Realme did not want to wait for the Mobile World Congress to present its first batch of smartphones. The company not quite long announced the Realme 9i and the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+, its premium mid-range smartphones. The ones that concern us in this text are, precisely, the latter two.
The Realme 9 Pro comes with a 120 Hz screen and the Snapdragon 695 5G processor, while the Realme 9 Pro+ (which is the first “pro plus” of the firm) mounts a 90 Hz AMOLED panel and the MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G. The former starts at €329.99 and the latter at €399.99. Having made the introductions, let’s get to know them better.
Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+ datasheet
| Realme 9 Pro | Realme 9 Pro+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions and Weight | 8.5mm thick 195 grams | 160.2 x 73.3 x 7.99mm 182 grams |
| Screen | 6.6-inch IPS/LCD FullHD+ resolution (2,412 x 1,080 pixels) 401 dpi Refresh rate: 120 Hz Touch Sampling: 240 Hz | 6.4-inch Super AMOLED FullHD+ resolution (2,400 x 1,080 pixels) 409 dpi Refresh rate: 90 Hz Touch Sampling: 360 Hz Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | Snapdragon 695 5G Adreno 619 GPU | MediaTek Dimension 920 5G Mali-G69 MC4 GPU |
| RAM | 6/8GB LPDDR4x 5GB Dynamic RAM | 6/8GB LPDDR4x 5GB Dynamic RAM |
| Internal Storage | 128/256GB UFS 2.2 | 128/256GB UFS 2.2 |
| Rear Camera | 64MP f/1.79 Wide-angle 8 MP f / 2.2 Macro 2MP f/2.4 | 50MP Sony IMX766 f/1.8 OIS+EIS Wide-angle 8 MP f / 2.2, 119º Macro 2MP f/2.4 |
| Front Camera | 16MP | 16MP |
| Battery | 5,000mAh Dart Charge 33W | 4,500mAh Super Dart Charge 65W |
| Operating System | Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0 | Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0 |
| Connectivity | 5G NFC | 5G NFC |
| Others | Side fingerprint sensor Vapor chamber cooling | On-screen fingerprint reader Heart rate detection Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Vapor chamber cooling |
| Price | 6/128 GB: €329.99 8/256GB: €349.99 | 6/128GB: €399.99 8/128GB: €439.99 |
Realme 9 Pro: a full-fledged mid-range phone
Let’s start with the Realme 9 Pro. This device comes with a very interesting finish in its blue version: Light Shift. In short, it is based on the photochromic principle to switch between blue and red, something “inspired by the sunrise”. According to Realme, under normal sunlight, it changes from blue to red in about three seconds. A most peculiar finish, no doubt, which it shares with its Pro+ model.
The device has a fingerprint reader on the side, as its display is IPS/LCD. And speaking of the screen, it is a 6.6-inch panel with FullHD+ resolution and 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate with six levels, from 30 to 120 Hz. As expected, it is perforated in one of the corners to house the front camera.
Under the hood, there is the Snapdragon 695 5G processor, launched late last year, along with six to eight gigs of RAM. This will be virtually expandable (using the internal memory as RAM) with up to 5 GB. The internal storage, meanwhile, is 128 or 256 GB, depending on the version chosen.
A 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging and Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0 gives life to this whole set. To avoid overheating, the firm has implemented an intelligent charging algorithm and a vapor chamber cooling system.
As for the photographic section, the device mounts a 64-megapixel main sensor, an eight-megapixel wide-angle, and a two-megapixel macro. Among the new features are a “street photography 2.0” mode, a long exposure mode, and filters with a 90s aesthetic. Selfies, meanwhile, are handled by a 16-megapixel sensor.
Realme 9 Pro+: the first Realme “pro plus”
The bigger model of the Realme 9 Pro is the Realme 9 Pro+. It shares with its smaller model the blue finish with Light Shift and much of its design, although it is somewhat lighter and noticeably thinner. However, these are not the only differences.
Realme reserved the Super AMOLED screen for the Pro+ model, which in this case is 6.4 inches. The resolution is FullHD+, but the refresh rate drops to 90 Hz. Something worth noting is that the fingerprint reader is under the screen and also functions as a heart rate sensor whose test lasts about 15 seconds.
On the other hand, if in the previous model the processor is Qualcomm, the one in the Pro+ model is MediaTek. Specifically, the MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G, whose GPU is the Mali-G69 MC4. RAM and storage, however, remain unchanged: 6/8 GB (plus 5 GB of virtual RAM) and 128/256 GB.
The battery is reduced in capacity, dropping from 5,000 to 4,500 mAh, but it makes up for the loss with 65W fast charging, which is not bad at all. The operating system, of course, is Android 12 with Realme UI 3.0, the latest version of Realme’s customization layer.
Finally, let’s talk about the camera. It is undoubtedly one of the main arguments of the smartphone, as it incorporates a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 main sensor. To give us an idea, it is the same sensor that mounts the OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G and the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. As if that wasn’t enough, it also has OIS+EIS. It also mounts a wide-angle, macro, and 16-megapixel front camera.
Pricing and Availability of the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+
The Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+ will be available in green, blue and black. They will be available starting February 23 in 6/128 GB and 8/256 GB versions. Pricing is as follows:
- Realme 9 Pro 6/128 GB: €329.99
- Realme 9 Pro 8/256 GB: €349.99
- Realme 9 Pro+ 6/128 GB: €399.99
- Realme 9 Pro+ 8/256 GB: €439.99
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