Hands-On

The realme narzo 30A brings limitless gaming potential

Fast and long lasting, just how I like my gaming phones

Published

March 17, 2021

Gab Orlina

Not too long ago, realme launched their own lineup of gaming smartphones dubbed as the “narzo.” These phones weren’t simply built to be gaming powerhouses, but they possess a good amount of power. To top it all off, they even come at such great value that it’s a viable option for anyone’s first smartphone.

Now, they’re back with yet another device under the narzo line: the realme narzo 30A. They say it brings some form of limitless gaming power suited for the casual mobile gamer. If you’re not really into mobile gaming, it is supposedly a great all-around device, as well. In essence, it’s a phone that shows no bounds to how you can use it.

Let’s take a look at what’s in store for the realme narzo 30A.

New box, who this?

So, right off the bat, the realme narzo 30A now comes in a brand new box style. I guess gone are the days that we see the realme yellow-coated box for the narzo brand. Instead, we get a nice blue box with “narzo” in rather large letters. It’s a change that I am a little surprised about, considering the company has always donned the yellow box.

Another change they implemented with the box is that, well it just slides through the top or bottom ends now. Honestly, if they wanted to have a device with supposedly limitless power, this box alone subtly sold it. Inside, however, is pretty standard stuff: the device, documentation, SIM ejector tool, and charger.

Everything pretty much checks out, but I think they missed out on giving this its own silicon case. Let’s face it, much like any phone, you will drop this one a considerable amount too. It really helps to have that layer of extra protection to your phone, you know?

The phone itself is thick and shines on its own

The moment I pulled it out, I immediately noted just how thick it is. It’s the kind of thicc that makes it look like a small brick. Although, it isn’t quite as heavy as one, but just holding it alone makes you think there’s a ton of stuff they put in here. But, this wasn’t the only thing that stood out.

When you turn it to the rear side, it follows a pretty standard setup. First, it has the dual lens camera at the top left side of the phone in a square formation. Then, the fingerprint sensor rests roughly in the middle of the phone. What stands out is everything below these: the Diagonal Stripe design piece. It’s different in the sense that it doesn’t cover everything; that it actually demands your attention.

In terms of color options, the realme narzo 30A comes in two: Laser Blue and Laser Black. The unit I opened up came in Laser Black, which I’m not gonna lie is a sexy, subtle color option. Along with the Diagonal Stripe design piece, it just looks pristine in its own little way. If the Laser Blue catches your eye though, that’s all good!

Everything under the hood

Let’s get to the meat of the phone, shall we? Inside the realme narzo 30A is a Helio G85 CPU, specifically designed for a smooth gaming experience. Also, it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for all your games and files. All of these are powered by a 6000mAh battery, which also probably explains why it’s thicc.

Upon initial setup, I found the device quick and responsive while moving through realme UI 1.0. Apps run quite fast, while scrolling through social media was a breeze to do. I managed to download some competitive and casual mobile games, and so far, so good. Plus, I managed to do all of these with the battery still above 70 percent — for the most part.

Early GadgetMatch? Let’s see first.

So far, the device is showing flashes of its limitless gaming power and rocks a cool design. It poses great performance for casual use and gaming, plus it lasts relatively long while still at a full charge. From the unboxing experience to just using the phone initially, the phone screams “limitless” in its own right.

Early on, my gripe for the phone isn’t so much on the device itself but more of what it comes with. Sure, the new box style is a welcome change and all, but it would have been nice to include a silicon case in there. Other than that, I don’t have any initial worries for the phone.

Whether or not the device will continue to hold up to the limitless potential remains to be seen. From throwing multiple applications all at once to playing for much longer hours, let’s see how the realme narzo 30A stacks up.

Hands-On

OPPO Reno15 F 5G hands-on

More question marks than exclamation points?

Published

March 6, 2026

Manila Connoisseur

The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G made its way to the Philippines last month, and reception has been pretty great so far.

With a powerful camera package, AI, and a slew of upgrades, there’s a lot to love and not much negative to say. But that’s with both the standard and Pro models.

On the other hand, with the Reno15 F 5G — the series’ supposed budget-friendly “lite” variant —there were more question marks than exclamation points.

I attack this piece once more from a consumer standpoint: shelling out PhP 23,000 to PhP 26,000 for a midrange smartphone that feels and performs like it’s a few notches below its segment doesn’t sound too pleasant.

Performance

With a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, the OPPO Reno15 F performs pretty much like any sub PhP 20,000 mid-ranger. It’s acceptable, but does not punch above its weight as expected.

No major hiccups for light and casual usage. But performance struggles a lot for demanding video games.

It also heats up significantly just 10 minutes into a title like Honkai: Star Rail. This is a stark contrast to the marketed 25℃ and up to 10 hours straight of smooth gameplay.

Although, the experience was still enjoyable with several wins and MVP runs in Call of Duty Mobile. It only means the F variant remains a more camera-centric phone rather than an a hard-hitting all-arounder.

As with other devices, the 7000mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC is a strong suit. You’re fueled from dawn ’til dusk, with much to spare. Recharging takes a breeze, too.

Display

The OPPO Reno15 F has a 6.57-inch 120Hz display, with a 92.8% screen-to-body ratio. At least, that allows you to focus on content on the screen.

Content leans more towards the cooler tone, so you’ll have to adjust it manually if you want a warmer or more vivid look.

The 397ppi pixel density is fine to ensure sharper visuals, while the 1400 nits peak brightness is helpful outdoors.

Camera

The device’s 50MP main camera captures decent quality. The color science leans on being natural anew, without being too dull nor washed out. You can pull off smooth portraits too.

I hardly used the phone for stills as I focused on videos, but here are some samples, on the occasions I was able to take the handset with me:

The 50MP front camera is an intriguing add-on, as it is capable of up to 4K video and a wide 100° field of view.

What this does is it essentially removes the need to flip your phone for the popular “0.5” shots. And the quality doesn’t get compromised given the pixel count.

Here are some selfies from different focal lengths:

To its credit, filming with the back camera at 60fps does look and feel smooth, although it can be improved.

Same with the front camera; and the zoom range can be switched from 0.6 to 2x without cutting the recording.

Although, it’s still best to use a selfie stick or small tripod if you’re just after talking head videos.

Speaking of which, here are a few I’ve made with just this device:

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But for travel and on-the-go captures, as OPPO markets for the series in general, even the Reno15 F can cover a lot of background along with your or your groups’ faces.

Make no mistake, there are some useful AI editing features here. In particular, AI Portrait Glow gives your raw capture an effect to make it look it was taken with flash.

I do not recall the device heating up as well when taking many photos or videos, so you can say it’s more optimized for that task rather than gaming.

Connectivity issues

Meanwhile, AI LinkBoost 3.0, as in the case of the OPPO A6 Pro, doesn’t seem to punch above its weight either.

Once, I also played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the session opened to a jittery start despite being on Wi-Fi and having a stable connection. I don’t know what triggered this.

Design, feel

We got the Aurora Blue variant which does kind of resemble the northern lights when you tilt the phone a certain way and when light hits its back panel.

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The cursive “Reno” on the large, protruding camera island gives it more style.

However, it’s all just aesthetics. On the downside, the phone is all sorts of slippery.

I couldn’t hold it properly without think of it slipping away from my hands; nor could I put it on my lap with confidence.

So I guess it’s good that it has structural integrity and waterproofing, because you’ll need that.

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The 6.57-inch body does have a good balance between being too compact and too large, like ultras and pro maxes.

It has a squarish body and has already adapted to the premium, aluminum frame look from the sides.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sadly, the OPPO Reno15 F 5G is a Swipe Left unlike its bigger, more capable siblings. There are plenty of plus points for the camera package but take that away, and I don’t see much difference between the Reno15 F and something like the A6 Pro.

Granted, the asking price of this phone will drop significantly in a few months. But throw in a little more, and you’ve got a legitimate mid-ranger that’s more on the premium side rather than the cheap end of the spectrum.