Realme 15 Series promises AI magic and marathon battery, but can It deliver?

New Delhi: realme’s freshly launched 15 Series, the realme 15 5G and realme 15 Pro 5G, arrives with headline-grabbing specs: “world’s first AI Edit Genie,” “AI Party Mode,” a mammoth 7,000 mAh battery and Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 on the Pro model. Yet beneath the marketing gloss lie valid concerns. 

The voice-activated AI Edit Genie, while novel, may frustrate photographers seeking manual precision. Similarly, the promise of all-day endurance and 80 W charging will face its toughest test under sustained gaming and video-editing workloads, and real-world thermal management remains to be seen. 

Even the couture-inspired back finishes, though striking, must prove their scratch-resistance and long-term durability.

Peer-to-peer comparison

In India’s fiercely contested Rs 20,000–Rs 30,000 bracket, each brand stakes unique claims:

• Display & Multimedia: Both realme 15 models sport 6.8" AMOLED screens at a sharp 1.5K+ resolution and a silky-smooth 144 Hz refresh rate, with typical peak brightness around 1,800 nits. This outshines most rivals, including Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 14 Pro+ and Samsung’s Galaxy A55 at 120 Hz, and rivals only Motorola Edge 60 Pro and POCO F6 in sheer brightness. Stereo speakers and HDR10+ support complete a top-tier viewing experience.
• Performance & Gaming: The 15 Pro’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 delivers near-flagship grunt—just under one million on AnTuTu—handling 120 fps in Free Fire and 90 fps in BGMI. The vanilla 15’s Dimensity 7300+ is solid for everyday use but trails in sustained 3D gaming. Pure speed champions like the POCO F6 and iQOO Neo 10R (Snapdragon 8s Gen 3) score 1.4–1.5 million on AnTuTu, while Motorola’s Dimensity 8350 and OnePlus’s 7+ Gen 3 sit between realme’s two chips.
• Cameras & AI Imaging: The 15 Pro pairs a 50 MP Sony IMX896 OIS main camera with a 50 MP ultrawide and 50 MP selfie shooter—unique for 4K@60 fps front-cam video in this class. The standard 15 drops to an 8 MP ultrawide and 4K@30 fps front video. Competitors diverge: Redmi Note 14 Pro+ adds telephoto or 200 MP sensors; Edge 60 Pro and Nothing 3a Pro offer true 3× optical zoom; Samsung A55 relies on software; OnePlus Nord 4 mirrors realme’s dual-50 MP setup but with lower-res selfies. realme’s on-device AI tools streamline social workflows, though the absence of optical zoom may irk photography purists.
• Battery & Charging: A colossal 7,000 mAh cell powers both phones—outrunning Xiaomi’s 6,200 mAh and Motorola’s 6,000 mAh packs—while 80 W SuperVOOC charging tops up in under an hour. In testing, the 15 Pro surpassed 36 hours of heavy use and nearly two days of moderate use. POCO, Redmi and OnePlus counter with 90–120 W charging on smaller batteries; Motorola adds 15 W wireless and reverse charging; Samsung’s 25 W on the A55 lags far behind.
• Design & Durability: Both realme phones measure just 7.7 mm thin and weigh ~187 g despite their batteries, featuring metal frames and vegan-leather or suede-texture backs. An IP69 rating and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i front match Motorola’s toughness and eclipse OnePlus’s IP65 or Samsung’s IP67. A subtle 4D Curve+ display balances immersion with accidental-touch prevention.

Features deep dive

1. AI-Driven Imaging
   – AI Edit Genie: Voice-activated one-sentence photo edits to add objects, swap backgrounds, adjust seasons or remove elements.
   – AI Inspiration: One-tap, on-device exposure, color and clarity refinement based on scene analysis.
   – AI Party Mode: Low-light portrait enhancements, dynamic frames and celebratory overlays for group snaps.
2. Premium Display
   – 6.8" AMOLED, 144 Hz, 1.5K+ resolution.
   – HDR10+, 240 Hz touch sampling, ~1,800 nits typical peak brightness.
   – Gentle 4D curvature for immersive viewing.
3. Robust Performance
   – Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (15 Pro) for flagship-level benchmarks and high-frame-rate gaming.
   – Dimensity 7300+ (15) for smooth multitasking and casual gaming.
   – “GT Boost” gaming optimizations stabilize frame rates and minimize input lag.
4. Marathon Battery & Fast Charge
   – 7,000 mAh delivers 36+ hours under heavy use.
   – 80 W SuperVOOC recharges 0–100 % in under 60 minutes.
   – Large vapour-chamber cooling sustains performance under load.
5. Design & Durability
   – Slim 7.7 mm, ~187 g; vegan-leather/suede textures resist fingerprints.
   – IP69 water/dust resistance; Gorilla Glass 7i front protection.
   – Couture-inspired finishes in Flowing Silver, Velvet Green and Silk Purple.
6. Software & Updates
   – Realme UI 6.0 on Android 15 with minimal bloat and AI-centric camera tools.
   – RAM expansion up to 26 GB (physical + virtual).
   – Two major Android updates and three years of security patches promised.

NewsDrum's take

In a segment crowded with specialist devices, the realme 15 Series stakes its claim as the consummate all-rounder. It combines a flagship-grade display, AI-powered imaging, marathon battery life and premium build, at prices from Rs 23,999 to Rs 28,999. 

While extreme-performance rivals like POCO F6 and iQOO Neo 10R outpace it in benchmarks, they cede endurance and design polish.

 Photography aficionados craving optical zoom may prefer Motorola’s Edge 60 Pro or Nothing 3a Pro, but they trade battery size and charge speed. Samsung’s Galaxy A55 offers brand trust and longer support but lags in raw specs.

For buyers seeking the most balanced mid-range phone of 2025, one capable of gaming marathons, social-media content creation and two-day battery life without major compromises, the realme 15 Pro 5G stands out.

And for those on a tighter budget, the realme 15 5G retains the core strengths at an even sharper price. In a fiercely competitive market, realme’s 15 Series proves it can still package flagship-worthy features into pocket-friendly phones, making it one of the year’s most compelling mid-range offerings.