The Realme 8 Pro is yet another promising handset to join the list of new phones this year, announced in the same week as launches from OnePlus and Xiaomi. The 8 Pro became on 31 March, and now release dates for the standard 8 and 8 Pro 5G are imminent. The standard Realme 8 arrives on 12 May, and the Realme 8 5G arriving 20 May – and you can expect early bird pricing.
Realme unveiled the 8 Pro during its 24 March virtual event, alongside the Realme 8 and 8 5G. The standard Realme 8 phones were available only in India previously.
Here’s what you need to know about the Realme 8 range’s pricing in the UK, along with where you can buy one today.
How much do the Realme 8, 8 5G, and 8 Pro cost?
Realme 8 Pro pricing
The Realme 8 Pro, which is 4G only, is with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage for £279, matching the price of its predecessor – the Realme 7 Pro.
The phone is available in Infinite Black, Punk Black, and Infinite Blue (the ‘Infinite’ colourways feature a textured back, while Punk Black is a glossy finish). Realme also ships the phone with a 65W charger (despite the phone’s maximum charging speed of 50W – actually slower than that of its predecessor).
Realme 8 5G pricing
The 5G variant will be available in the UK on 12 May in two configurations and price points:
- 4GB RAM + 64GB storage -£199
- 6GB RAM + 128GB storage – £219
Realme 8 pricing
The standard Realme 8 will be available on 20 May with 6GB RAM + 128GB storage for £249. Early bird pricing will reduce the price to £229.
Where to buy the Realme 8 phones in the UK – Best SIM-free Deals
UK shoppers can now buy the Realme 8 Pro directly from , complete with free shipping. The handset should be dispatched within 1-3 days.
Customers can also purchase the phone from Amazon where it’s reduced to £259 . If you opt to pay full price, you can get a free where plans start at £6 per month.
Laptops Direct is also selling the Realme 8 Pro with next-day delivery. Standard delivery costs £4.99.
If you don’t mind having the phone shipped from China, it’s also available from where it’s just £186.37. Delivery is expected in June, however.
The Realme 8 5G will also be available to buy from 12 May, while the standard Realme 8 is expected to go on sale on 20 May. Both phones will be available to buy directly from . We expect availability from Amazon, Laptops Direct and AliExpress as well, based on the Realme 8 Pro availability.
We’ll update this article if we see any other retailers offering the Realme 8 phones. We breakdown our review of the 8 Pro and the launch of the Realme 8 series as a whole in our weekly podcast, Fast Charge:
Will the Realme 8 phone be available on contract?
It’s unlikely the Realme 8 phones will be available on contract in the UK, as other Realme phones haven’t been available on UK networks previously. We’re looking at the best SIM-only deals here. Keep in mind, the Realme 8 Pro is a 4G phone.
To see how the Realme 8 Pro compares to other top budget handsets see our round-up of the best budget phones.
What to expect from the Realme 8 range
Realme 8 Pro
There are a few things UK shoppers can look forward to in the Realme 8 Pro (see our full review). The phone headlines with a massive 108Mp main camera that uses 9-in-1 pixel binning to produce high-quality 12Mp final images. You also get an 8Mp ultrawide sensor, a 2Mp macro, and a 2Mp black-and-white/depth sensor.
Read more about the Realme 8 Pro’s camera and features.
Under the hood, Realme preserves the Snapdragon 720G chip, which you might recognise from the Realme 7 Pro. The 8 Pro’s 6.4in Full HD+ AMOLED display also delivers a standard 60Hz display, but with a 180Hz touch sampling rate for more responsive gaming. You also get 50W fast charging, which Realme claims will charge 50% of the phone’s 4500mAh battery in 17 mins.
Realme 8 & 8 5G
The Realme 8 features a MediaTek Helio G95 chip instead of the 8 Pro’s Snapdragon. It also offers a larger 5000mAh battery though the main camera caps at 64Mp. Fast charging speeds on the Realme 8 also drops to 30W. As for the display, the Realme 8 features a 6.4in AMOLED with Full HD+ (2400×1080) resolution, although a 60Hz refresh rate.
Alternatively, the 8 5G is built on a MediaTek 700 5G chip. It improves on the standard Realme 8’s feature set with added NFC connectivity, and greater RAM and storage configurations. The 5000mAh battery remains the same, however, although fast charging speeds drop to 18W. The 8 5G also features a 48Mp main camera, though both phones feature 16Mp selfie cams.
Realme also claims that the 5G variant is the thinnest 5G smartphone around with an 8.5mm body. Our Consumer Tech Editor Alex Walker-Todd dives into the specifics of each phone if you want to learn more about the series.
