The Realme 8 and its 5G counterpart officially launched in the UK on 12 May. The Realme 8 was available to buy from 12 May, while its 5G sibling went on sale on 20 May with early bird pricing. The phones join the 8 Pro, which became available to buy on 31 March.
Realme unveiled the range at its 24 March virtual event. Previously, the standard Realme 8 phones were only available to buy in India – one of Realme’s biggest markets.
Here’s everything you need to know about buying the Realme 8 range, including UK pricing, availability, and deals.
How much do the Realme 8, 8 5G, and 8 Pro cost?
Realme 8 pricing
The standard Realme 8 is available to buy in two configurations:
- 4GB RAM + 64GB storage for £199
- 6GB RAM + 128GB storage for £219
Realme 8 5G pricing – Early bird pricing!
Touted as the “most affordable 5G smartphone” the Realme 8 5G starts at £179, thanks to early bird pricing, running from 20 May to 24 May. Here’s the full pricing information:
- 4GB RAM + 64GB storage -£199 – early bird pricing: £179
- 6GB RAM + 128GB storage – £249 – early bird pricing: £229
The two respective SKUs above cost £199 and £249 respectively, once early bird pricing ends.
Realme 8 Pro pricing
The Realme 8 Pro, which is 4G-only, is available 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 its predecessor).
Where to buy the Realme 8 phones in the UK – Best SIM-free Deals
Realme 8 Pro – £20 off from Amazon
UK shoppers can now buy the Realme 8 Pro directly from Realme, complete with free shipping. The handset should be dispatched within 1-3 days. Students also get 5% off.
Customers can also purchase the phone from Amazon where it’s reduced to £258. There’s also an option with £20 off which includes a free Smarty SIM. Smarty 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 AliExpress where it’s just £183.92. Delivery is expected in June, however.
Realme 8 and 8 5G
As of 12 May, the standard Realme 8 is available to buy directly from Realme or from Amazon. The Realme 8 5G went onsale on 20 May and is also available from Realme and Amazon where it has £20 off both 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB configurations.
We expect availability from Laptops Direct and AliExpress as well, based on the Realme 8 Pro availability, though can’t see any yet.
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. You can, however, buy the Realme 8 Pro with a Smarty SIM from Amazon.
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.
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Author: Somrata Sarkar, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Previously a Tech Advisor Senior Staff Writer, Somrata researches and writes about the best tech deals to help readers make smart, informed buying decisions. She's an expert on accessories and also reviews laptops, phones, audio and other devices.