Realme GT 7 review: Carrying GT legacy, performance at ‘mid-range pricing’

Rating: 3.5/5Realme, as a brand, has built a reputation for offering good value in its segment with devices that offer good performance at competitive pricing. The Chinese brand’s GT series follows this approach and promises high-end performance at mid-range price tags. With the new GT 7, the company wants to keep that momentum going by offering hardware that looks strong on paper and doesn’t come without making a big hole in the pocket.

On paper, the Realme GT 7 brings some serious heat — a Dimensity 9400e chipset, a 7000mAh battery, 120W fast charging, and a triple-camera setup. Launched at a competitive price point of Rs 39,999, this phone promises to cater to users who demand speed, endurance, and imaging performance in one sleek package. But is it as good as it claims to be? We spent some time with the 512GB IceSense Blue variant to see if it lives up to the hype.

Design and Display

The Realme GT 7 features a familiar yet refined design. The IceSense Blue variant we tested offers a frosted finish with its glass back that resists fingerprints and gives it a cool shimmer under light. However, the plastic frame do take away from the otherwise decent look and feel.

At 206g and 8.3mm thickness, the phone feels well-balanced in hand, although the flat edges can feel slightly sharp during long gaming sessions. The IP69 rating protects it against dust and even high-pressure water. During our testing, the phone held up well, showing no issues even after being exposed to multiple spells of rain.

The 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display is one of the biggest highlights of the phone. Its support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ brings out richer colours and deeper contrast while streaming content.

What makes it a real showstopper is the 6000 nits peak brightness — something we noticed outdoors. The screen really stepped up while checking the photos we clicked outside on a sunny day. While binge-watching a show during your commute, the screen remained sharp, vibrant, and quite legible in all lighting conditions.It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and delivers up to 6000 nits of peak brightness. In real-world use, we had no trouble reading text or viewing videos even under direct sunlight.The display’s colour reproduction and smoothness were pleasing to the eyes. While watching Stranger Things in Dolby Vision and playing Genshin Impact at 120Hz. The 2160Hz PWM dimming helped reduce eye fatigue as we didn’t face any strain after watching the entire fifth day’s play of a Test match between India and England. The Gorilla Glass 7i protection kept the display scratch-free after being in our pockets for long days as well as some accidental bumps and drops.

Performance and Gaming

Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e chipset and Immortalis-G720 GPU, the GT 7 lives up to its flagship promise. The phone delivered buttery-smooth performance in everything from multitasking to gaming.

We tested titles like BGMI, Genshin Impact, and FC 25 Mobile. All ran on max settings with no stutters, even during long sessions. The phone barely got warm, thanks to the internal cooling solution and bypass charging feature that prevents battery heating while gaming on charge.The stereo speakers deliver immersive audio with strong mids and punchy bass. While playing BGMI, the directional audio helped us anticipate enemy movement. The 24-bit Hi-Res audio support was noticeable while using wired Type-C headphones for music streaming.

Cameras

The Realme GT 7 features a versatile triple camera setup – a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 50MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide shooter.

Daylight shots were detailed with natural colours. Zoom shots retained sharpness and clarity, and the ultra-wide sensor captured broad landscapes without major distortion. Night photography was equally impressive, with OIS and software doing a good job at reducing noise.The camera performs well across different lighting conditions. Daylight shots offer good detail and balanced, natural colours. Even at higher zoom levels, images hold on to a decent amount of sharpness. The ultra-wide sensor manages to capture expansive scenes with minimal distortion. Low-light photos with night mode are also quite capable. The OIS support and software optimisation kept noise under control in most scenarios. Here are some camera samples:

The phone also supports 8K recording at 30fps and 4K at up to 120fps. Video footage was crisp and stable, with accurate colours. The 32MP front camera produced sharp selfies and clear video for video calls. We particularly liked the front 4K recording option – a rare find in this price bracket.

Software and Feature

Running on Android 15 with Realme UI 6.0, the interface is fluid and customisable. Realme promises four years of major OS updates, which adds longevity to the phone.

AI features like Circle to Search, Note Assist, and Live Call Translation worked reliably and added value to daily usage. The under-display fingerprint sensor was quick and reliable. You also get NFC with 360° sensing, an infrared blaster, and Wi-Fi 7 support for future-proof connectivity.AI features like Circle to Search, Note Assist, and Live Call Translation did come in handy during everyday use. Circle to Search was particularly useful for quick look-ups while browsing, and worked smoothly in most apps.We used the Circle to Search feature on Instagram to identify untagged sneakers instantly. The AI tool offered quick results and worked easily without any hiccups, and was particularly useful during everyday browsing.

Note Assist handled basic summaries well, though complex notes sometimes lost a bit of context. Live Call Translation was accurate enough in quiet settings but less reliable in noisy environments.The under-display fingerprint sensor was fast and consistent in our testing. You also get an IR blaster and NFC, which worked effortlessly for contactless payments and controlling appliances without their remote, while the inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 adds to the phone’s future-proof appeal, even if you may not need it right away.

Battery and Charging

The 7000mAh silicon-carbon battery is a major win. During our tests, the GT 7 easily lasted a full day and more, even with heavy gaming and content streaming. Lighter usage stretched it to almost two full days.Realme’s 120W fast charger took the phone to 50% in just under 15 minutes and a full charge in 40 minutes. The inclusion of bypass charging helped reduce thermal build-up during long gaming sessions while charging.

Verdict

Realme GT 7 is a powerful all-rounder that nails the essentials and goes a step beyond with features like a stunning display, a reliable camera system, and a massive battery. It competes directly with higher-priced flagships while offering better value.While the plastic build and lack of expandable storage might be downsides for some, they’re overshadowed by what this phone delivers elsewhere.If you’re after a future-proof smartphone with top-tier performance, high refresh rate display, and standout battery life in the Rs 40K–45K segment, the Realme GT 7 is a worthy pick that checks nearly all the boxes.