First impressions of Realme 8s 5G

Realme has launched yet another 5G smartphone in India, and this time it's in the sub-Rs. 20,000 price segment. This new smartphone is the Realme 8s 5G, and it's positioned slightly higher than the Realme 8 5G which was launched a little over four months ago. This new smartphone brings a new processor, improved camera sensors, and support for faster charging. So is the Realme 8s 5G the phone to buy under Rs. 20,000? I put it to the test to find out.

Realme 8s 5G price in India

The Realme 8s 5G starts at Rs. 17,999 in India for the base variant which has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the higher variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at Rs. 19,999. Interestingly, these are the same prices and RAM/storage configurations that the Realme 8 Pro sells for, though there are many other differences between these two models. You can buy the Realme 8s 5G in Universe Blue or Universe Purple.

Realme 8s 5G design

The Realme 8s 5G looks nearly identical to the Realme 8 5G, which might have been the base to build this new smartphone on. Just like the Realme 8 5G, this new phone sports a 6.5-inch display with a camera hole in the top left corner. It has thin bezels on the sides but a slightly thicker chin. Realme has pushed the earpiece right into the gap between the display and the plastic frame.

The Realme 8s 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the right, which is easy to reach. The volume buttons are on the opposite side and are easily reachable too. The bottom of the frame has the 3.5mm headphone jack, speaker, primary microphone, and USB Type-C port, while the top only has the secondary microphone.

The Realme 8s 5G has a 6.5-inch display with a hole for the selfie camera

 

I found the smartphone to be comfortable to hold thanks to the curved edges of the back panel. My Realme 8s unit was the Universe Blue colour, which is a deep blue shade and is uncommon on smartphones, making this one stand out. It has a matte finish and the blue colour pops when it catches light. The Realme 8s 5G has a triple camera module which protrudes enough to cause the device to rock when kept on a table.

Realme 8s 5G specifications

The Realme 8s 5G sports a 6.5-inch display with a full-HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. This 90Hz refresh rate is a little surprising since the more affordable Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G (Review) sports a 120Hz display. Powering the Realme 8s 5G is the MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G processor, and it's offered with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Both these variants have 128GB of storage which is expandable using the dedicated microSD card slot. Realme also has a Virtual RAM feature which lets you use 5GB of storage to extend RAM. You get a 5,000mAh battery and a 33W charger in the box.

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