Realme 9 Pro review

Introduction and specs

Realme's 9 Series duo is finally out, and we welcome not one but two Pro models - the standard Realme 9 Pro and a Pro+ option. The subject of this review is the Realme 9 Pro, which the company says is a direct successor to the Realme 8s 5G, making the Pro+ a successor to the 8 Pro from last year.

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, 119˚, 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.

Join us in the next pages as we test the brand new Snapdragon 695 5G SoC, run our usual battery tests and also assess the heat dissipating capabilities of the vapor chamber cooling system. Yes, you read that right - Realme believes people will be playing games on the 9 Pro, so 60fps+ support in games would be great to make the most out of the 120Hz display.

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.

There's also a transparent silicone protective case in there.