realme 8 5G Review: Offers Dimensity 700 5G with Dual 5G Stand By and RAM Expansion
realme 8 5G is a 5G smartphone product that is ready to be present at an affordable price for now.
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| Photo of realme 8 5G smartphone. Released: Apr 2021 key specs: · 6.5″ 90Hz display · 8GB RAM · 128GB ROM · Dimensity 700 chipset · 5000mAh battery · 48MP Nightscape camera . Price: ₹10.999. |
The development of the 5G network, which is relatively faster than 3G to 4G, has begun to be anticipated by vendors who always provide a choice of qualified products for the network. No exception for realme, with the following realme 8 5G product.
realme 8 5G offers better performance. Not only in supporting 5G data transfer speeds but also CPU performance, not to mention the much better power efficiency value.
realme 8 5G Price List
Price in Indonesia: IDR 3,199,000, – (release price) IDR 2,999,000 (flash sale price)
Color Options: Supersonic Black, Supersonic Blue
Completeness: realme 8 5G cellphone, silicon case, Charger adapter, USB type C data cable, documents, Pin Ejector
realme 8 5G Full Specifications
| realme 8 5G Specs | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Dimmension & Weight | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.5 mm / 185 gram |
| Network & Connectivity | Dual Nano SIM, 5G Dual stand by/4G LTE/HSPA+/3G/2G |
| Operating System (OS) | realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 |
| Supported External Storage | Ya, MicroSD hingga 1TB |
| Display | 6.5 inches, FHD+ 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~405 ppi density), IPS LCD, 90 Hz, 480 nits |
| Processor / CPU | Mediatek Dimensity 700 5G (7nm) (Octacore: 2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55), GPU Mali-G57 MC2 |
| RAM & Internal Storage | 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB ROM UFS 2.1 |
| Camera (MP/features) | Rear Triple: 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide) PDAF; 2MP depth, f/2.4; 2MP Macro camera, f/2.4 Video: 1080p@30fps, 720p@30fps Front Single: 16 MP, f/2.4 (wide), 1080p@30fps, 720p@30fps |
| Battery | 5000 mAh Li-po (non-removable), charging 18W fast charging tipe-C |
realme 8 5G Features
| Removable battery | No | GPS | Yes |
| Multitouch | Yes | Fingerprint | Yes |
| Dual SIM | Yes | Dual Front Camera | No |
| 3G HSDPA | Yes | External Memory | Yes |
| 4G LTE | Yes | Gyroscope | Yes |
| 5G | Yes | Quad Kamera Belakang | No |
| NFC | Yes | 4K video recording | No |
| Infrared | No | Video player | Yes |
| USB On-the-go | Yes | Music player | Yes |
realme 8 5G Advantages & Disadvantages
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| 90 Hz screen Relatively thin body Large 5000 mAh battery RAM expansion (DRE) 5G dual stand by NFC realme UI 2.0 |
No ultra wide lens Only 18W power supply |
realme 8 5G Reviews
Design
From the outside appearance, the realme 8 5G more or less carries the same standard as the previous product. Where the front is dominated by the screen, with a selfie camera embedded in the screen aka punch hole design, and a back cover with reflective gradient coloring like a mirror.
Let’s start from the back cover. The realme 8 5G unit that we reviewed was the Supersonic Black color option. If you pay attention, the coloring of this back cover looks attractive by showing a smooth glossy layer like glass with a light refraction effect that comes from one point at the top left, or the area where the camera is stored spreading to all other areas.
The same effect is also present in other color choices, namely Supersonic Blue. Giving a dynamic impression, as if we were at supersonic speed, heading towards a point. Disclaimer, this is our own composition, bro.
As usual, on the lower left edge there is a silver metallic realme writing and coated with the same glass layer, so it looks luxurious. In line with the location of the main camera of the cellphone which is in a rectangular shape that is slightly higher than the surface.
Although there are 4 circles there. Only 3 circles contain the camera lens. While 1 other circle only contains the word AI, and the remaining area below is where the flash and the words “48 Megapixel AI Camera” are placed.
For those of you who like to overthink, maybe the difference in height between the camera area and the back cover will make you nervous because you are afraid of getting scratched. Don’t worry, realme has prepared a protective casing made of silicone. At the same time, it protects the back cover area from your sweat so that it looks relatively cleaner from fingerprints.
Let’s move on to the sides. As usual at the bottom, there is a data port and power in the form of USB Type-C, then there is a 3.5 mm audio port, and holes that deliver audio aka speakers and mics.
Moving to the right side, there is a power button that instead of sticking out, is actually lower than the other side because it has another function as a fingerprint sensor. It must be admitted, the location of the fingerprint sensor on the side like this also has fans, besides of course saving space because it doesn’t put the sensor on the back cover, and also saving money because there is no need for a sensor under the screen.
That’s the right side, then on the opposite side aka the left side, there are volume buttons and there is a hole that functions as an ejector for 2 nano SIM Cards and one MicroSD memory card.
The design of the realme 8 5G also adopts the principle of thin and light. As thin as 8.5mm and as light as 185 grams. Even though it’s thin, it’s still comfortable to hold. The addition of a silicon case in the sales package also helps users to be more comfortable holding the realme 8 5G.
Display
The most striking difference between the realme 8 5G and the realme 8 is on the screen side. Because this time realme decided to bring an IPS LCD screen with a span of 6.5 inches and high resolution FHD + or equivalent to 1080 x 2400 pixels.
With a screen ratio reaching 20 to 9, the density is quite high, namely at 405 pixels per inch. Now this is interesting, the realme 8 5G cellphone screen already supports a high refresh rate for the needs of watching or playing games that are qualified, namely 90 Hz.
So even though some people say the screen specs are reduced, it turns out that it is not, right? Because realme seems to pay for it with other advanced features that you might use more when the 5G network becomes standard and can be used by cellphone users.
User Interface Software
The realme 8 5G cellphone comes with realme UI 2.0 with the latest update that allows us to borrow some internal memory as additional RAM when needed. This feature is known as RAM Expansion.
In addition, of course, the clean appearance with the App Tray that comes by default. Separating installed applications from applications that we usually use on the home screen.
A number of default applications are also certainly present, such as the Game Space and SoLoop features which are also familiar to users of their sibling cellphones. Also other combined features of Android 11, and the default realme UI 2.0 will make it easier for users when they need the best cellphone performance for all needs.
Hardware Performance
The cellphone we are reviewing this time will reportedly be a 5G product with an affordable price under 3 million. Until this article was written, we could not say whether it would be the cheapest or not. But, the possibility is quite large.
The use of the Mediatek 5G chipset, namely the Dimensity 700 5G with 7nm fabrication, is believed to be able to provide a surfing experience on the 5G network without sacrificing many things, including production costs. In other words, this SoC is often referred to as a capable 5G chipset in the Price to Performance sector.
With a fabrication that is increasingly tiny 7nm, the Dimensity 700 actually has promising potential. It is proven that this chipset is able to excel in terms of power efficiency compared to its sibling, the Helio G95. And even though it is slightly behind in GPU capabilities, overall the CPU capabilities are still above the G95 even though the difference is not too striking.
Thus, the realme 8 5G can be said to have capable performance. Be it for multimedia needs, considering that the 5G network will indeed make access to services like this comfortable, or even for gaming needs.
Oh yes, the Dimensity 700 5G itself is an SoC that carries a CPU with 8 cores. Where the 6 cores are Cortex-A55 with a speed of 2.0 GHz and 2 Cortex-A76 cores with a speed of 2.2 GHz.
For the GPU, this chipset carries the Mali-G57 MC2, an integrated mid-range GPU, introduced in the middle of this year with the new Valhall architecture.
Carries 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of ROM, with the UFS 2.1 type. These are the hardware specs on the realme 8 5G that we reviewed. Usually realme will release several variants with various RAM and ROM. We will update after launching.
The 8GB RAM size is sufficient to do many things at the same time (multitasking). But with the Dynamic RAM Expansion (DRE) feature, RAM performance will be further improved, in case you need a higher memory size. Interesting, isn’t it?
This feature is relatively new on a smartphone. Utilizing the internal memory capacity, RAM can be expanded from 8GB to 11GB. However, if the internal memory is not sufficient, the DRE feature cannot be used.
This DRE technology is claimed not to accelerate wear on the life of the internal memory. Because the process of writing and deleting cache on the internal memory. This feature can be activated through the Settings menu.
Long-Lasting Battery
The combination of a chipset that is efficient in using power, as well as realme UI which already has a number of features for battery saving and its own battery capacity of up to 5000 mAh, makes the experience of using a cellphone with realme 8 5G feel more comfortable.
Using it since morning for a review, there is still a lot of power left for the next day. But if you are like me who will charge while we sleep, then this routine is safe to do with the 18W charging carried by this phone.
Reportedly, the 5G network will be very demanding on power availability. Whether it’s from the receiver process in the SoC that requires higher energy, or in our habits because we are so comfortable with 5G speeds that we forget the time, this phone itself has a Smart 5G power Saving feature.
This means that the system will automatically move the network from 5G to 4G when it recognizes excessive power usage, or just to increase battery life so that it lasts longer, when at a certain point. For example, when your phone’s battery is running low.
Three Main Cameras
realme 8 5G carries three main cameras. With a 48 MP main camera configuration with f/1.8, equivalent to a 26mm autofocus lens. Then there are 2 2 MP f/2.4 cameras, each of which functions for macro and depth needs. There is no ultra-wide lens on this phone’s camera.
This is the first time we have taken a closer look at the image processing done by the Dimensity 700 5G. And the results are positive. We found neat, detailed, sharp images with coloring that is not too forced to appear.
The HDR function works well, the image magnification of up to 5x is still thumbs up, then the portrait mode also produces a smooth separation of foreground and background. In optimal lighting, like the results of the latest cellphone cameras at the same price, there is nothing we can complain about in the realme 8 5G.
The effects provided, both for Night photos, portraits or regular photos, are able to improve the photo results well. Especially for the Modern Gold, Cyberpunk and Flamingo coloring modes, which are not only present in night shots, but also in regular shots.
Unfortunately for portrait mode, there are not many filters and effects provided.
Switching to video, this camera only provides maximum video recording at FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, with a framerate of 30 fps. This video capability is equivalent to the front camera. It’s just that the camera lens used is only 16 MP with f/2.1.
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Conclusion
This affordable 5G smartphone from realme is truly a 5G product that can be owned by all groups. In addition to NFC, the use of a chipset that allows us to use 2 5G numbers simultaneously at one time, with the Smart 5G feature to save battery, and also the DRE (Dynamic RAM Expansion) feature is offered at a price below 3 million.
All of that is then accompanied by the ability of the main camera which is capable of capturing spontaneous moments for you and your family.