RealMe 9i Review with Pros and Cons – Don’t Buy
Realme 9i is a huge downgrade from RealMe 8i (review), now, this smartphone could have been better but again, Realme has launched RealMe 9i at Rs 13,999 which is not a justifiable price.
In short, yes, Realme 9i is an overpriced smartphone but before you make any decision let’s review the smartphone and find out its Pros and Cons.
Realme 9i Price in India
Realme 9i Price in India starts from Rs 13,999 for 4GB of Ram and 64GB storage while 6GB Ram + 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 15,999. The device is available in Prism Black, and Prism Blue color options, and it will be sold via Flipkart from 25th January 2022 at noon.
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Contents
RealMe 9i Review
Yes, RealMe 9i is not worth buying and it’s a huge downgrade from the last generation, the device is also overpriced while it doesn’t have a good camera, no 5G support, only a 90Hz display and it has a decent processor.
The RealMe 9i should have launched at Rs 11,999 which would have been a good price but at Rs 13,999, it’s an overpriced smartphone.
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I mean, I don’t get this, how companies can launch downgraded versions and still, charge extra money, it would have been better if they haven’t launched the RealMe 9i.
I’m sure people will buy Realme 9i over RealMe 8i or over any other smartphone because it’s, new smartphone, so they will skip the last generation to buy the new generation.
It’s better to buy RealMe 8i rather than RealMe 9i or better go with Motorola G51 5G (review).
RealMe 9i Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Stereo Speakers | Decent Performance |
| Dedicated SD Card Slot | Pre-Installed Bloatware |
| Widevine L1 Support | Plastic Uni-Body |
| 33W Fast charging Support | 90Hz LCD Display |
| Solid Battery Life | Overpriced |
| Average Display Quality | |
| Average Cameras | |
| Downgrade From Last Generation | |
| No 5G Support |
Display Quality
The RealMe 9i comes with a 6.60-inches 90Hz display with a pick brightness of 400 nits and a 180Hz touch sampling rate.
It only has a 90Hz refresh rate because Snapdragon 680 Processor doesn’t support the 120Hz refresh rate, it only supports 60 and 90hz, that’s the reason, why RealMe has used a 90hz refresh rate.
The rear side and frame are made out of plastic while it has Dragontrail Pro Glass on the front side.
RealMe has added support for Widevine L1 which means you will be able to watch FHD+ content on OTT apps.
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For those who don’t know, most of the smartphones under Rs 15,000 either come with a 60Hz AMOLED display and 120Hz LCD display while RealMe 9i has a 90Hz LCD display which is a huge letdown because this is a 14k smartphone.
Overall, the display quality is okay but it doesn’t justify the Rs 13,999 price tag. RealMe should have gone with an AMOLED panel.
Cameras
For the first time, I don’t know what to say, I mean, the RealMe 9i comes with a 50MP primary sensor, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor. Now just remove the 2MP+MP sensor because there are added for showcase only.
I mean, this is a 2022 smartphone and still, RealMe is using 2MP+MP sensors which is not acceptable.
While on the front side it has a 16MP selfie shooter. Both the front and rear cameras can shoot videos up to 1080p@30fps.
Let me just put it this way, the phone has a decent camera setup and it doesn’t justify the Rs 13,999 price tag. RealMe should have added an ultra-wide lens.
The 50MP sensor is also not that great, it misses out on details, dynamic range is also messed up while the sensor tries to boost the colors.
The front camera is also the same, nothing new.
RealMe needs to work on the cameras and if they don’t then I think, this will be the worst cameras under Rs 15,000 price range.
Overall, I feel, there is no reason to buy RealMe 9i but still, if you want to buy RealMe 9i then you will be disappointed with the cameras.
Performance
The RealMe 9i is powered by an all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor and runs on Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11. Still, no Android 12.
RealMe is marketing that, Snapdragon 680 is a 6nm processor which means, it will perform better than any other chipset which is not 100% true.
The 6nm architecture will help a lot in battery life, so yes, RealMe 9i should give a better battery life compared to other smartphones but that doesn’t mean, it will be faster.
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So if you’re a gamer then I don’t recommend you to buy this smartphone because it’s not made for gaming, it’s a decent processor and it will give you good performance in day-to-day life.
For gaming, you should consider the Motorola G51 5G or even RealMe 8i.
Overall, if you’re a casual user who doesn’t play heavy games like BGIM or COD Mobile all day long then you won’t face any problem but if you’re a heavy gamer then you should skip the RealMe 9i.
Audio Quality
The RealMe 9i has a Stereo speaker and works well, no complaints about that. It also has a secondary noise cancellation microphone.
The speakers are also very loud and clear too which is another good thing.
Overall, the phone good speaker which will give a good experience.
Battery Life
The device has a 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging support
The battery will last for a day but if you’re a heavy user who plays lots of games then you will need to charge the RealMe 9i two times a day.
Still, you can use a 33W charger which will take 70 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%.
Overall, the battery life on RealMe 9i is good and the newly Snapdragon 680 SoC helps a lot.
RealMe 9i FAQs (Frequently Asked Question)
Q: Does RealMe 9i has a 3.5mm Audio jack?
A: No.
Q: Does RealMe 9i has NFC Support?
A: No.
Q: How many OS updates will the RealMe 9i will get?
A: RealMe didn’t say anything about the future updates but the phone will get an Android 12 update.
Q: What is the screen refresh rate of the RealMe 9i?
A: It has a 90Hz refresh rate LCD penal.
Q: Does RealMe 9i has stereo speakers?
A: Yes.
Q: Does RealMe 9i Widevine L1 support??
A: Yes.
Q: Does RealMe 9i has a camera2api enabled?
A: Yes.
Q: Does RealMe 9i 5G has 5G Support?
A: No.
Q: Does RealMe 9i have fast charging support?
A: Yes, the RealMe 9i has 33W wired fast charging.
Q: Where to buy RealMe 9i in India
A: The RealMe 9i is available on Amazon & Realme.com/in
Q: Alternatives of RealMe 9i ?
A: We have quite of few options available, like Motorola G51 5G, RealMe 8i, Infinix Note 11, Redmi 10 Prime, and even Motorola G31.
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Verdirct
I think you already have some idea whether RealMe 9i is for you or not? but still, if you’re confused.
RealMe 9i doesn’t worth the Rs 13,999 price tag, it should have been launched at Rs 11,999.
In short, it’s better to skip RealMe 9i.
Still, if you have any questions then I would love to hear them in the comment box.
RealMe 9i Full Specifications
| Launch Date | 18 January 2022 |
| First Sale | 25 January 2022 at Noon Via Amazon |
| Display | 6.60-inches FHD+ LCD 480 Nits Pick Brightness 401ppi pixel density Touch sampling rate: 180Hz |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2412 pixels resolution |
| Dimensions | 164.4 x 75.7 x 8.4 mm |
| Display Protection | Dragontrail Pro Glass |
| Screen Refresh Rate | 90Hz Refresh Rate |
| Build | Glass front Plastic back, Metal frame |
| OS | Android 11 – RealMe UI 2.0 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 610 |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver) |
| Storage | 4GB Ram + 64GB Storage 6GB Ram + 128GB Storage UFS 2.1 Storage LPDDR4x RAM |
| Card Slot | Yes, Dedicated. |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Primary Sensor 2MP Depth 2MP Macro |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| 3.5mm Jack | Yes |
| Stereo Speakers | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| 5G Support | No |
| Widevine L1 | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| IR Blaster | No |
| Sensors | Side-Mounted Fingerprint Light sensor Magnetic induction sensor Proximity sensor Acceleration sensor |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Side-Mounted |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh (non-removable) |
| Charging Speed | 33W Wired fast Charging |
| Charging Time | 0% to 100% in 70 minutes (Wired) |
| Colors | Prism Black, and Prism Blue |
| SAR Value | 1.6 W/KG |
| Model Number | RMX3491 |
| Weight | 190 Grams |
| Price | 4GB Ram + 64GB storage: Rs 13,999 6GB Ram + 128GB storage: Rs 15,999 |
| In the box | realme 9i 33W Charge Adapter Screen Protect Film Quick Guide USB Type-C Cable SIM Card Needle Protect Case |
| Available at | Flipkart |
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It is worth buying realme 9i for rs 10,999 on Flipkart offer please suggest your. Views
It’s a good deal, if you’re getting it at 11k but also if you can consider the Narzo 50 too.