❤ Realme 9 Pro Plus
The Realme 9 Pro+ easily stands out with its photochromic design, fluid AMOLED screen, flagship-grade camera, and incredibly fast charging. Realme‘s specialty is offering powerful phones at bargain prices, and the Realme 9 Pro+ is indeed shaping as one of the best offers in the mid-range bracket right now.
The Realme 9 duo launches nearly one year after the Realme 8 series kicked off, and that’s odd. The company had an established six-month release pattern up until now. Another different thing is the model naming – the Realme 9 Pro+ is a sequel to the Realme 8 Pro, while the 9 Pro seems to be taking a different spin on the Realme 8.
The timing and naming aside, the Realme 9 Pro+ seems like a worthy upgrade over the Realme 8 Pro, and it has enough to make quite a few people switch even before they read the reviews. The Realme 9 Pro+ is basically what the Realme 8 Pro should have been from the start – a proper continuation of the Realme 7 Pro with an HRR display, more powerful hardware, a better camera, and stereo speakers.
Indeed, the Realme 9 Pro+ now offers a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with an extended 1080p resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support. It also comes with an improved 360Hz touch sampling rate. Then there is the Sunrise version that features a photochromic glass panel on the back, which shifts from blue to pink-orange when exposed to sunlight.
Gaming performance is getting a major update with the MediaTek’s Dimensity 920 5G chip. It has a more powerful processor and graphics than the dated Snapdragon 720G chipset used within the previous models and offers modern connectivity options like 5G and Wi-Fi 6. There were no promises for HRR gaming, though, so don’t hold your breaths for that.
The rear camera gets an improved primary eye with a large 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor with an OIS lens. High-quality zoom, like the one on the Realme 8 Pro, should be possible, too. The 8MP ultrawide camera seems to be the same as on the previous phones, there is also a 2MP macro shooter. The depth sensor is gone, though.
The stereo speakers return on the Realme 9 Pro+ – one of the most notable omissions on the Realme 8 Pro. The fast charging is now 60W, up from 50W on the 8 Pro, while the battery stays the same – 4,500mAh.
Okay, enough with the teasing, here is the complete specs sheet.
Realme 9 Pro+ specs at a glance:
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 | |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 – International | |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 – India | ||
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA – International | |
| 1, 28, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA – India | ||
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G |
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2022, February 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2022, February 21 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 160.2 x 73.3 x 8 mm (6.31 x 2.89 x 0.31 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 182 g (6.42 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back | |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| DISPLAY | Type | Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 430 nits (typ), 600 nits (HBM) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.4 inches, 98.9 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~411 ppi density) | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 13, Realme UI 4.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 920 (6 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | |
| GPU | Mali-G68 MC4 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | |
| UFS 2.2 |
| MAIN CAMERA | Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/480fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, 27mm (wide), 1/3.09″, 1.0µm |
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
|---|
| BATTERY | Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 60W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 44 min (advertised) |
| MISC | Colors | Midnight Black, Aurora Green, Sunrise Blue, Free Fire Limited Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Models | RMX3392, RMX3393 | |
| SAR | 1.19 W/kg (head) 0.73 W/kg (body) | |
| Price | $ 390.00 / € 344.00 / £ 528.15 / ₹ 27,490 |
| TESTS | Performance | AnTuTu: 495096 (v8), 416031 (v9) GeekBench: 2335 (v5.1) GFXBench: 27fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | |
| Camera | Photo / Video | |
| Loudspeaker | -25.3 LUFS (Very good) | |
| Battery life |
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
The Realme 9 Pro+ seems like a mighty sequel to the Realme 8 Pro, and we can’t wait to put it through its paces. But before we do that, we want to mention the two apparent omissions on the Realme 9 Pro+. The first feature is the microSD slot, which was present on the previous models.
The other thing that’s obviously missing on this Realme, as on the ones to come before it, is some sort of water protection, however basic. Most, if not all Xiaomi phones within the same price range are IP53-rated, and Realme should get up to speed sooner rather than later.
Unboxing the Realme 9 Pro+
The Realme 9 Pro+ ships within Realme‘s signature yellow boxes with black labels. Inside, you will find a 65W SuperDart charger and a 6.5A-rated USB-C-to-A cable. You need to use both if you want to use the fastest possible charging, which is 60W in the case of the Realme 9 Pro+.
There is more, of course. Inside the yellow paper compartment, you will find a soft transparent case. It won’t interfere with the color-changing nature of the photochromic rear panel, which is nice.
The competition
The Realme 9 Pro+ is an impressive all-around smartphone and one that’s easily likable. It has a fluid AMOLED screen, there is a powerful chipset with a 5G modem, the main camera is of premium quality, the battery life is great, and the charging is blazing fast. We do appreciate the recent Android version and Realme UI, too.
Realme 9 Pro+ in Aurora Green
Realme has been known for pricing its mid-rangers quite competitively, and that’s once again the case. The market has gone through a lot of struggles lately, though, and while the €380 price tag of the Realme 9 Pro+ is in line with the competition, it may come as a shock to some of its core customers that probably expected the phone to cost about €280-€300.
So, let’s explore what the market has to offer around the €380 mark.
The first smartphone that comes to mind is the Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G. It is an IP67-rated smartphone with a faster 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, and a similarly versatile camera on the back with a stabilized lens for the primary. The A52s, in addition to the ingress protection, beats the Realme with a better 12MP ultrawide camera, a microSD slot and a €20 lower price. The 25W Galaxy charging is nowhere near as fast as the Realme’s, though.
Then there is Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, which has just launched, and it is €10 cheaper than the Realme. The Note 11 Pro 5G has a larger and faster Super AMOLED screen, splash protection, and a 108MP primary camera over the 9 Pro+. On the other hand, the Realme trumps it with much faster graphics performance, OIS lens on the main camera – and if we were to choose between those two – the faster performance and better camera would have easily swayed us to choose the Realme 9 Pro+ over the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G costs as much as the Realme 9 Pro+. In fact, the Realme 9 Pro+ seems like a repacked Nord 2 as it has a similar screen, camera setup, battery and charging capabilities. The Nord 2 is a faster smartphone with its flagship-like Dimensity 1200 5G chipset, and we urge you to consider the Nord 2 before deciding on the Realme 9 Pro+.
The Motorola Edge 20 is another offer with a similar (or slightly cheaper) price. It has a much faster 144Hz OLED screen, a water-repellent design; it runs on the more powerful Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, and offers a 3x telephoto with OIS on its back in addition to the 108MP primary and the 16MP ultra-wide cameras. The clean Android 11 with Ready For perks is something to think about, too. Overall, the Realme 9 Pro+ tops the Edge 20 only at a few places – stereo speakers, the audio jack and charging speed.
Finally, there is one more smartphone worth considering – it’s the €290 Poco X3 GT. It has a larger 120Hz LCD screen, a more powerful Dimensity 1100 5G chipset, and splash protection. The Realme 9 Pro+ on the other hand, has a better primary camera and an OLED screen, even if slower. The cheaper price tag and more powerful hardware can easily convince many customers to choose this Poco over the 9 Pro+, and we’d surely support their decision.
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G • Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G • OnePlus Nord 2 5G • Motorola Edge 20 • Poco X3 GT
We cannot but look within Realme‘s store, too. The Realme GT Master is a worthy opponent that’s priced around €350. It offers a faster 120Hz AMOLED and more powerful Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset but lacks OIS for its camera, and there is no second speaker. You need to decide which aspect is more important to you – camera quality or performance.
Realme GT Master
Our verdict
The Realme 9 Pro+ is a well-executed and powerful mid-range smartphone with competitive features across the board. It is a worthy upgrade over the Realme 7 Pro and Realme 8 Pro.
We liked almost everything about this handset – the 90Hz Super AMOLED screen, the powerful Dimensity 920 5G chipset, the battery life and the incredibly fast charging, not to mention the loud stereo speakers. The triple rear camera turned out a really good surprise with excellent quality and reliable performance.
The Realme 9 Pro+ base version has 128GB storage, which is yet another reason to like it. And the showstopper design surely helps its case. Finally, the fast Android 12 and powerful Realme UI 3.0 are some easy favorites.
However, the Realme 9 Pro+ is not a bargain bin purchase, that’s for sure. It is priced closely to most of the similar phones in the market, but because of the ongoing chip and distribution crisis and the pandemic, the prices are higher than we’d expect. And that’s the first thing to consider.
Then there is the lack of any sort of ingress protection, the retired microSD slot, and the disappointing ultrawide video capturing. These are all features that are available across many of the competing offers.
So, at the end of this review, we can safely conclude the Realme 9 Pro+ is an excellent smartphone despite a couple of setbacks – but hey, no phone is perfect. Its price is not what we expected.
We’d recommend this Realme 9 Pro+ immediately after its first price cut/promo deals go live, and we all know those are coming sooner rather than later – Realme does these all the time. Until then, we suggest keeping this phone on your shortlists and exploring all available offers that fit your budget before deciding on your next smartphone.
Pros
- Excellent AMOLED display, 90Hz refresh rate.
- Brilliant glass design, unique photochromatic back.
- Outstanding battery life and charging speed.
- Loud stereo speakers, good sound.
- Gaming-capable chipset, 5G, 128GB base storage.
- Superb primary camera day and night.
- Android 12, Realme UI 3.0, 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi 6, NFC.
Cons
- A bit pricey at launch.
- No microSD slot.
- No splash protection.
- The FoV of the ultrawide camera in videos is absurd.
- No HRR gaming.
