Realme (stylized in all lowercase or as гealme; Chinese: 真我; pinyin: Zhēn wǒ) is a Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong. It was founded by Li Bingzhong (known as Sky Li) on May 4, 2018, who was a former vice presidentofOppo. Starting originally as a sub-brand of Oppo, Realme eventually ventured as its own brand. Realme then became the fastest-growing 5G smartphone brand in Q3 2021.
In June 2020, the number of Realme's global smartphone users reached 35 million, and AIoT product sales broke a record of 1 million. According to Counterpoint Statistics, Realme ranked 7th in the ranking of the number of smartphones produced globally in the first quarter of 2020, with an annual growth rate of 157%, ranking first in the world.[1]
Realme company was founded on May 4, 2018.[3] Before that it was a sub-brand of Oppo, which is itself a subsidiary of BBK Electronics,[4] until its formation as a spinoff on May 4, 2018.[5][6]
In May 2018, they released their first phone, Realme 1.
On July 30, 2018, Sky Li announced his resignation from Oppo and his intention to establish Realme as an independent brand on Sina Weibo.[7]
On November 15, 2018, Realme adopted a new logo.
On November 22, 2018, Realme became an emerging brand in the Indian market.[8] The sales of Realme devices in India have since surpassed the sales of Oppo. Realme has been the fourth largest smartphone brand in India since 2019, behind Xiaomi, Samsung, and Vivo. Realme holds records in India for fastest-charging smartphone and India's first 5G smartphone.[9]
On May 15, 2019, Realme held its first conference in Beijing to enter the Chinese domestic market, launching the Realme X, Realme X Lite and Realme X Master Edition.[10][11]
By August 2019, Realme surpassed 10 million users.[12]
On May 16, 2022, Francis Wong takes over as CEO of Realme Europe.[13]
By April 7, 2023, the parent company, BBK Electronics, went defunct leaving Oppo and Vivo to take over as the parent company of their previous sub-brands. As a result, Realme became an Oppo subsidiary alongside OnePlus. [14]
Launched October 2021, this version is based on Android 12. Realme UI 3.0 introduces a fresh look with Fluid Space design and Sketchpad AOD, New features that help protect user privacy, and improvements Advances across the entire system to make your phone faster and more flexible than ever.
New 3D icons use layers and colors to provide a sense of context and visibility. Every icon has been redrawn and redesigned. With the Fluid Space design, the overall interface is now simpler, more fun, and enjoyable. The user interface uses size and space to help create depth and establish order and harmony
Users can create a 3D avatar of their own face (Omoji) with customized hairstyles, headwear, makeup, and piercings. Omoji even reflects expressions in real time.
New smart theme engine automatically picks colors from the user's wallpaper and applies those colors across realme UI 3.0 system elements.
Realme UI 3.0 now features a redesigned resource management system with AI Smooth Engine, which uses CPU and GPU more efficiently to make system performance smoother, faster app launch, and improved Battery life.
With Floating Window 2.0, selected apps like Video will automatically minimize to a corner of your screen when you run a second app simultaneously.
Launched on December 8, 2022 with the duo smartphone Realme 10 and Realme 10 pro plus, this is a version based on Android 13. Realme UI 4.0 redesigns the interface of the applications system usage and quick controls. The card style will bring intuitiveness, simplicity, and separate each item for easier operation for users.
With this version 4.0, Realme has allowed users to further customize the phone's standby screen, music display cards, notification icons and even application emojis.
New Dynamic Computing Engine technology on the 4.0 interface will bring overall performance increased by 10%, battery life increased by 4.7% and device temperature reduced by only 1 degree Celsius. Just using software solutions alone, the company has brought about such strong improvements, which is very commendable.
Realme UI 4.0 will be equipped with many new security features against viruses and malware, with a special emphasis on the ability to protect personal data and user privacy. Not to mention the Auto Pixelate feature, which automatically detects and hides sensitive information in photos and screenshots.
Realme's popularity online can be attributed to its successful utilization of community-driven resources such as Facebook. In November 2018, Realme Philippines created the Squad Leader Program.[17]
As of 2024, Realme's Squad Leader Program consists of 14 members, two of which came from its original trio Squad Leaders.
