Realme GT 8 Pro Review: Flagship Power & Ricoh GR Imaging in 2025

Realme’s flagship GT 8 Pro brings the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 144Hz 2K display, Ricoh-collaborated camera modes and a massive 7000mAh battery — but does it deliver real value?

Quick Highlights

• 6.78-inch 2K AMOLED display with up to 144 Hz refresh rate
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, up to 16 GB RAM + UFS 4.1
• Ricoh GR camera collaboration: 50MP primary, 200MP periscope telephoto, 50MP ultra-wide
• 7000 mAh silicon-carbon battery with 120W wired, 50W wireless charging
• Premium design, IP68/IP69 rating, vegan leather or glass back options

Why the GT Series Matters Now

The GT series from Realme has always aimed at delivering flagship-level hardware at aggressive pricing. With the GT 8 Pro, the company crosses into true premium territory — matching top-tier brands in specs, while branding the camera experience with Ricoh’s heritage.

However, premium hardware alone doesn’t guarantee value. We spent two weeks with the Realme GT 8 Pro in real-world usage — gaming, photography, daily apps — and here’s how it fared.

Design & Build Quality

Realme has done something interesting with the GT 8 Pro: the vegan-leather back option and recycled organosilicon material give it a different feel — less slippery, solid in hand and surprisingly premium for the price. The aluminium frame is well machined and the curved edges feel comfortable.

One quirky touch is the replaceable camera deco ring: Realme bundles a rectangular alternative to the circular camera module, letting users customise the look. It’s unusual — but fun.

Display: 2K, 144Hz & True Flagship Experience

The GT 8 Pro features a huge 6.78-inch 2K (3136×1400) AMOLED panel with up to 144 Hz refresh rate — a rare combination. Outdoors visibility is strong, and the flat display avoids distractions from curved edges.

Colour accuracy in the ‘Pro’ mode is excellent, and I found the in-screen fingerprint reader responsive. The claimed 7000 nits peak brightness looked good on paper, though actual numbers might vary.

Performance: Gaming, Apps & Speed

With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory, the GT 8 Pro delivers top-tier performance. In our testing, apps opened instantly, and games like Call of Duty Mobile ran at high framerates without noticeable heat or stutter.

Gaming mode lets you unlock 144 Hz refresh for compatible titles, and the phone remained cool under load — impressive for this segment.

Camera: Ricoh GR Heritage Meets Realme Innovation

The triple-camera setup pairs a 50MP main sensor, 200MP periscope telephoto and 50MP ultra-wide. Realme’s partnership with Ricoh adds unique film-like “Ricoh mode” colour profiles and a Snap shooting mode that locks focus preset distances — ideal for street photography.

Daylight shots are sharp and pleasing. The periscope telephoto performs well at 3× zoom, though image quality drops at 10× and beyond. Low-light performance is good, but not the best compared with ultra-premium rivals.

Battery Life & Charging

The GT 8 Pro houses a 7000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, paired with 120 W SuperVOOC wired charging and 50 W wireless charging. In our usage — heavy gaming, camera testing, background apps — it lasted about a day and a half. With lighter usage, getting up to two days is realistic.

SuperVOOC charges the phone from 0 % to full in under 50 minutes (with Smart Rapid mode enabled) — excellent for a flagship in this price band.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Premium design with vegan-leather back or organosilicon finish
• 2K 144Hz display — rare in this segment
• Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
• Strong battery with fast wired + wireless charging
• Ricoh GR imaging modes add creative value

Cons

• Low-light camera and ultra-wide performance could be better
• High launch price (₹72,999 in India) may deter some buyers
• System apps send too many notifications by default

Final Verdict

The Realme GT 8 Pro stands out as one of the most complete flagships of 2025. From its high-refresh 2K display, elite chipset, capable battery and creative camera modes — it checks almost every box.

If you want one of the best flagship phones and are willing to invest around ₹70,000, this phone is a strong contender. However, if ultra-premium camera performance is your top priority, you may still want to compare options from Apple or Samsung.