Realme announces strategic partnership with RICOH IMAGING; Debut with realme GT 8 Pro on October 14

Realme has announced a long-term strategic partnership with RICOH IMAGING COMPANY LTD., set to be officially unveiled on October 14 in Beijing. The collaboration, which has been in development for four years, will make its debut with the upcoming realme GT 8 Pro smartphone.

To introduce the partnership, both companies released a promotional video titled “4 Years in One Snap.” The video features Chase Xu, realme’s Vice President and CMO, and Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager of the Camera Business Division at RICOH IMAGING COMPANY LTD., sharing insights into the vision behind this collaboration.

The partnership was built on a mutual understanding of the evolving needs of mobile photography users. realme highlighted two key challenges in the industry—uniform hardware performance across smartphones and over-processed image algorithms that compromise photo authenticity.

Through this collaboration, realme aims to bring the essence of the RICOH GR series, widely acclaimed for its street photography excellence, to its mobile devices.

The realme GT 8 Pro will be the first smartphone to feature co-engineered imaging technology from both brands. It will introduce enhancements in optics, color science, and image tone, along with a custom camera interface designed to replicate the signature experience of a RICOH GR camera. The device will also incorporate RICOH GR’s 30-year photographic heritage, featuring its film-like visual style and five signature image tones.

The official event on October 14 is expected to reveal more details about the partnership and showcase the imaging advancements of the realme GT 8 Pro ahead of its launch in China later this month.

Speaking about the collaboration, realme Vice President and CMO, Chase Xu, in a conversation with Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager of the Camera Business Division at RICOH IMAGING COMPANY LTD., said:

“The partnership between the two brands was built on a shared understanding of user needs. We noticed that young users face two major pain points in mobile photography—hardware that has become too similar across devices, and over-processed algorithms that take away the authenticity of images. People are growing tired of the same ‘perfect style’ photos. Increasingly, they want to express their individuality rather than follow a uniform aesthetic.
The RICOH GR series, known as the ‘street photography hero,’ stands out for its sharp image quality, portability, and fast response—qualities we deeply value.”

Adding to this, Kazunobu Saiki said:

“RICOH Imaging and realme share a common foundation of young, creative users. Our collaboration goes beyond product innovation—it’s also about culture. Together, we aim to inspire a new generation to embrace street photography and find beauty in everyday life.”