Realme GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition: Fan Service Sneak Attack

Right from the start, the Chinese phone maker Realme was a brand born to appeal to the next generation of smartphone users. Fresh, bold, and idealistic, the young brand checked off all the boxes to cater to a crowd that shared those same traits and ideals — and wanted something fresh. And what better way to score points than with phone designs that show it really knows its audience. 

Realme has been putting out special edition phones with designs that struck a chord with car lovers, fashionistas, and even anime fans. Following the success of last year's Dragon Ball Z Edition, Realme is at it again to tickle the fancy of manga and anime fans, this time with a GT Neo 3 dressed up as the noisiest ninja of all time, Naruto. The result is an interesting and productive device that touches almost all the points it was going for.

The design of this Realme GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition is its most distinctive feature and, to be honest, is the real reason for its existence. Without it, after all, it's just another GT Neo 3. What is impressive, however, is the painstaking detail that the phone bears to clearly show its ties to the popular character, not to mention the hoops that Realme went through to get there. More than just a simple paint job or even a case, this Naruto Edition boasts a few new techniques that set the phone apart, even for the things you can't see.

The back of the phone is still made from glass, but you wouldn't think so by looking at it or even touching it. The camera area that resembles Naruto's headband feels like a separate part of the entire surface and even feels a bit like metal. Micro 3D patterns make the bolts on that "metal" piece stand out without actually creating bumps. The "whiskers" on each side of the black area look and feel differently as well, almost like glossy plastic against the smooth matte texture of the AG glass back. And, of course, there are three different colors at play here, again something made possible by Realme's special and costly manufacturing process.

The aluminum edges of the phone are all black, continuing with the theme of Naruto's distinctive clothing during his later Shippuden days. That color also makes the buttons and holes almost vanish, which is quite fitting for a ninja-themed design. The GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition clearly stands out and can be easily identified by Naruto fans, but its fiery orange color and odd metal-like camera bump will surely catch anyone's attention, whether or not they have even heard about Naruto.

A special note has to be given to the packaging of the phone and its accessories. Rather than a plain box with Naruto-themed colors or stickers, the phone actually comes in a cylindrical container designed like a ninja scroll. The charging brick and cable share the same orange and black motif, and even the SIM tray ejector is shaped like the logo of Naruto's hometown. Realme definitely deserves props for going all out on impressing Naruto fans.

The back of the Naruto phone is where all the design action is at, but that doesn't mean the front is any less exciting. The 6.7-inch screen is capable of a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+, which makes images and UI look vibrant and smooth. The AMOLED screen is pretty bright at maximum, though it does have a little problem standing under the sun. Colors are crisp and accurate, thanks to the 1 billion colors it can display. Its lone flaw is the 2412x1080 resolution, which is OK but feels a little dated by today's 2K standards.

The GT Neo 3's screen really shines in showcasing the Naruto theme that Realme installed as the default user interface. It isn't just the wallpaper selection that gives nods to the manga and anime franchise; even the icons and sounds fall in line as well. It does make for a rather messy look if you're used to the uniform icons of Android, but those who theme their phones all the time will feel at home here.

Unfortunately, the phone's audio story is less impressive than its display but is by no means dismal. It has stereo speakers, for one, which you don't always find in phones on this tear, special edition or otherwise. It gets loud, too, but there is noticeable distortion at max volume. The output isn't the best, lacking a bit of depth and crispness. It's serviceable if you don't have your favorite Bluetooth or USB-C headphones, but it's not as attention-grabbing as the phone's looks.

Underneath all the glamour, there is no escaping the fact that the Naruto Edition is really the GT Neo 3 that launched back in March. It's not that too long ago, of course, but we'll run down the key specs nonetheless. Depending on your inclinations, you could almost consider the phone a high-end flagship, just one that is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8100, a new 5G processor that was announced around the same time as the Realme GT Neo 3. It's not MediaTek's top performer, and benchmarks show that it is more on par with last year's flagships. It's no slouch, though, and can keep pace with the previous-gen Snapdragon 888, even in terms of getting warm after a short period of heavy use.

The Naruto Edition comes in only one memory configuration, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Realme's RAM Expansion feature, however, can let you increase that memory by 3, 5, or even 7GB, stealing it from internal storage. Sadly, there is no way to expand that internal storage because of the lack of a card reader inside.

The Realme GT Neo 3 has a generous 5,000 mAh battery, but if that weren't enough, the Naruto Edition adds a faster charging system than the vanilla version. It uses the 150W UltraDart ultra-fast technology, which you can only reach using the specially-branded Naruto charging block. In just 5 minutes, you can almost be half full and ready to sprint outside the door. Twenty minutes gets you to 100%, which is still plenty fast compared to other charging methods. The catch is that the appropriate charger is a giant and something you probably won't want to put in your bag all the time.

While there might be slight deviations between the normal GT Neo 3 and the Naruto Edition in most of the specs, the cameras are where the two are exactly identical, for better or for worse. The trio of sensors is comprised of a 50MP Sony IMX766 taking the lead, followed by an 8MP ultrawide and a measly 2MP macro shooter. If the gap in numbers didn't clue you in yet, it's a rather unbalanced set.

The main camera does a superb job when taking outdoor photos in bright daylight, where details are abundant and colors are crisp, though they do tend to lean towards the more saturated side. Under any other condition, especially indoors, the GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition struggles a little bit, even with OIS. You might end up taking different shots with different qualities, but none will be exceptionally bad. It's not exactly the best, but far from being the worst either.

The same can't be said with the 8MP ultra-wide, though, which struggles to keep up in quality with the main camera. The 2MP macro feels more like a filler episode than part of the main story, giving something that you can skip but still have to pay for. The cameras are serviceable and Instagram-worthy, but expecting them to top charts would be impossible to pull off, even for Naruto.

The phone runs the latest Realme UI 3.0, which is already based on Android 12, so it isn't behind in that regard. Being a phone available only in the Chinese market, however, produces a few quirks and stumbling blacks for international users and buyers. For one, there's no Google Play Store, though you can try to install that through unofficial methods. For another, parts of the UI will remain in Chinese even after you've set your language to English or any other language.

Other than those, however, it's pretty much the same Realme experience you'd get on any other Realme phone, which unfortunately also means the same pre-installed apps, a.k.a. bloatware. The Naruto theme applied to the UI at least makes them interesting to look at, but it also makes the home screen look very busy. The theme extends to the charging animation that depicts the five elements of Naruto's universe in a Rasengan-style animation. Realme UI's typical features, including RAM expansion, floating windows, and a sidebar, are all present and accounted for.

It's sometimes too easy to downplay the design that a phone comes in, arguing one can always put a case or skin on the phone to suit their tastes. A phone's design, however, reflects the manufacturer's skills, design acumen, and commitment to delivering a high-quality product. With the Realme GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition, Realme really pulled out all the stops to impress its target audience, especially the shinobi-loving crowd.

Unfortunately, the Naruto phone is still a GT Neo 3 underneath, bearing the same strengths and weaknesses as the early 2022 phone. That translates to decent but not exactly remarkable performance outshined by the mind-blowing 150W fast charging and a bright, colorful display. The main 50MP camera is serviceable, but the other two sensors barely make a lasting impression. These might all be moot for Naruto fans outside of China because the phone won't be easily available in global markets. 

For Naruto fans, however, those might simply look like Shinobi tests to overcome, and they might be willing to look past the flaws just to use a phone that feels like it was made just for them.