realme has just added another smartphone under the realme 8 family, in addition to the realme 8, realme 8 5G, and realme 8 Pro, we now have the realme 8i. The arrival of the latter further expands the option of consumers who are looking for a value-packed smartphone given their budget. But since we now have four models to choose from, which one is for you? Let us help you with that.
| realme 8i | realme 8 | realme 8 5G | realme 8 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6-inch FHD+ (2412 x 1080) IPS display, 400ppi | 6.4-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display, 411ppi | 6.5-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) IPS display, 405ppi | 6.4-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display, 411ppi |
| 120Hz refresh rate | HDR10 | 90Hz refresh rate | |
| MediaTek Helio G96 SoC (12nm) | MediaTek Helio G95 SoC (12nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G SOC (7nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC (8nm) |
| Mali-G57 MC2 GPU | Mali-G76 MC4 GPU | Mali-G57 MC2 GPU | Adreno 618 GPU |
| 4GB, 6GB RAM | 8GB RAM | 4GB, 8GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.1 | 128GB UFS 2.1 | 128GB UFS 2.1 | 128GB UFS 2.1 |
| microSD card slot (dedicated) | microSD card slot (dedicated) | microSD card slot (dedicated) | microSD card slot (dedicated) |
| Triple-rear cameras: • 50MP F1.8 main • 2MP F2.4 macro • 2MP F2.4 depth | Quad-rear cameras: • 64MP F1.8 main • 8MP F2.3 utlra-wide • 2MP F2.4 macro • 2MP F2.4 depth | Triple-rear cameras: • 48MP F1.8 main • 2MP F2.4 macro • 2MP F2.4 depth | Quad-rear cameras: • 108MP F1.9 main • 8MP F2.3 ultra-wide • 2MP F2.4 macro • 2MP F2.4 depth |
| 16MP F2.1 front camera | 16MP F2.5 front camera | 16MP F2.1 front camera | 16MP F2.5 front camera |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 4G LTE | 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| NFC | NFC | ||
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| Fingerprint scanner (side) | Fingerprint scanner (in-display) | Fingerprint scanner (side) | Fingerprint scanner (in-display) |
| realme UI 2.0 (Android 11) | realme UI 2.0 (Android 11) | realme UI 2.0 (Android 11) | realme UI 2.0 (Android 11) |
| 5,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charging | 5,000mAh battery w/ 30W fast charging | 5,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charging | 4,500mAh battery w/ 50W fast charging |
| 164.1 x 75.5 x 8.5 mm | 160.6 x 73.9 x 8 mm | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.5 mm | 160.6 x 73.9 x 8.1 mm |
| 194 g | 177 g | 185 g | 176 g |
Table of Contents
Display
All smartphones carry screens above 6-inches with Full HD+ resolution. The realme 8i has the biggest screen at 6.6-inch with 400ppi, followed by the realme 8 5G at 6.5-inch with 405ppi, then the realme 8 and realme 8 Pro at 6.4-inch with 411ppi. Although there are differences, they’re very minimal and won’t be noticed in day-to-day use.
What would be noticeable, though, is in the panel used and refresh rate. The 8i and the 8 5G both use IPS panels that produce natural colors. The former also carries the highest refresh rate at 120Hz, followed by the latter at 90Hz.
The 8 and the 8 Pro, on the other hand, use Super AMOLED panels, which produce deep blacks and punchy colors, but no high refresh rates.
Chipset
The four devices are powered by four different chipsets, the 8i has the Helio G96, the 8 has the Helio G95, the 8 5G has the Dimensity 700, while the 8 Pro has the Snapdragon 720G. These are very capable chipsets that can handle standard tasks including gaming, but to see the difference in performance let’s take a look at their AnTuTu v9 scores below:
AnTuTu v9 (from Kimovil)
• realme 8i – 350,000
• realme 8 – 356,897
• realme 8 5G – 367,546
• realme 8 Pro – 327,458
All of them scored above 300K, with the highest score coming from the realme 8 5G. However, their scores are under the same range so we can expect similar performance. But if you want the best performance possible, get the one with the highest score.
Memory and Storage
The realme 8 and 8 Pro in the Philippines only come with 8GB of RAM. The realme 8 5G comes in 4GB and 8GB RAM, while the realme 8i has 4GB and 6GB RAM.
Storage-wise, the 8, 8 5G, and 8 Pro, only come in 128GB UFS 2.1, while the 8i comes in 64GB and 128GB UFS 2.1. All four models have dedicated microSD cards for easy expansion.
Cameras
All four smartphones carry multiple cameras but of different configurations. The realme 8i and the 8 5G have triple rear cameras consisting of main, macro, and depth lenses, while the realme 8 and 8 Pro have quad rear cameras consisting of the main, ultra-wide, macro, and depth.
In terms of resolution, the realme 8 Pro has the highest at 108MP, followed by the 8 at 64MP, then the 8i at 50MP, then the 8 5G at 48MP.
When it comes to selfies, all have 16MP shooters.
Connectivity
The four devices pretty much have the same connectivity features. All have support for dual-SIM, WiFi ac, GPS, USB-C, and 3.5mm audio jack.
The 8i, 8, and 8 5G have Bluetooth 5.1, while the 8 Pro has Bluetooth 5.0.
The 8 5G and 8 Pro have NFC, while the rest do not.
For mobile data, only the realme 8 5G has 5G connectivity, the rest is 4G only.
For biometrics, all have fingerprint scanners with the 8i and 8 5G having it on the side, while the 8 and 8 Pro have it under the screen.
Battery
In terms of battery capacity the 8i, 8, and 8 5G have 5,000mAh capacity. The 8 Pro, on the other hand, has 4,500mAh. However, the 8 Pro has the highest charging rate at 50W, followed by the 8 with 30W, then the 8i and 8 with 18W.
Price
The realme 8 series are priced as follows:
realme 8i:
• 4GB + 64GB – PHP 9,990
• 6GB + 128GB – PHP 11,990
realme 8:
• 8GB + 128GB – PHP 13,990
realme 8 5G:
• 4GB + 128GB – PHP 10,990
• 8GB + 128GB – PHP 11,990
realme 8 Pro:
• 8GB + 128GB – PHP 16,990
Which one to get?
If you’re on a budget, the best option is the realme 8i (4GB + 64GB) since it offers the most affordable model and comes with a 120Hz refresh rate. Extend the budget a bit more and you can get a bigger RAM and storage.
If you want the most affordable device with a Super AMOLED panel and 64MP quad-rear cameras, and 30W fast charging, go for the realme 8.
If you need something with 5G connectivity, the only option is the realme 8 5G. It also has a powerful Dimensity 700 chipset and a 90Hz refresh rate. Although we recommend getting the 8GB + 128GB model for just an extra PHP 1K.
But if you want a Super AMOLED panel and the most hi-res camera in the bunch, as well as the fastest charging rate, and have the extra budget, go for the realme 8 Pro.
And that sums it up. We hope that you’re able to choose the right realme 8 series smartphone that fits your needs.
