Realme 8 Pro Analysis: Opinion, Performance and Price

Risking in design

Normally I am the user type who prefers a more restrained look but, yes, with a finish that gives personality to the phone. But it seems that lately many manufacturers are betting on more striking designs than usual, and it really was not going to be less in its latest launch.

In this realme 8 Pro we find a rear with a daring design and that, without a doubt, will attract the attention of anyone. A rough touch, accompanied by a gradient and the slogan “DARE TO LEAP” occupying the entire side of the phone. All this accompanied by the camera module that is quite reminiscent of an iPhone but, this time, with 4 lenses arranged in a perfect square.

In my case, I have been able to test the relame 8 pro with a blue finish but, in addition to this, we will also have available a model finished in black, more sober according to the manufacturer, and another model in yellow. The latter comes with a surprise from the brand, and that is that it has a material that makes it glow in the dark, making the camera module and the slogan that we see on the body stand out.

This back is slightly curved at the edges, allowing a more continuous and uniform union with the sides of the phone, which, by the way, have a flat and not rounded design. At the bottom we find the USB-C charging connector, the device’s speaker and, for lovers of the classic, the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Moving to the front, this realme 8 pro has a 6.4 ″ Super AMOLED screen with a FullHD + resolution . A good-sized screen in which we can see content with vivid colors and deep blacks, thanks to this technology, and that has a maximum brightness of up to 1,000 nits to allow us to see the screen perfectly in any situation.

One detail that I have missed on this screen is a higher refresh rate. Currently it seems that it is becoming a standard to have at least a 60 Hz screen and the sense of fluidity that this transmits is not easily forgotten. To alleviate this a bit, relame has included a sample rate of 180 Hz to improve the tactile response. Something that many gamers will appreciate.

In its upper left corner we see the hole in the screen that houses the front camera, which it will also use for facial unlocking . A system that works very well and quickly as we usually see in most smartphones on the market. This screen also hides a fingerprint reader under the screen but, in this case, the feelings I have had with it have been bittersweet. When your fingerprint “catches” you, the truth is that the unlocking is immediate but, on occasions, I have had to make several attempts until it has managed to read my fingerprint. Perhaps it is that the surface of the reader is somewhat small and, in this way, it costs a little more.

Does it attract attention and is it a recognizable rear? I do not doubt that. Do I like the design of the realme 8 Pro? As I mentioned at the beginning of this section, I am a more sober user when buying a phone. Personally, I think I would go for the black finish, although blue is a color that I really like. But beyond this, I think that in the rest of the points this manufacturer has achieved a smartphone with character and with careful finishes.

In addition, that AMOLED screen will make you enjoy playing content on it at any time. A detail that, in the end, I think matters more than the design of the back itself, which probably ends up covered by a cover.

Sufficient performance for any task

Now I want to talk to you about how this new member of the realme family behaves on a day-to-day basis. And the truth is that, if you already know everything that the realme 7 Pro offers, the behavior of this is tremendously similar to its predecessor.

In the realme 8 Pro we again find a specification pack made up of the Snapdragon 720G , along with capacities of 6 and 8 GB of RAM , with a single storage model that reaches up to 128 GB with UFS 2.1 technology. Performance in both day-to-day tasks and those that require higher performance is more than correct. I have not found any type of lag, hang or unexpected closure and, even, using games like Asphalt 9 or COD mobile in maximum quality this phone has not suffered at any time. And if you are wondering about possible warm-ups, even using it for several hours playing the equipment has not become excessively heated at any time.

Another aspect that does change but less is fast charging, not autonomy. In this case we have the same 4,500 mAh battery that we had in the realme 7 pro but, now, the charging power of this is 50 W instead of 65 W. This does not translate into a bad experience in the day to day since, as with the previous one, I have been able to use it without going through the plug for more than a full day. The only thing, yes, is that when loading the speed will be somewhat lower.

The 4,500 mAh I have been able to charge in less than 1 hour and, when I have needed a little push, in just 15 minutes I have achieved something more than 40% battery. So fast charging may not be “that fast” but it won’t leave you a bad experience at all. The good part of all this is that the realme 8 Pro still includes the same 65 W charger that came with the previous model. Therefore, if you used it to charge other equipment that needed more power such as a computer, with this you will continue to have this possibility.

RealmUI: system for customization lovers

But of course, as I always indicate in my analysis, it is useless to have the best components if it is not accompanied by software that is up to par. The realme 8 Pro comes with realmUI 2.0 , the manufacturer’s customization layer, which runs on Android 11 .

As I have already indicated in other reviews of phones of this brand, this layer comes with a large number of adjustments and customizations that can be adapted to the taste of each user. In addition, it includes different settings that make the experience when playing the best or, for example, others that make viewing content on the screen the most appropriate. If you want a phone that you can adapt to your tastes, this is without a doubt a great option.

Of course, if what you want or need is an experience close to pure Android, this is not your best option. In addition, it comes with certain pre-installed third-party applications that, luckily, most can be easily removed.

Big jump at 108 MP

The time has come to talk about the photographic section of this realme 8 Pro. On this occasion, as I already mentioned at the beginning of this article, we are facing a quad camera in the rear module:

• 108 MP main sensor , with an aperture f / 1.88.
• 8 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor , with a 119º angle of view and an aperture of f / 2.25.
• 2 MP macro sensor , with an aperture f / 2.4 and with which we can get up to 4 cm closer to the object we want to photograph.
• 2 MP B&W portrait enhancement sensor with f / 2.4 aperture.

And then, for the selfie, it comes with a single 16 MP front camera and f / 2.45 aperture.

A set of cameras in which we can see with the naked eye that it lacks little besides a zoom lens. But rest assured, those 108 MP of the main sensor can do “magic”.

In good light conditions, the truth is that all lenses perform quite well. The main sensor is the one that stands out the most as you could imagine, obtaining very good detail and vivid colors. In the case of the wide angle and the macro, you can see that the quality drops a bit, especially in the angle under these conditions, leaving images somewhat more washed out, with less contrast and a slightly paler and less striking color. Cropping in portrait mode does it very well, without appreciating many errors.

But without a doubt, what has surprised me the most is exactly what this phone does not have: zoom photographs. From its interface we can see two jumps in magnification ranging from x3 to x5 digital zoom. When we visualize the image that we will theoretically have before the photo is taken, it seems to be of a much lower quality but, after making use of the processing of the photograph supported by a cutout of that 108 MP lens, the results are more than decent.

Regarding the photos with the selfie camera, it complies with photos of an acceptable quality, perhaps a little out of focus on some occasions. The color of these photos is very nice and the light management makes them correctly even when the contrast is high. But, to keep a memory of a specific moment, the photographs that we can shoot with this camera are not bad.

Then, when the light falls, as usual, the results are of poorer quality. The main sensor can capture some interesting photographs, especially if we use the night mode that it actually implements in its camera app.

And, regarding this application, the manufacturer also includes a good assortment of modes and functionalities to make creative captures such as:

• Star mode: to take long exposure shots to take pictures of the constellations.
• Dual view video: allows us to record video with the front and rear cameras. This way we won’t miss our reaction.
• Slow motion.
• Time Lapse.
• PRO mode for both photo and video.

And, speaking of video, we can capture video up to a maximum quality of 4K at 30 fps and slow motion in FullHD at 120 fps . The quality is good but, as usual, it presents the problem of vibrations when moving. To try to improve this aspect, Realme introduces a stabilized mode that, if we do not move abruptly, can leave interesting results.

Smartphone for the most daring

At this point, it is time to talk about the price of this new member of the realme family and, of course, if it is worth it or not. The realme 8 Pro comes with two different models depending on its storage and RAM specifications:

• 8GB + 128GB : available through distributors such as Amazon, MediaMarkt, Fnac, The Phone House, Aliexpress … This model has an official price of 299 euros, and you can buy it in pre-purchase (from March 24 to March 30) for 279 euros.
• 6GB + 128GB: model that can be purchased exclusively on Amazon for an official price of 279 euros. You can also purchase it in pre-purchase (from March 24 to March 30) for 259 euros.

Therefore, if you want a phone that fulfills any type of task and, in addition, you like daring designs, this is a great option to consider. However, if you prefer something more discreet, you can always buy the black finish, or opt for another alternative on the market. Of course, for less than 300 euros few better options occur to me.