Realme C71 Debuts with a Huge Battery But Faces Tough Competition

Realme has added a new member to its budget-friendly C series-the Realme C71.

Launched first in Vietnam, the phone brings a mix of flashy specs and some curious compromises. But in today’s competitive market, does a big battery still impress?

On paper, the Realme C71 boasts a 6.67-inch LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 725-nit peak brightness, and a modest 720×1604 resolution. It’s powered by a Unisoc T7250 chipset, paired with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. One of its headline features is the 6,300 mAh battery supported by 45W SuperVOOC fast charging.

For photography, the phone offers a 50MP AI-assisted main camera and a 5MP selfie shooter. While that won’t break any imaging records, it’s decent for casual use. Other features include 4G connectivity (no 5G here), NFC, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and Realme UI based on Android 15. The device also meets the MIL-STD-810H durability certification, promising survival from 1.5m drops-handy for clumsy users.

Despite the promising numbers, the Realme C71 feels like it’s trying to do too much in the entry-level space. The use of a full Android 15 OS instead of Android Go could lead to performance bottlenecks over time, considering the limitations of the Unisoc chip. Some users have pointed out that Realme might be better off focusing on polishing their mid-range and premium devices, rather than pushing out underpowered phones with gimmicky features.

Also, while the 6,300 mAh battery is notable, it’s not groundbreaking anymore. Phones in the 7,000 to 7,500 mAh range are already here, and even mid-range devices are catching up with huge batteries and better-balanced specs.

Realme C71 is priced at around $153 (VND 3,990,000), with an early launch offer bringing it down to about $145 (VND 3,790,000). But for the savvy shopper, there might be better deals out there in the same price range.

In short, while the Realme C71 is not a bad phone, it feels a bit late to the party. Big battery alone no longer cuts it in 2025. It’s time for budget phones to offer more than just endurance.