Realme 8 Pro review

Android 11 and Realme UI 2.0

The Realme 8 Pro is the first phone we meet running on Android 11 and Realme UI 2.0. The new version of Realme's launcher offers richer customization options, more AOD themes, a couple of extra Dark Mode styles, refined floating and mini windows, and enhanced security.

The phone supports fingerprint unlock, and the optical sensor works very well - it's fast and with high accuracy. You can also add a face for an even speedier unlock - though this is not as secure.

The launcher has no-nonsense homescreens, a simplistic and now cleaner notification/toggles area, and an easy-to-use task switcher. An App drawer is available, too, and it is as clutter-free as one could hope for. You can opt-out of the app drawer if that's your thing.

Realme UI 2.0

Always-on screen is available (called Screen Off), and it can show the usual content - clock, date, notifications icons, battery. The Realme UI 2.0 is supposed to bring many new AOD themes, but they are not present on the Realme 8 Pro just yet. Maybe they'll arrive via a software update later on.

Realme UI supports different icon packs, so if you are not happy with the default one, you can opt for material style, pebbles, or you can even fully customize them by your liking. Thanks to Realme UI 2.0, you can also change the system colors, the fingerprint scanner animation, the notification drawer icons, even the system font.

AOD • Customization options

Dark Mode is available, too, and it's been enhanced with Realme UI 2.0 with support for three different dark styles - black, dark gray or light gray. It can be manual or scheduled. You can also opt to force it on third-party apps, though this doesn't always end well.

Dark Mode

There are many powerful tools within the settings menu if you want full control over your Android OS. Or you can leave everything as is and enjoy a hassle-free Android experience optimized by Realme's AI algorithms and machine learning.

Settings

You can also minimize an app to a mini-windows or a floating window from within the Task Manager. If an app is compatible, you can do either of these or use the familiar Split Screen.

Task Manager • Mini app • Floating window • Split screen

Similar to the recent Galaxies, the Realme UI offers a Smart Sidebar on the edge of the screen - you can customize the actions and app shortcuts that appear there.

Smart Sidebar

The multimedia apps such as Gallery, Music, and Videos - are provided by Realme. There is also a redesigned File Manager and even a Phone Manager app. This completes the non-Google app list.

Gallery • Music • Videos • Phone Manager • File Manager

We are fond of the Realme UI, and we like the new direction. The interface is snappy, clutter-free and easy to use. Yet, it retains plenty of powerful tools should you choose to dig deeper and use them.

Performance and benchmarks

The Realme 8 Pro is based on the Snapdragon 720G chipset, the same one employed by the Realme 7 Pro. And the Realme 6 Pro before that. It offers an octa-core processor in a 2+6 configuration - 2x2.3GHz Kryo 465 Gold (A76-derivative) cores and 6x1.8GHz Kryo 465 Silver (A55-derivative) cores. The Adreno 618 is the GPU in charge of all things graphics.

There are two available configuration for the Realme 8 Pro - 6GB RAM with 128GB UFS2.1 storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB UFS2.1 storage.

The CPU performance is on par with the rest of the Snapdragon 7xx-featuring smartphones, including the Redmi Note 10 Pro, but trailing behind Poco X3 Pro's Snapdragon 860 processor.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Poco X3 Pro
  2574
• Huawei P40 Lite
  1862
• Realme 7 Pro
  1811
• Redmi Note 9 Pro (Max)
  1785
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
  1780
• Poco X3 NFC
  1777
• Realme 8 Pro
  1678
• Realme 6 Pro
  1666
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
  1599
• Samsung Galaxy A52
  1577

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Poco X3 Pro
  735
• Huawei P40 Lite
  591
• Realme 7 Pro
  576
• Redmi Note 9 Pro (Max)
  571
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
  569
• Poco X3 NFC
  568
• Realme 8 Pro
  566
• Realme 6 Pro
  565
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
  534
• Samsung Galaxy A52
  525

The same goes for the raw graphics power - the Realme 8 Pro is as good as the 7 Pro and the recent Redmi Note 10 Pro but is no match for the recent Poco.

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Poco X3 Pro
  45
• Huawei P40 Lite
  21
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
  19
• Poco X3 NFC
  19
• Realme 8 Pro
  18
• Realme 7 Pro
  18
• Realme 6 Pro
  18
• Redmi Note 9 Pro (Max)
  18
• Samsung Galaxy A52
  17
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
  9.3

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Poco X3 Pro
  38
• Huawei P40 Lite
  18
• Realme 8 Pro
  16
• Realme 6 Pro
  16
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
  16
• Poco X3 NFC
  16
• Redmi Note 9 Pro (Max)
  15
• Samsung Galaxy A52
  15
• Realme 7 Pro
  14
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
  7.9

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Poco X3 Pro
  3401
• Realme 8 Pro
  1051
• Samsung Galaxy A52
  1040
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
  482

The overall AnTuTu score also says the Realme 8 Pro is as powerful as many of its mid-range peers, but there are better phones on the same price, too.

AnTuTu 8

Higher is better

• Poco X3 Pro
  453223
• Huawei P40 Lite
  325777
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
  295442
• Realme 8 Pro
  286666
• Poco X3 NFC
  283750
• Redmi Note 9 Pro (Max)
  279625
• Realme 7 Pro
  278414
• Realme 6 Pro
  268785
• Samsung Galaxy A52
  261282
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
  218788

The Realme 8 Pro packs good enough hardware for this class and can handle well games and heavy apps; it can do multi-tasking, too. There is no UI lag, and we did not notice any stutter whatsoever. The cooling is great, too, and helps for 99.6% stability score on the stress test we use - 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test.

But this is the third Realme in a row with the same processor and it seems like the company is in some sort of stalemate. It just cannot produce a better midranger, whether it's the chip crisis to blame and/or the pandemic, we don't know. We sure hope the 108MP camera is worth it. Otherwise, the competition's extra features would easily score a win over this phone.