GadgetByte Nepal

It’s a new day, and I’m with yet another Realme smartphone review. Here, I’m carrying the new Realme 8i—the successor to last year’s Realme 7i—and the lowest rung on the 8-series ladder. The device brings upgrades over its predecessor while there’s a significant run-down in cameras. So, allow me to discuss more about the Realme 8i in this review.

But before that, let me discuss its pricing. For the 4/128GB variant, the 8i costs INR 13,999 in India and NPR 23,799 here in Nepal. Similarly, the higher variant (6/128GB) retails for INR 15,999 & NPR 27,199 in India and Nepal, respectively.

Realme 8i Specifications:

• Body: 164.1 x 75.5 x 8.5mm, 194 grams
• Display: 6.6-inch IPS LCD, 120Hz, 6-level refresh rate (30Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz), 180Hz touch sampling rate, 600 nits peak brightness
• Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
• Chipset: MediaTek Helio G96 4G (12nm Mobile Platform)
• Memory: 4/6GB LPDDR4X RAM (up to 5GB virtual RAM)
• Storage: 64/128GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable)
• Software & UI: Realme UI 2.0 on top of Android 11
• Rear Camera: Triple (50MP primary, B&W portrait, 4cm macro)
• Front Camera: 16MP (punch-hole)
• Audio: Mono-speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Magnetic, Light, Proximity
• Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / Glonass / Galileo / Beidou, USB Type-C
• Battery: 5000mAh with 18W charging
• Color Options: Space Black, Space Purple
• Price in Nepal: NPR 23,799 (4/64GB) | NPR 27,199 (6/128GB)

Realme 8i Review:

Design

• 164.1 x 75.5 x 8.5mm, 194 grams
• Polycarbonate body, Glass front

Starting with the design, it’s pretty much what we’re used to seeing on a mid-range smartphone. The phone has an all-plastic build and a reflective finish on the back. The shiny surface may attract your attention when put as a showpiece in a store, but mind that it is prone to fingerprints and smudges. Thus, I always wrap it in the transparent silicone case included in the box and recommend that you do the same.

Anyway, weighing 194 grams and measuring 8.5mm thick, the 8i is a comfortable fit in my hands. The device’s back also features slight curves that help attain a strong grip.

Moving on, there’s a fingerprint sensor on the side that works effectively in most situations. Though, as expected, it struggles to recognize the fingerprints with sweaty hands. Additionally, a thing to note here is that the 8i lacks a secondary microphone. Although it’s a minor detail, it is critical for noise cancellation and clearer calls. And Realme shouldn’t scrimp on such a basic feature—at least with an INR 14,000 (NPR 23,799) phone.

Display

• 6.6-inch IPS LCD, FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels)
• 120Hz refresh rate (adaptive), 180Hz touch sampling
• 100% DCI-P3 color, 600 nits peak brightness

On the front, the Realme 8i has a 6.6-inch IPS LCD panel with 100% DCI-P3 color space and a screen-to-body ratio of 90.8%. In comparison to its predecessor, the screen resolution has been bumped to FHD+, which indeed improves the overall viewing experience. The color reproduction here is good and the screen looks well-saturated as well.

The refresh rate also sees a healthy upgrade from 90Hz to 120Hz this time, while there’s a 180Hz touch sampling rate support too. As a result, scrolling through apps or my Twitter feeds felt smoother and I had no trouble navigating through the phone’s UI. Also, the display self-adapts the refresh rate between 30 to 120Hz based on the tasks on the screen, which further aids in battery conservation.

Moreover, the panel boasts 600 nits of peak brightness. Thus, it can get plenty bright for indoor use while the outdoor use is also satisfactory—albeit the colors look slightly dull under direct sunlight. Aside from this, the device features Widevine L1 certification and supports Full HD streaming on OTT platforms like Netflix.

Performance

• Octa-core MediaTek Helio G96 4G SoC (12nm)
• 4/6GB LPDDR4X RAM, 64/128GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable)
• Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top (upgradeable)

Moving on in this review of the Realme 8i, let’s now shift the gear to the performance. Powering the phone is a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset coupled with up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage.

Moving on, it enjoys virtual RAM expansion by up to 5GB. Unfortunately, the 4/64GB variant that I have with me doesn’t support this feature. As evident from our past tests, the extended RAM feature is clearly nothing to be excited about—so I don’t really miss it either.

Also, if Realme actually thought virtual RAM is of any use to its customers, wouldn’t it make more sense if it were available on the lower-RAM variant instead of the one with already a spacious amount of RAM?

Regardless, the G96 has easily handled my daily usage. And thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, navigating and launching apps is a breeze too. Plus, the Realme UI 2.0 on top of Android 11 is well optimized as well, but the caveat here is that it comes with tons of bloatware apps.

Now, leaving these things aside let me talk about the processor itself. Although the Helio G96 technically sounds like the successor to the G95, I deem it to be the inferior one. Like the G95, it is fabricated on a 12nm process and features two Cortex-A76 and six Cortex-A55 cores. However, the GPU is where the G95 excels as it has Arm’s Mali-G76 MC4 onboard, while the G96 on the 8i has an inferior Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.

Benchmarks

To see what I’m getting at, just look at these benchmark scores where the 8i’s G96 is clearly lagging behind the G95 on the Realme 8—most significantly so on the GPU front. In terms of 3DMark (Wild Life), we can see a difference of nearly 400 points between the two.

Gaming 

Hmm, then what about gaming? In PUBG Mobile, it can go HD graphics and High frame rates where it runs without any stutters. But for the smoothest of experience with very little heating, Smooth graphics and Ultra frame rate yields a better result.

Similarly, Pokémon Unite which offers 60fps gameplay is indeed playable at 60fps and is quite optimized. I didn’t face any heating issues either, yet it does get slightly warm around the camera module. So, the most I can say is that the G96 does provide stable performance, but don’t anticipate any boost over the G95.

Cameras

• Triple camera setup at the back
• (50MP primary, B&W portrait, 4cm macro)
• 16MP selfie camera in the punch-hole cutout

When it comes to cameras, the Realme 8i is the underdog compared to its predecessor. The 7i had a quad-camera setup headlined by a 64MP lens, whereas the new 8i brags a 50MP triple-camera setup and misses out on a dedicated ultra-wide lens.

To compare, the Redmi 10 Prime which costs less than 8i features an ultrawide sensor. Anyways, accompanying the primary lens is a B&W sensor and a 4cm macro camera. Over on the front, there’s a 16MP selfie shooter.

Normal Images

Here, the daylight photos from the primary sensors look pretty nice. They feature a balanced color tone and good dynamic range, thereby looking pleasing to the eyes. However, the shadows lack depth, and the image has a slightly warm tone to them. It also has difficulty maintaining exposure at times.

Portrait Images

As for portraiture, the first thing that strikes is how oversaturated the greens on the backdrop are. As a result, images look a bit unnatural. Furthermore, their color balance is poor, and it suffers from relatively poor edge detection.

Selfie Images

On the other hand, the selfies appear oversharpened and have a subtle reddish tint to the skin. It does, however, have a good dynamic range.

Moving on, the selfie portraits have a balanced color profile, but as the normal portrait shots, it does require improvement on edges.

Nighttime Images

Now, under a low light condition, the images from the Realme 8i are lacking in terms of details. The photos come off murky, and it also struggles to maintain light flare.

Yet, turning on night mode improves the scenario. It readily adjusts exposure and light glares, and its HDR processing ensures that the image comes bright.

Macro Images

Then there’s the gimmicky macro lens. Unsurprisingly, they miss out on sufficient details. Nonetheless, unlike other Realme phones, it does not oversaturate the greens.

Videography

On to the video side of things, the Realme 8i can record at up to 1080p@30fps resolution. It has an ultra steady setting too, without which the video comes off quite shaky. Obviously. However, there is little-to-no difference in terms of stability even after turning on the Steady Mode. It also suffers from exposure flicker at times.

Battery

• 5000mAh battery with 18W charging

Moving on to the battery, Realme 8i packs a 5000mAh cell that supports 18W fast charging. While the battery endurance is pretty good, the charging time is quite a drag here. With my daily usage which includes hours of social media, video streaming, a few game sessions, clicking photos, and others, it managed to give around 7 hours of screen time.

As for charging, the 18W adapter takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to fully juice up the battery. So, Realme should have offered 30W charging support here since even the Narzo 30 launched earlier this year at a similar price gets the 30W treatment.

Audio

• Single down-firing speaker
• 3.5mm headphone jack

For audio, the Realme 8i features a mono speaker at the bottom. Its output is loud enough for watching videos and playing games—although it certainly won’t wow the audiophiles. The highs are rather noticeable, but there is hardly any presence of bass.

However, if you want a stereo sound experience, on an even more affordable device, then I would recommend going with the Redmi 10 Prime. Similarly, the call quality is decent as well and the earpiece sounds loud and clear.

Realme 8i Review: Conclusion

To wrap up this review, I’d say that the Realme 8i is a pretty decent budget phone. It performs admirably in all areas, and the fact that it brings a whole lot of improvements over its predecessor is a commendable effort by the company. Yet, the Redmi 10 Prime gives the 8i a serious run for its money, with nearly identical specs and a lower price tag.

And if you’re intending on getting the 8i’s higher variation, I recommend adding a little more cash and going with the standard Realme 8 instead. With this, you’ll be getting better performance, cameras, and display for a comparable price. Finally, I would advise Realme to do something extra to make their next iterations of the ‘i’ series a compelling deal.

• Watch our video review of the Realme 8i.

Realme 8i Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Smooth 120Hz display
• Decent battery endurance
• Decent performance
• Value for money (base variant only)

Cons:

• Glossy finish attracts fingerprints
• Incompetent cameras
• Skips ultrawide lens
• Loads of bloatware apps

Today, I have the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition in for review. It is somewhat of a middle ground between Realme’s GT Master Edition and the more expensive Realme GT that’s available in many markets.

This one, on the other hand, has only launched in China so far, and will probably launch in other markets soon—at least that’s what I am hoping for. Because after using this phone for a week now, I have grown quite a liking towards it. And without a doubt, it’s my favorite Realme phone among all the Realme phones I have used so far.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Specifications:

• Body: 72.5 x 159.9 x 8.0-8.8mm, 183.5/185 gm, 3D Glass Body/Vegan Leather
• Display: 6.55-inches Super AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling rate, 92.1% screen-to-body ratio, HDR10+, 1100 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass 5
• Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio, 402 PPI
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (7nm Mobile Platform)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×3.2 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 585)
• GPU: Adreno 650
• Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
• Software & UI: Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top
• Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
  – 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX766 primary sensor, OIS
  – 16MP f/2.2 Sony IMX481 ultra-wide sensor, 123º FOV
  – 2MP f/2.4 macro camera, 4cm focus distance
• Front Camera: 32MP f/2.45 Sony IMX615 sensor (punch-hole)
• Audio: Dual stereo speaker, Hi-Res Audio, Dolby Atmos, No headphone jack
• Security: In-display fingerprint sensor (optical), Face unlock
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Light, Geomagnetic
• Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / Beidou / QZSS / NavIC, USB Type-C, 4G LTE, 5G (dual SIM)
• Battery: 4500mAh with 65W SuperDart Charge (65W adapter inside the box)
• Color Options: Voyager Grey, Voyager Apricot, Luna White, Daybreak Blue
• Price in Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)
  • China: CNY 2,899 (8/128GB) | CNY 3,099 (12/256GB)

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review:

But the sad news is that Realme won’t be launching this in markets like Nepal and India, where it will bring the Realme GT Neo 2 instead, which has a pretty similar spec-sheet to this phone.

Design & Build

• 72.5 x 159.9 x 8.0mm, 183.5 grams
• Glass front/back, aluminum frames
• Vegan leather finish (optional)

Let me now start with the things that I really like about this phone, which begins with the design itself. I mean, just look at it, it looks soo good! This matte white finish is absolutely gorgeous.

Apart from this, other color options of the phone include Daybreak Blue, which has the same matte finish—while the other two variants, Grey and Apricot, feature Realme’s signature suitcase design, just like the GT Master Edition. And it’s not just the looks, the build quality here is quite solid too, featuring a glass finish and aluminum frames.

With this, the phone obtains a good heft at 185 grams, which is not uncomfortably heavy. So, I’ve had no problems using it for long hours while the gentle curves on both sides further add to the comfortable grip.

I know many of you are not a fan of curved designs, but I for one don’t mind slight curves as long as they don’t result in accidental touches or inconveniences.

Thankfully, I haven’t had such issues with this phone whatsoever. However, Realme has gotten rid of a headphone jack in here for some strange reason, which is present on both Realme GT and GT ME. Such inconsistency is kinda weird to see.

Stereo speakers, no headphone jack

Moving on, just like many other premium mid-range phones, you get a downward-firing speaker here alongside the earpiece that combines to produce a stereo sound effect.

It gets respectably loud and the audio output has pleasing balanced mids and highs. Additionally, I am quite impressed with its haptics too. They’re not as good as other high-end phones, but feel quite satisfying nonetheless.

Performance

• Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G SoC (7nm)
• 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
• Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top (upgradeable)

Now another aspect where the Explorer Edition scores gold is performance. What I really like about the Snapdragon 870 is that it’s only slightly inferior to the Snapdragon 888, which is the best chip Qualcomm has to offer right now. Plus, it also has balanced thermal performance and doesn’t overheat like the 888, which is evident when playing high-end games and doing demanding tasks.

Gaming experience

Playing games like PUBG and COD Mobile for 30 to 40 minutes straight doesn’t heat up the phone beyond 40ºC. And the gameplay is incredibly stable in both games as well. You can get a stable 60fps gameplay under HDR graphics and Extreme frame rates in PUBG while COD runs at a similar fps count at its highest settings.

It’s only when playing really demanding games like Genshin Impact in the highest setting with 60fps mode turned on, that the phone’s temperature reaches around 43ºC after 20 minutes into the game. But that’s to be expected from such a graphics-intensive title.

In this setting, you can still experience a relatively stable 40fps, even during combat, so things look quite good. Yet, I still have one complaint which is how Realme hasn’t enabled 120fps gameplay in any of the supported games.

I tried playing Bomb Squad, Oddmar, and Critical Ops—all of which cap out at 60fps, which is a major bummer considering the chipset’s potential. But this issue is persistent with the GT Master Edition and the Realme GT as well.

Regardless, its day-to-day usage hasn’t been any problem either, as expected from such a powerful chipset. Everything from heavy multitasking to app opening is a breeze here. Plus, Realme UI 2.0 on this phone is extremely well-optimized.

Display

• 6.55-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED display
• 120/480Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
• HDR10+ compliant, 1100 nits brightness

The smooth performance of this phone is further elevated by its 120Hz refresh rate display. Not just that, the touch response on the Explorer Edition is quite effective—especially when playing games. Even under regular usage, this 6.5 inch AMOLED display looks great, with vibrant, contrasty colors, and sufficient brightness.

The bezels are pretty minimal too, so watching videos is an immersive experience here. Realme has also been thoughtful enough to provide features like DC dimming for reduced screen flickering. Having said that, one weird thing about this display is that it is only Widevine L3 certified.

Hence, if you stream a ton of content from OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, it can only play at a maximum of 580p resolution, and nothing more. I think that is so because this is a Chinese unit. Hopefully, the global variant of the phone will bring Widevine L1 certification.

Cameras

• Triple camera setup at the back
• (50MP primary, 16MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
• 32MP selfie camera in the punch-hole cutout

Okay, let’s now talk about the cameras of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition. And the phone delivers great results in this aspect too. Here, you get a 50MP Sony IMX766 lens equipped with OIS, 16MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro sensor at the back. Then there’s a 32MP sensor up front for selfies.

Normal Images

If you look at the normal daytime images from the Explorer Edition, you will instantly notice that extra punch in colors. Detail levels, sharpness, and HDR processing are really impressive though.

Likewise, I compared its cameras against Samsung’s Galaxy A52s—which in my opinion has the best cameras in this price category—and I instantly noticed Realme’s images to be a bit more vibrant in comparison. Sometimes, that works in Realme’s favor, but at other times, the color pop is just too much.

Wideangle Images

Even the ultra-wide images have the same punchy color processing with pronounced contrast.

But since this phone has a 16MP sensor as opposed to an 8 or 12MP one you get on other Realme phones, the wideangle images have quite good detail levels.

Again, pitting it against the A52s, you will find Realme’s images to be slightly more contrasty and dark—whereas they have a narrower field of view as well.

So, even though Realme’s ultra-wide-angle shots look good, Samsung’s 12MP lens still manages to do a better job.

Portrait Images

Similarly, portrait images also have that signature pop in colors.

But here, I won’t complain because most of the images look great. As a result, even though A52s manages to produce relatively toned-down colors, Realme’s portraits are eye-catching.

Selfie Images

However, unlike the back cameras, the selfies don’t produce over-saturated colors.

In fact, it brings out a balanced skin tone and good details. I won’t say that it’s essentially better than the A52s but gives a good competition nonetheless.

Nighttime Images

During the nighttime, Realme manages to suppress noise better than Samsung in the normal mode, along with producing well-exposed and detailed shots.

But again, the colors are a bit punchy like the daytime photos. Turning on night mode further improves the details and exposure alongside making the colors even punchier.

Ultra-wide nighttime shots are better from the A52s as Realme’s outputs look a little muddy. With night mode on, it does manage to bring out finer details but also has a weird green tint, so I will go for Samsung in this one!

Videography

As for the videos, the Explorer Edition is easily one of the best phones in its class. Not only can it shoot at 4k/60fps with good enough stabilization, but its footages at 4k/30fps as well as 1080p/60fps are also better stabilized than A52s. Selfie videos cap out at 1080p/30fps, which is a bummer. The videos here are well stable, detailed, and the microphone quality isn’t that bad either.

Battery

• 4500mAh battery with 65W charging

Finally, the battery life on this phone is also pretty decent. Obviously, it’s not as good as the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which I am currently using. Still, its relatively smaller 4,500 mAh battery easily gave me around 6 to 7 hours of screen-on time under my usual usage pattern which includes a ton of YouTube streaming, a lot of chatting, clicking camera samples, and social media usage.

Also, with Realme’s proprietary 65-Watt charger, this phone can go from 0-100% in exactly 35 minutes, which is incredibly convenient than the relatively slow 20W charging that I am getting used to on my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review: Conclusion

Wrapping up this review, as you might tell, I have quite enjoyed my time with the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition. With its curved design and the Snapdragon 870 on board, it felt like I was using a flagship phone. Then again, it does have some caveats that you can’t expect at this price range.

For instance, its cameras aren’t as good as last year’s flagships and you don’t get any sort of IP rating either. But with all things considered, among all the phones I have used this year, I can go as far as to say that this is the best premium midrange phone of 2021.

And probably the “flagship killer” phone of the year too. Therefore, I am really looking forward to Realme launching this phone globally, and I hope BBK doesn’t mess this up and prioritize the OnePlus 9RT instead—which simply won’t be fair for Realme.

• Watch our review video of the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition.

Realme GT Master Explorer Edition Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Premium design language
• Powerful performance
• Smooth 120Hz AMOLED display
• Fairly reliable set of cameras
• Decent battery endurance
• 65W fast charging support

Cons:

• Lacks a headphone jack
• No Widevine L1 certification
• Daytime images look extra-punchy
• Lacks an official IP certification