Realme 8 review

The competition

The budget game is unquestionably Realme's forte, but considering the available alternatives, there is no shortage of competition.

Xiaomi instantly springs to mind as a key competitor. The two companies seem tangled in an endless cat and mouse game these days. In this particular case, the Redmi Note 10 is a direct and popular competitor to the Realme 8.

A better match, still, is probably the Redmi Note 10S, since just like the Realme 8, it has a 6.4-inch AMOLED display, a 64MP main camera, with 8MP ultrawide to the side, the MediaTek Helio G95 chipset and 5,000mAh battery. A very similar hardware offer, which also throws in a few other things like a stereo speaker setup and IP53 dust and splash protection.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 • Samsung Galaxy A32

The Redmi Note 10S might set you back a few more bucks than the Realme 8, which is why the vanilla Redmi Note 10 might be a better deal. It substitutes the 64MP camera on the Redmi Note 10S with a 48MP one and swaps the MediaTek G95 with a Snapdragon 678 chipset. Other than that, it still attains plenty of the appealing aspects of its sibling, including the IP53 rating, stereo speaker setup and 33W fast charging on a 5,000 mAh battery, to name a few.

Samsung has been working hard on its most popular Galaxy A series and delivered in a big way with the latest wave of release. The Galaxy A32, in particular, stands out as great competition for the Realme 8. Its 6.4-inch AMOLED panel, even runs at a smoother 90Hz refresh rate. And you still get a 64MP main camera, with an 8MP ultrawide, alongside two 5MP macro and depth cameras, plus a higher-res 20MP selfie. A big 5,000 mAh battery is also part of the mix. The MediaTek G80 is a bit of a downgrade over the Realme 8, and its G95 and charging is nowhere near as fast.

Say you have your priorities set a bit differently, though and have 5G high up on your priority list. The first contender to naturally look at is the Realme 8 5G, which we have referenced repeatedly throughout the review. You will have to settle for an LCD display. A smoother 90Hz one, though, and a camera that can hold its own in image quality in direct comparison to the Realme 8.

Realme 8 5G • Samsung Galaxy M42 5G

Then there is also the excellent Samsung Galaxy M42 5G. Its specs include a Super AMOLED panel, with cost-cutting in the form of HD+ resolution. Also, a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide and two 5MP extra cams, plus a 20MP selfie snapper. All of it topped with a large 5,000 mAh battery.

Finally, a couple of other popular choices that can fit within the price bracket of the Realme 8: The Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro, with its fast 120Hz, HDR10 IPS display and Snapdragon 860 chipset, both punching way above their price in terms of gaming experience and performance.

Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro • Xiaomi Poco M3

There is also the Poco M3 - great for stretching a budget, offering things like a Snapdragon 662 chipset, 48MP Quad-Bayer camera, stereo speakers and a large 6,000 mAh battery for well under $200.

The verdict

The Realme 8 is a solid offer on paper. It somehow manages to be more compact than its predecessor while still keeping the big 5,000 mAh, quick-charging battery with excellent endurance. Realme has also managed to fit an AMOLED panel into the mix, and the camera setup looks plenty promising, as well, with a 64MP Quad Bayer main snapper and an 8MP ultrawide. It is all held together very well by the excellent Realme UI 2.0 - clean, feature-rich and snappy, even on the MediaTek G95, which still delivers solid performance for the class.

It all honestly looks great on the surface. Dig a bit deeper, however, and some disappointing aspects start to surface. We really wish the Realme 8 included some basic dust and splash protection. A stereo speaker setup, even a hybrid one, would have also gone a long way to make it competitive against devices like the Redmi Note 10.

Also despite the lofty advertised 1000 nits of max brightness, the legibility in bright sun is a challenge. Color rendition isn't particularly accurate either. The quad-camera setup also doesn't quite live up to its hardware potential. That latter point can potentially be addressed with software updates, but as things currently stand, the Realme 8 arguably gets outpaced in the photography department by the Realme 8 5G despite its basic camera hardware.

None of these deficiencies is a deal-breaker in any way. The Realme 8 is a great little phone, and with some better-targeted pricing, it can quickly turn its fortunes around. At the current starting price of 200 euros, we find it harder to recommend.

Pros

• Sharp 1080p screen, small notch. HDR10 and HLG support.
• Great battery life and super fast Dart charging.
• Solid all-round budget performance.
• 4K videos from the main cam look great, selfies are nice, too.
• Realme UI 2.0 is clean and responsive, with a surprising amount of customization.
• 3.5mm jack, NFC, DualSIM with a dedicated microSD slot.

Cons

• Over the top back design, prone to smudges.
• No stereo speakers.
• Photo processing is over the top and ruins image quality for us.
• No stabilization for 4K video.