Realme P4R review: The most practical phone under Rs 20000?
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Due to the rising component prices, we haven’t seen a lot of smartphones launching in the sub-Rs 20,000 price segment. That said, if a phone does drop in the segment, brands these days literally make sure to make their product stand out by offering the best specs and performance. Seeing this, Realme has just launched its latest phone, dubbed the Realme P4R. From what I can understand, the company has created a device here that not only prioritises durability and day-to-day reliability but most importantly, battery life. With a massive 8,000mAh battery, which is still a rare sight in this price segment, the phone also comes with military-grade durability, 45W fast charging, a 144Hz display and a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor.
On paper, the Realme P4R appears to target users who value long battery life and a sturdy design over raw performance. But, does it really deliver? Read my full review to find out.
Realme P4R: Design and build quality
The Realme P4R focuses heavily on practicality rather than a flashy design. Despite packing a massive 8,000mAh battery, the phone manages to maintain a reasonably slim profile at 8.8mm thick, making it comfortable to hold and use throughout the day. The rear panel is made of polycarbonate and features a matte finish that does a good job of resisting fingerprints and smudges.
Realme sent us the Lavender Glare colour that looks clean and subtle. Buyers can also choose from Titanium Glare and Silver Glare variants.
Around the camera module, Realme has added a customisable Pulse Light, which can be configured with multiple colours and speed settings. It acts as a notification light and adds a bit of personality to the design.
The phone is also very durable. Realme claims military-grade MIL-STD-810H certification, and the phone certainly feels solid. During our testing, it handled heavy use without issue.
In terms of security, the side-mounted fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button works reliably and unlocks the device quickly. At 8.8mm thick and at 224g, the phone is not excessively bulky and heavy despite having a large battery.
The device includes a USB Type-C port, although it is limited to USB 2.0 speeds, of course. The SIM tray supports a hybrid configuration, allowing users to choose between dual SIM functionality or expandable storage.
Overall, the Realme P4R offers good build quality for its price and feels capable of handling everyday wear and tear.
Realme P4R: Display
The Realme P4R features a 6.8-inch HD+ LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate. While the refresh rate is impressive on paper, the display resolution remains limited to 720p. Yes, you read that right, and having an HD+ panel in 2026 feels like a compromise, especially when several competitors offer Full HD panels in this segment. That said, the high refresh rate does make daily navigation feel smooth. Scrolling through social media apps, browsing the web and navigating the interface all feel responsive.
Since this is an LCD panel, it also isn’t the brightest. The display offers a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. However, in our testing, it got 1038 nits in High brightness mode (HBM), which I would say helps maintain decent visibility outdoors. Colour reproduction is reasonably good, and you get the tried and tested hole-punch design at the front. However, there is a chin at the bottom that makes the phone look a bit outdated.
Of course, there are a few limitations with the Realme P4R. The phone carries Widevine L3 certification, which means streaming services such as Netflix are restricted to standard-definition playback rather than Full HD. HDR support is also absent.
I would say, for a budget phone, the display remains kind of usable. It is not bad, but not extraordinary either. Also, a Full HD panel would have significantly improved the viewing experience.
Realme P4R: Performance and benchmarks
Powering the Realme P4R is the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset. Our review unit came with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage.
In benchmark testing, the phone delivered the following results:
Antutu Score: 610,697
Geekbench Single-Core: 785
Geekbench Multi-Core: 1,982
CPU Throttling Test: 92 per cent stability
These numbers position the phone comfortably within the entry-level to mid-range category. However, everyday performance remains smooth, with no major issues during everyday tasks such as social media browsing, messaging, video streaming and multitasking.
This is not a gaming-focused chipset, but it can still handle popular titles reasonably well. In BGMI, the phone supports Smooth + Extreme settings, allowing gameplay at up to 60 fps. Call of Duty Mobile also runs at 60 fps with suitable graphics settings.
Gaming performance is generally stable, although the 144Hz display remains underutilised because most games cannot take advantage of the higher refresh rate.
For casual gamers and regular users, performance should be sufficient, but power users may want something with a stronger processor.
Realme P4R: Cameras
The Realme P4R’s camera setup consists of 2 sensors featuring a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, you get an 8MP front camera.
The rear camera captures decent photos in daylight conditions. Images generally offer good detail and acceptable colours, although exposure can sometimes be slightly aggressive, resulting in brighter shots.
Portrait mode performs reasonably well, with respectable edge detection for the price range. However, some images do appear slightly overexposed, particularly when shooting in challenging lighting conditions.
The front camera produces usable selfies with good skin tones and sufficient detail for social media sharing.
For video recording, both the front and rear cameras are limited to 1080p at 30 fps. Video quality is acceptable for casual use, but stabilisation remains average, and exposure management could be better.
One area where the camera experience stands out is the inclusion of Dual Video Capture. This allows users to record simultaneously using the front and rear cameras, a feature that is still uncommon in many budget smartphones.
Overall, the camera system is capable enough for everyday photography, although video recording at 1080p 60fps would have made the package more competitive.
Realme P4R: Battery Life
Realme P4R packs a massive 8,000mAh battery, which stands out from most competitors. During everyday usage, users can comfortably expect 2 days of battery life on a single charge.
In our PCMark Battery Test, the Realme P4R achieved an impressive screen-on time of 27 hours and 34 minutes. This is one of the strongest battery results we have seen in this category.
Charging is handled by a 45W fast charger included in the box. While charging such a large battery naturally takes some time, it took 1 hour and 52 minutes to charge from 0 to 100 per cent.
Another useful feature is reverse wired charging, which allows the phone to act as a power bank for other devices. For anyone who spends long hours away from a charger, the Realme P4R’s battery performance could be a major selling point.
Realme P4R: Software Experience
The Realme P4R runs Realme UI 7.0 based on Android 16 out of the box. The interface feels smooth and familiar, although there are several pre-installed applications present initially. Thankfully, most of these can be uninstalled easily. Once the unnecessary apps are uninstalled, the software experience becomes much cleaner and more enjoyable.
Realme has also included a couple of AI-powered features. AI Portrait Glow helps brighten faces in portraits, while AI Eraser 2.0 allows users to remove unwanted objects from images. Both features work surprisingly well and add extra functionality to the camera app.
In terms of updates, Realme has promised two years of major Android updates and three years of security updates, providing a reasonable level of software support for the segment.
Realme P4R: Audio and Connectivity
Audio duties are handled by a single down-firing speaker. Sound quality is decent, but the absence of stereo speakers is noticeable, especially considering the phone’s pricing.
On the connectivity front, the Realme P4R includes Dual 5G SIM support, Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3. For those wondering, the phone doesn’t have NFC support or an IR blaster.
Realme P4R verdict: Should you buy it?
After spending decent time with the Realme P4R, one thing’s for sure: this is not the fastest or the phone with the best camera in the segment. Instead, this is a device that focuses on durability, battery life and dependable everyday performance.
The Realme P4R’s biggest strengths are the excellent battery endurance, solid build quality, smooth software experience and practical features such as reverse charging. The display resolution, lack of Widevine L1 certification, decent cameras and single speaker setup are areas where compromises have been made.
If your priority is getting a smartphone that can comfortably last multiple days on a single charge while handling daily tasks without trouble, the Realme P4R is a solid choice. Just remember, it may not lead every category, but it delivers where it matters most for its target audience.
realme P4R 5G Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
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| Market Status: | Launched |
