Anyone looking to save some money on a smartphone has a new device to throw into the mix — the Realme C21. This latest device from the world’s fastest growing smartphone brand really hits the sweet spots when it comes to value for money, thanks to an impressive line-up of features all for the very affordable price tag of $199 AUD RRP.
The C21 looks to be a bit of an upgrade from the Realme C12 and C11 phones released in late 2020 (and for the same price as the Realme C12). Let’s take a look at the features and specs of the new Realme C21 phone to see what $199 will get you.
Realme C21 features and specs
The C21 is the latest device to join the Realme C series, which is the cheaper ‘entry level’ range that Realme produces. The aim of this phone series is to pack in some of the great features that Aussies want, but at a price point that won’t break the bank. Realme’s range of devices are already quite affordable, with one of the cheapest 5G phones on the market and ‘premium’ devices that don’t cost over $800.
For the $199 AUD RRP price point, you’ll get a 6.5 inch HD+ mini drop display with 89.5% screen ratio and 60Hz refresh rate. There’s also a Helio G35 gaming processor, instant fingerprint unlock and the C21 is NFC enabled, so you can activate Google Pay to tap and pay when you’re out shopping or on public transport.
As for the battery, at this point it’s a generous 5,000mAh battery which supports reverse charging. Not only is it pretty powerful, but when you have just 5% of battery life left, the Super Power Saving mode apparently is still enough for 2.23 hours of calls, 1.36 hours of YouTube, 1.43 hours of Whatsapp, 1.51 hours of Instagram and 4.78 hours of Spotify (battery life may vary depending on device usage).
When it comes to the cameras, you’ll get a 5MP front-facing camera plus triple rear camera setup with a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP B&W lens and a 2MP macro lens. There are also a number of features and effects so you can be a bit creative with your photo taking, including portrait mode and AI beautification, night mode and time-lapse.
You’ll also get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, with an expandable Micro SD storage up to 256GB. The Realme C21 is available in Cross Blue or Cross Black colourways, with a bold geometric cross hatch design on the back, which also helps to protect against fingerprint smudges.
The Realme C21 is available to buy outright for $199 AUD RRP, and is available as an exclusive Optus prepaid phone (which means you’ll get a prepaid SIM and the device may be locked to the Optus network). You’ll be able to buy direct from Optus (both online and in store) as well as retailers including Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, Big W and Target (availability may vary between stores).
- $199 AUD RRP (available in partnership with Optus)
- 6.5 inch HD+ display with 89.5% screen ratio
- 64GB internal storage (with up to 256GB Micro SD expandable storage)
- 4GB RAM
- Helio G35 Octa Core gaming processor
- 5,000 mAh battery with reverse charge and Super Power Saving Mode
- Triple rear camera setup (13MP main + 2MP B&W + 2MP macro)
- 5MP AI front-facing camera
- NFC enabled for Google Pay
- Cross Blue and Cross Black colourways
Are Realme phones any good?
The smartphone market has been dominated by the big players like Apple and Samsung, and in more recent years, OPPO and Google. However, many other phone brands are producing great devices and often at more affordable prices than the big names. There are challenger brands like Realme and Vivo, which have ties to OPPO and release some quality devices at cheaper prices. There are also the old school phone brands like Nokia and Motorola, who are giving the big guys a run for their money and once again producing great phones, often at more competitive price points.
Realme has been one of those emerging brands that does deliver on what their aim is — great quality at affordable prices. While the cheaper C series make a great option for a basic phone, especially for kids, there are also more mid-range devices, and even a premium offering which features some great value for money. Overall you can expect these devices to provide a solid experience, and while they won’t always have the flashiest technology included, you’ll still have a good phone at a budget-friendly price.
Check out our reviews on several other Realme devices:
Other related articles:
- Cheap phones compared: $200 vs $300 vs $400 phones
- Moto G 5G Plus review: Australia’s cheapest 5G phone?
- Vivo X50 Pro 5G review: a challenger phone with a great camera
- Samsung Galaxy S21 review: a fast new flagship phone
- Nokia 5.4 review: A value-packed phone for under $350
Compare SIM-only phone plans
If the Realme C21 is a little bit too basic for you and you’re interested in picking up one of the other Realme phones, you can check out a range of SIM-Only phone plans, both postpaid and prepaid plans to pair with your device in the below tables.
Here is a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Try using our mobile phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Here is a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data each month, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. If you want to compare a larger range of offers from other providers, use our phone plan comparison tool. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
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