Realme 8s and Realme 8i launched in India with large batteries, new MediaTek chipsets, and affordable price tags

The Realme 8s and Realme 8i have been teased extensively in the past few weeks. We even got a glimpse at their entire spec sheets, which told us everything we needed to know about their innards. The Realme 8i and Realme 8s are official now, and they pretty much live up to the hype that was generated around them. Both smartphones have been launched in India alongside the highly-anticipated Realme Pad. Unfortunately, there is no word about their global launch just yet.

Realme 8s specifications

Starting with the Realme 8s, we get a MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, coupled with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. One can expand the former to up to 13GB via 'dynamic RAM'. The smartphone draws power from a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor enables biometric authentication.

Moving on to the Realme 8s' display specs, we get a 6.5-inch FHD+ screen clocked at 90Hz and a touch sampling rate of 180Hz. Realme has neglected to mention the panel type, so we can safely assume that it is LCD, given the device's price. Other features include 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and 600 nits peak brightness.

Lastly, the Realme 8s has three camera modules at the back; a 64MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP B&W sensor. An ultra-wide-angle lens would have been ideal, but it likely got axed to keep the phone's price low. A 16MP module handles selfies and video calls, which, at this point, has become standard across most mid-range Realme smartphones.

Realme 8i specifications

Things get a lot more interesting with the Realme 8i. Although it doesn't offer 5G connectivity, it has better specifications overall, starting with its 50MP primary camera sensor. The two 2MP sensors are still around, though, along with the 16MP selfie camera module. It, too, uses a side-mounted fingerprint for biometric authentication.

Under the hood, the Realme 8i packs a MediaTek Helio G96 SoC, which is essentially an overclocked Helio G95 with a few new features thrown in. Memory and storage max out at 6GB and 128GB, respectively. Realme's 'dynamic RAM expansion' lets users bump the former up to 11GB. It is also worth noting that the feature is only available in the 6GB RAM variant. The 4GB RAM variant could get it in the future via an OTA update.

The Realme 8i draws power from the same 5,000mAh battery found on its sibling but cuts the charging speed to 18W. Its 6.6-inch screen has a refresh rate of 120Hz, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 600 nits peak brightness, and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Price and availability

The Realme 8s will be available for purchase on September 13 via Flipkart and Relame's official website, starting at Rs 17,999 (US$244). The Realme 8i goes on sale the next day (September 14) via the same channels. It will retail at INR 13,999 (IS$190) for the entry-level version. HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank customers can get additional discounts on qualifying purchases.