Realme P3 Ultra review: Will the new mid-range king please stand up

The battle for supremacy in the sub-₹30,000 smartphone space has intensified dramatically in recent months, with brands going all-out in terms of performance, design, and features. But Realme seems intent on dominating this market by competing with itself, pitting the newly launched Realme P3 Ultra directly against its own Realme 14 Pro+. So, does the P3 Ultra truly deliver an “Ultra” experience, or is it just internal rivalry for its own sake? I spent a month pushing the Realme P3 Ultra to its limits to see how it stacks up.

Design: Premium Feel, Striking Looks

From the first unboxing, the Realme P3 Ultra feels surprisingly luxurious for its mid-range price. My Orion Red review unit comes with a vegan leather back, adding both a premium touch and practical grip, with a distinctly professional feel. Those seeking a bit more flair can opt for the “Glowing Lunar Design,” featuring a glow-in-the-dark moon texture, an eye-catching gimmick that’s sure to win over younger buyers.

Weighing 183 grams and measuring just 7.38mm thick, the P3 Ultra is exceptionally comfortable in hand, striking a perfect balance between portability and ergonomics. Its flat edges provide confidence-inspiring grip, and the device even boasts an IP69 rating for resistance against dust and water, an added bonus at this price point.

Display: Bright, Fluid, and Immersive

Realme has equipped the P3 Ultra with a stellar 6.83-inch Curved Vision AMOLED display. It’s one of the best screens I’ve tested in the mid-range segment lately, offering vivid colours with its 1.07 billion colour depth and an impressive peak brightness of 1500 nits, which effortlessly handles bright outdoor conditions.

Scrolling and gameplay animations are fluid thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate, and the sharpness provided by the FHD+ (2800×1272) resolution is commendable. Add to that the Gorilla Glass 7i for durability.

OS and AI: Feature-Packed, but a Little Crowded

Running Realme UI 6 based on Android 15, the software is feature-rich but continues Realme’s trend of packing in a little too much bloatware. On the positive side, the UI is intuitive and familiar, with refreshed icons and nifty AI-enhanced features like AI Smart Loop and Circle to Search, which add genuine convenience. The new AI editing tools AI Eraser, AI Best Face, and AI Motion Deblur also work remarkably well, turning everyday shots into share-worthy photos.

Still, trimming some unnecessary pre-installed apps would vastly enhance the overall user experience.

Performance: Punching Above Its Class

Powered by MediaTek’s brand-new Dimensity 8350 Ultra chipset, the Realme P3 Ultra comfortably surpasses the performance benchmarks of the Realme 14 Pro+ and even stands toe-to-toe with premium mid-rangers like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. In Geekbench tests, the P3 Ultra scored an impressive 1251 (single-core) and 4207 (multi-core), significantly ahead of its sibling and rivals.

Gaming on the P3 Ultra is also an exceptional experience. Thanks to the Mali-G615 GPU, games like BGMI maintain a stable 90fps with ease, complemented by Realme’s impressive 6,050mm² vapour chamber cooling, which keeps the phone cool during prolonged sessions.

Camera: Solid and Consistent

The Realme P3 Ultra is equipped with a reliable dual-camera setup, featuring a 50 MP Sony IMX896 primary sensor with OIS and an 8 MP ultrawide lens. It might not offer a dedicated telephoto, but the camera delivers consistently sharp images with excellent dynamic range, capturing impressive detail and vibrant colours.

Portrait shots have good edge detection and realistic blur effects. Low-light performance is commendable, with Night Mode effectively reducing noise without losing too much detail. Selfies from the 16 MP front camera are bright, clear, and social media-ready, although colours occasionally appear slightly cool.

While not groundbreaking, the P3 Ultra’s cameras deliver exactly what most users want: reliability and consistency in nearly every scenario.

Battery: Big Capacity, Lightning-Fast Charging

The 6,000 mAh battery inside the P3 Ultra comfortably handles a full day of heavy use, gaming, streaming, and multitasking, with battery life to spare. Realme’s 80W fast charging further sweetens the deal, charging from 20% to 100% in just 41 minutes, ensuring minimal downtime.

Verdict: A Mid-range Winner

Realme’s P3 Ultra confidently redefines expectations in the ₹30,000 segment with its premium build, outstanding display, impressive performance, and excellent battery life.

If you’re shopping for an all-rounder smartphone, at a starting price of ₹26,999, the Realme P3 Ultra is easily one of the best choices available right now.