The Realme 8 Pro is a tempting prospect, offering a selection of high-end specs for a price that undercuts much of the competition. As good as the insides look, one design aspect has caught my eye for all the wrong reasons.
Before I get onto that egregious choice, let’s have a deeper look at the Realme 8 Pro as there is a lot here to like and there’s every chance it could take pride of place in our best cheap phone list, alongside some of Realme’s previous releases.
Realme really wants to push the camera here and it has kitted the phone out with a main 108MP camera. This is a Samsung HM2 sensor featuring pixel-binning and some zoom trickery that attempts to capture 3x zoomed 12-megapixel shots through a ‘clarity enhancement’ algorithm. I’ll be testing this claim during my full review as the zoom capabilities of cheaper phones are usually very poor.
Pixel binning is a process designed to reduce noise and improve overall photo quality.
You’ve got 50w charging which should, according to Realme, charge the 4500mAh cell in around 47 minutes. Realme is also still including the charger in the box, something you won’t find with the iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S21.
Powering the phone is the Snapdragon 720G which might lack 5G but should be a strong general performer nonetheless.
The display sounds impressive too and I like the slightly smaller 6.4-inch panel Realme has chosen. It’s a Full HD AMOLED panel which should offer inky blacks and punchy colours. It has a 180Hz sampling rate too, so your button presses in games should be registered quickly.
My issue comes with the phone’s design, which is emblazoned with the huge ‘Dare to Leap’ motto right down the back. When I first took the phone out of the box I thought this was a sticker or part of the packaging. But no, it is right there embossed in shiny letters right into the textured back.
It’s a bold move and Realme should probably in some way be credited with trying to visually set its phone apart, but it just doesn’t look very good. It’s brash and ugly, far too prominent and just about forces you to put a case on. It’s even more of a shame as the textured back is actually nice and grippy to hold.
The is a trend that only seems to be growing and I am far from a fan. We recently reviewed the Poco X3 Pro which is another strong affordable device. But for some reason, it has ‘POCO’ in huge letters stamped down the back. It really does ruin an otherwise nice looking device.
In the Trusted Reviews review of the phone, our reviewer Peter said, “It’s flash, but I like the boldness from a firm that wants to put itself on the map. However, the massive Poco branding is a step too far, even for me.”
If you’re happy to live with that egregious branding then the Realme 8 Pro should be an enticing device and we’ll have a full review for you very soon. It’ll be available to buy from March 31 from Amazon for £279.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
