Since entering the market, Realme has grown into one of the best inexpensive mobile phone companies out there, and Realme devices generally still offer, at the very least, good value for money.
And so it is with the Realme 8. It’s not the most exciting mobile they launched this year, and you might miss out on some of the things you’ll find in the 8 Pro and 8 5G.
You’ll also find better specs on similar Redmi devices, but their Software and its ease of use make the Realme 8 a more balanced device and easier to recommend.
Design and build
- Thin and light
- Plastic construction
- Rare logo design
I have to say up front that I have mixed feelings about the design of the Realme 8.
I like it, at just 8mm thick and weighing 177g, it’s quite thin and light, especially when you consider that cheaper phones tend to be bulky. The 6.4 “screen doesn’t make it a small mobile at all, but it’s easy to use with one hand.
This is probably also due to the decision to save money and use a lighter plastic on both the back and the frame of the mobile, and not glass and metal, but that is the usual in this price range. Also for this reason there is no water resistance.
I also like the simplicity of the camera module, which presents the four lenses in a minimalist way, and we also appreciate that a port is included. jack plus a USB-C port for charging.
What I don’t like so much is Realme’s decision to include the ‘DARE TO LEAP’ slogan on the back in huge capital letters, which fills the entire body with a glossy rainbow finish. It’s catchy to say the least …
Fortunately, although the Cyber Black model I tried and the Cyber Silver finish includes the logo, Realme has introduced a variation of the Punk Black mobile that goes for a simpler glossy finish without a logo. If you can, buy this option.
Filter
- AMOLED
- 60Hz refresh rate
I have already mentioned the 6.4 “screen found here, a fairly standard size on Android devices, although it is still generous.
It is surely more impressive that the screen is AMOLED, and not LCD, which gives you better contrast, improved viewing angles and more vibrant colors.
The fact that it’s OLED means you’ll have to settle for a 60Hz refresh rate, so you won’t get lighter performance than the faster 90Hz or 120Hz displays that are already starting to appear in the cheaper market. The resolution is Full HD, so you won’t have to give up anything.
In my opinion, prioritizing AMOLED over a faster refresh rate was surely the right decision. I can disappoint the the players want more frames per second, but this is not a device for Game. And for everyday use, the improvement in the color and depth of the OLED panel will surely become more noticeable.
Specifications and performance
- Solid performance
- Only 4 GB of RAM on the entry model
- Without 5G
Looking only at the specs, it’s clear that the Realme 8 is a cheap cell phone, but that doesn’t mean it won’t hold up well in everyday use.
The mobile has the chipset MediaTek’s Helio G95, which comes with 4GB, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB storage.
The G95 is the same chip that Realme used in the Realme 7, but it still performs well considering the price. It doesn’t offer revolutionary performance in any way, but it does take advantage of mobiles that cost even twice as much, like the Pixel 4a.
With “normal” use, the cellphone is light and simple, and there is little lag and little stuttering as you might think with a cheap device.
I tested the mobile with 6 GB of RAM, so I would recommend this model or the variant with 8 GB. On the other hand, I would surely not say the same about the 4 GB model. This difference in RAM will probably slow down the mobile, in especially when multitasking, so it may not hold up well over time.
It should be noted that the Realme 8 does not support 5G, but there is the Realme 8 5G version if that is your priority. Connectivity remains solid, with Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC included. As for biometrics, there is a fingerprint sensor built into the screen.
Battery and charge
- Two day battery
- 30W charging
You’ll find a 5,000mAh battery inside the Realme 8 and, while it might seem like it doesn’t work very well with the landmarks From above, the truth is that it is enough to be able to use the mobile all day or even two days with less intense use.
At this price, it’s no surprise that it doesn’t have wireless charging, but the 30W wired charging speeds are excellent for this price. In my testing, I was able to charge 30% of the battery in 15 minutes and it hit 59% in just over half an hour. It will surely be enough for the whole day.
Camera
- Main objective capable
- Looser in low light environments
- The rest of the lenses are less impressive
The Realme 8’s camera performance is to be expected from the low end of the market, meaning you’ll get a primary lens that performs well in good lighting conditions, but not so much in dark environments, as well as three more goals you’d better ignore.
The main camera is 64 MP (f / 1.8) and works well when the light is on your side. Daytime photos are bright, vibrant, and rich in detail, and HDR handles color gamut well as long as the light isn’t too extreme.
The quality drops considerably in less favorable conditions and in dark environments it is quite poor, although the Night mode helps whenever you shoot stationary subjects. Frankly, Realme is very typical of mobiles at this price point, and you’ll have to spend a bit more if you want to take good low-light photos.
The main lens comes with an 8 MP ultra wide angle (f / 2.3), as well as a 2 MP macro lens and depth sensor. Ultra wide angle works well for basic tasks, but is significantly inferior to the main camera, with less detail and less natural colors.
The depth sensor helps in getting portrait mode photos, and it’s best to ignore the macro completely. Close-up photos are so grainy and loud that they aren’t worth the effort.
On the front, there is a camera selfie perforated 16 MP (f / 2.5). As with the main camera, you will have good results if the light is in your favor, albeit with a little less detail than the rear camera.
Even without an additional sensor to help you out, the portrait mode on the front is just as impressive and works to compensate for other camera flaws.
If you care about video, know that you can record 4K video at 30 frames per second with the rear camera, with electronic stabilization so nothing moves. The front camera is limited to 1080p, however.
Software
- Android 11
- Easy to use
- Future updates are unclear
The Realme 8 arrives with Android 11 and the company’s Realme UI 2.0 in addition.
If you have used an Oppo mobile before, experience with it Software It will sound familiar to you, and in any case it is one of the best skins Android available.
The interface is clean and fairly easy to navigate, with colorful icons to keep everything clearer. And in most cases, you’ll find that the controls and options are easy to use and where you expect to find them.
The mobile comes with several apps preinstalled, but in most cases Realme gives you no problem using the Android apps themselves. There’s no bloatware no adware, which helps the setup process to be quick and the mobile doesn’t fill up with unnecessary stuff.
When it comes to ongoing support, Realme’s policy is to offer two years of Software, but that doesn’t guarantee two full Android updates. Yes, you should receive Android 12 and at least two years of security updates, but beyond that is not guaranteed.
There are other Android brands that offer more, although that isn’t usually the case with cheap phones like this.
Pricing and availability
You can now buy the Realme 8. You can check our Realme 8 series buying guide for more information on the stores where it is available.
The models may vary depending on the market, and in Europe only the variant with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB is available for a price of $ 199.
At this price, its most direct competitors are the Poco X3 NFC and the M3 Pro, the Redmi Note 10 and the OnePlus Nord N100. As we said before, there are also the Realme 8 Pro and 8 5G, with somewhat different specs than the standard 8.
Be sure to check out our guide to the best cheap phones for more recommended options, as well as our ranking of the best Realme phones to see more of the brand’s models.
Verdict
The Realme 8 is a good buying option, albeit unremarkable and inexpensive.
For that price, you’ll get a good main camera, powerful battery life, and an OLED display, all with an experience of Software good that prioritizes ease of use.
Rivals with similar prices may be able to beat the Realme 8 in other specs, and at this point it’s handy to bet on the 5G model.
But here you will find a good balance of features that should win over most users, which makes Realme 8 a good bet.
Specification List
- Operating System: Android 11 with Realme UI 2
- Processor: MediaTek Helio G95
- RAM memory: 4 GB | 6 GB | 8 GB
- Storage: 64 GB | 128 GB (expandable with microSD)
- Display: 6.4 inch Super AMOLED Full HD + (2400 x 1080, 60 Hz)
- Rear cameras: 108 MP (main) + 2 MP (ultra wide angle) + 2 MP (macro) + 2 MP (depth sensor)
- Front camera: 16 MP
- Connectivity: 4G, Bluetooth 5.1, Dual SIM, fingerprint sensor
- Battery: 5000mAh (30W charge)
- Dimensions: 160.6 x 73.9 x 8 mm
- Weight: 177g
- Colors: Cyber Black | Cyber Money | Black Punk
Original article published on Tech Advisor.
Product photos: Dominik Tomaszewski
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