Review Summary
Expert Rating
Realme introduced the P3x (review) and P3 Pro (review) in February 2024, and now, the lineup has expanded with the addition of the Realme P3 and P3 Ultra (review), bringing the total to four models. The new Realme P3 refines the P3x I reviewed recently, offering key upgrades like an AMOLED display, a capable Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset, a 6,000mAh battery, and more.
After spending some time with it, here’s my take on whether the Realme P3 delivers enough value to stand out in this highly competitive price segment.
Table of Contents
Verdict
The Realme P3 delivers with its smooth performance, vibrant display, and durable IP69-rated build, making it a strong contender under Rs 20,000. Its cameras also deliver a strong performance in bright environments. However, the lack of OIS and a cluttered software experience with pre-installed apps might be drawbacks for some users.
Design and display
| Smartphone | Thickness | Weight | IP Rating |
| Realme P3 | 8 mm | 194 grams | IP66 + IP68 + IP69 |
| Redmi Note 14 | 7.99 mm | 190 grams | IP64 |
| OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | 8.1 mm | 191 grams | IP54 |
The Realme P3 shares a design philosophy similar to that of the P3x, both sporting a rectangular camera island on the back with circular ring cutouts for the cameras. I received the Space Silver variant for review, which has a modern, eye-catching design that stands out. The rear panel also does a good job of resisting fingerprints and smudges, keeping it looking clean.
The phone feels nice to hold, though the plastic frame means it does not have an overly premium feel. That said, it has impressive durability with triple IP ratings—IP66, IP68, and IP69—offering solid protection against dust, water, and high-pressure jets.
| Smartphone | Display | Peak brightness |
| Realme P3 | 6.67-inch AMOLED | 2000 nits |
| Redmi Note 14 | 6.67-inch AMOLED | 2100 nits |
| OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | 6.67-inch LCD | 2100 nits |
Up front, the phone features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080p (FHD+) resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2000 nits. The symmetrical bezels give it a balanced look, while the AMOLED panel delivers vibrant colours and deep blacks, enhancing the overall viewing experience.
The stereo speakers are also quite good, offering decent loudness that adds to the multimedia experience. Even our lab test proves the Realme P3 provides loud audio and a bright display, making it a suitable choice for those who enjoy consuming lots of videos on YouTube and other platforms. For security, there’s an in-display fingerprint scanner, which works well and unlocks the phone quickly.
Cameras
The Realme P3 comes equipped with a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor at the rear, while selfies and video calls are handled by a 16MP front camera. I would have preferred an ultra-wide lens instead of the depth sensor, as it adds more versatility to the camera system, whereas the depth sensor doesn’t bring much practical value.
In well-lit environments, the primary camera captures sharp, detailed images, though contrast and colours are slightly boosted. This results in social media-ready shots that are visually appealing. You can also capture live photos, which record up to 3-4 seconds of a scene, a neat addition to the camera features. The selfie camera also performs well in daylight, delivering good facial details while similarly enhancing saturation and contrast.
In low-light conditions, both cameras struggle, even with Night Mode enabled. The primary camera’s images appear slightly fuzzy, with slight noise in darker areas, while the selfie camera produces significantly softer shots. That said, this issue does not isolate the Realme P3 since many phones in this segment face similar challenges.
One major drawback, however, is the lack of OIS support on the primary camera. This feels like a missed opportunity, especially when key competitors like the Redmi Note 14 (review), iQOO Z9s (review), and OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite (review) all feature OIS, which significantly improves video stabilisation.
I also tested the Realme P3’s camera against some of its key rivals. Here’s how it compares:
Daylight
The Realme P3’s daylight shots appear punchier, thanks to its vibrant colours and high contrast levels. In comparison, the Redmi Note 14’s image looks flatter and less dynamic, as its lower contrast and high white balance reduce shadows, giving it a more artificial appearance.
When comparing the Realme P3 with the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite, both capture solid daylight shots but with some key differences. The Realme P3 produces richer colours and higher contrast, making the image look more vibrant. Meanwhile, the Nord CE4 Lite does a good job with colour correction, but its detail and sharpness fall slightly behind.
Portrait
The main difference in portrait shots between the Realme P3 and Redmi Note 14 comes down to colour science. The Realme P3 leans towards warmer tones, while the Redmi Note 14 has a cooler colour profile. In terms of details and edge detection, both perform similarly, though the Redmi Note 14 softens facial details slightly more, smoothing out skin texture.
The OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite, however, takes better portrait shots. In this case, it delivers more natural colours, particularly in skin tones, along with superior edge detection and higher detail levels.
Selfie
The key difference in selfies between the Realme P3 and the Redmi Note 14 once again comes down to colour science. The Realme P3 leans towards warmer tones, making its images look more appealing, while the Redmi Note 14 has a cooler hue. In terms of facial details, both phones smooth out skin to a similar degree, though the Realme P3 offers slightly higher clarity.
The OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite, on the other hand, tends to overprocess selfies, adding a reddish hue to the subject’s face, which makes the image look unnatural. The Realme P3’s image appears clean, making it the more visually appealing option.
Low-light (night mode-enabled)
Even with Night Mode enabled, both the Realme P3 and Redmi Note 14 struggle in low-light conditions. That said, the Realme P3 has a slight edge, delivering a warmer colour profile and a brighter output, which helps uncover more details. The Redmi Note 14 also falls slightly behind in terms of sharpness.
The pattern remains similar when comparing the Realme P3 with the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite. The Realme P3 produces a clearer image and does a better job with illumination, revealing more details in darker areas compared to the Nord CE4 Lite.
Performance and software
The Realme P3 is powered by the new Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 SoC, paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, further expandable up to 1TB with a microSD card. The chipset is quite capable, delivering a smooth experience for everyday use. Whether you’re browsing social media, texting, streaming videos, or playing casual games, the phone handles these tasks effortlessly with no noticeable lag or slowdowns.
Benchmark results place it among the top performers in its price range, making it one of the better options in this segment. I’ll attach some benchmark comparisons so you can see how it stacks up against popular rivals like the Redmi Note 14 and OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite.
Gaming performance is also great, with a consistent 60fps in COD: Mobile at medium graphical settings and around 25fps in BGMI. The phone is also optimised to support 90fps in BGMI, though this will only be available after launch through a game update.
On the software front, the Realme P3 runs Realme UI 6, based on Android 15, right out of the box. While the UI feels smooth and responsive in daily use, it does come with a fair amount of pre-installed apps, which can make the interface feel cluttered. You may also need to manually disable features like Realme Glance, which shows ads on the lock screen, as well as Hot Apps and Hot Games, which require adjustments through the App Market.
While this can be a bit tedious, most of these apps can be uninstalled, allowing you to personalise the experience to your liking. Software support is fairly standard for the price range but still a welcome addition.
| Smartphone | Pre-installed apps | Software support |
| Realme P3 | 69 | 2 OS upgrades + 3 years security |
| Redmi Note 14 | 66 | 2 OS upgrades + 4 years security |
| OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | 50 | 2 OS upgrades + 3 years security |
Battery and charging
The phone packs a 6,000mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging, and you also get a compatible charger in the box. It’s great to see more Android phones adopting larger 6,000mAh batteries, as this generally leads to noticeable improvements in battery life.
However, in the case of the Realme P3, while the capacity is impressive on paper, its real-world battery performance feels slightly underwhelming. Its benchmark scores are fairly average, and in our two-hour intensive lab test, the battery dropped by 22 percent, a result similar to many phones with a smaller 5,000mAh battery. That said, you can still expect an all-day battery, though it might not be significantly better than the competition as you may expect.
| Smartphone | Battery | Charging time (charging speed) |
| Realme P3 | 6,000mAh | 61 minutes (45W) |
| Redmi Note 14 | 5,110mAh | 32 minutes (45W) |
| OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | 5,500mAh | 50 minutes (80W) |
On the bright side, charging speeds are quite decent. It takes just over an hour to go from 20 to 100 percent, so if fast charging is a priority for you, this won’t disappoint
Final Verdict
The Realme P3 starts at Rs 16,999 for the 6GB+128GB variant, with the top-end 8GB+256GB model priced at Rs 18,999. For its price, the phone offers good value with its smooth performance, capable cameras, and an impressive display, all packed into a durable IP69-rated chassis. However, it does have a few drawbacks, such as the lack of OIS and the cluttered software experience due to pre-installed apps.
Its main competitors include the Redmi Note 14 (review) and the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite (review). The Redmi Note 14 is a strong rival, offering similar camera performance, multimedia output, and impressive battery life—at least on paper. However, the Realme P3 stands out with its more durable build and superior performance. When compared to the Nord CE4 Lite, the Realme P3 is ahead in most areas, including performance, cameras, design, and battery life, though the Nord CE4 Lite does offer a cleaner software experience.
Overall, the Realme P3 is one of the better options under Rs 20,000 and proves to be a well-rounded choice.
Editor’s Rating: 8/10
Reasons to buy:
- The Realme P3 comes in an appealing design which is quite robust with triple IP ratings.
- The phone’s display is quite good and delivers good visuals.
- The device is one of the best performers in its segment.
- The camera system performs well in all major day-to-day scenarios.
Reasons not to buy:
- There’s no OIS support on the primary camera.
- It comes with a lot of pre-installed apps.
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