The realme Neo8 is a gaming-focused flagship that realme announced in China on January 22, 2026. It went on sale the same day. It is sold only in China. Prices start at 2,599 yuan for the 12/256 GB model. A lower launch-sale price was offered at release. realme has not announced a global version.
Design and display
The Neo8 has a metal frame and a transparent glass back with an RGB light strip. The light can react to games, notifications, music and charging. It comes in Cyber Purple, Origin White and Mecha Gray.
The body measures 162 x 77.07 x 8.3 mm and weighs about 215 g. It carries IP66, IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water. The 6.78-inch AMOLED panel was made with Samsung Display and uses M14 material. It has a 2772 x 1272 resolution, 450 ppi and a 165 Hz maximum refresh rate. Peak brightness reaches 6,500 nits in small areas. Crystal Armor Glass covers the screen, and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader sits under it.
Performance
The phone runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, a 3 nm chip with 2 prime and 6 performance cores. Its top clock is 3.8 GHz. Memory options go up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1 TB of UFS 4.1 storage. There is no microSD slot.
For gaming, realme adds a large vapor chamber and a Geek Performance Panel. This panel lets users set CPU and GPU clocks and choose from five thermal levels without root access. A PC handheld mode also runs more than 50 verified PC games on the phone.
Cameras
The rear setup has three cameras. The main camera uses a 50 MP Sony IMX896 sensor with an f/1.8 lens and OIS. A 50 MP periscope telephoto adds 3.5x optical zoom and OIS. An 8 MP ultrawide camera completes the set. The rear cameras record 4K video at up to 60 fps. On the front, a 16 MP camera records 1080p video at up to 60 fps.
Battery and charging
The Neo8 packs an 8,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery. It supports 80 W wired charging and bypass charging, which powers the phone directly from the charger during play. A charger comes in the box in China. Wireless charging is not listed in the official specs.
Software and updates
The phone ships with realme UI 7.0 based on Android 16. realme promises three major Android upgrades and four years of system maintenance. Other features include NFC, an IR blaster, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. There is no headphone jack.
Should you buy the realme Neo8?
The Neo8 suits buyers in China who want a big battery, a 165 Hz screen and gaming tools. The IP69 rating and the periscope camera are uncommon in this price range. However, it is not sold outside China, so imports lack local support and may miss some network bands. Buyers who need wireless charging should look elsewhere.
