What you need to know

• Realme XT is the first phone in the world to feature Samsung's 64MP GM1 sensor.
• The phone has four cameras at the back, and a gradient effect not unlike the P30 Pro.
• Xiaomi is also set to unveil its first phone with a 64MP camera later this week.

Realme launched the Realme 5 series last week in India, but the brand is gearing up to launch another mid-range phone in the coming weeks. The Realme XT is set to follow on the heels of the Realme X that debuted back in May, but the key highlight is a 64MP camera at the back.

The Realme XT is the first phone in the world to feature the sensor, with the brand narrowly edging out its Chinese rival Xiaomi. Xiaomi is set to unveil the Redmi Note 8 series in Beijing later in the week, and the Redmi Note 8 Pro is rumored to feature the same 64MP sensor.

Xiaomi and Realme have been at loggerheads in India's budget segment all year, and by launching the phone so close to the Redmi Note 8 launch, Realme is clearly stating its intent to be the first brand to showcase a device with a 64MP camera. I'll have much more to talk about the Realme XT later this week, but for now, what you need to know is that the phone has four cameras at the back — much like the Realme 5 Pro — and a gradient pattern that's similar to that of the Huawei P30 Pro.

I'll also be on the ground in Beijing for the Redmi Note 8 series launch on August 29, so stay tuned for more on Xiaomi's upcoming phones.