Realme C61 Review 2026: Budget Phone With Tough Build & Smooth Display

The Realme C61 Review looks at a budget phone that focuses on durability and smooth everyday use. Launched in July 2024, the Realme C61 costs around ₹6,599-₹7,249 in India as of January 2026. This phone targets buyers who want a reliable device with IP54 water protection and a 90Hz smooth display.

What makes the Realme C61 different? It has ArmorShell Protection with a metal frame and reinforced glass. The phone uses the Unisoc T612 processor with up to 6GB RAM. The 5000mAh battery lasts all day for most users.

Launch Date: July 2, 2024
Current Price: ₹6,599 – ₹7,249 (January 2026)
Best For: Students and budget users wanting durability
Main Highlight: IP54 water resistance + 90Hz smooth display
Our Rating: 7.0/10 – Good Value for Money

Quick Summary: The Realme C61 delivers good basics at a low price. The phone has a smooth 90Hz screen and IP54 protection against water splashes. The 5000mAh battery lasts a full day. However, the 10W slow charging and basic camera are compromises you accept at this price.

How It Looks and Feels

The Realme C61 measures 167.3 x 76.7 x 7.8 mm. At just 187 grams, it feels light in your hand. The phone is slim at 7.8mm thick, making it comfortable to hold.

You get two colors: Safari Green and Marble Black. The phone has a plastic back with a matte finish that doesn’t show fingerprints. A glass front protects the screen.

ArmorShell Protection – What It Means

Realme uses something called ArmorShell Protection. This includes:

• Metal inner frame for strength
• Reinforced glass on the screen
• Die-cast aluminum structure
• Special coating to resist scratches

The phone has TÜV Rheinland certification for reliability. This means it passed tough tests for drops and daily wear.

IP54 Water Resistance

The IP54 rating protects against:

• Light rain and water splashes
• Dust and dirt

Important: IP54 doesn’t mean you can put it underwater. It just handles accidental splashes and dusty conditions. This is rare for phones under ₹10,000.

Buttons and Ports

The fingerprint sensor sits on the side power button – easy to reach with your thumb. Volume buttons are on the left side. At the bottom, you get a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired earphones.

The phone weighs 187 grams – lighter than many phones this size. You can use it one-handed, though the 6.74-inch screen makes some reaches difficult.

Screen Size and Type

The Realme C61 has a 6.74-inch screen. The resolution is 1600 x 720 pixels (HD+). This is an IPS LCD panel with a small waterdrop notch at the top for the front camera.

The HD+ resolution shows clear text for reading and browsing. It’s not as sharp as Full HD screens, but fine for everyday use at this price.

90Hz Smooth Display

The big feature here is the 90Hz refresh rate. Normal phones refresh at 60Hz. The Realme C61 refreshes 90 times per second.

What does this mean for you?

• Scrolling through apps feels smoother
• Animations look better
• Supported games run more fluidly
• The phone feels faster than it actually is

The difference is noticeable when switching between apps or scrolling social media feeds.

Brightness Levels

The screen reaches 450 nits typically and 560 nits at peak brightness. This means:

• Indoor use: Very good visibility
• Outdoor use: Okay in shade, harder in direct sunlight
• Night use: Goes dim enough for comfort

The screen has Eye Comfort mode that reduces blue light for night reading.

Screen Protection

Realme uses reinforced glass (not branded Gorilla Glass). It resists scratches from keys and coins in your pocket. A screen protector comes pre-applied in the box.

The 90.3% screen-to-body ratio means small bezels around the display. The bottom chin is slightly thicker than the sides.

Processor Details

The Unisoc Tiger T612 processor powers this phone. It has 8 cores:

• 2 performance cores at 1.8 GHz (Cortex-A75)
• 6 efficiency cores at 1.8 GHz (Cortex-A55)

This is built on 12nm technology – not the latest, but fine for basic tasks. The Mali-G57 GPU handles graphics.

RAM and Storage

The Realme C61 comes in two options:

• 4GB RAM + 64GB storage
• 6GB RAM + 128GB storage (reviewed here)

The 6GB RAM uses LPDDR4X technology – faster than older RAM types. Realme adds virtual RAM that uses storage space to help multitasking.

Storage is 128GB eMMC 5.1 – not as fast as UFS storage, but acceptable. You can add a microSD card up to 1TB for more space.

Everyday Use

For basic tasks, the phone works well:

• Browsing: Opens web pages quickly, handles multiple tabs
• Social Media: Smooth scrolling on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp
• Videos: Plays YouTube and Netflix without issues
• Photos: Opens gallery and edits basic photos fine

For heavier tasks:

• Light Games: Temple Run, Candy Crush, Subway Surfers run smoothly
• Popular Games: BGMI, Free Fire work on low settings
• Heavy Games: COD Mobile and Genshin Impact struggle

The phone handles 4-5 apps open at once before slowing down.

Software Speed

Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0 runs smoothly. App opening takes 1-2 seconds. Switching between recent apps is quick thanks to the 90Hz display.

The phone promises 48-month fluency – meaning it should stay smooth for 4 years of use.

Rear Camera Setup

The back has a 32MP main camera:

• 32MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture
• PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus) for faster focusing
• LED flash for low light
• 1080p video recording at 30fps

There’s a second camera (likely a depth sensor) but it’s minimal. This is essentially a single-camera phone.

Photo Quality

In good light (daytime, outdoors):

• Colors look natural and accurate
• Details are good for social media sharing
• Photos are sharp when you don’t zoom in

In low light (evening, indoors):

• Quality drops noticeably
• Night mode helps but expect some noise
• Photos are usable but not great

The camera has these modes:

• Photo, Video, Portrait
• Night mode for low light
• Panorama for wide scenes
• Pro mode for manual control
• Time-lapse and Slow-motion

Front Camera

The 5MP selfie camera is basic:

• Fixed focus (doesn’t adjust focus distance)
• f/2.2 aperture
• 720p video recording
• Portrait mode with background blur

Selfies are okay for social media but don’t expect high quality. Video calls on WhatsApp and Zoom work fine.

Video Recording

The rear camera records:

• 1080p at 30fps (main quality)
• 720p at 30fps (lower quality)

There’s no 4K video or image stabilization. Videos look shaky when walking. Good for quick clips but not serious videography.

The camera suits casual photography – vacation photos, food pictures, social media posts. It’s not for photography enthusiasts.

Battery Capacity

The Realme C61 has a 5000mAh battery. This is a large battery for any phone. The actual capacity is 4880mAh, with 5000mAh being the typical rating.

How Long It Lasts

Based on the battery size and efficient processor:

Light Use (calls, messages, some browsing):

• 2 days easily
• About 15-16 hours screen time

Normal Use (social media, videos, photos):

• Full day with 20-30% left
• About 8-10 hours screen time

Heavy Use (gaming, constant video streaming):

• Still makes it through the day
• About 6-7 hours screen time

The HD+ display and efficient processor help battery life. Most users won’t need to charge during the day.

Charging Speed

Here’s the disappointment: only 10W charging. This is very slow by 2026 standards.

Charging times:

• 0% to 50%: About 90 minutes
• 0% to 100%: About 3-3.5 hours

You need to charge overnight or during long periods. Fast charging (18W or higher) isn’t available.

The charger comes in the box – you don’t need to buy one separately. It uses USB Type-C, which is reversible and modern.

Battery Health

Realme claims the battery maintains over 80% capacity after 1000 charge cycles. This means the battery should stay healthy for 3-4 years.

No wireless charging or reverse charging – these features don’t exist on budget phones.

The 5000mAh battery is the main strength. The 10W slow charging is the main weakness. Plan your charging accordingly.

Operating System

The phone runs Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0 on top. Android 14 is Google’s latest version (as of the phone’s launch in 2024).

What You Get

Realme UI 5.0 adds features:

• Mini Capsule 2.0: Shows notifications and activities in a pill shape
• Dark mode for night use
• Always-on display options
• Gesture navigation
• Theme store for customization

The interface looks clean and modern. Icons are colorful. Animations take advantage of the 90Hz display.

Pre-installed Apps

The phone comes with:

• Google apps (Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Photos)
• Realme apps (Phone Manager, Theme Store, Community)
• Some third-party apps you can uninstall

Bloatware is present but not excessive. You can remove most unwanted apps.

Updates

Realme typically provides:

• 1-2 major Android updates (likely Android 15)
• 2-3 years of security patches

This isn’t as good as Samsung or Google phones but acceptable for the price.

Security Features

Security options include:

• Side-mounted fingerprint sensor (fast and accurate)
• Face unlock using the front camera (2D, not very secure)
• App lock for privacy
• Private safe for hiding files

Special Features

Extra features you get:

• Game Space for gaming optimization
• Air Gestures (control phone with hand movements)
• Dynamic Button (customize side button actions)
• Split screen for using two apps at once

The 48-month fluency certification means Realme guarantees smooth performance for 4 years. This involves testing and optimization to prevent slowdowns.

Android 14 brings improved privacy controls and better battery management. The software experience is good for a budget phone.

Network Support

The Realme C61 supports:

• 4G LTE: Fast mobile internet (no 5G)
• 3G: Fallback for areas without 4G
• 2G: Basic calling network

4G bands covered:

• FDD-LTE: Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20/28
• TD-LTE: Bands 38/40/41

These bands work with all Indian carriers: Jio, Airtel, Vi (Vodafone Idea), BSNL.

VoLTE support means HD voice calling over 4G. This works great on Jio networks.

Dual SIM

The phone has dual nano-SIM slots. You can use two SIM cards at once for:

• Personal and work numbers
• Different carriers for better coverage
• Separating data and calls

A dedicated microSD slot means you don’t lose SIM functionality when adding storage.

WiFi and Bluetooth

WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (WiFi 5)

• Supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz
• Fast enough for streaming and downloads
• Dual-band helps avoid congestion

Bluetooth 5.0: Connect wireless devices

• Headphones and speakers
• Smartwatches
• File transfers
• Supports high-quality codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC

USB and Audio

USB Type-C 2.0:

• Reversible charging port
• Data transfer
• OTG support (connect USB drives and accessories)

3.5mm Headphone Jack:

• Use wired earphones directly
• No adapter needed
• Works with any standard headphones

The mono speaker is adequate for calls and videos but not loud music.

GPS and Location

The phone uses four satellite systems for accurate location:

• GPS (USA)
• GLONASS (Russia)
• Galileo (Europe)
• BDS/BeiDou (China)

Maps and navigation work accurately with fast location fixing.

Missing Features

What the phone doesn’t have:

• No 5G: Only 4G networks supported
• No NFC: Can’t use tap-to-pay or digital payments
• No FM Radio: Listen to music and podcasts only through internet
• No Infrared: Can’t control TVs or AC units

The 4G-only support is fine for now, but 5G networks are expanding. If you want 5G, look elsewhere.

⭐ Design & Build: 7.5/10
⭐ Display: 7.0/10
⭐ Performance: 6.5/10
⭐ Camera: 6.5/10
⭐ Battery Life: 8.5/10
⭐ Value for Money: 7.5/10

Perfect For:

Students: The phone handles classes apps, online learning, note-taking, and research. The 90Hz display makes reading and browsing comfortable. The IP54 rating protects against accidental spills.

First-Time Smartphone Buyers: Simple interface, good battery life, and reliable performance make this easy to use. The price is affordable for someone buying their first smartphone.

Budget-Conscious Users: If you want a phone under ₹8,000 that does the basics well, this fits. The durability means it lasts longer, saving money on replacements.

Parents Buying for Kids: The sturdy build handles rough use. IP54 protection guards against common accidents. Price is low enough that you won’t worry about damage.

Backup Phone Users: Good as a second phone for travel or work. The battery lasts long, and the basic features work reliably.

Not Right For:

Photography Lovers: The 32MP single camera is basic. If photos are important, spend more on phones with better cameras and multiple lenses.

Mobile Gamers: Heavy games like Genshin Impact and COD struggle. The processor is fine for light games only. Gamers need more powerful processors.

Fast Charging Fans: The 10W charging takes 3+ hours. If you can’t charge overnight, this will frustrate you. Look for 18W or higher charging speeds.

5G Future-Proofing: No 5G means you can’t use faster networks as they expand. If you keep phones 3-4 years, consider 5G phones.

Performance Seekers: The Unisoc T612 handles basics but not heavy multitasking. Power users need more RAM and better processors.

How It Compares

In the ₹6,000-₹8,000 price range, many phones compete with the Realme C61. Here’s how it stands out:

Advantages of Realme C61:

• IP54 water and dust resistance (rare at this price)
• 90Hz smooth display (many competitors use 60Hz)
• 5000mAh large battery
• Slim 7.8mm profile
• ArmorShell durability certification
• Dedicated microSD slot (no hybrid tray)

Where Competitors Win:

• Faster charging: Some offer 18W vs this phone’s 10W
• Better cameras: Phones with 50MP sensors or dual cameras
• More powerful processors: MediaTek Helio G85 or similar
• Full HD+ displays: 1080p vs this phone’s 720p HD+

Price-to-Value Analysis

At ₹6,599-₹7,249, the Realme C61 offers:

• Unique durability features
• Smooth display experience
• Excellent battery life
• Acceptable performance for basic use

The main trade-off is slower charging and a basic camera. If these don’t matter to you, the value is strong.

Generic Comparison

Budget phones typically offer:

• Similar processors in this price
• 4GB-6GB RAM
• HD+ or Full HD+ displays
• 5000mAh batteries
• 13MP-50MP cameras

The Realme C61’s IP54 rating and 90Hz display are its unique selling points. Most competitors skip these features to offer faster charging or better cameras instead.

Who Wins?

• If you want durability → Realme C61
• If you want fast charging → Look at competitors
• If you want better photos → Choose higher camera specs
• If you want smooth display → Realme C61

What’s Good:

IP54 Protection: Water and dust resistance is rare under ₹10,000. This protects against rain, splashes, and dusty conditions. The ArmorShell build adds drop protection.

90Hz Smooth Display: The screen refreshes 50% faster than standard phones. Scrolling feels fluid. Apps and games look smoother. This makes the phone feel faster than it is.

All-Day Battery Life: The 5000mAh battery easily lasts a full day for normal users. Light users get two days. You won’t hunt for chargers during the day.

Lightweight and Slim: At 187g and 7.8mm thin, it feels good in hand. It slips easily into pockets. Comfortable for long phone calls and extended use.

Dedicated Storage Expansion: Use two SIM cards AND a microSD card. No choosing between storage and dual SIM. Expand up to 1TB for photos and videos.

Complete Box Package: Case, screen protector, and charger included. You save money on accessories. The phone is protected from day one.

What’s Not So Good:

Very Slow 10W Charging: This is the biggest problem. Full charge takes 3-3.5 hours. Competitors offer 18W (much faster). You must plan charging overnight.

HD+ Resolution Only: The 720p screen isn’t as sharp as 1080p Full HD+. Text and images have visible pixels if you look closely. Fine for basic use but not premium viewing.

Basic Single Camera: Just one working 32MP camera. No ultra-wide for landscapes. No macro for close-ups. Low-light photos show noise. Photo quality is just okay.

Modest Performance: The Unisoc T612 handles basics but struggles with heavy tasks. Gaming is limited to light titles. Heavy multitasking causes slowdowns.

No 5G Support: Only 4G networks work. As 5G expands in India, you can’t take advantage. This limits future-proofing if you keep phones 3-4 years.

Average Camera Quality: Don’t expect great photos. Social media sharing is fine. Serious photography needs better phones.