realme partners with "RICOH" Japanese imaging firm for the GT 8 Pro

realme is making waves lately with their left and right promotions. This time, the brand introduces its partnership with RICOH Imaging Company.

realme's announcement

realme powered by RICOH GR

Through the brand's official website, realme today announced a strategic partnership with RICOH IMAGING COMPANY LTD., with an official launch event scheduled for October 14 in Beijing, China.

The collaboration, described as one of the industry's most profound imaging partnerships, followed four years of preparation. A video titled "4 Years in One Snap" was released to mark the occasion, outlining the co-engineering process and previewing features of the first co-created product, which is designed for the upcoming realme GT 8 Pro.

realme partners with "RICOH" Japanese imaging firm for the GT 8 Pro

In the video, realme Vice President and CMO Chase Xu and Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager of the Camera Business Division at RICOH IMAGING COMPANY LTD., discussed the shared understanding of user demands that brought the brands together. realme identified that young people often face two main issues in mobile photography: increasingly similar hardware and over-processed algorithms that reduce authenticity.

 

People are getting tired of the same 'perfect style' photos. More and more, everyone wants to show their own style, instead of copying the same look," Chase Xu explained.

The RICOH GR series, known as a "street photography hero" for its sharp quality, portability, and quick response, was noted as a key influence. "That's exactly what we value" Xu said.

 

Saiki added: RICOH Imaging and realme share a base of young, creative users. Our collaboration is not only about innovation in products, but also about culture to inspire a new generation to enjoy street photography and discover the beauty of everyday life.

The partnership aims to provide tools for authentic capture and personal expression, integrating traditional camera heritage into mobile photography.

Through customizations developed by realme and RICOH GR's research and development teams, the GT 8 Pro is designed to deliver an imaging experience with innovations in optics, color algorithms, imaging tones, and a user interface that mimics a RICOH GR camera, realme noted.

The device integrates nearly 30 years of RICOH GR heritage, including its film-like aesthetic and five classic image tones, with realme's mobile imaging expertise and insights into youth preferences. The collaboration is intended to advance street photography culture by emphasizing mood and emotional warmth in photos, rather than competing on specifications or uniform filters.

The partnership also aims to extend street photography culture into the mobile era. The "4 Years in One Snap" video marks a step in encouraging young people to record and express their lives freely. "It's a fresh, young way to take photos. You don't wait or try to make the perfect shot, but just press the button and capture the moment -- Snap by No Rules, said Xu.

Through this collaboration, we hope that even those who don't usually use a dedicated camera would experience snapshot photography with the GT 8 Pro," Saiki noted.

The official debut of the partnership is set for October 14.

What do you guys think?

Source: realme