Realme
Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer, a subsidiary of Oppo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Realme (stylized in all lowercase) is a multinational Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer backed by Oppo based in Shenzhen, Guangdong. It was founded by Li Bingzhong (known as Sky Li) on May 4, 2018, who was a former vice president of Oppo. Realme became the fastest-growing 5G smartphone brand in Q3 2021.
 | |
| realme | |
Native name | 真我 |
Romanized name | Zhēn wǒ |
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 4 May 2018 |
| Founder | Sky Li |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | |
| Products | Smart phones Tablet computers Earphones Powerbanks Phone cases Bags Smart TVs Smart Watch Laptop |
Number of employees | 4,100 (consolidated, as of 2025) |
| Parent | Oppo |
| Divisions | Realme Techlife Realme Dizo |
| Website | realme.com |
In 2021, realme had risen to become the sixth‑largest smartphone vendor worldwide in terms of shipments in the overall global smartphone market.[1][2]
As of 2024, Realme claimed to be in 27 markets worldwide, including Asia, Europe, Russia, Australia, and Egypt.[3]
In 2025, realme reported having over 300 million global users.[4]
Realme announced on 7 January 2026 that it was being integrated into Oppo as a sub-brand.[5][6]
History
2018-2020
Realme company was founded on May 4, 2018.[7] Before that it was a sub-brand of Oppo, which is itself a subsidiary of BBK Electronics,[8] until its formation as a spinoff on May 4, 2018.[9][10]
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.[11]
On August 28, 2018, realme was officially established as an independent entity, and the realme 2 was released in India.[12][13]
On November 15, 2018, Realme adopted a new logo.
On November 22, 2018, Realme became an emerging brand in the Indian market.[14] 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.[15]
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.[16][17]
By July 2019, Realme had entered markets including China, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Europe.[18]
In August 2019, realme had surpassed 10 million users globally. [19][20]
In November 2019, realme was reported as one of the top five smartphone brands in India and the fastest-growing smartphone brand in Spain. [21]
In October 2020, realme was reported as the world's fastest smartphone brand to reach 50 million cumulative sales. [22]
since 2021
In February 2021, the company ranked among the top five smartphone brands in 14 global markets, according to Canalys. [23]
In August 2021, realme became the fastest smartphone brand to reach 100 million cumulative shipments globally. [24]
In December 2021, it ranked among the top five in 21 markets worldwide and was reported to be the fastest-growing 5G smartphone brand. [25]
In February 2022, realme made its debut at Mobile World Congress (MWC), where it introduced the GT 2 series, marking its entry into the high-end smartphone segment. [26] [27]
In July 2022, the company was included in the Kantar BrandZ Chinese Global Brand Builders Top 50 list for the first time. [28] [29]
In February 2023, at Mobile World Congress, realme announced the GT3 smartphone, featuring 240W fast charging technology. [30] [31]
In May 2023, realme released the realme 11 series, highlighting improvements in imaging technology, including higher-resolution sensors, larger lenses, and multiple focal lengths. [32][33]
In November 2023, realme reported that its cumulative global smartphone shipments had exceeded 200 million units, [34] maintaining a position among the top ten global smartphone brands for five consecutive years, according to Counterpoint Research. [35]
In June 2024, realme released the GT 6 smartphone globally. [36][37]
In August 2024, the company held a global fan event in Shenzhen, where it showcased a 320W fast-charging technology prototype. [38]
In November 2024, realme released the GT 7 Pro, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. [39]
In 2025, realme unveiled concept smartphones featuring battery capacities of up to 10,000mAh[40] and 15,000mAh, as part of its exploration of extended battery technologies.[41]
At the Mobile World Congress the same year, it showcased an interchangeable lens concept phone. [42]
The company introduced in August 2025 that it had reached over 300 million global users. [43]
On 7 January 2026, realme announced that it would be integrated into Oppo as a sub-brand. [44]
Products
The company has a large number of products such as phones and TV particularly in the Indian market.[45] . Realme is plans to launch Realme P4R with long-lasting battery to launch in India soon.
Marketing
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.
In 2024, Realme's Squad Leader Program consists of 14 members, two of whom were part of the original trio of Squad Leaders. As part of this program, Realme has been consistently providing the Squad Leaders with Number Series devices since 2018 in exchange for their services.[46]
