Realme 9 5G Smartphone Review – It’s not been a while since Realme launched some exciting mid-range phones. The lineup includes the Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 SE variants launched in March 2022. But it’s pretty much evident that these smartphones are overshadowed by some robust smartphones like Oppo K10. But still, This phone can be considered an underdog phone that is worth your attention. The company has released two variants of the Realme 9 5G, the global version and the Indian version with subtle changes in specs here and there. But both the phone delivers the same value.
This smartphone is available in the 4G variant also, but today we are doing a review of the Realme 9 5G, and we have already done the Realme 9 SE review, so you can check that in the meanwhile. But on the same note, there’s no denying that the Realme 9 5G smartphone is a hidden gem. So, let’s head towards the in-depth review to understand whether you should purchase the Realme 9 5G phone or not.
Table of Contents
Realme 9 5G Smartphone Review
Highlights
- The phone delivers a 6.6 inches IPS LCD display panel for global and a 6.5 inches IPS LCD display panel for the Indian variant.
- Realme 9 5G (Global) equips the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset while the Indian version has MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset.
- As for the software end, the Global version offers the latest Android 12 OS with Realme UI 3,0 user interface, but the Indian version comes with Android 11 OS and Realme UI 2.0 user interface.
- In terms of the camera department, you will obtain a triple rear setup with a 50MP main on global and 48MP main lens on the Indian variant alongside a 16MP selfie lens.
- As far as the battery life is concerned, the device caters to a huge Li-Po 5000 mAh battery with an 18W fast-charging support.
Design and Display
Let’s start with the design aspect of the Realme 9 5G. The handset arrives with a shiny matte finish design layout that looks quite appealing when the back panel comes in contact with bright light. Usually, the Realme smartphone stands out from the rest of the competition, and that is what makes them special. Besides this, you can pick up this phone in two marvelous shade options.
There are Stargaze White and Meteor Black shade choices from which you can pick the best choice according to your needs, while if you are looking for a classic design you can check out the Meteor variant for sure. Moreover, the phone offers a slim and surprisingly lightweight build, while the phone roughly weighs a 191-grams in the Global variant, while at the same time, the Realme 9 5G India weights 188 grams. So, you won’t face any problem using this phone with a single hand.
Moving to the front display, you are getting a pretty big 6.6-inches IPS LCD panel that offers a Full HD+ resolution. With this, you will receive decent colors and contrast on the display. But the key selling point of the Realme 9 5G would be its fluid 120Hz refresh rate. But still, the 600 nits peak brightness feels a bit underwhelming in the outdoor conditions. Yet, the Realme 9 5G Indian variant brings a 6.5 inches IPS LCD panel but with a 90Hz refresh rate support.
Memory and Internal
The hardware section of Realme 9 5G offers the 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset under the hood, while the Indian counterpart brings a 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset. Though, the overall 5G support and performance feel similar in real-time usage. With both chipsets, you won’t face any problems in your daily usage, while you can play high-end games like BGMI, and COD at medium settings on both variants.
Besides this, you get the latest Android 12 OS with Realme UI 3,0 user-interface customization. But sadly, the Indian counterpart arrives with an older Android 11 OS with the Realme UI 2,0 interface skin. For storage, you get a 64GB / 128GB internal storage option with a 4GB RAM support for global, while the Indian variant arrives with a 4GB / 6GB RAM option with a 64GB / 128GB internal storage. You can also extend storage limits with an SD card slot on both variants.
Camera
As for the camera section, the Realme 9 5G equips the triple camera setup. It includes the 50MP primary lens with a 2MP macro and 2MP depth lens configuration on the camera island. Whereas the Realme 9 5G India offers a 48MP main lens with a similar setup. But we all know that the 2MP combo is useless in real-time usage. Instead of this, if the phone offers an ultra-wide lens, it would have become a better deal.
Hopefully, the AI software improved a quiet and you will notice a drastic improvement in daylight photography. But the same thing can’t be said for the night mode phone as they are lacking details. Sometimes the photos also look polished. Despite this, the 16MP selfie camera provides decent photo quality.
On the other hand, the camera application provides several features and modes to enhance the dynamic range for the users. In terms of video recording, the phone can only record 1080p videos at 30fps without any video stabilization support. Overall, you will obtain an adequate camera setup. But if you are looking for top-notch camera quality, you might get disappointed.
Battery and Others
The Realme 9 5G is powered by the massive Li-Po 5000 mAh battery that can easily provide 4+ hours of screen time on normal usage. Besides this, you will also get a fast charging of 18W on both Indian and global variants. charging support.
With this, you can refuel the phone from 0 to 100% in less than an hour and a half using the Type C 2.0 charging port. Besides other comms and sensors, you get a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the phone. However, for the overall attributes, the Realme 9 5G global variant is priced at $350 (Rs.27,900), which is a slightly underwhelming deal. As for the Indian variant it cost $200 (Rs. 15,000 in India) approx.
Realme 9 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Realme 9 smartphone.
| Specifications | Realme 9 5G India | Realme 9 5G Global |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G | Same |
| Announced | March 2022 | May 2022 |
| SIM | Dual SIM | Hybrid Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.40 x 2.94 x 0.33 inches | 6.47 x 2.98 x 0.33 inches |
| Weight | 188 g | 191 g |
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.6 inches |
| Display | IPS LCD 90Hz 480-600 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~405 PPI density | IPS LCD 120Hz 600 nits brightness 20:9 ration ~400 PPI density |
| Protection | No | Same |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | Same |
| OS | Android 11, Realme UI 2.0 | Android 12, Realme UI 3.0 |
| Chipset | 6nm – MediaTek MT6833P Dimensity 810 5G | 6nm – Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G |
| CPU | Octa-core 2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 | Octa-core 2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold 6×1.7 GHz Kryo Silver |
| GPU | Mali-G57 MC2 | Adreno 619 |
| Card slot | Yes (dedicated slot) | Yes (Shared SIM slot) |
| RAM | 4GB, 6GB | 4GB |
| Internal | 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.1 | 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.2 |
| Camera | 48 MP (wide), PDAF 2 MP (macro) 2 MP (depth) LED flash, HDR, panorama Max – 1080p@30fps | 50 MP (wide), PDAF 2 MP (macro) 2 MP (depth) LED flash, HDR, panorama Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie | 16 MP (wide) HDR, panorama Max – 1080p@30fps | Same |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Same |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes 24-bit/192kHz audio | Same |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot | Same |
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | Same |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | Same |
| NFC | No | Same |
| Infrared port | No | Same |
| Radio | No | Same |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go | Same |
| Sensors | side-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Same |
| Battery | Li-Po 5000 mAh Fast charging 18W | Same |
| Colors | Stargaze White, Meteor Black | Meteor Black, Stargaze White |
| Expected Price | $200 (Rs 15,000 in India) approx. | $350 (Rs 27,900 in India) approx. |
Conclusion
Both Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 5G India are pretty average smartphones in the mid-range segment. Moreover, there are tons of devices that overshadow this phone. But, if you are looking for an adequate deal, the Realme 9 5G can be considered a good choice as you get a bigger battery, decent performance, and features.
But if you look at the downsides, the phone lacks an AMOLED panel, Glass protection, and an average camera. In that situation, if you desire an AMOLED display experience, you can check out the recent release of the Poco M4 Pro smartphone. But if you are in search of something that gives all-rounder features and specs, you should definitely check the Samsung Galaxy F23, however, the final decision depends on your requirement.
