Francis Wong Reveals How Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones Edition Blends Pop Culture With Cutting-Edge Tech

Q1: The realme 15 Pro Special Edition is inspired by one of the most iconic TV series globally. How do you strike a balance between pop culture aesthetics and ensuring the device still feels timeless as a smartphone?

Whenever we collaborated with an IP from pop culture or any renowned brand, be it Aston Martin Edition, Coca Cola Edition, Naruto or Game of Thrones,  we fully absorb the colors, icons and make it more like a product of the collaborated brand instead of just a realme phone. Through this way only we can make sure we got a good reach to the fan base of another brand and thereafter to increase realme’s brand preference.

We follow the basic ID design principles to keep the phone 7.48mm slim and light weighted, so the camera layout, battery size, materials of back panels remain timeless.

Take realme 15 GOT edition as an example, you find it look like a classic realme 15 Pro yet more eye-catching with the color changing dragon icon inspired by GOT.

Q2: You’ve mentioned cultural collaborations play a big role in connecting with young audiences. How do you identify which shows, movies, or cultural trends are the right fit for realme’s brand DNA?

A- realme aims to become the most popular tech brand among the youth, so we targeted heavily on IPs that are already popular among the youth.

Basically we follow 2 principles:

1. The brand has to be very much well-known globally, especially in India which is our strategic market.
2. The brand should in sync with realme’s core brand identity which is young, confident, energetic.

We  prepare 2 years in advance for collaborations and select IPs based on closed group survey in our community.

Q3: The 15 Pro already packs cutting-edge features like a 144Hz display, 7,000mAh battery, and AI-backed camera tools. In what ways does the Special Edition elevate the experience beyond design alone?

A- GOT Edition places a stronger focus on design. But it’s not just about the Dragonfire heat-sensitive color-changing back panel. The customized ice and fire UI, the King’s Landing and Winterfell camera filters, the AI Edit Genie that transforms users into GOT characters, and the limited-edition collector’s box — all of these details bring fans back into the epic world of Westeros.

Ultimately, we want this edition to be more than just a smartphone — a true collectible that embodies the spirit of the show, complements the bold personality of our young users, and reflects their passions in a unique and imaginative way.

Q4: Collaborations often come with challenges around creative freedom and brand alignment. What were some of the biggest challenges while working on this Game of Thrones-inspired project, and how did you overcome them?

A- Collaborations like this always excites marketers and designers, they are happy and inspired to finally get the chance to work on something unusual.  But the excitement doesn’t share among people who are working on software development, finance and ROI calculations, most of the cases we have to put extra efforts to get a good collaborations done. And the sales result may not be that great, after all, the special edition usually sell at a higher price.

So internal alignment and an accurate sales projection is the biggest challenge not just for GOT edition but for every co-branded phone.

Q5: With IP69+ durability, advanced AI camera tools, and GT Boost 3.0, the 15 Pro is already positioned as a performance powerhouse. How does the Special Edition appeal to both gamers and entertainment enthusiasts?

A- Whatever has been there with 15 Pro is there with GOT edition as well.  One thing is that the GOT edition is 12+512GB, bigger storage and more premium.

Q6: In India, youth audiences are price-sensitive yet value-driven. How do you plan to position the Special Edition in terms of pricing, given the premium design collaboration with a global franchise?

A- realme always bring great specs at affordable price. realme 15 Pro is already the most value for money phone in its segment. the realme 15 Pro GOT edition will be priced INR 44,999 for 12+512GB variant, still value for money if you compare with other offline products with similar camera and processor.

Q7: AI features like MagicGlow 2.0 and AI Edit Genie are standout additions to the 15 Pro lineup. Do you see AI becoming the biggest differentiator for future special editions as well?

A- AI Edit Genie is definitely a stand out factors for realme 15 Pro, every smartphone can claim they have a good camera, but only realme developed this unique AI feature.

I feel nowadays smartphone industry are not as exciting as it was before, because the evolvement on the hardware part has been slowed down. AI is the only chance that brings the excitement back and make a brand stands out from others.

Q8: Realme has consistently emphasized lifestyle-driven innovation. How do you envision smartphones evolving in the next 3–5 years to become more than just tech devices, perhaps even fashion or cultural statements?

A- Instead of Fashion and Cultural statements, I would rather say in 5 years, smartphone will become the JARVIS of IRON MAN for everyone. As AI is getting matured day by day, it will change everyone’s life style. And no matter how big AI can become, the best entrance to use the AI is still our smartphones.

In 5 years we will be able to talk to our phone and ask it to do many tasks for us.

Q9: The realme 15 Pro Special Edition merges fandom with functionality. Do you see future collaborations expanding into music, sports, or even gaming franchises?

A- Definitely. And you’ve noticed we’ve worked with multiple global brands on co-developed products. The next step is to work with IPs that are popular in India. We’ve tried some basic collaborations in past few years in India, for example we are official partner of BGMI in India, we have realme Music Studio working with many Indian musicians.  So we do have a good base to make the collaborations deeper.

Q10: Special Editions often generate buzz and excitement. Beyond sales, what kind of long-term brand impact does realme expect from the Game of Thrones partnership?

A- GOT coverd more than 170 countries with 1.2 Billion fans. GOT edition will help realme to reach their audience. In the short run, it will increase the brand awareness of realme and popularity of realme 15 series in many countries and in the long run, with more and more such collaborations, people gonna remember realme as a preferred brand which is always close to its young users.

Q11: Sustainability is becoming a big talking point globally. How does realme ensure that even with such collaborations, the brand remains committed to eco-friendly practices in design, production, or packaging?

A- We’ve scaled our green practice since 2022.  We follow a Philosophy of “3R+1D”: This principle guides realme’s design process. Reduce involves minimizing material usage in packaging. Recycle and Reuse focus on selecting materials that can have a second life, while Degradable ensures that materials can break down safely at the end of their life cycle.

Pioneering with Bio-Based Materials: The realme GT2 Pro is the industry’s first smartphone to use a bio-based polymer material. SABIC extracts this material from renewable sources like paper pulp and sawdust. This switch from traditional petroleum-based plastics helped reduce carbon emissions by 35.5% in the production of the phone’s back casing. realme passed complex craftsmanship and rigorous reliability tests to ensure this eco-friendly material also offers a premium feel and durability.

Full Lifecycle Management: realme has established a comprehensive product recycling system to tackle electronic waste. In 2022 alone, realme recycled and processed 232,000 units of products, which amounted to 49.2 tons of electronic waste, including 12.4 tons of batteries

You may see the GOT edition is a bit heavier on the packaging, however it is a limited edition with limited supply and we make sure we saved elsewhere to make sure the brand as a whole is sustainable and green.

Q12: Finally, if you had to sum up the realme 15 Pro Special Edition in just three words that capture both the tech and the cultural inspiration, what would they be?

A- Bold, Beautiful, Powerful