5G connectivity isn’t limited to flagship devices anymore and is now available on midrange phones. And one of them is the realme 8 5G.
The 8 5G is realme’s first midrange device that features 5G support. And in this review, I’ll be checking how it performs and if it’s worth purchasing. First, of course, we’ll start with what accessories it comes with out of the box.
realme 8 5G Unboxing
Along with the device itself, you’ll also get a SIM Ejector Tool, a free Clear Jelly Case, User guide, Warranty Card, Powerbrick/Charger, and a USB to USB-C cable. You can watch my unboxing and first impression video below.
Design and Build Quality
The build of the device is pretty rigid. It has a glossy plastic back that doesn’t feel cheap at all. It is, however, a fingerprint magnet. I have sweaty hands so it does feel uncomfortable at times. It does come with a free jelly case, so I suggest to use it on the device rather than go caseless. It is lightweight and its dimensions are also pretty slim with curved corners which actually comfortable to hold.
Button layouts are the same like most realme phones. With the addition of a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which also acts as the power/wake button. It still retains the audio jack and has a USB-C port.
Display
The 8 5G’s screen actually looks pretty good. It is not AMOLED, but it does have a 90Hz smooth refresh rate and a maximum 180Hz sampling rate. This makes it a pleasure to use when scrolling and especially on gaming. Having 90Hz on all time will drain its battery faster though, so its best to just leave it on ‘Auto Select’. This will have the phone select the best refresh rate for the activity you are doing.
Audio Quality
Audio quality is actually just meh. There’s nothing special about it, but also, there’s nothing really particularly bad about it either. It has a single firing speaker, which is standard for devices on this price range.
Camera Quality
Having a 48MP main camera, you would expect it do take crisp photos, and it does. Its colors are not exaggerated and looks natural, which is what I would prefer. Objects are sharp, even on low light environments. It also has Night Mode for shooting amazing night photos, as well as stylized filters for the mode such as Astral, Flamingo, and my personal favorite, Cyberpunk.
The device also features a 16MP AI Beauty Selfie camera that let’s you take beautiful and sharp self-portraits. Below are some quick sample shots I took with the device.
Performance
I was looking forward to see how a mid-range, 5G capable device would perform. And it actually performed well. Apps are smooth, as well as the whole experience with the phone. The Dimensity 700 5G processor is also power-efficient, which consumes less power despite having high-performance thanks to its Smart 5G Power Saving.
Speaking of batteries, it sports a 5,000 mAh massive battery. This makes it sure that you have enough juice to last for more than a day. In my heavy use, with 5G data always on, as well as watching hi-res videos from time to time, it did last for more than a day. It is also capable of 18W quick charge, as well as a scheduled optimized night charging.
If you are interested on its benchmark results, you can check them below.
5G Connectivity
The main feature of the device is that it is capable of 5G connectivity. This is important because most 5G devices have flagship prices. So, having a mid-range phone with 5G capability means more Filipinos can have access to 5G connectivity. I did test its speeds with SMART, and got an average speed of about 50mps. Note that 5G signals are a bit wonky here in my home office though. And I did get the speed up to 100mpd when I was downtown where 5G signals are strong.
realme 8 5G Specifications
| Dimensions | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 185 g |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 700 5G |
| CPU | 8 Octa-cores: Arm Cortex A76 Arm Cortex A55 |
| GPU | Mali G57 MC2 |
| RAM | 8GB/4GB |
| Storage | 128GB |
| Display | 6.5-inch FHD+ 90Hz Ultra Smooth Display 2400×1080 |
| Rear Camera | Triple Rear Camera: 48MP Nightscape Camera, 80°, f/1.8 2MP B&W Portrait Lens, 89°, f/2.4 2MP 4cm Macro Lens, 89°, f/2.4 |
| Front Camera | 16MP AI Beauty Selfie Camera, 79.3°, f/2.1 |
| OS | realme UI 2.0 Based on Android 11 |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz/5GHz Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Other Features | 18W Type-C Quick Charge 3-Card Slot (2 SIM Slot + 1 MicroSD Slot) 5G Dual SIM Dual Standby Advanced Dual Network Acceleration Smart 5G Power Saving Super Power Saving Mode Sleep Standby Optimization App Quick Freeze Screen Battery Optimization |
| Colors | Supersonic Blue Supersonic Black |
If you are interested in the realme 8 5G, you can get the 4+128GB variant for ₱10,990 SRP, and the 8+128GB variant for ₱11,990 SRP. You can purchase them on realme’s flagship store on Shopee and Lazada.
