Realme power bank review: With great power, comes great design

Realme is almost synonymous with the value-for-money mid-range segment of smartphones. But like every successful brand, Realme too refuses to stay put in a single segment. The brand recently launched its line of audio equipment and also, a power bank.

The Realme power bank, which is what we’re reviewing today, isn’t just a regular brick that juices your phone. It is a two-way fast charging power bank that charges phones, headphones, other power banks, USB beard trimmers and pretty much anything that charges through USB. We reviewed the power brick to see if it packs only style or substance as well.

Design, Build

The power bank’s looks are the first thing that will turn heads. Though very minimal, this is hands-down the best-looking power bank out there. The brick has curved sides which give it sort of a slimmer feel despite the average width of it. The brick is also not rigidly rectangular as the top and bottom portions taper in on the faces to give it a unique shape.

The red one we have is wrapped in a matte finish all over except at the top and bottom edges where the ports and buttons are. These areas remain black. The top has a big off-centre ‘realme’ branding that somehow looks great, giving the brick a minimalistic yet funky look. On the back is some fine print technical specifications in an off-white shade.

The input USB-C port, the output USB port, the four-light LED indicator and the Power button all go on the top side of the power bank and the bottom face goes clean. The whole brick feels solid in the hand and the matte finish helps give it a bit of a grippy texture. The whole package feels premium in hand.

Performance

The 10000mAh power bank charges at 18W and also charges fast-charge supporting devices at 18W. The power bank can be used to charge all kinds of devices that source power from a Micro-USB or a USB-C.

Charging was quick and we found that phones that detect 18W charging to be ‘fast charging’ and not just ‘charging’, couldn’t differentiate between the power bank and a fast charging wall adapter. However the power bank itself takes more than 3 hours to charge from 0 to 100 per cent. So, you may want to keep that in mind.

Verdict

Perhaps the only factor that could steer you away from this great product is the price tag of Rs 1,300. While it’s not much, there are other fast charging power banks that are competitively priced below Rs 1,000. Granted they have nowhere near the look and appeal that this bad boy has, but then again not everybody is looking for style; some people just want substance.

Regardless, for those who do not mind spending that little bit of extra cash, the Realme 10000mAh power bank is a solid option that even apart from its classy looks, provides massive value for money.