After successfully launching its latest number series phones, the realme 8 and realme 8 Pro, the company is back and bringing one of the most-wanted features of today to the realme 8. Launching locally this week is the realme 8 5G.
With this new offering, realme is again showing that the latest tech can be for everyone. Join us as we unbox and have our first look at this new phone.
As expected, the realme 8 5G comes in the company’s signature yellow box with the model number plastered upfront.
Opening it up, we’ve got realme’s welcome message on a cardboard packet and inside it are the sim ejector tool, quick guide, information guide, and a clear jelly case.
Lifting that up reveals the realme 8 5G in an opaque plastic covering. Underneath the device is the 18W charger and a USB Type-C cable.
And that’s all we have for what’s inside the box. Now onto the phone.
Taking out the plastic covering reveals a very shiny realme 8 5G. For this iteration, the company did away with the bold split design and traded it in for a much simpler and delicate design. The company boasts of this phone’s slim form factor and I can see why. Considering it has a large 5000mAh battery, this phone in no way feels bulky.
The unit we have on hand comes in Supersonic Blue but there’s also a Supersonic Black as a subtler color choice. There’s a small realme logo on the corner that’s also reflective.
I do like how the glossy look of this phone looks but having this finish means that the back is prone to fingerprints and smudges. And I can confirm that to be true with this device. Good thing realme includes a clear case to help keep the back clean.
The phone is light at just 185g and, as mentioned earlier, slim. The camera bump protrudes quite a bit but it’s not bothersome at all. In my short time with it, the phone generally felt comfortable in my hand.
Seated on the right side of the device is the power button with an integrated fingerprint reader while on the left side is the volume rocker.
Also on the left side is a triple card slot that can house two SIM cards and one SD card for memory. The realme 8 5G can accommodate storage expansion up to 1TB.
Around the front is a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display with a resolution of 2400×1080. The large screen is pretty responsive in the short time that I’ve been using it and is great for multi-tasking.
Bezels are pretty noticeable though especially on the chin but it shouldn’t bother unless you’re the type who likes narrower edges.
Unlike the realme 8, the realme 8 5G doesn’t have a Super AMOLED screen and sticks to an IPS display instead. This does make way, though, for a 90Hz refresh rate for even smoother graphics. Depending on the kind of user you are, this may be a good or bad thing. But I’m a fan of the look of fast refresh rates so it’s nice to see this feature on more and more devices.
Internally, it’s powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G processor supported by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. With this processor, the device will be able to take advantage of the fast speeds of 5G.
It’s also equipped with a Smart 5G mode that switches between 4G and 5G to help conserve battery. We’ve yet to fully test this feature out so that’s something to look forward to in our full review.
Using the phone for daily tasks and social media browsing was a pleasant experience. I haven’t encountered lags so far even with a bunch of apps open. I was also able to quickly play some games and performance seems to be pretty stable.
You may have to sacrifice graphics for smoother movements but I’ll spend more time with this device and test it out even further.
On the imaging front, the realme 8 5G isn’t as sophisticated as its non-5G sibling but it’s still plenty capable.
The triple rear camera system is headlined by a 48-megapixel Ultra HD camera. It’s supported by a black and white portrait lens and a macro lens. For selfies, you have a 16-megapixel camera with AI beauty features.
Powering the realme 8 5G is a 5000mAh battery. realme claims that its battery can last up to 17 hours of continuous video. I was able to squeeze out a couple of days of intermittent use with just 50% but I’ll do a more comprehensive test in the full review.
Using the realme 8 5G for a couple of days now, I’m really pleased that the phone has been fulfilling its promises so far. Presumably, realme follows suit in pricing which would make the realme 8 5G a 5G device that’s within reach.
Apart from faster connection speeds, the device also offers a suite of capable features that should be more than enough for the everyday user.
So for those who are looking to adapt to 5G already, this may be a phone that you should have on your radar. We’ll be spending some more time with the device and do more in-depth testing to see how this device can really perform and if this could be the 5G phone for you.
You can tune in to the official livestream launch of the realme 8 5G happening on June 26 6PM on realme’s official Facebook page.
