s nice knowing the tool is there if you ever need to clean up a noisy clip.
Paired with Galaxy Buds4 Pro
Paired with the Galaxy Buds4 Pro, I also started hearing stuff I didn’t usually hear when listening to my MyOPM playlist on Spotify.
The quality certainly feels a step higher than usual and a lot closer to lossless tracks I hear on Apple Music with my usual headphones.
It’s a subtle improvement, but one that adds up when you listen to music throughout the day.
Cameras: consistent, not dramatic
Camera performance remains largely unchanged.
The larger aperture does make a difference somewhat. But you’ll only really notice it if you’re scrutinizing the images.
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Magic8 Pro vs Galaxy S26 Ultra
I compared it with my personal smartphone camera of choice right now – the HONOR Magic8 Pro – and the difference in color science is staggering.
We’re not going to go in-depth here, but you’ll see that even with its Vibrant shooting filter, the Magic8 Pro’s photos tend to look warmer. They also have more character, especially when you shift to the Authentic filter.
Meanwhile, the photos produced by the Galaxy S26 Ultra tend to look closer to what you see in real life. They’re also flatter.
Some photos lose character when the highs, lows, and mids look a little too close to each other. The preset filters don’t help either. They’re just there for the sake of it.
All photos on the left are from the Magic8 Pro. The Galaxy S26 Ultra are on the right.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra
In terms of color reproduction, it’s a lot closer to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Less warm and more true-to-life. After close examination, the Galaxy S26 Ultra photos — especially in broad daylight — tend to be brighter. That’s what causes it to look a lot more flat and feel a little soul-less.
All photos on the left are from the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The Galaxy S26 Ultra are on the right.
Still a concert buddy
That said, the zoom video capabilities are definitely still as reliable as they have always been.
If I’m going to a concert and I’m seated nowhere near the barricade, I’m making sure I have the Galaxy S26 Ultra with me to record the experience.
The Horizon Video lock is also impressive. While use-case will vary depending on the activities you engage in, it’s a nice-to-have tool in your video-taking arsenal.
Galaxy AI in daily use
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Samsung continues to push Galaxy AI as the defining layer of its latest flagship, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra adds a few new tricks to that toolkit.
One of them is Now Brief and Now Nudge, which aim to surface contextual suggestions depending on what you’re doing.
So far, Now Brief still doesn’t feel as essential as it should. But some Now Nudge suggestions already available during our week with the Galaxy S26 Ultra are actually nice.
When a colleague suggested setting a meeting over on WhatsApp, the phone immediately pulled up the Calendar. It also showed if there’s a schedule conflict so you can adjust accordingly.
Next, my colleague asked if my San Francisco photos were ready and the phone immediately showed the Gallery app.
These aren’t dramatic features, but they do save a few taps. Over time, that convenience could add up.
This feature has potential. And it should only get better with time.
AI Photo Assist: promising but limited
I was less enthused by AI Photo Assist.
I thought it was promising at first but the text prompt is limited to 100 characters so you can’t really do super specific prompts.
That opens short prompts to a lot of interpretation by the AI and with my experience so far, it isn’t great.
I’d stick to using Gemini Pro for more detailed prompts and your usual photo editing apps for specific photo edits.
AI Photo Assist may improve over time, but right now it feels more like an experiment than an essential editing tool.
Heating observations
One thing worth noting is thermal behavior. The phone isn’t uncomfortable to use, but heating is definitely noticeable even when just watching a livestream. It also happens when gaming.
Interestingly, I experienced this type of heating recently on another Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 device as well. It may simply be the reality of running increasingly powerful chips in compact devices.
It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s something power users may want to keep in mind.
A phone that still feels good to hold
Last year I ultimately kept picking up the Galaxy S25 Ultra because of how good it feels to hold.
That aspect remains largely unchanged.
In fact, the Galaxy S26 Ultra feels slightly lighter and easier to hold. That’s true even if you add one of Samsung’s official cases with MagSafe compatibility.
Alternatively, you can use one of CASETiFY’s cases for extra protection. It’s going to feel bulkier, but that’s the tradeoff for adding to your defense stats.
Is the Galaxy S26 Ultra your GadgetMatch?
I wrote about Samsung’s philosophy of not chasing specs anymore. And while it’s a defensible direction, it’s not the “sexy” approach. At least perhaps not one that leads to massive sales or new customer acquisition.
But for anyone who’s been with the Galaxy S series for a while, they know what they’re getting – a reliable, ultra overall performer – one with kickass zoom cameras and now a nifty display trick.
Anyone coming from the Galaxy S23 Ultra or older, this is an easy swipe right.
If you’re into discount hacks and are coming from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, you might be surprised at how much you’ll save if you decide to upgrade.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra still offers good value.
Its overall balance remains the benchmark that most users will measure Android flagships by.
For that reason, Samsung’s flagship is still a Swipe Right.
Apple disrupts the industry with their latest MacBook — an affordable to say the very least.
If you’re a student, a first-time Mac owner, someone who’s been priced out of this ecosystem their whole life, someone who just needs a laptop for basic tasks but one that looks great, without slowing them down, this is it!
Or maybe you’re torn choosing between the MacBook Neo and the more powerful M5 MacBook Air?
Well, that’s what we’re here for. Here’s our review with the all-new MacBook Neo.
Alienware celebrates 30th anniversary with new Area-51 laptops
NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 can turn your favorite AAA game into AI slop
Samsung has reportedly stopped selling the Galaxy Z TriFold
Now Playing: Project Hail Mary
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