Review of the smartphone Realme 8 Pro - almost without question and delight

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It seems to be good for everyone: the screen is large, and the camera is powerful, and does not slow down. But something is missing.

The line of strong middle peasants Realme is now updated frequently - once every six months. Realme 7 and 7 Pro came out literally in the fall, and now the eighth series has arrived. But, to be honest, calling the Realme 8 Pro a new generation is slyness. The platform is the same, the screen is the same. The most noticeable difference is in the camera and design. Let's see how these changes affected the new product.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Design and ergonomics
• Display
• Iron
• Sound and vibration
• Operating system
• Cameras
• Autonomy
• Outcomes

Specifications

Operating system	Android 11, shell Realme UI 2.0
Screen	Super AMOLED, 6.4 inches, 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, 411 ppi, 60 Hz
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (8 cores)
RAM	6/8 GB
Built-in memory	128 GB, microSD support up to 1 TB
Cameras	Main: main - 108 Mp, f / 1.9 with a 1/1, 52 ″ sensor, 0.7 μm pixels and PDAF focusing; wide-angle - 8 Mp, f / 2, 3 with a sensor 1/4, 0 ″, 119; macromodule - 2 Mp, f / 2, 4 with a 1/5, 0 ″ sensor; depth sensor - 2 Mp, f / 2, 4 Front: 16 MP, f / 2.5
SIM cards	2 × nanoSIM
Connectors	USB Type ‑ C, 3.5mm
Communication standards	2G, 3G, LTE, 5G
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1
Battery	4 500 mAh, charging - 65 W
Dimensions (edit)	160.6 × 73.9 × 8.1mm
The weight	176 g
Additionally	NFC, optical fingerprint reader

Design and ergonomics

Realme 8 Pro is a slim, sleek smartphone with a prominent camera module pushed to the left. In many respects, including in size, it is similar to Samsung A32, and their characteristics overlap.

On both sides, the smartphone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, and a rather old generation - the third, which is very strange. Perhaps they decided to use this glass because of its mass. The smartphone itself is very light for its size and a solid battery of 4,500 mAh - just over 170 grams.

During the test, the coating was not scratched or damaged in any way, even without the complete silicone protective case.

There are several finishing options for the Realme 8 Pro, one is more fun than the other, there is even a yellow one with phosphorescent stripes and inscriptions. But we got the most boring graphite-black version, where only the brand name adorns the back.

There is nothing interesting at all in front. The camera peephole shifted to the left side, which punched a hole in the screen, a narrow band of the conversational dynamics, small but still noticeable frames (thicker from below) - that's all. The gaze has absolutely nothing to catch on to.

All buttons are located on the right side: the power key is located just above the middle, the volume rocker is closer to the top edge. Reaching all the buttons is very easy, they are pressed with a pleasant soft click.

The left side is reserved for the card tray. The Russian version of Realme 8 Pro works with two SIM cards and one microSD.

On the upper slightly concave edge, there is a small hole for the auxiliary microphone. On the bottom, also concave, plus two microphones, there is a main speaker, a 3.5 mm audio jack and a USB-C connector.

The frame of the smartphone, by the way, is plastic, not metal, which also made it lighter.

The design of Realme 8 Pro mixed all the current trends and solutions - and the smartphone was lost. Visually, this model is pretty boring and not at all. Perhaps the versions in brighter colors evoke different emotions, but the black one resembles a leaden sky and does not add positiveness.

At the same time, it is convenient to use the telephone. Most tasks don't even require a second hand. Elements in the interface are located so that almost everything can be reached with your thumb.

Display

Today, even smartphones of the middle price range are equipped with screens created using Super AMOLED technology: energy-efficient, high-contrast, large. The Realme 8 Pro is just like this: the diagonal is 6.4 inches, the resolution is 2,400 × 1,080 pixels (aspect ratio 20: 9), the screen refresh rate is 60 Hz.

Exactly the same was in Realme 7 Pro and also in one moment differed for the worse from the installed in Realme 6 Pro, which worked at a frequency of 90 Hz, although it had an LCD matrix. The reason for the decision to use a 60 Hz screen in newer models, when competitors continue to increase the hertz cycle, is unclear.

If we compare the screen of the Realme 8 Pro with the screens of Korean and Japanese flagships four years ago, it will disappoint: the resolution is not enough, and the white is not white enough, and the maximum brightness is not enough.

But if you look at the "classmates", then everything is good for Realme 8 Pro: it is a solid Super AMOLED that does not go into excessive blue, juicy and clear to the right extent. The screen is covered with a rather thick factory film with a cutout for the front camera.

The display has a lot of settings. You can change the color temperature (the options are "Cool", "Default" and "Warm"), select a color rendering mode ("Great", "Vivid colors" and "Tenderness"), adjust the scale of applications, choose the desired font and enable various convenient features such as automatic switching from light to dark or eye protection that reduces blue content.

The most interesting feature is hidden under the name "OSIE visual effect". This is such a clever "enhancer" that uses a machine learning system and completes the image, adding more impressive colors to it. In fact, the picture becomes a little more acidic, albeit within reason.

The color rendering modes in Realme 8 Pro can be adjusted to suit you. "Excellent" - the most juicy mode, even a little fading into unnatural and blue. The default "Vivid Colors" looks like a compromise solution: the picture is bright, clear, playful, a little coldish, but not annoying. The "Tenderness" mode achieves this very tenderness by lowering the color temperature to a warmer and softer one, the colors, in comparison with other modes, seem desaturated, devoid of life. We settled on the Vivid Colors mode.

There is an optical fingerprint sensor under the screen, which does not work well. He recognizes clicks literally in one case out of five - and this is a selection with different fingers. If the system cannot recognize the fingerprint, it immediately goes to the password entry screen.

With face recognition, the situation is a little better. The smartphone recognizes the living owner well, does not let itself be fooled by photography and does not work with a mask. But the recognition speed is lower than that of a fingerprint.

As a result, we most often used a numeric password to unlock the device.

Iron

The hardware platform of the Realme 8 Pro is entirely borrowed from the Realme 6 and Realme 7 Pro. This is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G, which is by no means an outdated chip. But progress does not stand still, which means that the smartphone will not be able to remain relevant for very long and keep up with the growing appetites of applications.

At the heart of the Snapdragon 720G are eight cores: a pair of Kryo 465 Gold and six Kryo 465 Silver. The graphics are handled by Adreno 618, Hexagon 692 helps to think. The technical process of the platform is 8 nm.

RAM, depending on the version, offer 6 or 8 GB. We got the 8 GB version. For user applications and files, 128 GB of memory is provided, which can be expanded with microSD cards up to 1 TB.

In terms of performance, the Realme 8 Pro is no different from its competitors. It copes with all modern tasks, withstands dozens of open tabs in the browser, does not think about in applications, allows you to run top games on medium (and sometimes even high) settings without losing frames. The question is how long this agility will last for him - for a year, two or three.

Mobile functionality raises no objections. The smartphone does not lose the network, the Internet supplies regularly (it slowed down a couple of times when playing broadcasts from Twitch, but the network coverage is more likely to blame), does not stutter during calls. Our version also supports 5G, which is not very relevant yet, but may come in handy in the future.

Sound and vibration

The second notable downgrade of the Realme 8 Pro after the reduced hertzon of the screen is the lack of stereo speakers. While watching the same YouTube, only the lower emitter plays, but he tries his best - it yells loudly and cleanly.

In addition to choosing a ringtone and adjusting the volume from the settings, there is a Real Sound function, which hides several preset equalizers under the sound options. By default, the "Smart" mode is enabled, which sort of analyzes the content being listened to and applies the most appropriate modes to it.

Separately, you can turn on the "Movies" modes (improves voice transmission and adds reverberation, creating the effect of volume), "Game" (brings the bass to a dull hoot) and "Music" (rings).

The smartphone supports all modern Bluetooth audio transmission codecs: both aptX HD and LDAC. Connecting to headphones is hassle-free, the smartphone itself determines the maximum quality with which it is ready to transmit an audio signal, but you can set it manually. There is a Fast pair familiar to modern Android devices.

The audio jack is nominal: it can handle headphones designed for mobile devices, but you shouldn't connect something high-impedance to it - you won't have enough strength.

You shouldn't expect much elegance and detail in the music from Realme 8 Pro: it's a pleasant sound, simplified in a good way towards provocation. It is not to listen to the nuances of Mozart's violin concertos, but to simply enjoy the music on the road. The audio system copes with this task perfectly.

Operating system

The Realme 8 Pro uses Android 11, covered by the Realme UI 2.0 shell. It is not very different from pure Android, except that it offers more chips in terms of customizing the interface.

There are many different options, the smartphone can be customized even in the smallest moments, but one cannot be changed - huge blocks in the notification curtain with rounded corners and huge distances between them.

Notifications are located as non-compact as possible and due to the peculiarities of the Russian-language localization (with which, by the way, in this version of the shell there are no problems) they take up a lot of space, since sentences are longer and stretch over a larger number of lines. Because of this, it seems that the curtain space is simply used ineffectively, and even a display that is elongated in length does not save this feeling.

On the leftmost screen there is a branded "Smart Assistant", which is ready to track everything that the owner asks for. Launched applications can be opened in several formats: both in two-window mode, if they support it, and in the "picture-in-picture" option.

An important plus is the ability to configure the Always On Display function (having an AMOLED display, not using this function is blasphemy). The setting is not the most flexible, but sufficient. For example, the type of clock displayed cannot be selected, but in principle it is possible to display the time on the screen.

It is convenient to use the system. There are no unique, non-obvious solutions: everything is logical, understandable, the settings are in the right place. Granny may not figure it out, but mom and dad - no problem.

Cameras

The main difference between Realme 8 Pro and its predecessors is the main camera module: it is now 108 megapixels, not 64. Moreover, this module is Samsung ISOCELL HM2 with a sensor size of 1/1, 52 inches, a pixel of 0.7 microns, a focal length of 26 mm and aperture f / 1, 9.

The second camera is a wide-angle camera based on an 8-megapixel sensor with a size of 1/4, 0 inches, a pixel of 1, 12 microns, a focal length of 16 mm and an aperture of f / 2, 3. The third camera is a 2-megapixel macro module with a size of 1/5. and a focal length of 16 mm. The fourth peephole is a 2 megapixel rangefinder that provides correct blur. Only the main camera has autofocus.

The most important discovery is not even related to the main camera module, but to how well the blur in portrait mode works when photographing food. For food bloggers, this is an excellent solution: the sandwich in the center is crisp and bright, and the edges of the plate become softer, as if with a tilt-shift effect. At the same time, the boundaries of that very sandwich, fruits, and faces are also recognized by the smartphone quite well.

The work of a portrait lens: some of the shrimp are in focus, the rest are artistically blurred. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The work of a portrait lens: the cheburek in the center is clear. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The work of a portrait lens: the color rendition of cherries is somewhat acidic. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

In many ways, the camera relies on software-based image enhancement - and does not hide it. For example, the zoom here is exclusively digital, three or five times. And the zoomed image is compiled not just by cropping a frame from a 108 megapixel sensor. First, Realme 8 Pro takes eight frames, and then collects them into a single picture and processes them. With a threefold increase, there are no complaints, but a fivefold one still “makes noise” even in good weather. And, oddly enough, the color temperature subtly changes to a colder side.

Shooting without zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with 3x zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with 5x zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

It is worth saying that the 108 megapixel sensor initially shoots at 12 megapixels, but you can make it produce an image of 12,000 × 9,000 and then crop it as you like. Only in this case, all software processing (the same HDR or "Smart Assistant") is not available. And, let's be honest, those 108 megapixels with such dimensions of the sensor are not quite real, so framing will have to be done very scrupulously.

Shooting with a 108 megapixel lens. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Cropped quarter of the photo. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The wide-angle lens is also not deprived of algorithmic "enhancers": immediately in the viewfinder, distortions along the edges are leveled and the picture is deprived of the curved effect. However, compared to the central elements, the sharpness at the edges is still lacking.

A macro lens evokes thoughts of stars who have undergone too many plastic surgeries. The photographs that are obtained in this mode are very different from the subjects of the shooting: they lose in detail, but acquire a certain unnaturalness, oversaturation, “redoing”.

There are questions about color rendering. It is clear that Realme sought to get closer to the giants of the market by adding rich, bright, juicy colors. But not only did I overdo it, I still could not achieve uniformity between different camera modules.

As a result, you have to remember, for example, that the wide-angle module is slightly warmer than the main one, and make corrections for oversaturation, then adjusting the gamma manually.

Photo with a wide-angle lens: less contrast, less aperture, warmer color rendition. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Photo with the main camera: sharper, more contrasting, colder. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The front camera is 16 megapixels, without autofocus, but with background blur and a wagon of filters that improve the face. The camera is like a camera, in order to show itself, it suffices.

The smartphone is ready to shoot video in 4K, but only up to 30 frames and without stabilization. In Full HD, shooting is possible in 60 frames - and stabilization works. The main lens is used here, wide-angle is available only for shooting in lower resolution or Full HD and 30 frames.

Autonomy

The battery is solid - 4,500 mAh. Exactly the same was in the Realme 7 Pro. And the battery is good: when you use the screen for 8-9 hours a day (but with black wallpaper and a dark theme), it lasts for a day and a half. Of course, it's better to charge every day anyway, so as not to forget.

The Realme 8 Pro comes with a 65W charger. With it, the smartphone can be charged from 0 to 100% in less than an hour (although the smartphone itself supports a maximum of 50 W). But if you put it on charge on time, at night, it will offer a safe charging mode. And it so happened that in this mode the smartphone did not have time to charge from 30% to 100% in 9 hours. Therefore, this regime must be monitored.

But with Realme 8 Pro, you can be sure that by the end of the day you will not be left with a panic-starving phone that urgently needs to "suck" to the outlet.

Outcomes

I don’t want to use the term “workhorse”, but it seems that you cannot say otherwise about the Realme 8 Pro. This is a solid modern smartphone that copes with all standard tasks, and even very light for its size and battery. It does not drag on the pocket, although thanks to the glass finish, it glides on all surfaces, collecting dust, hairs and prints.

And there is no trick in it that would attract all the attention to itself. Xiaomi has the exact same 108MP ISOCELL camera module. There are dozens of similar models with the same AMOLED screen in this price category. A similar battery is in the past of Realme.

But it is the battery, especially when paired with a complete 65 W charger, that allows you not to strain and live at your own pace. The smartphone has two slots for SIM-cards and a separate slot for memory cards - no need to choose between a second SIM card and expanding the available space.

Here are just competitors taking parameters that from chips go into the category of standards: increased hertzovy screen, stereo speakers, optical zoom, water resistance and other little things, which in total are collected in a decent list.

So in the end, the Realme 8 Pro is really just a "workhorse". It is convenient and easy to use (with the exception of the fingerprint sensor), it lies well in the hand - but the hand will not reach it. Especially considering the cost of 24,990 rubles.