We all know, smartphones are getting expensive because of the chip shortage, which means, you will have to pay extra money.
Now, you won’t get everything on a budget smartphone, companies will do cost-cutting and that cost-cutting can be seen in the newly launched Realme 9 5G Speed Edition.
Realme 9 5G Speed Edition Price in India
- 6GB Ram + 128GB Storage = Rs 19,999
- 6GB Ram + 128GB Storage = Rs 22,999
The device is available in Meteor Black, Stargaze White, and Sunburst Gold color options and it will go for sale on 14th March 2022 via Flipkart at noon.
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Contents
Realme 9 5G Speed Edition Review
Yes, Realme 9 5G Speed Edition is worth buying, if you’re looking for a gaming smartphone under Rs 20,000 but if you want an overall balanced smartphone then you should consider the RealMe 9 Pro Plus 5G which is available at 21k.
There is no doubt, the Realme 9 5G SE is a gaming smartphone and because of that, the cameras are not that great, they are useable but it doesn’t justify the 20k price tag.
The battery life is also great, the display is LCD but that 144Hz refresh rate will help a lot, and can’t complain much about Snapdragon 778 SoC.
Related: 5 Best Smartphones Under Rs 20,000
Overall, as I have said, if you can’t go above 20k then Realme 9 5G Speed Edition is a great option for gaming but if you can spend 3k extra then I would recommend you to consider IQOO Z5 5G for gaming.
Fun Fact, RealMe 9 SE 5G 8GB + 128GB variant is available at Rs 22,999 while IQOO Z5 5G 8GB + 128GB variant is also available at the same price, and IQOO Z5 5G has better specs than RealMe 9 SE 5G.
In short, if you’re buying the RealMe 9 5G SE 8GB + 128G variant then skip the device and go with IQOO Z5 5G for a better gaming experience.
Now if you want a balanced smartphone under 25k then just go with RealMe 9 Pro Plus 5G.
Realme 9 5G Speed Edition Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| 144Hz Refresh rate | Single Speaker |
| Solid Battery Life | LCD Display |
| 30W Fast Charging | Still, no Android 12 |
| Powerful SD778 Processor | Night Photography Needs Improvement |
| 5G Support | Decent Cameras |
| Carrier Aggregation | Plastic Unibody |
| Widevine L1 Support | Brightness Could Have Been Better |
| 3.5mm Audio Jack |
Display Quality
Yes, I get it, the phone doesn’t have an AMOLED display but again, as I have said, no companies will give everything at a budget price, they have to do some kind of cost-cutting and in this case, RealMe went with LCD instant of AMOLED.
The problem is, the display is not that bright, indoors there won’t want any kind of problem while playing games or even watching movies but when it comes to outdoors, the brightness is not that good.
Now, it’s not like, the display is not visible but it’s not as good as Rs 19,999 price tag.
By the way, the Realme 9 5G SE comes with a 6.60-inches 144Hz LCD with a pick brightness of 600 nits and 1080 x 2412 pixels resolution.
Also, the bottom chin is a bit bigger while the punch hole is also bigger compared to its competition.
Related: 5 Best Smartphones Under Rs 15,000
On the front side, it has Panda Glass protection while the frame and back are made out of plastic.
It’s clear that Realme has compromised in the display quality, there is no doubt about it.
The good thing is, the phone does have Widevine L1 support which means, you will be able to watch movies at FHD+ resolution on OTT platforms.
Overall, considering everything, I feel, if you want a powerful 5G gaming smartphone and if you can’t spend more than 20k then you can buy the Realme 9 5G SE but if you can spend more than 20k and if you want great 5G gaming smartphone IQOO Z5 5G would be the best option.
Performance
As you already know, I’m using Motorola Edge 20 5G for about 6 months this phone too has Snapdragon 778G processor and still, I haven’t faced any performance issues.
Now, Moto Edge 20 5G is available at 30k while Realme 9 5G SE is available at 20k, so you can see, you’re getting a powerful processor at a good price.
The only thing I didn’t like is, the Realme 9 5G SE is running on RealMe UI 2.0 based on Android 11. Still, no Android 12 update which is not acceptable because Android 12 is around for months now.
Related: 5 Best Gaming Smartphones Under Rs 20,000
Also, this means, this phone will get Android 12 and 13 updates, not Android 14 because RealMe has promised 2 years of OS updates.
By the way, Realme 9 5G SE has 5 5G bands which include n1, n28, n41, n78, and n77.
Overall, for the price of 20k, can’t complain much about performance, there won’t be any kind of problems while playing games or even using smartphones in day-to-day life.
Cameras
For the first time, I won’t talk much about cameras because there is nothing much to say about it.
The Realme 9 5G SE comes with a 48MP primary sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and 2MP depth sensor while there is a 16MP selfie shooter on the front.
The rear camera can shoot videos at 4k@30fps and 1080p@30/60fps while the front can shoot videos at only 1080p@30fps.
The device does have stabilization mode but that doesn’t work well, it feels gimmicky. One or two OTA updates can fix this issue.
The quality of the videos is also not that great, the colors feel more saturated and the details are also not that great.
I expected that because RealMe has added a kind of premium processor on a budget smartphone.
The same can be said for the front camera too.
Now, that 48MP sensor does take some good images and for the first time, RealMe’s smartphone is producing a little bit more natural colors.
Also, I did notice a dynamic issue with the front and rear cameras.
Overall, the 48MP sensor performs decent, it’s not that good or bad, it’s kind of average.
Now, those 2MP + 2MP sensors are just added for marketing, so don’t expect much from them.
Coming to the 16MP front camera, the colors come out a bit white, and again, the dynamic range issue is still, there with the front camera too.
The front camera is not that great, RealMe has added lots of filter which you can use within the stock camera app and the images also comes out white.
Overall, there is no doubt, the cameras are a weak part of Realme 9 5G SE and I don’t gamers will mind this.
Audio Quality
Yes, the phone doesn’t have stereo speakers, it only has a single bottom-firing speaker which is good but not that great, dual speaker would have been better.
Also, it does have a Secondary Noise Cancellation Microphone, so the call quality will be good, in a noisy environment, another person on call will hear your voice.
By the way, RealMe has also added a 3.5mm audio jack which is another plus point.
Overall, the audio quality is decent, with no issue with call quality.
Battery Life
The Snapdragon 778G processor is battery efficient, so the battery will last for a day, there is also 30W fast charging included in the box which will take about 25 minutes to charge from 0% to 50%
That 5,000 mAh battery will last for a day, again, it depends on how you use the smartphone.
Realme 9 5G SE FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE has a 3.5mm Audio jack?
A: Yes.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE has NFC Support?
A: No.
Q: How many OS updates will Realme 9 5G SE get?
A: RealMe has promised two OS updates and three years of security updates.
Q: What is the screen refresh rate of the Realme 9 5G SE?
A: It has a 144Hz refresh rate LCD.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE has stereo speakers?
A: No.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE have Widevine L1 support?
A: Yes.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE has a camera2api enabled?
A: Yes
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE has 5G Support?
A: Yes and it has 5 5G Bands.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE have a Secondary Noise Microphone?
A: Yes.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE 9 SE 5G have fast charging support?
A: Yes, it has a 30W wired fast charging support.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE have carrier aggregation?
A: Yes.
Q: Does Realme 9 5G SE have a compass sensor?
A: Yes.
Q: Where to buy Realme 9 5G SE in India?
A: The Realme 9 5G SE is available on Flipkart and RealMe.com/in websites.
Q: Alternatives of Realme 9 5G SE?
Verdict
Realme 9 5G SE is a great 5G gaming smartphone at Rs 19,999 but if you want a better camera and better build and better sound quality then this is not the best smartphone for you, you have to go with IQOO Z5 5G (review).
Again, if you want better cameras then I would recommend you consider the RealMe 9 Pro Plus 5G (review) which is available at 25k.
I know, it’s confusing but this is what it is, you won’t get everything in a budget smartphone, you have to pick one or two things.
Realme 9 5G SE Full Specifications
| Launch Date | 10 March 2022 |
| Release Date | 14th March 2022 at Noon Via Flipkart |
| Display | 6.60-inches FHD+ LCD 600 pick brightness Touch Sampling Rate: 360Hz PPI: 400 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution |
| Dimensions | 164.4 x 75.8 x 8.5 mm |
| Screen Refresh Rate | 144Hz Refresh Rate |
| Display Protection | Panda Glass |
| Build | Glass front (Panda Glass) Plastic back, Plastic frame |
| OS | RealMe UI 2.0 – Based on Android 11 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 642L |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo 670) |
| Storage | 6GB Ram + 128GB Storage 8GB Ram + 128GB Storage UFS 2.1 Storage LPDDR4x RAM |
| Card Slot | Yes, Dedicated |
| Rear Cameras | 48MP Primary Sensor 2MP Depth 2MP Macro |
| Video | 4k@30fps 1080p@30/60fps |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| 3.5mm Jack | Yes |
| Widevine L1 Support | Yes |
| Carrier aggregation | Yes |
| Stereo Speakers | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| 5G Support | Yes, n1, n28, n41, n78, and n77. |
| NFC | No |
| IR Blaster | No |
| Sensors | Magnetic Induction Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Gyro-meter, Acceleration Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Side-Mounted Fingerprint Sensor |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh (non-removable) |
| Charging Speed | 30W Wired fast Charging |
| Charging Time | 0% to 50% in 25 Minutes |
| Colors | Starry Glow, Azure Glow |
| SAR Value | 2.0 W/kg |
| Model Number | RMX3461 |
| Weight | 199 Gram |
| Price | 6GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 19,999 8GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 22,999 |
| In the box | RealMe 9 SE 5G USB Type-C Cable 30W Charge Adapter SIM Card Needle Screen Protect Film Protect Case Quick Guide Important Product Information |
| Available at | Flipkart |
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