Last month Shenzhen-based Realme launched a mid-tier phone that drew interest due to its Game of Thrones branding. Now comes the Shenzhen tech brand’s actual 2025 flagship handset, the GT8 Pro, and it comes in two variants: a standard model and an Aston Martin-branded special edition.
Personally, I like the standard edition device more, with a cleaner look that suits my tastes, but those who are into Aston Martin or flashy looking phones may prefer the special edition. Both phones have virtually identical hardware.
And the hardware is really good: the GT8 Pro comes with a gorgeous 2K resolution, 144Hz OLED panel wrapped by thin bezels. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and features a couple more silicon for handling heating and display. There’s also a 200-megapixel Periscope telephoto camera with a respectable 1/1.5-inch sensor, and a 50-megapixel Sony main camera. These camera specs are quite good for a Realme device, which are priced significantly lower than other brands. The camera system also marks the first collaboration between Realme and Ricoh, a Japanese maker of camera lenses (and other electronic accessories).
This collaboration means Realme will have a major camera brand off which to pattern their camera UI and imaging algorithms. This is similar to what Vivo has done with Zeiss, and Xiaomi with Leica. To that end, the GT8 Pro features a dedicated camera mode named Ricoh portraits, which has a different Ricoh camera styled shutter button and a color profile that resembles Ricoh compact cameras.
Speaking of cameras, the GT8 Pro’s circular camera module can also be swapped for a rectangular one. This is purely for stylistic/aesthetic reasons and serves no usability improvements. The standard model only comes with the circular module, with the other module an optional separate purchase. The Aston Martin edition comes with both camera modules in the box, along with a small screwdriver like tool for easy swapping.
Below you can see the phone’s naked form, with both camera module steel plates that can be screwed on.
I don’t really care for the swappable camera modules, but I do care about the 7000 mAh battery which can go all day easily, along with an above average 200-megapixel zoom camera. Overall the Realme GT8 Pro is looking like another high value offering, though prices vary quite a bit depending on region. In China or Hong Kong, you can pick up one of these likely around $500, but in Southeast Asia, the price jumps a bit, and in Europe, the price will likely get close to four-digits. I’m not sure who in Europe would pay that price, but in Asia, this phone has a lot of appeal.
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