Realme 8 5G review

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Introduction

The Realme 8 5G is another one of the maker's odd sequels. It appears as if it's meant to be the successor to the Realme 7 5G, and yet it has a few downgrades. But there is a good reason for that - it aims to be the cheapest 5G phone in the world.

Besides its 5G claim, the Realme 8 5G is one very balanced entry-level smartphone. It offers a 90Hz 1080p LCD screen, a capable Dimensity 700 5G chip, there is a triple-camera on the back, a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging, and all of these come wrapped in a beautiful body.

The Realme 8 5G is priced €179 for the early birds, while its official price tag is €199. That's indeed cheap, notably cheaper than the €279 Realme 7 5G. Obviously, some features had to go.

The Realme 8 5G has a 90Hz screen and Dimensity 700 with 64GB base storage, while the previous model had a 120Hz display and the Dimensity 800U chip with a bit more powerful GPU and 128GB base memory. The Realme 7 5G also had an additional 8MP ultrawide camera, water-sealed ports, and Gorilla Glass protection. Well, those things are gone, now.

Anyway, the 5G era is upon us and 5G phones will become desirable sooner rather than later, so we can understand Realme's early attack on the budget segment. It is the market that probably sells the most phones. And the Realme 8 5G, even with the cutbacks, seems like one balanced smartphone.

Realme 8 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.5x74.8x8.5mm, 185g; glass front, plastic frame, plastic back.
• Display: 6.50" IPS LCD, 90Hz, 480 nits (typ), 600 nits, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 405ppi.
• Chipset: MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 5G (7 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.1; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11, Realme UI 2.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, PDAF; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.1, 26mm (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 18W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC; 3.5mm jack.

We would have liked to keep at least the water-sealed ports and the Gorilla Glass, but no can do, obviously. Well, it is what it is, and at that price - we guess it's understandable. So, without further ado - let's unbox this thing.

Unboxing the Realme 8 5G

The Realme 8 5G comes in one of the maker's signature yellow boxes. Inside you'll find an 18W power adapter, a USB-C cable, and a soft transparent case.

The phone also has a factory pre-applied protective film, but we got rid of that fast - it's quite easy to get smudged up.