TL;DR
- The Display Trade-off: Realme switched from LTPO to LTPS screens to afford a massive 7,000mAh battery.
- Ricoh Reality Check: The partnership is strictly software-based. Ricoh rejected a full-portfolio rollout.
- The “Offline” Pivot: The GT series is moving offline to fight Vivo and Oppo, even if it hurts online market share temporarily.
- The Price Hike: Expect the GT 8 Pro comes with an effective price under ₹70,000
Realme is recalibrating. Facing rising component costs and a resurgent offline market in India, the brand is rewriting its playbook for 2026. At the center of this shift is the Realme GT 8 Pro, a device that marks the brand’s most ambitious attempt to position itself as a premium all-rounder, even if that requires some uncomfortable decisions.
In an exclusive conversation with Smartprix, Francis Wong, Chief Marketing Officer, realme India, broke down the math behind the phone’s most controversial specs and why the brand is willing to risk online market share to win the offline war.
The Ricoh Partnership: “They move slowly”
The headline feature of the GT 8 Pro is the new partnership with legendary camera maker Ricoh GR. But while competitors often imply deep hardware collaboration with their partners, Wong was refreshingly blunt about the limitations of the deal.
“The collaboration only happened on the software, not on the hardware,” Wong clarified. “Smartphone brands mostly rely on suppliers like Samsung, Sony, and OVD for camera hardware. With Ricoh GR, our focus is purely on the software side.”
Realme had originally pushed to bring Ricoh’s color science to its entire portfolio, including the budget-friendly Number series. Ricoh refused.
“They won’t move fast just because we want to. They refused when we asked to collaborate across the GT and Number series at once. They only approved the main camera for the GT 8 Pro; not even the periscope yet.”
The partnership is long-term—at least three years, but expanding it will take patience. The “Ricoh Look” will remain an exclusive flagship-tier feature until at least 2027.
“If we want GR on the number series, it will take at least one more year. 2026 will still focus on the GT series.”
The Display Controversy: LTPS vs. LTPO
Perhaps the biggest risk Realme is taking with the GT 8 Pro is the display. In a segment where LTPO (variable refresh rate) panels are standard, Realme has opted for an LTPS panel—a technology often seen in cheaper devices.
When asked why a flagship would use an older screen tech, Wong pointed to a “zero-sum” engineering decision.
“LTPO is great, it saves up to 20% battery. But once we bumped the battery from 5,000mAh to 7,000mAh, those savings didn’t matter anymore,” Wong argues. “We spent heavily on the processor and camera, so we had to control costs somewhere.”
Editor’s Note: It’s a calculated gamble. Realme is betting that the sheer utility of a 7,000mAh silicon-carbon battery will outweigh the nuanced fluidity benefits of an LTPO screen. For the average buyer, they might be right. For the enthusiast, it’s a sticking point.
Pricing Pressure: “People will say it’s overpriced.”
The era of the “flagship killer” price tag is effectively dead. With memory prices skyrocketing, Wong admits the GT 8 Pro will see a price bump, landing in the ₹60,000–₹70,000 bracket.
“I expect consumers who compare it with the previous generation to say it’s overpriced,” Wong says candidly. “But every smartphone will be 10–15% more expensive this year due to the storage component crisis. No brand can escape that.”
His positioning strategy is specific: “It will still be one of the better-priced than flagships this year.”
But compared to our competitors launching now, the device will feel very beautiful, very balanced. If you want both camera and performance advantages, GT 8 Pro will be one of the best options.”
The “Switchable” Camera Design
One of the interesting features of the GT 8 Pro is the user-swappable camera module, which lets users toggle between a “Round” (Camera-focused) and “Square” (Performance-focused) aesthetic.
According to Wong, this wasn’t just for flair, it was the result of an internal identity crisis.
“The design team asked us: Is GT 8 Pro a camera phone or a performance phone? Round means camera-first; square means performance-first. We debated for two months before someone suggested: why not let the user choose?”
Prototypes were wild.
realme built 20–30 prototypes before finalizing the mechanism. The team even prototyped a version with a detachable LED display (“like attaching a smartwatch to the phone”), but scrapped it because it would have added ₹1,000 to the final retail price.
“We even built a version with a switchable camera plus an LED display—like attaching a smartwatch to the phone. But that would have added ₹1,000 to the price, so we dropped it.”
USB 2.0 on a Flagship: A Tough Call
When asked whether USB 2.0 would deter users who transfer large files or shoot 4K videos, Francis acknowledges the compromise.
“I agree USB 2.0 impacts purchasing decisions.
But this year, we’re shifting GT from being a pure gamer phone to a device for working professionals and photography enthusiasts. That’s why our biggest move is towards the camera.”
The Comeback Plan
Recent IDC reports show Realme losing some ground in India. Wong attributes this to a strategic pivot: the brand is no longer content with just being an “online” player.
“Offline brands [Vivo, Oppo] are dominating again. India’s economy is growing; people want to experience products in stores,” Wong explains. “We are switching from online-only to a multi-channel strategy. This transition temporarily impacts share, but we will come back.”
As part of this push, the Realme Watch will return in December, manufactured 100% in India, signaling a renewed focus on the ecosystem play that the company paused years ago.
“We’re launching a new watch in December with the P series. It will be 100% Made in India. Earlier, AIoT products drained too many resources. Now we’ve built Make in India partnerships, so we’re bringing the watch back.”
Narzo Isn’t Going Away (Yet)
There were rumours about Narzo being replaced by a new N series, but Francis clarifies:
“We discussed the replacement internally, but Narzo has brand value. We decided not to drop it. N series will coexist.”
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