Realme GT 8 Dream Edition Review - Apex Predator

I was really impressed by the Realme GT 7 Dream Edition when I got my hands on it a few months ago. It wasn’t just a great device in its own right but also an amazing collectable for F1 enthusiasts – all without costing a fortune. So, my excitement levels were understandably high when I got the opportunity to use the GT 8 Pro Dream Edition – a result of another collaboration between Realme and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team. That said, the new device demands a considerable premium – it costs Rs 79,999, to be precise. So, the question is: does the GT 8 Pro Dream Edition offer the same value for F1 fans that its predecessor did, and, most importantly, does it justify its asking price? Well, let’s find out!

Realme GT 8 Pro Dream Edition Design and Build Quality

Like the GT 7 Dream Edition, its successor is also finished in the distinct Lime Essence colour of the Aston Martin F1 team. The overall fit and finish are immaculate, and it feels premium and comfortable to hold. The airflow pattern on the rear panel is noticeably more subtle this time. That said, I was a bit disappointed to find no special booklet in the box this time. Yes, you still get the F1 car-shaped SIM ejector, but that’s about it – there are no other special edition extras in the box.

One of the more interesting design elements on the GT 8 Pro Dream Edition – and also the regular GT 8 Pro – is the interchangeable camera island.

The phone ships with a circular panel surrounding the rear cameras, but it can be swapped for a rounded-square panel by removing just two tiny screws. Realme includes the latter, along with a screwdriver, in the box. It’s a small but thoughtful touch that adds character to the phone’s design, and the swapping process is also refreshingly simple. It almost feels like changing the nose of an F1 car during a pitstop.

The phone runs Android 16 out of the box with Realme’s UI 7.0 layered on top. Being the Dream Edition, it gets additional UI tweaks, including a unique unlock animation and icons, along with an Aston Martin-themed wallpaper. The GT 8 Pro features a 2K display, with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 7,000 nits. The display’s outdoor visibility is solid, colours are vibrant, and contrast levels are great.

Realme GT 8 Pro Performance, Gaming and Camera Capabilities

As a flagship device, the GT 8 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset and a Hyper Vision+ AI Chip. The latter helps force high refresh rates in games that don’t natively support them and also assists with upscaling. Much like the GT 7 Pro, its successor offers fantastic gaming performance and handles day-to-day tasks effortlessly. The high-refresh-rate display further enhances the overall experience. Even the phone’s thermal performance is excellent – I did not encounter any heating issues during my use.

In terms of cameras, the GT 8 Pro has received several meaningful upgrades. It now comes with a pair of 50MP sensors along with a 200MP camera, offering 6x optical zoom. If you, like me, frequently find yourself snapping distant objects, you’ll find this phone to be a great companion. Images from the zoom lens exhibit good detail and clarity, and the video quality is quite impressive, though colours appear slightly flatter than those in videos shot from the primary lens.

The main sensor is very capable but not class-leading. Photo and video quality is generally good, but darker areas in images are rendered overly dark.

Moreover, overprocessing becomes evident when shooting bright lights in low-light conditions. Realme has collaborated with RICOH GR for the GT 8 Pro’s camera, and there is a dedicated mode for it in the camera app. Unfortunately, visual output from this mode didn’t really impress me and seemed more like standard filter effects of other smartphones.

One standout feature is the phone’s ability to shoot 4K video at 120fps, even with the 6x lens. This can result in some amazing motion shots, which can later be slowed down to your liking. That said, video stabilisation across all the lenses could have been better.

Given that this phone is clearly aimed at power users, Realme has equipped it with a large 7,000mAh battery and support for 120W wired and 50W wireless charging, meaning it won’t frequently run out of charge, and even if it does, replenishing it will be a remarkably quick affair.

Realme GT 8 Pro Dream Edition Verdict

While the GT 8 Pro Dream Edition is significantly more expensive than the previous flagship, its upgraded feature set largely justifies the premium. The improved camera system, combined with a flagship-grade processor, makes it a very competitive package. More importantly, when compared to the regular 16GB + 512GB variant, the Dream Edition costs just Rs 1,000 more.

That makes it an easy recommendation from a value-for-money perspective. If you are in the market for a premium smartphone in this price range, the GT 8 Pro Dream Edition is absolutely worth considering.