The realme C series continues to hold the fort for the brand in the entry-level segment. But with the current memory crisis driving up prices, the latest realme C100 4G seems a little too expensive for what it offers.
With an SRP starting at Php11,195, the C100 4G, as the name suggests, lacks 5G connectivity. On paper, however, it has some redeeming qualities, including a large, fast display and very generous battery life.
Should you give it a chance, or skip it altogether? Let’s find out in our realme C100 4G review.
realme C100 4G Specs
- Android 16, realme UI 7.0
- Dual SIM, Dual Standby
- 6.8-inch HD+ IPS display, 1520 x 720 pixel resolution, ~254ppi
- up to 120Hz refresh rate, up to 240Hz touch sampling rate
- 1200-nit peak brightness
- MediaTek Helio G92 Max octa-core processor
- 4GB/8GB RAM
- Mali-G52 GPU
- 256GB eMMC 5.1 internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 8-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel rear camera, f/1.8, LED flash
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- HSPA+, 4G LTE
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.3
- GPS
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 166.48 x 78.23 x 8.63mm
- Weight: 219g
- Colors: Glory White, Triumphant Purple, Eternal Brown
- 8,000mAh battery, 45W wired, reverse wired, bypass charging
Design and Build Quality
While the design is forgettable, realme has made an effort to give the C100 4G a distinct look. It’s available in three colors: Triumphant Purple, Glory White, and the one we have here, Eternal Brown.
It features what realme calls a “blooming design,” which resembles a flower in bloom. It looks cool, but doesn’t exactly stand out, especially with the vertical camera layout that’s already common on many phones today.
Like many budget phones, it has a plastic rear panel and frame. It’s thin, although not the thinnest on paper, and features a flat frame that improves grip.
In terms of durability, the realme C100 is IP64 dust- and water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about accidental splashes or getting caught in the rain.
It also has Wet-Hand and Glove Touch Technology, allowing you to use the screen even when it’s wet or while wearing gloves. It also comes with a free clear case, which does a good job of protecting the screen and rear cameras.
Overall, we’re fine with the shell of the realme C100. The build quality makes up for its otherwise boring design.
Taking a tour, we have the 6.8-inch IPS display with relatively thick bezels and a punch-hole for the 8-megapixel selfie camera.
On the left side is the SIM tray. It’s a hybrid setup that can hold either two nano SIMs or one SIM and a microSD card.
The volume controls are on the right, alongside the lock/power button, which doubles as the fingerprint scanner. The physical buttons are flat and surprisingly well-made.
There’s nothing on top, while the bottom houses the USB-C port, microphone, and loudspeaker.
On the back are the 50-megapixel main camera, an unknown lens, LED flash, and the Pulse Light.
Display and Audio
The realme C100 4G comes with a 6.8-inch IPS display that, sadly, only has an HD+ resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels instead of the more appropriate FHD+ for this price. That’s 254 pixels-per-inch. On the upside, it does have a high 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 1,200-nit peak brightness, which is impressive — at least on paper.
An HD+ resolution at this price is simply unforgivable. What’s more, it only has Widevine L3 instead of L1, so the lack of sharpness becomes especially noticeable when streaming content.
Oh, and forget about that high refresh rate. The device is so slow that it’s barely noticeable.
Adding insult to injury is the lack of stereo speakers. The single bottom-firing speaker is fine for casual viewing, such as watching social media videos, but the lack of a second channel becomes annoying when watching content in landscape.
The single speaker does have a 400% volume booster, which is triggered automatically when you max out the volume. However, sound quality is nothing to brag about. It can sound muffled and lacks bass.
Hardware and Performance
The realme C100 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G92 Max processor, which means it disappointingly lacks 5G connectivity. It’s paired with a Mali-G52 GPU and comes in either 4GB/256GB or 8GB/256GB RAM and storage configurations. Sadly, our review unit is the base model with 4GB of RAM.
realme C100 Benchmark Scores:
realme has included a vapor chamber cooling system with a 5300mm2 coverage, along with Flux Engine, which is said to improve app launch speed and lower stutter rate.
Day-to-day performance feels annoyingly slow. Despite the optimizations, app launches still feel sluggish, and we’re seeing stutters even when simply watching Instagram stories. While almost every task is doable on this device, you have to be really patient with it.
Now let’s see how well it handles games — or how badly.
Genshin Impact, despite being set to the Lowest graphics preset, is extremely laggy, with tons of frame drops and even freezes. It’s simply unplayable.
The same goes for PUBG Mobile and Farlight84. We played with different Graphics Quality and Frame Rate combinations, but to no avail. The games are riddled with frame drops, making them difficult to play.
Call of Duty Mobile, despite being highly optimized, still suffered from lags and frame drops. However, they weren’t severe enough to make the game completely unplayable.
Less demanding games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang ran fine under HD resolution with Ultra map quality. Asphalt Legends Unite, while suffering from many frame drops, was still playable under Default settings at 30 frames.
The bottom line is that the realme C100 has abysmal performance. Getting the higher RAM model would be better, but we doubt it would make a significant difference.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Genshin Impact | *Unplayable* |
| PUBG Mobile | *Unplayable* |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Low • Frame Rate: Max |
| Farlight84 | *Unplayable* |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Resolution: HD • Map Quality: Ultra • Frame Rate: High |
| Asphalt Legends Unite | • Visual Quality: Default • Frame Rate: 30 |
Software and User Interface
The realme C100 4G ships with an Android 16-based realme UI 7.0 user interface. realme hasn’t confirmed how long it will receive software updates.
realme UI shares many similarities with OPPO’s ColorOS and is almost entirely based on it, which we constantly praise for being polished and efficient.
The device relies heavily on Google Gemini for its AI features. We couldn’t find other usual AI features like text generator and AI Subtitles. Circle to Search is also here.
Many of the AI features are found in the gallery. There’s AI Eraser, AI Ultra Clarity, AI Unblur, AI Reflection Eraser, and AI Glare Remover.
The Pulse Light on the back is highly customizable through the settings. It lights up when you receive calls and notifications, can dance with the music, and more.
You can customize the color and light speed for each function.
Much like everything else on this device, the fingerprint scanner and face unlock can feel very slow.
Cameras
The realme C100 comes with a 50-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture and an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. There’s no ultra-wide or telephoto lens.
You can shoot 720p@30fps and 1080p@30fps videos with both the front and rear cameras.
It can also shoot 720p@120fps slow-mo videos and supports underwater mode, dual-view video, hi-res, and more.
Daylight shots are usable. We get ample detail and decent dynamic range, but colors can be inconsistent.
Low-light shots are also terrible. Details are lacking, exposure could be better, and noise is very apparent.
The 8-megapixel camera is fine for selfies under good lighting, but image quality drops significantly at night. Details are poor, and skin tones are often off.
Possibly the only redeeming quality of the realme C100 4G is its battery life. For starters, it has a large 8,000mAh capacity, paired with 45W wired, reverse wired, and bypass charging.
Battery and Charging
Possibly the only redeeming quality of the realme C100 4G is its battery life. For starters, it has a large 8,000mAh capacity, which is paired with 45W wired, reverse wired, and bypass charging.
It lasted 25 hours and 37 minutes in the PCMark Synthetic Battery Test and a whopping 26 hours in our 1080p YouTube Video Loop Test.
That’s the most consistent high score we got, as both tests were almost equally high, as seen in the table above. It also achieved the second-highest score in its category, thanks to its YouTube test performance. It was only beaten by the top performer, the POVA Curve 2, by 0.07 hours.
Charging times can get tiresome, though, as a full charge took about 1 hour and 40 minutes. See the full charging test below:
- 15mins: 0-16%
- 30mins: 32%
- 45mins: 48%
- 1hr: 63%
- 1hr 15mins: 77%
- 1hr 30mins: 90%
- 1hr 40mins: FULL
Verdict
The realme C100 4G is a phone that’s difficult to recommend at its Php11,195 starting price. While it has a massive 8,000mAh battery, 45W wired charging, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, IP64 dust and water resistance, and a few useful features, these strengths are overshadowed by its sluggish performance, HD+ display, lack of 5G connectivity, and mediocre cameras.
The biggest problem is that the C100 4G simply doesn’t feel fast enough for its price. The MediaTek Helio G92 Max and 4GB of RAM struggle with everyday tasks, while gaming performance leaves a lot to be desired. The 6.8-inch display is also held back by its HD+ resolution and Widevine L3 certification.
Its battery life is undoubtedly impressive, and the C100 4G can make sense for users who prioritize endurance above everything else. But for most buyers, especially those looking for a well-rounded smartphone, there are better options in this price range.
The realme C100 4G gets the basics right, but its compromises are simply too significant at this price. Unless battery life is your top priority, we’d recommend looking elsewhere.
realme C100 pricing and availability in the Philippines
The realme C100 4G 4GB/256GB has a price of Php11,195, while the 8GB/256GB is yours for Php14,000. It’s available at physical stores nationwide, the realme e-store, and through Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- IP64 dust and water resistance
- Wet-Hand and Glove Touch Technology
- Customizable Pulse Light
Cons
- Sluggish day-to-day performance
- Poor gaming experience
- HD+ resolution feels inadequate at this price
- No stereo speakers
- No 5G connectivity
- Mediocre camera performance
- Relatively expensive for its hardware