Realme 9 review

`

Introduction and specifications

The Realme 9 series has quite a few family members this year. We have a 4G and 5G version of the vanilla option, we have a 9i and two Pro versions. Each represents a different price category except the Realme 9 4G and 5G iterations. Both seem to be priced fairly similar. And to our surprise, the 5G device cuts the Realme 9 4G by around € 30.

However, there is a good reason why. The 4G variant has a better display, faster charging and a better main camera, and the base memory variant offers double the memory of 5G. At first glance, we can say that the 4G version is likely to be more popular than its 5G counterpart, mainly among people not interested in upgrading to the 5G network or in countries where coverage is still poor.

Realme 9 specs at a glance:

• Body: 160.2×73.3×8.0 mm, 178 g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, back and plastic frame.
• Screen: 6.40 “Super AMOLED, 90 Hz, 430 nits (typical), 1000 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20: 9 aspect ratio, 411ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm): Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold and 4×1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver); Adreno 610.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• Operating system / software: Android 12, Realme UI 3.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f / 1.8, 26 mm, 1 / 1.67 “, 0.64 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f / 2.2, 120˚, 1/4 “, 1.12 µm; Macro: 2 MP, f / 2.4.
• Front Camera: 16 MP, f / 2.5, 26 mm (wide), 1 / 3.09 “, 1.0 µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p @ 30fps; Front camera: 1080p @ 30fps.
• Battery: 5000 mAh; Fast charging 33W, 50% in 31 min, 100% in 75 min (advertised).
• Various: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); 3.5mm jack, without NFC.

For around € 280, you’ll get a solid 90Hz OLED panel, 5,000mAh battery, 33W fast charge, 108MP main camera, and 128GB expandable storage. The Realme 9 also works with a recent Snapdragon 680 SoC, although that particular chip doesn’t have a built-in 5G modem.

With all these specs in mind, the € 280 price tag looks pretty competitive. The phone configures itself to be a respectable all-rounder, making it a better case than the 5G option as well. But specs aren’t everything, so we’ll go through our usual tests to see the hardware’s performance in the real world.

Unboxing the Realme 9

The device comes in a standard box containing all the usual user manuals, the dedicated 33W charging brick and a USB-A to USB-C cable used for charging and data transfer.

Realme has also included a clear protective case as a bonus.