Realme Narzo 80 Pro review: strong gaming performance wrapped in style

The Realme Narzo 80 Pro is aimed at users who want strong performance and eye-catching design without spending too much. It brings a high-resolution curved AMOLED display, MediaTek’s new Dimensity 7400 chipset, and a 50MP Sony IMX 882 sensor to the table – all at a highly competitive price range.

But with stiff competition from other popular rivals like iQOO Z10 (review) and Motorola Edge 60 Fusion (review), the Narzo 80 Pro faces a tough challenge. So, does it manage to deliver where it counts? Let’s find out.

Verdict

The Realme Narzo 80 Pro brings plenty to the table with its bold design, smooth gaming performance, and vibrant curved display. It handles everyday tasks and most games without a hitch, and its sturdy build adds to the appeal. While the absence of NFC and expandable storage might be a drawback for some, those looking for a stylish, gaming-focused phone may still find it a solid choice. 

Design and display

The Realme Narzo 80 Pro brings a few changes over its predecessor, at least in terms of form. The large camera island remains on the back but is now arranged in a triangular formation, enclosed inside a circular island. The phone also has softer, rounded edges that make it very comfortable to hold.

I received the Racing Green variant for review, which has this concentric line pattern on the rear panel, which adds a nice little touch to an otherwise plain design. You get a standard transparent silicone case, stereo speakers, a USB-C port and a noise-cancelling mic, among others.

The display is also a curved AMOLED panel now, measuring 6.77 inches, with an FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 4,500 nits peak brightness. The display is vibrant and has good contrast and viewing angles.

The stereo speaker setup also complements it well and has a good audio output with a decent amount of depth, although it does distort a little at max volumes. There are no problems with outdoor visibility either, and the in-display fingerprint sensor works pretty great. Based on our lab tests, the Realme Narzo 80 Pro recorded 796 nits of brightness and an audio output of 82.6 decibels. This is close to the segment average of 810 nits and 81 decibels, respectively. 

Cameras

The Realme Narzo 80 Pro packs a 50MP Sony IMX882 OIS main camera and a 2MP monochrome sensor, while a 16MP front camera handles selfies. An ultra-wide snapper would’ve been more useful than the monochrome camera. 

In daylight, the main camera captures detailed, vibrant shots with slightly boosted colours and contrast, ideal for social media. You can also shoot live photos, which is a neat extra. The selfie camera performs well in good lighting, although it doesn’t capture facial details as well. Low-light imagery is a challenge for both sensors; even with Night Mode, shots appear a little soft, though this is expected at this price.

I compared the phone’s cameras against some of its key rivals, including the iQOO Z10 (review) and the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion (review). Check it out below:

Daylight

When it comes to daylight shots, both the Narzo 80 Pro and Edge 60 Fusion take fairly decent results, but the former has some advantages. It detects a better level of detail and its image appears better exposed. The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, in turn, opts for a more natural colour scheme but presents some noise in the darker portions of the image. 

The iQOO Z10’s colour science is also comparatively warmer compared to the Realme Narzo 80 Pro. In terms of details, the latter is significantly better, as it manages to preserve more fine details in the trees, shrubbery, etc. The Narzo 80 Pro’s sharpness level is also a notch better than the iQOO Z10, which makes the image more appealing. 

Portrait

Both the Moto Edge 60 Fusion and Realme Narzo 80 Pro use their primary lens for portrait shots. The key differences between the two lie in their detail level. The Narzo 80 Pro shows a lot more facial details and the texture on the subject’s shirt, while the Edge 60 Fusion’s image appears blurry and lacks sharpness. In terms of colour reproduction, both phones do a great job but the Moto Edge 60 Fusion’s skin colour is closer to reality.

The iQOO Z10’s skin colour reproduction is on point, although it tends to soften up the facial details. The Realme Narzo 80 Pro still takes the lead when it comes to detail level, both the facial details and the subject’s clothes. The Realme Narzo 80 Pro’s edge detection is also slightly better in comparison to the iQOO Z10. 

Selfie

Both the Realme Narzo 80 Pro and Moto Edge 60 Fusion tune up the colours in their selfies, although the latter’s image is comparatively more realistic. In terms of facial details, both phones are on par with each other, but the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion has an advantage when it comes to sharpness level. 

The iQOO Z10’s selfie is much sharper compared to the Realme Narzo 80 Pro, although it smooths out the facial details entirely. In terms of colours, it also brightens up the subject’s skin tone a little, whereas the Realme Narzo 80 Pro’s colour reproduction is more realistic. 

Low-light

With night mode enabled, the Realme Narzo 80 Pro’s image turns out quite appealing with high contrast levels and vibrant colours. In comparison, the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion’s image has more washed-out colours with a slight blue tint to it. Another major difference is in the sharpness and detail level between the two, where the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion has the advantage. Both phones struggle with lens flares but the Narzo 80 Pro does it slightly better. Noise level in the darker areas is just about the same for both devices. 

The iQOO Z10 makes the low-light shot extremely vibrant with aggressive colour correction and even changes the colour of the sky slightly. The Realme Narzo 80 Pro manages colours a lot better, although it boosts them too, the image still looks close to the actual scene. In terms of detail level, the iQOO Z10 has the advantage here, and it also manages lens flare better compared to the Narzo 80 Pro. 

Performance and software

The Realme Narzo 80 Pro comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 SoC, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. There is a major hiccup here though, that is, the lack of expandable storage. You are stuck with essentially the storage variant you choose, so it’s better to go for the 256GB variant. 

Coming to the phone’s performance, for regular everyday use, it works without issues. I didn’t notice any performance dips or lags while scrolling through the app drawer, switching between different apps, or multitasking. There were no heating issues during general day-to-day tasks either.

When it comes to gaming, the Narzo 80 Pro handles most modern titles fairly well, even demanding ones like BGMI and Genshin Impact can run at medium settings with a playable 30fps experience. BGMI also supports 90fps on Smooth graphics, and while it doesn’t hold a steady 90fps, you can expect consistent performance around the 75fps mark.

Relatively less demanding battle royales like COD: Mobile run smoothly too, averaging over 50fps at medium settings. Thermals are also well under control, with just an average 2 degree Celsius increase after 30 minutes of gaming. All in all, it’s a great pick for gaming enthusiasts.

Software-wise, the Realme Narzo 80 Pro runs on Android 15-based Realme UI 6 out of the box. The handset comes with a fair amount of pre-loaded apps, but these can be uninstalled easily if you wish to. These come in addition to Google and proprietary apps like App Market, Community, and Game Centre. I also found the app animations a bit basic, resembling the fade-in and fade-out effects seen in Microsoft PowerPoint. Another drawback is the lack of NFC support, which ideally should be standard across all smartphones to enable seamless tap-and-pay digital transactions.

The phone also includes Google’s AI-powered features like AI Writer, AI Recorder, and Circle to Search, handy tools if you rely on your phone for productivity. On top of that, Realme adds its own features like File Dock and Smart Loop, which help in quickly navigating and sharing between different apps.

Battery and charging

The Realme Narzo 80 Pro packs a larger 6,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support, an upgrade that’s great to see in mid-range devices. A bigger battery is always a welcome addition, and in this case, it makes a good difference in longevity. The Realme Narzo 80 Pro’s battery benchmark score, however, is a bit underwhelming compared to its rivals.

Even its endurance feels a little lower than what I initially expected, with a total drain of 23 percent for 2 hours of lab tests. Even smaller battery phones have shown similar battery drain, so the battery doesn’t seem particularly impressive. In my day-to-day usage, it lasted a whole day, although the usage level was moderate. It will last a day, but heavy users might need to top up the battery towards the end of the day. 

The 80W fast charging is the cherry on top, refilling the massive battery in just under an hour, which is something to appreciate.

Final Verdict

The Realme Narzo 80 Pro starts at Rs 19,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model, while the top-end 12GB + 256GB variant is priced at Rs 23,499. At this price, it goes up against phones like the iQOO Z10 (review) and the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion (review). Spend just Rs 1,000 more, and the iQOO Z10 gives you better performance, longer battery life, faster charging and cameras that hold up well in comparison. For Rs 2,000 more, the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion offers a near-stock Android experience, similar battery backup, quicker charging, better cameras, longer software support and a larger base storage.

The Narzo 80 Pro delivers where it matters most for gamers, offering strong performance, an eye-catching design, and solid durability with its IP69 rating. The cameras hold up well too. While it misses out on some features, like expandable storage and NFC, these are trade-offs that may not be deal-breakers for everyone.

Overall, it’s a solid choice for users who prioritise gaming and want a stylish, durable phone.

Editor’s Rating: 7.7/10

Reasons to buy:

• The Realme Narzo 80 Pro has an appealing design and feels great in hand, with IP69-rated durability.
• Its curved AMOLED display is vibrant and immersive, and the stereo speakers offer a multimedia experience.
• The rear cameras perform well across different lighting conditions, delivering dependable results. 
• Day-to-day performance is smooth, and gaming is where the phone really shines through. 

Reasons not to buy:

• The UI could be improved with smoother and more creative app animations, and fewer pre-installed apps.
• There’s no option to expand the storage, which could be limiting in the long run.
• You don’t get NFC support.