realme

Corporate brand

A globally oriented consumer-electronics brand known for value-focused smartphones, connected devices, and youth-oriented technology products.

Last updated October 9, 2026

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First read: Oct 29, 2026
Latest read: Nov 4, 2026

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Overview

realme is a Chinese consumer-electronics brand headquartered in Shenzhen and best known for smartphones positioned around strong specifications, contemporary design, and relatively accessible pricing. The brand was created in 2018 by Sky Li, formerly an Oppo executive, and initially operated within the Oppo ecosystem before being presented as an independent brand. Its first smartphone, the realme 1, was introduced in May 2018, followed by the realme 2 in India later that year. The company’s early identity was closely associated with online-first distribution, aggressive pricing, high-performance components, and an emphasis on younger consumers. The brand’s central proposition has commonly been expressed through the slogan “Dare to Leap.” This positioning links realme with experimentation, fast product cycles, fashionable industrial design, and specifications that attempt to bring features from higher-priced devices into more affordable segments. Its portfolio has included entry-level and mainstream smartphones, performance-focused GT models, numbered camera-oriented phones, C-series devices, wireless earbuds, smartwatches, tablets, televisions, chargers, and other connected or AIoT products. realme expanded rapidly outside China, with India becoming one of its most important markets and Southeast Asia, Europe, and other regions contributing to its international profile. The company reported surpassing 10 million global users in August 2019 and reaching 50 million cumulative sales by October 2020. Industry tracking cited in the brand’s Wikipedia coverage placed realme among the leading smartphone vendors in multiple markets during 2021. In August of that year, it was reported to have become the fastest smartphone brand to reach 100 million cumulative global shipments. By November 2023, realme reported more than 200 million cumulative smartphone shipments, while Counterpoint Research coverage described it as having remained among the global top ten for five consecutive years. The portfolio gradually moved beyond entry-level value phones. The GT line, introduced to international audiences at Mobile World Congress in 2022, represented a more explicit move into premium performance. Later generations emphasized flagship processors, high-refresh-rate displays, charging speed, thermal management, and advanced cameras. The numbered series developed an identity around imaging, including higher-resolution sensors, larger lenses, and multiple focal lengths. At the same time, the brand continued to serve price-sensitive customers through lower-cost product families and a broader ecosystem of accessories. In 2024, realme continued its international product push with the global release of the GT 6 and the launch of the GT 7 Pro in November. In 2025, it publicized concept devices exploring extremely large batteries, including capacities of up to 10,000 mAh and 15,000 mAh. These concepts illustrated the company’s continuing focus on battery endurance and hardware experimentation rather than representing ordinary mass-market product specifications. The company also announced that its global user base had exceeded 300 million in 2025. According to the supplied reference material, realme announced in January 2026 that it would be reintegrated into Oppo as a sub-brand. The same material states that in July 2026 the brand announced a halt to new product launches in China, a greater focus on overseas markets, continued sales and warranty support for existing Chinese devices through Oppo, and a transition from Realme UI to ColorOS on supported devices. These developments indicate a change from realme’s earlier independent-brand presentation, although the brand remains active internationally.

History

realme was founded on May 4, 2018, after operating initially as an Oppo sub-brand. Oppo itself belonged to the wider BBK Electronics business group. In July 2018, Sky Li announced that he was leaving Oppo and intended to build realme as an independent brand. The company’s independent status was formalized in August, when it also released the realme 2 in India. The first realme smartphone, the realme 1, had appeared in May of the same year. The brand’s early growth strategy combined online distribution, aggressive specifications, industrial-design differentiation, and price competition. India became a particularly important launch market, and realme subsequently expanded through Southeast Asia, Europe, and other international regions. By August 2019, the company said that it had accumulated more than 10 million users. Later in 2019, market reports described realme as one of India’s five largest smartphone brands and as the fastest-growing smartphone brand in Spain. In October 2020, it was reported to have reached 50 million cumulative smartphone sales faster than any other smartphone brand. Expansion accelerated in 2021. Canalys-related reporting placed realme among the top five smartphone brands in 14 markets in February. In August, the company was reported to have reached 100 million cumulative global shipments at record speed. By December, it was described as a top-five brand in 21 markets and as one of the fastest-growing 5G smartphone companies. These milestones reflected the company’s ability to combine low and mid-range volume products with more ambitious performance devices. From 2022 onward, realme worked to broaden its image beyond entry-level value phones. Its debut at Mobile World Congress introduced the GT 2 series to an international technology audience and marked a move toward the high-end smartphone segment. The numbered series increasingly emphasized camera hardware, including higher-resolution sensors, larger lenses, and multiple focal lengths. In parallel, realme expanded its ecosystem with audio products, wearables, tablets, televisions, chargers, and other AIoT devices. The company released the realme 11 series in 2023, followed by the global GT 6 in 2024 and the GT 7 Pro in November 2024. The latter used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite platform and represented the brand’s continuing effort to compete in flagship-level performance. In 2025, realme publicized concept smartphones with unusually large battery capacities, including proposed capacities of up to 10,000 mAh and 15,000 mAh. These projects highlighted experimentation in endurance and battery technology, while the company also announced that its global user base had surpassed 300 million. The supplied reference material identifies a structural change in 2026. On January 7, realme announced that it would be reintegrated into Oppo as a sub-brand. In July, it announced that it would stop launching new products in China and concentrate resources on overseas markets. Oppo was to continue sales and warranty support for existing realme devices in China, and Realme UI was to be replaced by ColorOS on supported devices. This represented a shift from the brand’s earlier independent operating model while preserving realme as an international consumer-technology label.

2026
Reintegration into Oppo announced
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
realme announced that it would return to Oppo’s structure as a sub-brand.
2025
Large-battery concept phones unveiled
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
The company presented concepts exploring batteries of up to 10,000 mAh and 15,000 mAh.
2023
Cumulative shipments exceed 200 million
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
realme reported more than 200 million cumulative global smartphone shipments.
2022
GT 2 series introduced internationally
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
The GT 2 series marked a more visible move into high-end performance smartphones.
2021
Cumulative shipments exceed 100 million
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
realme reached 100 million cumulative global smartphone shipments.
2020
Cumulative sales exceed 50 million
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
The brand reached 50 million cumulative smartphone sales.
2019
Global user base exceeds 10 million
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
realme reported surpassing 10 million users worldwide.
2018
realme is founded
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
The brand was founded on May 4 after separating from its earlier role as an Oppo sub-brand.
2018
First smartphone released
[1]Realmeen.wikipedia.org
The realme 1 launched in May, establishing the company’s value-focused smartphone proposition.

Products and positioning

Youth-oriented, design-conscious consumer technology with competitive specifications and value-focused pricing; increasingly supplemented by premium-performance products and experimental hardware.

Performance and flagship smartphones · 2021
realme GT series
The GT family is realme’s performance-oriented smartphone line. It was used to move the brand toward higher-end devices, with emphasis on flagship processors, fast displays, charging, thermal performance, and gaming-oriented hardware. The GT 2 series received international attention at Mobile World Congress in 2022, while later models such as the GT 6 and GT 7 Pro continued the global premium-performance strategy.
Mainstream smartphones · 2018
realme numbered series
The numbered series forms a central part of realme’s mainstream smartphone portfolio. Models have combined contemporary design and competitive processors with increasing emphasis on cameras, displays, and charging. The realme 11 series, released in 2023, highlighted higher-resolution sensors, larger lenses, and multiple focal lengths as the company expanded the imaging capabilities offered in its mainstream range.
Entry-level smartphones
realme C series
The C series serves price-sensitive customers with lower-cost smartphones. It supports realme’s volume strategy by prioritizing essential smartphone functions, battery life, display size, and accessible pricing rather than the premium specifications associated with the GT family.
Wireless audio
realme Buds
realme Buds is the brand’s family of wireless earbuds and related audio products. The line extends the smartphone brand into personal accessories and supports the company’s broader AIoT and connected-device ecosystem.
Wearables
realme Watch
realme Watch is the brand’s smartwatch and wearable-device family. It forms part of the company’s effort to offer connected products alongside smartphones, with models aimed at mainstream consumers rather than specialist sports or luxury-watch segments.
Tablets
realme Pad
realme Pad is the company’s tablet family, extending the brand into larger-screen personal computing and entertainment devices. It complements realme smartphones and other connected products within the company’s broader consumer-electronics portfolio.

Controversies

Reintegration into Oppo and withdrawal from the Chinese market
Source

2018Dare to Leap
Global
“Dare to Leap” became the brand’s principal positioning platform, associating realme with youthful ambition, product experimentation, fast growth, and the pursuit of higher specifications at accessible prices.
Outcome. Established the brand’s central international identity.
Source

Brand decisions

2026
Reintegrate realme into OppoStrategy
Background
The brand’s operating structure changed after years of being presented as an independent realme business.
Action taken
realme announced that it would be integrated into Oppo as a sub-brand.
Aftermath
The announcement returned realme to a closer Oppo structure while retaining the realme brand.
Source
2026
Prioritize overseas marketsStrategy
Background
Following reintegration into Oppo, the company reassessed its China product and support model.
Action taken
realme announced that it would stop launching new products in China, concentrate resources on overseas markets, and have Oppo handle continued sales and warranty support for existing Chinese devices.
Aftermath
Supported Chinese devices were to transition from Realme UI to ColorOS, while international operations remained the brand’s principal focus.
Source
2022
Move toward the high-end smartphone segmentStrategy
Background
After building its reputation in value-focused phones, realme sought greater participation in the premium-performance market.
Action taken
The company introduced the GT 2 series internationally at Mobile World Congress.
Aftermath
The GT line became the principal vehicle for realme’s flagship-performance positioning.
Source
2018
Operate realme as an independent brandStrategy
Background
realme had previously operated as an Oppo sub-brand, while Sky Li announced an intention to establish it independently.
Action taken
The company was formally established as an independent entity in August 2018.
Aftermath
The independent-brand structure supported rapid international expansion, particularly in India and other overseas markets.
Source

Recent events

2022.03.22
realme becomes a chief partner of the 2022 King of Glory National Competition[7]realme成为2022年王者荣耀全国大赛首席合作伙伴donews.com
At the product launch, realme announced that it had become a chief partner of the 2022 King of Glory National Competition.
Unconfirmed
realme announced the V25 and Buds Q2s launch[8]realme宣布真我V25与Buds Q2s发布计划donews.com
realme announced that it would launch the V25 smartphone and Buds Q2s earphones on March 3. The V25 is being developed in collaboration with the Forbidden City cultural IP.
2022.02.07
Reported2022.02.07
Daraz Bangladesh runs 2022 Valentine’s Day campaign[9]Daraz孟加拉国推出2022年情人节活动en.prothomalo.com
Daraz Bangladesh organised its 2022 Valentine’s Day campaign, running from 7 to 14 February 2022. The campaign included product discounts, vouchers, offers and an in-app live show.
2022.01.28
realme and China Telecom Tianyi deepen 5G device cooperation[10]realme与中国电信天翼深化5G终端合作tech.china.com
realme and China Telecom Tianyi Terminal Company signed a 2022 strategic cooperation memorandum, covering cooperation on devices, sales, products, channels and data, and setting a target of 1 million 5G phone sales in 2022.
2022.01.14
Reported2022.01.14
Shopee announces five new brand partners for its $100 Million Dollar Club[11]Shopee宣布为其“1亿美元俱乐部”新增五个品牌合作伙伴sbr.com.sg
Shopee announced partnerships with L’Oreal Group, Oppo, realme, Samsung, and Xiaomi under its Shopee 100 Million Dollar Club programme.
2022.01.13
Reported2022.01.13
realme announced the realme 9i for Taiwan[12]realme宣布推出realme 9ichinatimes.com
realme announced that it would introduce the realme 9i as a new phone for the Lunar New Year, exclusively with Far EasTone in Taiwan.
2022.01.13
Reported2022.01.13
realme confirms Pad will not receive Android 12 update[13]realme确认realme Pad不会获得Android 12更新finance.sina.com.cn
realme confirmed in a FAQ released that week that the realme Pad would not receive the Android 12 update.
Unconfirmed
Reported2022.01.11
Realme launches the Realme 9i in Vietnam[14]Realme在越南推出Realme 9itelecomtalk.info
Realme launched its Realme 9i smartphone in Vietnam. The article reports a price of VND 6,290,000 and says the company had not officially confirmed a launch in other regions.
2022.01.04
Reported2022.01.04
realme launches Dragon Ball Z edition GT Neo2[15]真我推出 GT Neo2 龙珠定制版tech.ifeng.com
realme launched the GT Neo2 Dragon Ball Z custom edition at the GT2 series launch event on January 4. The phone features a Dragon Ball Z-themed design and accessories.
2021.12.20
Reported2021.12.20
realme announced a design collaboration for the GT2 series[16]realme宣布与深泽直人合作设计真我GT2系列finance.sina.com.cn
At its special event, realme announced that it would work with industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa again to create a new master design for the GT2 series.

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