The smartphone market is more competitive than it’s ever been. Everywhere you look, there’s a new OEM fighting for its chance to shine. Add in a global pandemic, and it becomes even more challenging for a young brand to make a name for itself. Some brands might see such a setback as impossible, yet realme has met the challenge head-on and grown to new heights after such an uncertain year. The question is, how did realme get here?
A short history with a long vision
Realme launched just a few short years ago in August 2018 with a new goal — to provide leap-forward products with trendsetting design for young people. The company’s DNA is dedicated to young, real, stylish, and outstanding products, and it seems to be paying off so far.
In fact, realme is the fastest brand to reach 100 million units sold, and it’s not slowing down. It plans to continue its push into the high-end range of the smartphone industry, and its three-year history offers a strong base of support. Realme already supports 61 global markets throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and more. So, how was this meteoric rise achieved?
Better every year
A few short weeks after establishing its brand values, realme brought its first-ever device to India. The realme 2 reached two million sales during Diwali before reaching three million users by the end of the year.
By the start of 2019, realme had established itself in 10 more global markets and accelerated its European timeline, entering the continent at the end of March. 2019 proved to be a critical year for realme’s expansion, as it stormed into China with the realme X, followed by Russia. By October, realme achieved 10 million shipments, good for 808% growth in just one year on the back of its early Snapdragon 7-series adoption.
Realme wrapped up its strong 2019 with the realme X2 Pro, which earned an Editor’s Choice badge from the team here at Android Authority. It brought the total shipments to a whopping 25 million — well on its way to the 100 million mark.
Many smartphone brands entered 2020 with high hopes, and realme marked the new year with the launch of its realme X50 5G. It was one of the first devices to tap into the Snapdragon 865 SoC, showing that realme is here to stay.
As 2020 rolled on, realme pulled the covers off the X3 SuperZoom, 125W UltraDart charging, and found itself among the top five brands in 13 global markets. By the end of a turbulent year, realme eclipsed the 50 million sale mark, and it brings us to where we are today.
What does the future hold?
Realme is determined to keep its grip on the smartphone market and push sales to new heights. As such, it has to bring top-notch specs to its next flagship device. That brand new flagship is the realme GT Master Edition Series, and it packs all of the specs you can ask for.
For starters, realme’s next phone will be feather-light. It’s designed in collaboration with famed designer Naoto Fukasawa. It measures just 8mm thin and weighs a mere 179g. The idea is that you can bring your phone anywhere without feeling it hinder your desire to explore.
We can also look forward to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 5G SoC at the heart of the next realme device. It should provide plenty of power and speed, and the 65W SuperDart Charge can get you back on your feet in no time — less than half an hour, according to realme. Of course, with this kind of power and speed, you’ll need realme’s Stainless Steel Cooling System to keep you at peak performance.
As with any premium phone targeted at young consumers, the camera is a vital feature. For this device, realme turned to Sony and its flagship 64MP sensor. You’ll find optical stabilization, and this is the largest sensor realme has ever used.
Outside of realme’s new flagship, the company is also launching the realme Book, its first-ever laptop. The new machine packs a Full View 2K display, which is perfect for both work and play. The 11th-generation Intel Core processors pack all of the punch you need. realme’s PC Connect feature also enables users to sync their phones with their laptop and experience the former’s rich applications with ease, making work and study even more convenient.