The Realme 9 Pro+: A Mid-Range Smartphone With A Flagship Camera Feature
The Realme 9 Pro+ is the latest addition to Realme’s already extensive and somewhat confusing smartphone lineup. This time, instead of the expected Realme 9 and 9 Pro, we get the Realme 9 Pro and the Realme 9 Pro+, positioning itself as a competitor to the new Xiaomi 11 series and the OnePlus Nord series of mid-range smartphones. But does the Realme 9 Pro+ offer enough to justify its price tag and differentiate itself from its predecessors? Let’s delve into the details to find out.
Realme 9 Pro+ Price In India
The Realme 9 Pro+ is available in three configurations: 6GB RAM + 128GB storage, priced at Rs. 24,999, 8GB RAM + 128GB storage at Rs. 26,999, and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, priced at Rs. 28,999. This pricing overlaps with Realme’s GT Master Edition which starts at Rs. 25,999. While the GT Master Edition offers slightly better core specifications, such as a 120Hz refresh-rate display, it lacks the superior primary camera sensor and optical image stabilisation (OIS) offered by the Realme 9 Pro+. This creates a more confusing landscape for buyers, forcing them to prioritize their needs – better camera or a better display.
Realme 9 Pro+ Design
The Realme 9 Pro+ embraces the trend of colour-changing smartphones. The three colour options are Midnight Black, Aurora Green, and Sunrise Blue, with only the Sunrise Blue variant featuring the colour-changing effect. It transitions from a glossy sky-blue indoors to a shade of maroon under sunlight. However, this effect isn’t as visually striking as Vivo’s gold-to-green transition on the V23 Pro. The rear glass panel, prone to fingerprints, doesn’t contribute to a premium look either.
Aside from the colour-changing aspect, the Realme 9 Pro+ adheres to the familiar Realme design language. It features a polycarbonate frame with flat sides sandwiched between two glass sheets. With a slim profile of just 7.99mm and a light weight of 184g, the phone offers comfortable one-handed use.
The front of the phone showcases a flat display with a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. The in-display fingerprint reader is accompanied by an experimental feature to measure heart rate, accessible through the Realme Lab section of the Settings app. Unfortunately, the thick chin below the display isn’t aesthetically pleasing.
Realme 9 Pro+ Specifications And Software
Under the hood, the Realme 9 Pro+ is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC, which also drives the recently launched Xiaomi 11i series. This 6nm SoC clocks in at a maximum speed of 2.5GHz, offering support for various 5G bands along with dual-5G standby. It also boasts Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and the standard satellite navigation systems. The device is backed by a 4,500mAh battery, which can be quickly charged with the included 60W charger.
The Realme 9 Pro and 9 Pro+ are among the first phones to run Realme UI 3.0, based on Android 12. While there are plenty of preinstalled third-party apps (removable) and a few non-removable Realme-branded apps, the overall software experience leans towards a less customized Android, reminiscent of stock Android. This compliments the new Material You design of Android 12, providing a cohesive feel.
Realme UI 3.0 maintains a consistent design language with familiar fonts and aesthetics, except for the Privacy Dashboard within the Settings app. This section retains the stock Material You UI design, creating a noticeable difference in the visual style. Realme explains this divergence by stating that the stock appearance is mandated for specific sections of Android 12, such as the Privacy Dashboard, Permissions Manager, and Digital Wellbeing, regardless of the custom skin applied. Some minor inconsistencies, such as greyed-out text in collapsed notifications on the pull-down tray in dark mode, were observed.
The Realme 9 Pro+ incorporates a dynamic theming system, echoing the functionality of Pixel devices running Android 12. This feature picks colors from your chosen wallpaper and applies them to interface elements like notification tray toggles, Settings menu icons, and more. You can also manually select colors from your wallpaper to generate a complementary palette. However, the implementation isn’t perfect; Google apps and keyboard widgets don’t dynamically change color as they do on Pixel devices. Some fine-tuning is needed.
Realme 9 Pro+ Performance
The Realme 9 Pro+ boasts a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. While the default "Vivid" color mode appears oversaturated, the "Natural" mode provides a more toned-down and preferable representation of colors. Sunlight legibility is impressive, and text and images exhibit good sharpness. Unfortunately, a pre-production unit hindered access to the Netflix app, but streaming video using Amazon Prime functioned flawlessly. However, the phone struggled to accurately reproduce colors while viewing HDR content, rendering them pale and muted. Realme has indicated that a fix for this issue will be rolled out shortly. Standard definition content appears crisp with deep blacks. The display’s performance is further enhanced by the stereo speakers that deliver loud and clear audio.
The display’s refresh rate can switch between 60Hz and 90Hz, but it automatically reverts to 60Hz when gaming, even when set to 90Hz. This behavior extends to the YouTube app, locking the refresh rate at 60Hz even while playing 30fps videos. This means the optimal refresh rate is only available when navigating the phone’s interface, not during gaming or streaming.
Benchmarks reveal solid performance from the Realme 9 Pro+, aligning with its competitors. It scored 5,07,258 points in AnTuTu, 818 points in Geekbench’s single-core test, and 2,316 points in the multi-core test. Despite the bloatware, Realme UI 3.0 delivers a smooth user experience, amplified by the fluidity provided by the 90Hz refresh rate display.
Gaming performance proves to be satisfactory. Call of Duty: Mobile ran smoothly at default settings of "Medium" graphics and "Very High" frame rate. Further enhancements to the graphics settings didn’t negatively impact performance. While Asphalt 9: Legends crashed on startup repeatedly, Real Racing 3 performed flawlessly without any glitches.
The Realme 9 Pro+ achieved an impressive 23 hours and 36 minutes in our HD video loop battery life test. Real-world usage, including gaming and camera usage, yielded a day and a half of battery life, a commendable performance for a mid-range device. Charging is equally rapid. The phone powered up from zero to 80 percent in just 30 minutes and reached a full charge in 50 minutes using the 60W charger in the box.
Realme 9 Pro+ Cameras
The Realme 9 Pro+ deviates from its predecessor’s 108-megapixel camera in favor of a 50-megapixel primary camera, incorporating optical image stabilisation (OIS). This isn’t just any sensor; it’s a Sony IMX766, typically found in more expensive phones like the Oppo Reno 7 Pro and OnePlus 9RT. Accompanying the primary camera are an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Selfie duties are handled by a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.
While the camera app shares common ground with previous Realme phones, it introduces a few changes. Controls like the timer for photos and frame rate selector for videos are now accessible within the three-dot button menu. Following the Android 12 update, a green dot appears near the status icons when the camera is in use, a welcome addition for privacy protection.
Daylight photographs captured with the Realme 9 Pro+ are sharp and clean with good dynamic range and details. However, HDR processing appears a bit overzealous, and colors are slightly oversaturated. Disabling the "AI" toggle is recommended, as it tends to amplify saturation even further. Portrait photos, using both front and rear cameras, exhibit sharpness, detail, and good dynamic range. Edge detection is also impressive.
Photos taken with the ultra-wide-angle camera are surprisingly usable, though not as sharp as those from the primary camera. They still maintain good dynamic range and minimal barrel distortion thanks to software correction. While the macro camera proves to be functional, images tend to be oversharpened.
In low-light conditions, the Realme 9 Pro+ automatically extends shutter time to maximize light capture, even without enabling AI mode. Images captured in low light, even in Auto mode, showcase sharpness and good dynamic range thanks to OIS. Engaging Night mode further enhances detail.
The camera app features a "Street" mode, automatically adjusting exposure to capture subjects like light trails. This feature is not entirely novel, but the Realme 9 Pro+ simplifies the process of capturing long-exposure shots without the need for tripod stabilization.
Videos recorded at 1080p are stable and decent, though lacking the expected sharpness. 4K footage (capped at 30fps) displays good sharpness and detail but suffers from noticeable shakiness and choppiness. Similar results were observed in low-light situations.
Verdict
While the Realme 9 Pro+ and 9 Pro might seem superficially similar in terms of specifications, their intended audiences diverge based on Realme’s hardware choices.
The Realme 9 Pro, starting at Rs. 17,999, offers a 120Hz refresh rate display, a 5,000mAh battery, and a 64-megapixel primary camera. On paper, these specs appear superior to the 9 Pro+. However, the Realme 9 Pro+ boasts of an AMOLED display with deeper blacks, 60W fast charging, and a more sophisticated primary camera sensor with OIS.
Despite their close pricing, the intended audiences for these two phones clearly differ. Gamers seeking a high refresh rate display will likely gravitate towards the Realme 9 Pro, while the 9 Pro+ caters to photography enthusiasts prioritizing image quality.
In the realm of competition, the Xiaomi 11i emerges as the value champion, offering comparable or slightly better hardware at this price point. The Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge boasts even more, featuring 120W charging capabilities. The OnePlus Nord CE also stands as an option, offering a capable camera and a clean software experience. It is important to note that the OnePlus Nord CE is soon to be replaced by the Nord CE 2.
The Realme 9 Pro+ might not boast groundbreaking specs, but Realme has made strategic choices in areas that matter. The primary camera’s OIS system and flagship-grade sensor deliver excellent image quality in both daylight and low-light environments, outperforming the competition in this segment. The MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC delivers solid performance. The inclusion of Android 12 out of the box and the butter-smooth performance of Realme UI 3.0 enhance the user experience. Battery life is also impressive. These factors combine to make the 9 Pro+ an excellent value for money.
