The realme GT7 Pro left many scratching their heads. It seemed like realme was trying to balance a premium experience with an affordable price tag. Sure, it had a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a 50MP triple camera system, and a vibrant display. However, it struggled with overheating under heavy use, its ultrawide camera underperformed, and the absence of wireless charging was a glaring omission, especially considering its €1,000 price.

Consequently, the OnePlus 13 outshined the GT7 Pro. With its versatile cameras, remarkable performance, exceptional display, and premium features, OnePlus delivered a more complete package.

A Camera That Dares to Be Different

Now, realme is back with the GT8 Pro, and it shares surprising similarities with the OnePlus 15. In fact, it feels like the OnePlus 15 from an alternate reality. If there's one aspect where the GT8 Pro arguably surpasses the OnePlus 15, it's the camera hardware. While the 50MP main camera and ultrawide lens are nearly identical to those on the OnePlus 15, realme has raised the bar with a 200MP 3x telephoto camera, compared to the OnePlus's 50MP 3.5x offering. While not as large as the 200MP telephoto lenses found on other recent flagships, it's still a noteworthy upgrade.

While I wasn't blown away by the main and ultrawide cameras, which tend to produce overly saturated colors, the telephoto camera generally performs well. However, images sometimes lack the fine detail and controlled highlights found in competing devices like the vivo X300 Pro. Speaking of resolution, the GT8 Pro, like the OPPO Find X9 Pro, defaults to capturing images at a higher resolution, which can be a great feature. The high-resolution shots I took had impressive detail, although they occasionally suffered from overly aggressive HDR and blown highlights.

One standout feature is realme's partnership with Ricoh, resulting in a dedicated Ricoh GR mode. This mode offers various color profiles and the ability to set focusing at preset distances. I particularly enjoyed the monochrome shots, with their unapologetic graininess. My main gripe is the restriction to specific focal lengths, which limits the creative possibilities.

Additionally, the GT8 Pro includes a Gemini-powered AI Framing Master feature, which is similar to Google Pixel's Camera Coach. This tool analyzes the viewfinder and offers framing tips, which could be helpful for some users. However, it would be even better if this feature utilized on-device processing for faster performance and enhanced privacy.

Design and Build: Familiar Territory

Upon closer inspection, the realme GT8 Pro features curved corners and a flat metal frame, reminiscent of the OnePlus 15. This design approach, which seems inspired by iPhones, has become increasingly common among Android manufacturers. The phone also sports a circular camera bump that can be swapped out for different designs, including a barebones option. While I doubt users will frequently change the bumps, realme encourages 3D-printing custom designs.

The phone boasts a paper-like rear cover, Gorilla Glass 7i on the front, and IP68/IP69 ratings. While the OnePlus 15 offers slightly better durability on paper with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and IP68/69/69K ratings, the GT8 Pro remains a relatively well-protected device.

Performance and Battery Life: A Mixed Bag

Both the GT8 Pro and the OnePlus 15 are equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, delivering exceptional CPU performance and impressive peak scores in graphical benchmarks. However, both phones also experience significant overheating issues. During stress tests, the GT8 Pro's performance dropped considerably, although a later update appeared to improve stability. Fortunately, the GT8 Pro handles everyday tasks and demanding games smoothly. However, the eight-second capture time for full-resolution 200MP photos is a noticeable drawback.

With its massive 7,000mAh battery, the GT8 Pro delivers impressive endurance. I was able to get two days of typical use, including browsing, watching videos, and using social media. The phone also supports 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, providing fast and convenient charging options. Although realme's claimed charging time was slightly shorter than my actual experience, it's still remarkably quick for a phone with such a large battery.

The GT8 Pro features a QHD+ OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. While I'm not particularly concerned with high resolution or refresh rates, I found the display to be sharp and smooth. Realme claims a peak brightness of 7,000 nits, but the more realistic figures are 2,000 nits in high-brightness mode and 1,000 nits of manual brightness. Regardless, the screen was bright enough for comfortable use under direct sunlight.

Other notable features include an optical in-display fingerprint sensor, an IR blaster, and loud stereo speakers. The realme UI 7 software offers a range of features and customization options, although it does include some pre-installed bloatware. realme's Android skin also incorporates AI features, such as summarization and transcription capabilities. However, I found the notification summaries to be hit-or-miss.

realme promises four major OS upgrades and five years of security patches, which is decent but not as long as some competitors. Overall, the realme GT8 Pro presents a compelling option for those seeking a well-rounded flagship Android phone. With its powerful processor, impressive camera zoom, high-resolution screen, and massive battery, it feels like a prototype of the OnePlus 15 that could have been. However, it does have its drawbacks, including performance throttling, inconsistent camera performance, and somewhat annoying AI features.