After days of teasing, smartphone brand Realme has officially announced a landmark partnership with Ricoh Imaging, the company behind the iconic GR family of street photography cameras, to co-engineer the camera system for the upcoming realme GT 8 Pro phone – bringing tthe looks and shooting modes of the popular GR III (and its successor, the GRIV) to a mobile device for the first time.
Unveiled at a launch event in Beijing, the collaboration marks what both brands describe as one of the “deepest imaging partnerships” in the industry. The GT 8 Pro will debut a Ricoh GR-powered camera system, promising an experience that blends the ease of phone photography with the authenticity of Ricoh’s cult compact series.
According to the announcement, the phone will feature a new custom-designed lens meeting GR optical standards, with Realme promising an ultra-high-transparency lens group offering anti-glare coatings and low distortion.
The GT 8 Pro will also introduce a dedicated GR Mode with hallmark features like the distinctive GR shutter sound, quick startup, and Snap Mode – Ricoh’s street photography cheat mode, which locks in a preset focus distance for quick street shots.
And as reported, Ricoh’s influence will extend beyond optics to image tone and looks. The phone will include five GR Film Styles – Standard, Positive Film, Negative Film, Monotone, and High-Contrast B&W – which aim to reproduce the “film-like” rendering that Ricoh GR fans love. These tones are derived from GR color science, offering what Realme calls a more “organic, imperfect” aesthetic compared to the clean imagery typical of modern phones.
Realme’s Vice President, Chase Xu, described the GT 8 Pro as “a device that embodies freedom, creativity, and authenticity,” while Ricoh Imaging’s Kazunobu Saiki said the partnership “revitalizes street photography culture for the next generation.”
The GT 8 Pro will come with dual focal lengths of 28mm and 40mm, a minimal Viewfinder Mode, and a GR-style watermark.
The GT 8 Pro aims squarely at photographers who want the look of the Ricoh GR IV – but without having to carry a separate compact camera. The Realme GT 8 Pro will launch “globally” later this year – although specific territories are yet to be confirmed.
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