Realme Neo8 debuts with an 8,000mAh battery and PC Mode to take on handhelds

Realme has officially unveiled the Realme Neo8 in China. While the Neo series has traditionally occupied the mid-to-high-end segment, the Neo8 moves into premium territory with the debut of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 platform and a high-capacity silicon-carbon battery.

The Realme Neo8 adopts a transparent back design with RGB lighting elements and will be sold in Cyber Purple, Origin White, and Mecha Gray color options. According to the company, the rear panel uses a multi-layer 3D partitioning process with different texture depths to create light-refraction effects. An RGB “Awakening Halo” lighting strip is integrated into the back and can be configured for notifications, music playback, and gaming-related effects.

Beyond that, the Neo8 uses a metal frame and a glass back, with narrow, symmetrical bezels and rounded corners. Notably, the phone carries IP66, IP68, and IP69 certifications, covering resistance to dust as well as high-pressure and high-temperature water exposure — an uncommon combination in consumer smartphones.

The Neo8 features a 6.78-inch Samsung M14 LTPS OLED display customized specifically for this model. The panel supports a touch sampling rate of 3,800Hz and a native 165 Hz refresh rate, which Realme claims reduces power consumption compared to standard 144 Hz displays due to the efficiency of the M14 luminescent material. The screen reaches a manual peak brightness of 1,000 nits and a local peak brightness of 6,500 nits, while maintaining up to 103% P3 color gamut coverage at high brightness levels. For durability, the display is protected by Crystal Armor Glass. An ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is integrated beneath the screen.

Under the hood, the Neo8 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile platform, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. To manage the thermal demands of the new chipset, Realme has implemented a high-airflow cooling system alongside a dedicated GT Performance Engine designed to improve frame-rate stability during gaming.

A notable addition for power users is the Geek Performance Panel. This interface allows manual adjustment of CPU and GPU frequencies and offers five distinct temperature control levels, providing a degree of hardware-level control that is typically reserved for rooted devices.

Realme is positioning the Neo8 as a hybrid gaming device. It introduces a PC Handheld Mode that reportedly allows the local execution of verified PC games. According to the company, more than 50 titles are supported, with cross-platform compatibility enabling PC account logins and cloud-save synchronization for officially licensed games.

The device also includes AI Expert Assistance, which provides contextual in-game support, such as automated item pickup in open-world titles and skill cooldown tracking in MOBA games.

The camera system is led by a 50 MP Sony IMX896 main sensor (1/1.56″) with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture. A 50 MP periscope telephoto camera based on the Samsung JN5 sensor offers 3.5× optical zoom, 7× lossless zoom, and up to 120× digital zoom, assisted by AI-based text recognition and perspective correction. An 8 MP ultra-wide camera completes the rear setup. On the front, the device features a 16 MP selfie camera.

One of the Neo8’s standout specifications is its 8,000 mAh battery. By utilizing a 16% silicon-content anode, Realme claims it has increased energy density by 3% over previous generations, allowing the large capacity to fit within an 8.3 mm chassis. The phone supports 80 W SuperVOOC fast charging and bypass charging, which allows the device to draw power directly from the charger during gaming to reduce battery heat buildup.

The Realme Neo8 is currently exclusive to the Chinese market, starting at 2,599 yuan (approximately $373) for the 12 GB + 256 GB base model. The top-tier 16 GB + 1 TB configuration is priced at 3,899 yuan (approximately $559). Realme has not yet announced plans for a global release under the Neo or GT Neo branding.