Realme 8i review

Introduction

The Realme 8i is the most affordable smartphone within the entire Series 8 so far, but it is also shaping as the most intriguing offer among its peers. The phone was designed with gamers and photographers in mind and offers a 120Hz display, a capable even if budget chipset, and a promising 50MP Samsung camera. Let's check it out!

So, the Realme 8i is indeed a versatile smartphone with interesting features. It packs a 6.6-inch IPS LCD screen with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling. Realme cannot promise HRR gaming out of the box, but it is working closely with selected developers to make possible gameplay with more than 60fps.

The 8i employs the most current Helio G96 chipset - it offers improved graphics over previous Helio G models thanks to the new Mali-G57 GPU cores. The Realme 8i is available in two versions 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage. There is a dedicated microSD slot, too.

The main camera is incredibly promising, too - it uses a 50MP Samsung sensor and should be saving some nice photos no matter if it's day or night. It is accompanied by two 2MP snappers - one for macro shots and one for depth sensing when taking portraits.

Finally, the Realme 8i is powered by a large 5,000mAh battery. It supports 18W charging - not the fastest around, but it's no slouch either.

Realme 8i specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.1x75.5x8.5mm, 194g; glass front, plastic frame, plastic back.
• Display: 6.60" IPS LCD, 120Hz, 600 nits (peak), 1080x2412px resolution, 20.1:9 aspect ratio, 400ppi.
• Chipset: Mediatek Helio G96 (12 nm): Octa-core (2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6xX.X GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM; UFS 2.1; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11, Realme UI 2.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.1, (wide), 1/3.0", 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 18W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); 3.5mm jack.

Looking back at the Realme 7i, the 8i seems like a thoughtful and balanced sequel - it brings a smoother and higher-res display, more powerful hardware, and better main camera sensor. It has lost the 8MP ultrawide snapper, which is not cool for sure.

Realme has shared no info on ingress protection, so it's safe to guess the 8i is not splash-proof. But we are happy it has the fan-favorite essentials like a 3.5mm jack and a standalone microSD card slot.

And now, it's time to finally take this Realme 8i out of its yellow box.

Unboxing the Realme 8i

Most budget Realme phones arrive in these eye-catchy yellow boxes, and the Realme 8i is no exception. Inside, you will find an 18W power adapter and a USB cable.

The retail bundle also contains a soft transparent case - it's in the paper compartment. Oh, and the phone has this thin protective film applied in the factory, but it feels so cheap and is such a smudge-magnet that we peeled it off immediately.