Realme GT 2 Pro Hands On: Flagship Power, Eco-Friendly Flair

pcmag.com:

Realme announced the European launch of the GT 2 and GT 2 Pro at Mobile World Congress, the latter of which has an unusual microscope camera mode and is made of supposedly eco-friendly materials. Unfortunately, Americans likely can't ever buy this phone, much less use it as a daily driver. That’s a pity, because I tested the GT Pro 2 for a few days, and like its cousins from Iqoo (the BMW-branded 9 Pro) and Oppo (the Find X5 Pro), it offers some compelling ideas that could otherwise infuse new life into the boring US smartphone market.

Here's what I found.

For reference, Realme, Iqoo, and Oppo all operate under the umbrella of the Chinese conglomerate BBK, which also owns OnePlus. Phones from those brands all share some qualities and resources, but differ in other areas such as design and software.

Right off the bat, the Realme GT2 Pro distinguishes itself from other phones in the BBK portfolio with an attractive back that Naoto Fukasawa, a Japanese industrial designer most famous for his work with MUJI, designed.

The back uses a textured white biopolymer material that feels a bit like cardboard and sports Fukasawa's Roman-lettered signature. The design is a departure from the slick metal, glass, and ceramic surfaces you see on other top smartphones. According to Realme, the material somehow "reduced the [rear shell's] carbon footprint by 35.5%." The packaging is recyclable and uses soy-based ink, too.

A flat, 6.7-inch, 120Hz WQHD+ display sits on the front; it's bright and sharp. The phone is a handful at 6.4 by 2.9 by 0.3 inches (HWD), but is light for its size at approximately 6.7 ounces.

These design aspects are fine on their own, but the phone's polymer back, light weight, and dull silver surround make it feel more