realme 3 launch window confirmed, unnamed 48MP smartphone in works

Realme had an impressive debut year, delivering some capable phones at affordable price-points. And it looks like the company could be in for a great second year on the market.

realme India CEO Madhav Sheth told The Indian Express that the realme 3 would be announced in the first quarter of the year. Sheth didn’t reveal any specific realme 3 specs, but reportedly told the outlet that it “didn’t see any value” in punch-hole cameras or triple-camera smartphones.

In other words, we’d expect the dual-camera setup and notch to stay, but hopefully with some meaningful improvements like night mode and a more elegant style (perhaps a waterdrop?). We’d also expect a vanilla and Pro model, covering the mid-range to upper mid-range price brackets.

The executive did however confirm that it’ll be launching a smartphone with a 48MP camera in 2019. This means realme will be joining Hisense, Huawei, and Xiaomi in offering a 48MP shooter. It’s unclear whether this would be a realme 3 variant (e.g. a Pro model) or an entirely new entry. The company previously launched the realme U1 late last year, featuring a 25MP selfie camera. So there is a precedent for a camera-focused device that isn’t part of the main realme series.

48MP cameras have emerged as the latest advancement in mobile photography, offering an extremely high resolution for daytime snaps. But it’s more than just a megapixel play, as these cameras use pixel-binning (combining the data from four pixels into one) in order to deliver better low-light shots, albeit at 12MP.

The company is expected to have a busy 2019 as it continues its offline expansion in India. In fact, the company reportedly plans to have offline sales in 150 Indian cities by the end of the year. And with expansion to the Middle East and Africa on the cards, realme is looking like the brand to watch this year.

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