‘Professional when you want, effortless when you need’: Realme’s Chase Xu and Ricoh’s Saiki on crafting the GT 8 Pro

In this interview, leaders from Realme and Ricoh detail their four-year journey to bring authentic, pro-grade street photography to the GT 8 Pro.

Realme has recently introduced its popular flagship smartphone, the Realme GT 8 Pro, in China, in collaboration with Japan’s renowned camera maker, Ricoh Imaging, known for its compact and premium street photography cameras, to bring high-end photography to a wider audience.

Here’s how Realme’s partnership with Ricoh aims to reshape smartphone photography with the new GT 8 Pro.

By MD Ijaj Khan

Ijaj Khan is a technology journalist and Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, with over three years of experience covering the consumer technology industry. His work spans smartphones, laptops, wearables, gaming, appliances and AI - from hands-on reviews, comparison and buying guides to breaking news and in-depth features that help readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions. Before joining HT Tech, he worked with Jagran New Media, where he sharpened his instincts for fast-paced digital reporting. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Whether he's testing the latest flagship smartphone, tracking a major AI announcement, or putting a gaming laptop through its paces, Ijaj approaches every story with the same goal - making technology feel relevant and easy to understand for everyday users, not just enthusiasts. When he's not in front of a screen for work, he's usually travelling to a new city, hunting for great food, or keeping tabs on what's next in tech before everyone else catches on.

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The latest Realme GT 8 Pro features a 50MP Ricoh-tuned main camera in a triple-camera setup. The company says the phone’s camera system has been designed around Ricoh’s “Snap by No Rules” philosophy, which focuses on capturing real, unfiltered moments rather than highly processed images.

According to Realme, this collaboration was four years in the making and aims to merge Ricoh’s photography legacy with Realme’s technological development. The GT 8 Pro also gets a customisable camera design, which allows users to swap the camera island cover for different looks, a first for Realme’s product line.

As camera partnerships between smartphone brands and traditional imaging companies become more common, Realme says its collaboration with Ricoh is built not on branding, but on joint engineering, optical algorithms, and color science integration.

On the sidelines of the launch in Beijing, Hindustan Times Tech spoke with Chase Xu, Vice President and CMO at Realme, and Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager of Ricoh’s Camera Business Division, to understand how this partnership came together and what it means for the future of mobile photography.

Q: Many brands now collaborate with established camera makers. How is Realme’s approach different?

“The difference lies in how deeply we collaborate. This isn’t a co-branding exercise — it’s co-creation. Ricoh’s GR philosophy is all about realism and spontaneity, capturing moments as they are. That’s what we wanted to bring into smartphone photography.

Our teams worked together on optical algorithms, colour science, and interface design. The goal is to create images that look authentic, not artificially enhanced. It’s about giving users the freedom to capture life as it happens. This approach helps Realme stand out because we’re focusing on the essence of photography rather than marketing labels, said Chase Xu, Vice President and CMO, Realme.

Q: Ricoh is known for its GR cameras and loyal photography community. What drew Ricoh to collaborate with Realme on a smartphone project?

“We’ve been observing the evolution of smartphone photography closely. Ricoh has always focused on capturing “the decisive moment,” and that philosophy aligns with Realme’s vision of accessible innovation, said Kazunobu Saiki, general manager of the camera business division at RICOH IMAGING COMPANY LTD.

“When we began discussions four years ago, we realised our strengths were complementary - Ricoh’s photography experience and Realme’s capability to deliver advanced hardware at scale. Together, we aimed to translate the essence of GR photography into a compact, always-available smartphone form. Our teams worked jointly on lens calibration, exposure balance, and dynamic range optimisation to ensure the GT 8 Pro captures the realism and spontaneity GR users appreciate,” he further added.

Q: Many users now expect DSLR-like quality from their phones. How is Realme approaching this shift?

“Our philosophy is simple, “pro when you want it and simple when you need it.” The GT 8 Pro offers both. Photography enthusiasts can access GR-style manual controls, while everyday users benefit from AI-driven scene optimisation that makes shooting effortless. The camera’s new GR-inspired interface offers five distinct tone modes, designed with Ricoh’s input, to let users experiment or shoot instantly without fuss,” said. Chase Xu.

“We want to make professional imaging feel natural - not complicated. The goal is for users to enjoy photography without needing to think too much about settings,” he further explained.

Q: Does this partnership signal a longer-term roadmap between Realme and Ricoh?

“Absolutely. What you see in the GT 8 Pro is only the beginning. We’re already exploring new possibilities for future devices, including sensor tuning and colour processing advancements that bring mobile imaging even closer to professional results, “ said Kazunobu Saiki.

Talking about the partnership, Chase Xu stated, “ The collaboration isn’t just about one device; it’s about redefining how people think about photography on smartphones. Our focus is on long-term co-development, building imaging systems that combine artistic freedom with accessible technology.”

When we asked how Realme plans to balance high-end camera technology with pricing for a market like India, Xu explained that accessibility remains central to Realme’s strategy.

“India is one of the most dynamic smartphone markets globally, and we’ve always believed flagship experiences shouldn’t be exclusive,” Xu said.

“Our collaboration with Ricoh GR enables us to bring professional-grade photography to a broader audience. Through joint research and development and hardware-software optimisation, we’ve achieved GR-inspired imaging that includes color calibration, tone science, and shutter optimization, all at a competitive price.”

A step toward “real” mobile photography

The Realme GT 8 Pro represents more than another flagship launch; it reflects a shift in how brands view imaging partnerships. By working with Ricoh, Realme is betting on a deeper approach to smartphone photography, one that values authenticity over filters and realism over enhancement.

For users, this means a smartphone that brings professional photography closer to everyday use. For the industry, it’s another sign that the line between camera and phone continues to blur, not through complexity, but through collaboration.