Realme 9 Pro Review: Excellent Value for Money




The Realme 9 Pro+ is a new addition to the company's vast and already confusing lineup of smartphones. Traditionally, Realme has always led with the core models in its number series together, but this year we got the Realme 9i first, in January. With this latest launch, instead of the expected Realme 9 and 9 Pro, we're getting the Realme 9 Pro and a new Realme 9 Pro+.

The Realme 9 Pro+ is meant to take on the new Xiaomi 11 series and the OnePlus Nord series of mid-range smartphones. So, what's new about the Realme 9 Pro+, and is it worth the premium over the Realme 9 Pro?

And in a way, it makes sense because the 9 Pro seems like a downgrade in many aspects compared to the 8 Pro from last year. But when put against the 8s 5G, the 9 Pro seems like a huge improvement. It swaps out the old LCD panel for a brighter, 120Hz one, bumps up the chipset to Snapdragon 695 5G, adds an ultrawide camera and gets rid of the arguably useless depth sensor too. Charging and battery capacity remain the same.

Realme 9 Pro specs at a glance:

  • Body: 164.3x75.6x8.5mm, 195g; Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back.
  • Display: 6.60" IPS LCD, 120Hz,, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 430 nits (typ), 1080x2412px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 399ppi.
  • Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
  • Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (hybrid SIM slot).
  • OS/Software: Android 12, Realme UI 3.0.
  • Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.3, 119Ëš, 16mm, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
  • Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3.0", 1.0µm.
  • Video capture: Rear camera:1080p@30fps, 720p@60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
  • Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 33W.
  • Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); 3.5mm jack, NFC.

We can't miss mentioning the unique Light Shift design for both Realme 9 Pros. The Sunrise Blue color on the Pro+ we got in our office changes colors when exposed to the UV rays of the sun (or any other UV light for that matter). We will talk about this in detail in our next section because it's one of the standout features of the 9 Pro family.

Interestingly enough, Realme went for a pretty unorthodox feature segmentation for the 9 Pro and 9 Pro+. The latter is more photography-focused with a superior camera setup and faster charging, and a snappier chipset. It makes more sense as it's the more expensive of the bunch, right?

The vanilla Pro has its appeal, too, potentially making it the more sensible choice. For one, the Snapdragon 695 chipset is more than adequate, it has a bigger 6.6-inch display, which is also faster at 120Hz, and the bigger battery would surely last you longer too. So if you are looking for a smoother experience and longer battery life, the standard Realme 9 Pro could be the one for you. As long as you are fine with the LCD panel.

Unboxing the Realme 9 Pro

The device comes in a standard box with the usual user manuals, the corresponding 33W charger, USB-A to USB-C cable and the SIM ejector tool.

Design and ergonomics

The Realme 9 Pro and the Pro+ have an identical design with a distinctive camera island. The bump protrudes quite a bit and has sharp edges all-around, unlike the rest of the back, which is nicely curved to the sides for a more comfortable grip. We received the non-Plus version in Midnight Black, but there's an option for the Sunrise Blue color. That's the one that changes color under direct UV sunlight. In a matter of seconds, the blue color turns into red, but it takes a couple of minutes if you use a strong indoor light.

The Midnight Black color attracts some fingerprints and they are quite visible too. The glossy surface is slippery but not as much as most glass backs. That's because this one here is made of plastic, not that we expected glass anyway.

Realme 9 Pro+ cameras

The Realme 9 Pro+ ditches the 108-megapixel camera of its predecessor in favour of a 50-megapixel primary camera, which also happens to have optical image stabilisation (OIS). It's not just any sensor either, but a Sony IMX766, which we've only seen in more expensive phones such as the Oppo Reno 7 Pro (Review) and the OnePlus 9RT (Review) so far. There's also an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Selfie duties are handled by a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

The camera app is similar to what we've seen on recent Realme phones, but has a few changes. For instance, some of the controls such as the timer for photos and frame rate selector for videos are now moved under the three-dot button menu. As with all smartphones running Android 12, you will also notice a green dot appearing near the status icons to indicate that the camera is being used, which is a privacy protection feature.

Verdict

While the Realme 9 Pro+ and the 9 Pro might seem as though they have overlapping specifications, they clearly belong in different categories, given the brand's hardware choices for both these smartphones.

The Realme 9 Pro is priced starting from Rs. 17,999 offers a 120Hz refresh rate display, a 5,000mAh battery, and a 64-megapixel primary camera, which actually make it seem better than the 9 Pro+ on paper. However, the Realme 9 Pro+ has an AMOLED display that can reproduce deeper blacks, 60W charging support, and a more advanced primary camera sensor plus OIS. So, despite their similar pricing, the audiences for these two phones should be quite different. The Realme 9 Pro will appeal to gamers who want a higher screen refresh rate, while the 9 Pro+ is clearly aimed at those looking to shoot better photos.

As for the competition, the Xiaomi 11i seems to offer the best value at this price point with similar or slightly better hardware. There's also the Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge (Review) which is capable of 120W charging. The OnePlus Nord CE (Review) is another option in this price range, and offers a capable camera plus a clean software experience. As we already know, the OnePlus Nord CE is soon to be replaced by the Nord CE 2.

The Realme 9 Pro+ might not have very aggressive specs, but the company has made some sensible choices in areas that matter. Key among these is the OIS system and flagship-grade sensor in the primary camera, which deliver good performance in daylight as well as low light; something most smartphones in this segment struggle with. The MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC is a solid performer too. You get Android 12 out of the box and Realme UI 3.0 runs buttery smooth. Battery life is also quite good. All of this makes the 9 Pro+ excellent value for money.