Realme 8

Technical specifications

I am slowly starting to regret this purchase. There is no possibility to record phone calls. A USB flash drive does not connect to the phone. This is not the phone I had in mind for the next 2 years.

I bought this phone 5 months ago, it takes nice photos, it does not stutter during games, the speakers are very loud, but after the latest update, installed applications do not appear on the home screen.

Hello. Realme 8 6/128GB, after Redmi Note 7 4/64 hybrid dual sim, technically should be better. Because it has a better screen, two SIM cards (not hybrid), and a slightly better battery. But above all, the screen! Unfortunately, after one of the updates, the phone became unusable, at least for me. While recording video on a sunny day, everything was fine, the screen was beautifully bright until some developer came up with a brilliant "pseudo-eco" idea for the screen to dim after about twenty seconds of recording video! It is a complete disaster, because then you cannot see anything anymore! 2) While driving on the highway, using the phone for navigation, the screen suddenly went dark and I had to enter the PIN at 130 km/h! While driving through forests, I would turn on the camera in addition to the navigation, so that in case of an encounter with a deer, I could document that I was driving very slowly. After about 3 minutes, the screen turns off and the recording stops too! All these actions happened both with and without the charger connected! Also, while watching videos on YT, on some videos the brightness jumps to 150%, but the brightness bar is at one-third, but it should be noted that they reduced the maximum brightness with an update, and that was the main reason the phone was purchased! 3) It happens that it is impossible to send several photos, for example, because while swiping them sideways and selecting them, the phone misinterprets the touch and cancels 6 out of 10 such attempts!!! Zooming into a photo with two fingers either exits the preview, swipes to another photo, or the phone does not know what is happening at all! 4) Poor, seemingly malicious word choice when writing without lifting a finger. Often such nonsense comes out as if the phone was behaving unpredictably. 5) They even ruined the flashlight, because before the update you could press the power button twice to turn off the flashlight, now you have to struggle to hit the tiny "turn off" field on the screen. I will also add that these peculiarities concern two identical phones, so a device failure can probably be ruled out.

I am not satisfied with this smartphone due to:
1. Slow operation - the phone's reactions to user actions are delayed; sometimes I have the impression that it has frozen because, for example, the screen turns on only after a moment. Applications also react at a slow pace compared to, for instance, the Samsung A70 or Honor 50.
2. I operate it with gestures and I must state that after the last update, this method of control has become burdensome. In general, gesture support in this device is unsatisfactory. Other smartphones, such as the aforementioned Honor or Samsung, actually encourage using them this way through precise and fast reactions.
3. Fingerprint recognition works only when the screen is on, unlike the aforementioned smartphones.
4. The smoothness of recorded video materials is unsatisfactory.
5. Overall, the smartphone's software is very unrefined. It gives the impression of being written just to release the product from the factory.
6. Dual SIM card support is also faulty, which manifests as frequent "signal loss" on one of them, which does not occur in the Samsung (I did not check the Honor).
7. The memory card inserted into the phone stopped functioning, which caused the phone to freeze completely. I thought it had broken, but after removing the SIM cards and then the memory card one by one, it turned out that the memory card caused it. Inserting this card into the Samsung did not cause it to freeze, but only resulted in a message about the inability to write to it.
Generallly, I do not recommend it. My old Honor 8 works better (because it still works). It is faster and more responsive than the Realme 8 pro.

It has been over two years since I started using the Realme 8. General impression - positive, to start with. This phone still meets my requirements and works well. You can feel that the battery is weaker, but it still easily lasts a day of normal use, and with less frequent use, it lasts until the second day. Fast charging still works without issue and allows the phone to be fully charged in about an hour, which is very convenient. Regarding performance, a minor stutter or freeze occasionally occurs, for example while browsing Instagram, but it is rare and does not interfere with use. As for the camera, I have no complaints. It is clearly not a high-end device, for instance, it does not provide extraordinary results at night, but in daylight, you can take great photos. 64 MP photos are sharp, and colors are distinct in good lighting. The ability to record at 60 fps elevates the recordings to a higher level, as does the image stabilization. The speakers are quite loud and provide clear sound. The fingerprint reader works perfectly despite being integrated into the screen. Finding something in the settings without using the search function can be troublesome. The AMOLED display itself is very effective; the colors are bright and clear, black is truly black, and the screen is legible in sunlight. Overall, this is the first phone I have been satisfied with after such a long time, and I hope that continues to be the case.

I have been using the phone for several months; I bought it shortly after my girlfriend also got a Realme (she has the 8/128 version, I have the 6/128), and so far we are both satisfied. I had a few Samsung phones, one several-year-old Xiaomi inherited from my partner, and a Nokia 1650; she was switching from a 3-year-old Chinese flagship also of a brand starting with X and needed a versatile multi-purpose device, while I just needed a solid smartphone that would not be damaged after a single fall, would take reasonably nice photos, and above all, would have a high-capacity battery. The photos are fine; it is not the market leader, but it certainly cannot be said that they are unattractive or unclear. The battery lasts me 3-4 days, although I do not play games on the phone at all, and I use that old Xiaomi for navigation, as Yanosik loses the internet connection on the Realme (which, based on experience, is the fault of the application). The phone itself does not lose signal, has a great screen, does not freeze, and is simply reliable and very good. As for the complaints about some strange behavior in the contacts, such unusual things occur when using the Google application.

I bought the phone in January 2023 - 6/128 GB version. My previous phone was a Galaxy S9 - it was at a service center for a screen replacement costing 400 PLN, it was not worth repairing it. Antutu benchmark, performance test - Galaxy S9 - 315 thousand. Realme 8 - 356 thousand. I feel an improvement in performance and a larger battery. If you are buying a phone for photos, I advise against it; it is better to pay extra for an S10 or S20. My budget did not allow for that. The Super AMOLED screen for movies and series convinced me; the phone is larger but does not cause me any problems during use. The elongated screen is pleasant to operate. The flashlight turns off by pressing the lock button. A great feature that I was missing is the quick unlocking of the phone via the fingerprint sensor on the screen. I take the phone, use my finger, and I can start using it immediately. It has Android 11 on board; I do not wish to update to Android 12. Everything is stable so far. I recommend the purchase if someone does not care about a good camera but about performance. A great feature is the dual SIM and the memory card.

I do not recommend this phone due to problems with daily use (it is likely not an issue with a specific unit because my wife had the same model purchased a few months later and experienced similar problems).

In terms of parameters and appearance, the phone looks very good, but it failed in use; the biggest problems were:
1. Wi-Fi connection issues - dropped connections, problems with reconnecting; despite the short distance from the router, it showed no signal or a very low signal level.
2. Voice calls - callers reported that the audibility was very poor; additionally, calls often disconnected for no reason.
3. Resetting - it happened that the phone, while lying on the table, would suddenly decide that it needed to reset (restart) - this was not related to updates.

The phones were at the service center several times during the warranty period with these defects, and each time a software fault was identified. This helped for some time, but for a maximum of 1 month, and then the problems returned.

The phone, which is less than a year old, was submitted for a warranty claim; there is no damage on the outside. There is a lack of signal reception and the right side button does not work. The warranty claim was rejected, and they also damaged the phone and claimed it was my fault. I do not recommend it!!!
Well, I am not saying that this is exactly what happened, but the service center usually also checks the accelerometer records. If a fall or impact occurred along the way - the service center knows about it regardless of the external appearance of the device. Once again: I am not saying that this is the case, I am simply informing you. It is worth carefully studying the terms of use and warranty every time you make a purchase. If you believe that they should not have rejected the claim and that the use was in accordance with those terms, you can always ask the local consumer rights ombudsman for help. They provide assistance in justified cases. Regards and good luck. (jf)

I have owned it since 24.12.2022. Until today, everything is as it should be, nothing lags or overheats because there is a liquid cooling system that dynamically cools the heated phone; I have the 6/128 GB version. The battery easily lasts one day during high activity on social media such as TikTok, IG, YT etc...
The camera is very good, offering 4K 60 fps recording, and wide angle at 1080p 60fps max! (All quality and fps settings depend on adjustments in the settings)!!!
The photos are of excellent quality 10/10, they are perfect, the colors are great!
You can turn off their artificial enhancement!
Super AMOLED display with an originally applied protective film, the phone itself also comes with a case in the box and a film applied to the screen.
30W charger, charging from 0-100% in 65 minutes, optimized night charging option!
I recommend it.