The official photos of the Realme GT make us forget that the OnePlus 9 is coming

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• The official photos of the Realme GT make us forget that the OnePlus 9 is coming

The next big release on the smartphone calendar is the OnePlus 9, the next generation of OnePlus phones from the popular company, but you might think of us as the distracted boyfriend in the headline meme because a different new smartphone caught our eye: the Realme GT. As part of Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Realme has just shared some photos and specs of its new flagship phone, the GT (named after the 'grand tourer' type of sports car). The brand has teased it before, but this mini reveal is the best look we've had at the new smartphone, ahead of its March 4 launch. Realme has confirmed that its GT smartphone will have the premium Snapdragon 888 chipset, so it should be fast to use, and it will also have a bespoke cooling system to prevent the phone from overheating as easily when in use. The main thing we've seen, though, is images of the phone: it appears to have a vegan leather (or synthetic leather, as many call it) clad rear, and it's bright yellow, with a black racing stripe. Apparently this strip is made of a different material than the rest of the back, probably glass, although this is not specified. Synthetic leather allows you to enjoy the premium feel of "standard" leather, without the ethical considerations of traditional material. Realme previously showed off a photo of the phone in a different color and material option, and this silver model is definitely not as distinct as this new version, so it's possible that the Realme GT leatherette is a special edition model or similar.

Race to follow

Realme is a Chinese smartphone company that is still relatively new to the west and currently doesn't have a premium phone line, although that's obviously going to change soon. The company usually offers affordable and mid-range smartphones with commendable specs, so its GT lineup is definitely one to check out. The launch of a new line of smartphones is always a big event: competition breeds innovation, and companies will only make great devices if they need to prove themselves. Therefore, a new flagship line can only mean good things for the entire phone market. While it remains to be seen if the Realme GT will prove to be a better phone than the OnePlus 9, the fact that this small brand of phone can distract our attention from the heavy hitters is a good sign. All eyes will be on the brand for the launch of the Realme GT on March 4, to see if this initial hype is warranted - we'll cover the event and give you everything you need to know, so check back on TechRadar.