Realme 8i Review, Pros and Cons

Realme 8i Review, Pros and Cons – The Realme-8 series targets mid-range users and has taken high-end to mid-range phones in line according to buyers’ needs. For starters, there are already four options available on the market in the Realme 8 series. After that, the company also introduced the downgraded Realme 8i smartphone in September 2021. Hopefully, the phone is available in the global market, so there’s nothing to worry about.

In addition to the release date, the phone equips most of the traits of the Realme 8 line, bringing superb features to your fingertips. Even though 4G connectivity is a downfall for anyone looking for an affordable 5G phone, the overall specs are a blessing in the low-budget segment. On the other hand, the high refresh rate and long battery life make the Realme 8i phone more attractive. But, the question remains whether this phone is worth buying or not. So, without further ado, let’s begin the detailed review of the Realme 8i smartphone.

Realme 8i Review

Highlights

1. The device sports a 6.6 inches IPS LCD display which represents a 120Hz refresh rate and 600 nits brightness support.
2. As for performance, you are getting the new Mediatek Helio G96 chipset for performance, which is slightly better than the basic chipset.
3. Additionally, manufacturers present the blessing of Android 11 based on Realme UI 2.0.
4. A triple camera arrives with 50MP main camera and a 16MP selfie camera port on the camera.
5. The Realme 8i smartphone is powered by a 5000 mAh battery and power via the 18W fasat charger.

Design and Display

The Realme 8i smartphone arrives with an impressive design layout that we’ve already seen on the Realme 8S 5G. But what makes the Realme 8i phone a little different from the other is that it comes up with wonderful color options, from which you can choose the best one according to your need in a very uncomplicated way. There are options like Space Black and Space Purple that you can choose from.

In terms of build-in quality, the company used a plastic body to create this phone body, but it didn’t look cheap. The sleek design layout feels better in your hands. Although, the phone is a little thicker and heavier than the competition due to the huge battery size. However, the Realme 8i when you place it on the flat screen due to a camera bump, the protective layer can protect more damage.

As the phone features the 6.6-inches IPS LCD display, you’ll get a side-mounted fingerprint reader, while the touch-sensitive improves with the input refresh rate of 120Hz. Furthermore, you can also increase the brightness rating up to 600 nits. However, it’s not the best brightness you can get on the market unless it’s a Redmi Note 10 series phone. You’ll still notice fingerprint marks on the front and back panels.

Memory and Internal

Under the hood, you’ll have the Mediatek Helio G96 chipset is given. However, there is no particular change in CPU processing which gives 2x 2.05 GHz octa-core speed. Othe the Mali-G57 MC2 graphics unit is slightly lowered for high-end gaming. But, the Realme 8i comes with a better refresh rate and with that, you will have an immersive UI experience.

In addition to the fantastic touch responsiveness, the Realme 8i brings the magnificent software support of Realme UI 2.0, which runs with Android 11. Possibly in next year’s UI update, you’ll get the Android 12 experience as well. Also, users can add new customization features to create a custom interface. At the same time, the Lite gaming experience would be good.

You can play games like COD and PUBG on medium settings without any hassle but heating issues may appear. The processing section supports 4GB and 6GB of RAM with the 64GB and 128GB storage unit. However, the UFS 2.1 memory type would seem a bit slow. Anyway, you are getting a dedicated SD card storage option in the SIM tray.

Camera

The Realme 8i supports an onboard triple camera, which includes the 50MP main camera, while the two remaining sensors are 2MP macro and 2MP depth lenses. However, the phone would have to render an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens instead of the useless combination of 2MP lenses, and the ultra-wide one would appreciate more. But anyway, this setup isn’t too bad either. Plus you’ll have a standard 16 MP selfie camera.

The native camera setup provides a vibration similar to oppo phones. Still, the software AI enhancer is noteworthy, from which you can take beautiful pictures without worrying about image processing quality. This will give you a dynamic range of photos, but the color saturation needs to be improved. Fortunately, the colors and contrast are pretty accurate compared to real life, so you get natural shots in most cases.

Unfortunately, the phone can only record up to 1080p without gyro-EIS support, while the Poco M3 Pro 5G would provide impressive results in terms of videography. Portrait images look great, but some edge detection may not leave up to the marks. As for daylight photography, the phone renders decent photos, but the color saturation issues are there as usual. On the other hand, photos in low light are slightly average.

Battery and Others

Battery power is something worth noting about the Realme 8i smartphone, as the device offers a massive Li-Po 5000 mAh battery capacity that will allow you to use the phone for more than 8 hours. Although, the device only supports up to 18W fast charging speed. Therefore, it will take about an hour and a half to fully charge the battery. Still, the smartphone offers decent support, watching web series and surfing the internet without worrying about screen time.

The other nice feature is that it has a fan-favorite 3.5mm jack, although you don’t have the stereo speaker. But at the same time, the Realme 8i doesn’t have a noise-canceling microphone. Plus, the sensor and communications are top-notch, while the starting price is around $180 (Rs 13,699) approx. At that cost, it’s a value-added deal, unless you like to budget 5G phones.

Realme 8i Specifications Detail

Down below you can see the full specifications of the Realme 8i smartphone.

Realme 8i Pros and Cons

Down below you can see the list of pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of the Realme 8i smartphone.

Pros

1. Great battery life.
2. 18W fast charging support.
3. 120Hz refresh rate display.
4. Fabulous design layout.
5. Decent image quality in daylight.
6. Wide storage options to choose from.
7. Realme UI 2.0 supported by Android OS.
8. FHD IPS LCD display with 600 nits brightness.
9. Dedicated micro SD card slot.

Cons

1. Low sound output with a single speaker.
2. No 5G or NFC support.
3. Without any Gorilla glass protection.
4. Lacks 4K video recording capabilities.
5. Without ultrawide or optical zoom camera.
6. No reverse charging support.
7. Without gyro-EIS support for stable video recording.
8. Outdated USB type C 2.0 charging port.
9. Not for high-end graphics gaming.
10. The heating issue may appear on heavy uses.
11. Not for low-light photography.

Conclusion

The Realme 8i smartphone consists of impressive features and comparatively better options than the Realme 8s. Except, if you’re looking for 5G connectivity, you’ll be disappointed. At the same time, the main selling point of the Realme 8i phone is its robust battery, advanced screen, and support for a personalized Realme user interface. Overall, the Realme 8i is a decent smartphone in the low-budget segment.

But, there are some flaws that can be ignored if you look at its plus points and compare them to the price. There are only a few smartphones that can provide so many features in this price range. Still, if you’re looking for a better alternative, you can definitely take a look at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10T smartphone.