News

realme GT 8 Pro has Ricoh GR cameras plus swappable camera shapes

Even the vanilla realme GT 8 wasn’t left behind

Published

October 23, 2025

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

TechTober is far from being over.

Aside from vivo, OPPO, iQOO, and HONOR announcing their all-new high-end handsets, realme also steps into the arena and reveals the GT 8 series — their latest and greatest flagships for 2025.

Swap for some pop!

The realme GT 8 Pro dares to stand out with its brand new Mechanical Assembly Design.

This new design language provides swappable camera shapes for the GT 8 Pro.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Aside from the usual square and round cutouts, that rare transparent cover gives a nice Nothing-like touch of aesthetics.

For those who truly dare, you can keep its bare form — dubbed as “Robert” which mimics a robot-like look.

And with realme’s Design Studio, the possibilities are limitless.

And while we’re already at the design talk, its back can either be made of frosted glass or paper-like recycled leather that’s both resistant to wear and corrosion.

It’s also said to be lighter and thinner than conventional skins. Moreover, it’s also the industry-first to include Photon Nano-Sculpting Process that enables engraving process that’s both accurate and environment-friendly.

Frame is then made from matte-frosted metal.

GT meets GR

Camera swap-outs are for one. Revolutionary camera system is for another.

With almost every Chinese brand having their camera collab, realme says it’s better late than never as they finally join the game of camera collabs by partnering with Ricoh.

This also marks the first imaging partnership between a Chinese phone brand and a Japanese imaging company.

First and foremost, it brings Ricoh GR’s anti-glare properties.

To be precise, it’s a 7P high lens with ultra-low anti-coating alongside an Ultrasound lens glass with Double layer AR coating.

There are more nerdy stuff such as Deep Absorbent Blue Glass and IR Spin Filter.

The lens prowess is then partnered by Ricoh GR’s Intuitive Algorithm Engine.

GIF by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Last but definitely not the least, Ricoh GR’s five classic film tones are here: Standard, Positive Film, Negative Film, Monotone, and Hi-Contrast B&W.

You can even play with Ricoh GR Blue and Green Shadows for that added personal feel onto your snaps.

For that ultimate Ricoh feel, swiping downwards the regular camera shutter brings you Ricoh GR mode with various options such as Fast Shot, Classic F 28/40mm, and even the Immersion Viewfinder.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

All beneath that Ricoh goodness lies the powerful camera hardware.

On top of the standard 50MP f/1.8 main module, there’s also another 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide lens.

But, the star of the show has got to be its 200MP f/2.6 3x periscope shooter — which also shares a large 1/1.56-inch image sensor as its wide (main) camera.

It’s also enabled by both OIS and EIS for that shake-free close-ups.

The realme GT 8 Pro also gives possible users utmost freedom between 8K/30fps video recording or 4K/120fps — either in flat 10-bit Log profile or in Dolby Vision format.

The Latest Grand Tourer

The realme GT 8 Pro is the brand’s grandest flagship smartphone so far.

It’s the fourth smartphone in the list to run Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 3nm SoC headlined by the Xiaomi 17 series then followed by the HONOR Magic8 series and iQOO 15 respectively.

More flagship-grade specs are found within.

You can choose between 12 or 16GB of LPDDR5X memory with plethora of storage options between 256GB / 512GB / 1TB in a newer UFS 4.1 protocol.

There’s even a 7000mm² Vapor Cooling (VC) chamber for in-demand gaming.

Up front, there’s a large 6.79-inch 144Hz 2K AMOLED display based on BOE Q10+ panel.

It’s capable of displaying 10-bit color depth, support of up to 1.07 Billion Colors, and up to 4000 nits of outdoor brightness (and a whopping 7000 nits local peak).

It also goes as low as 1 nit to protect your eyes when using it at dimly-lit surroundings.

Pixel density is 508ppi (Pixels per inch) with streamlined R-corners for that uniformed rounded rectangle look.

Beneath the display is (thankfully) an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor.

Thanks to the continuous push of Si/C tech, battery capacity is pretty massive at 7000mAh which is promised to last for 2.3 days and rated to last for five long years. It can also withstand cold conditions of -15ºC.

It’s joined by a super fast 120W charging (that’s also UFCS integrated) then paired by 50W wireless charging.

For third-party charging adapters, they can still be used and maximized with 55W USB-C PPS and 14.4W QC.

To finish it off, it boasts triple IP69 + IP68 + IP66 water and dust resistance ratings.

Lastly, it runs the latest realme UI 7.0 based on Android 16 with revamped looks and smarter AI tools in mind.

Base GT 8 ain’t left behind

As expected, the vanilla variant is as capable as its Pro sibling.

Aside from the absence of that swappable camera cutout mechanism, almost 90 percent of their specs are identical.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Still, there are notable differences. The base GT 8 has last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, “slower” 100W fast charging without USB-C PPS support, even the absence of wireless charging.

Camera systems are also different: 50MP 3.5x periscope shooter, a lot smaller 1/4.0-inch 8MP UWA, and a 16MP front-facing camera (versus 200MP 3x periscope, 1/2.88-inch 50MP UWA, and 32MP selfie on the Pro).

Finally, not a stark gap but GT 8 has UFS 4.0 internal storage protocol (over UFS 4.1).

Pricing and Availability

The realme GT 8 series are available in three color choices alongside five configurations.

GT 8 Pro (Blue, White, Green)

12+256GB = CNY 3999 (US$ 565 / EUR 485 / GBP 420 / SG$ 730 / MYR 2365 / PhP 32,680 / INR 49,615)
16+256GB = CNY 4299 (US$ 605 / EUR 520 / GBP 455 / SG$ 785 / MYR 2540 / PhP 35,130 / INR 53,335)
12+512GB = CNY 4499 (US$ 630 / EUR 545 / GBP 475 / SG$ 820 / MYR 2660 / PhP 36,765 / INR 55,815)
16+512GB = CNY 4699 (US$ 660 / EUR 570 / GBP 495 / SG$ 860 / MYR 2780 / PhP 38,400 / INR 58,300)
16+1TB = CNY 5199 (US$ 730 / EUR 630 / GBP 550 / SG$ 950 / MYR 3075 / PhP 42,485 / INR 64,500)

GT 8 (White, Green, Navy)

12+256GB = CNY 2899 (US$ 405 / EUR 350 / GBP 305 / SG$ 530 / MYR 1715 / PhP 23,690 / INR 35,965)
16+256GB = CNY 3199 (US$ 450 / EUR 390 / GBP 340 / SG$ 585 / MYR 1890 / PhP 26,140 / INR 39,690)
12+512GB = CNY 3399 (US$ 480 / EUR 410 / GBP 360 / SG$ 620 / MYR 2010 / PhP 27,775 / INR 42,170)
16+512GB = CNY 3599 (US$ 505 / EUR 435 / GBP 380 / SG$ 660 / MYR 2130 / Php 29,410 / INR 44,650)
16+1TB = CNY 4099 (US$ 575 / EUR 500 / GBP 430 / SG$ 750 / MYR 2430 / PhP 33,495 / INR 50,850)

* These are just approximate, rounded-off pricing conversions

Much like any China-exclusive announcement, global pricing and availability are yet to follow.

Related Topics:Realme realme GT 8 realme GT 8 Pro

News

Beyond the Box, Digital Walker turn over Tesla Model Y to iPhone 17 raffle winner

What began as an iPhone 17 launch-day purchase became a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a first-time iPhone user.

Published

January 20, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Beyond the Box and Digital Walker officially turned over a Tesla Model Y to Joshua Juanillo, the lucky winner of their iPhone 17 launch raffle.

What started as a simple purchase quickly turned into a moment that felt bigger than the box. Joshua, a 27-year-old employee and long-time Android user, earned a single raffle entry after buying an iPhone 17 base model on the first day of sale at Digital Walker Glorietta.

It was his first time switching to iPhone, and already a milestone on its own. He had no idea it would lead to something this life-changing.

The surprise didn’t stop there. During the turnover, Beyond the Box and Digital Walker CEO Charles Paw added another unexpected gift to the moment, a brand-new iPhone Air, turning an already unforgettable day into something even more surreal.

This is the kind of story that captures what Beyond the Box and Digital Walker mean when they say Go Beyond. It’s about transforming a regular retail experience into a memory that stays with you long after the receipt fades.

With his new iPhone now seamlessly integrated with his Tesla Model Y, Joshua steps into a smarter, more connected way to drive, navigating and controlling his car straight from his phone.

The turnover was made even more meaningful as Joshua celebrated the moment with his family and girlfriend by his side, sharing a once-in-a-lifetime win that started with a single purchase and a leap of faith.

News

ASUS is leaving the smartphone industry

Is it temporary or for good?

Published

January 20, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In 2023, there were rumors that ASUS is done with the Zenfone series. The rumors were apparently exaggerated because the brand eventually issued an official statement to deny the shuttering of the Zenfone. Now, in 2026, we’re back to speculating on the smartphone’s future. This time, however, it’s coming from high up the chain of command.

In a translated version of an interview (via Taiwan’s Inside), ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih said that ASUS has no plans to add new smartphone models in the future. Based on previous rumors, the shutdown will affect 2026, at the very least.

Despite confirming that the brand’s phones are gone for now, Shih has not waved away the possibility that they might come back in the future. Right now, we don’t know if this is all just a “see you later” or a “we’re leaving for good.”

ASUS’s last major launch in the smartphone space was early last year. The Zenfone 12 Ultra was an interesting headset but didn’t make enough waves to make a dent in the industry. On the other hand, ROG released the ROG Phone 9 Pro, which made our list of the best premium smartphones from 2025.

With the almost-certain exit from the smartphone space, this leaves the Zenfone 12 Ultra and the ROG Phone 9 Pro without successors in the foreseeable future. However, Shih has promised that the current lineup will still receive updates going forward.

News

realme launches the world’s first 10,001 smartphone battery

It’s coming to the realme P4 Power.

Published

January 20, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Towards the end of 2025, HONOR broke new ground by launching the first smartphone with a 10,000mAh battery. The jam-packed phone is big enough to be a powerbank. However, realme has, quite literally, inched its way to the top by launching the world’s first 10,001mAh battery.

Called the 10,001mAh Titan battery, it will power the upcoming realme P4 Power. The brand promises that more details will arrive soon.

Last year, realme unleashed a 10,000mAh battery concept phone. Likely to their dismay, HONOR got the edge over them by releasing a consumer-ready product before realme could. Now, with a 10,001mAh battery on the horizon, realme wants the sole spot as the smartphone brand with the world’s biggest battery.

Arguably, it’s difficult to define what a single milliampere-hour can tangibly do to a smartphone’s performance and longevity. The effect is probably negligible, but it probably does wonders for the brand’s marketing. And in any case, this shows that the battery wars are still alive and well, especially in China.

It isn’t just a showy war, too. The battery wars have resulted in upping the average battery capacity across the industry. For example, a lot of smartphone batteries these days are already hovering around 7,000mAh, which is quite a pack already for everyday use.