The Realme GT8 Pro is bonkers – and I hope more brands copy its interchangeable camera design

Who says all phones have to look the same?

28 Dec 2025, 15:00 · TechRadar

Features By Nirave Gondhia published 28 December 2025

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I've been writing about the best phones for almost 20 years now, but 2025 proved that phone makers can still surprise experts like me.

Take Realme, for example, which decided – with the Realme GT8 Pro – to offer a feature I never realized I wanted: an interchangeable camera housing.

Yes, you read that right. Not content to equip its latest phone with merely a very good smartphone camera, Realme has put two different camera housing designs in the box with the Realme GT8 Pro, along with the necessary screwdriver to easily swap them out in under two minutes.

In offering these modular, or interchangeable, components, Realme joins a few other phone makers, including Fairphone and Nothing, and I hope more phone makers follow suit with this level of smartphone customization in 2026.

Meet the Realme GT8 Pro's changeable camera design

(Image credit: Future)

Before unboxing the Realme GT8 Pro a few weeks ago, I had no idea that it offered an interchangeable camera housing. At first, I dismissed it as little more than a gimmick, but then I changed the housing from the default round design to the included square version, and fell in love with the idea of being able to swap it out at will.

This interchangeability isn’t just limited to the regular Realme GT8 Pro, but is also a feature on the gorgeous green F1 Aston Martin Aramco version (pictured above). I was able to mix and match the black and green housings on both devices for some really eye-catching results.

Realme also offers additional color options across both versions of the GT8 Pro, giving users the opportunity to truly stand out from the crowd in both their choice of finish and the camera housing they opt to equip at any given time.

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