Striped design on the Realme 9i
Just a smooth and monochrome back? Not with Realme. The manufacturer always relies on a special effect or at least a striking color scheme for the models. The Realme 9i has a striped design on the back that stands out when the light hits it. It is embedded in the case – the surface is still smooth and matt. The fingerprint scanner is located in the power button, and a jack for wired headphones is located on the underside next to the USB-C socket. Like all other models, the Realme 9i is not waterproof – according to the manufacturer, splashing water is not immediately certain death for the smartphone. The charging cable and the matching mains plug are included in the packaging.
The Realme 9i’s screen is comparatively dark from the side – a weakness of LC displays.
A 6.6-inch LC display awaits on the front. In sunlight and when looking from the side, it quickly becomes too dark to read everything on it. Apart from that, however, it is completely sufficient for everyday use. A special treat: The refresh rate can reach up to 90 Hertz – this means a smoother scrolling experience in everyday life and in mobile gaming.
What does the camera offer?
On paper, the Realme 9i can keep up with the Realme 9 5G: The main camera has 50 megapixels (MP) and gets a depth sensor (2 MP) and a macro camera (2 MP) on the side. Both smartphones offer the same equipment, but differences can be seen at first glance.
The pictures with the Realme 9i do not look good. Even in daylight and without a zoom, the camera struggles with missing details in the images and blurring. This increases even further when the zoom is used: the images are muddy and details such as leaves can no longer be seen. Plus point: the colors do not look unnatural. However, that remains the only plus point for the main camera. It doesn’t look any better with the macro camera: the few megapixels don’t have the necessary strength to capture details.
Even in daylight and without a zoom, details are missing from the Realme 9i’s photos.
It’s muddy when the zoom is used: The megapixels of the Realme 9i are not convincing.
A 16 MP selfie snap is built into the front display. Here the game is repeated from the back: the sharpness of the recordings leaves a lot to be desired. In the background, even without portrait mode, there is a bokeh effect over the details and in the foreground the image looks unnaturally sharp. After all: Realme does not automatically use beauty filters ex works – they can still be adjusted. The portrait mode does not cut out the person in the foreground very cleanly: the borders are sometimes blurred and individual strands of hair fall victim to the artificial intelligence.
Unnaturally sharp in the front, unwanted bokeh effect in the back – the Realme 9i’s selfie camera isn’t a brilliant performance.
Leisurely Realme 9i
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 with 4 gigabytes (GB) of main memory (RAM) awaits the challenges of the users inside the Realme 9i. In the practical test, the Realme 9i showed itself to be leisurely: The results of the benchmarks are mediocre across the board and confirm the impression in everyday life. When it comes to mobile gaming, the current cracker games work best on the lowest graphics settings. With higher demands, stuttering and other unpleasant side effects are added. The performance is sufficient for normal everyday use when using browsers and messenger apps. Demanding users should better switch to other models in the series.
When it comes to internal storage, Realme allows you to choose between 64 GB and 128 GB – expansion by means of a memory card is possible with up to 1 terabyte. It is just as possible to use dual SIM with two nano SIM cards. Realme does not use the latest 5G mobile phone standard in this model – after all, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC for contactless payment are on board. Out of the box, the smartphone runs with Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11.
Realme 9i: Generous battery
The Realme 9i has a 5,000 mAh battery. The included power supply supports the fast charging process with up to 33 watts – Realme calls it Dart Charge. It should load faster than the Realme 9 5G – but it still doesn’t come close to the top models from Realme. At least the capacity of the battery is sufficient to get through the day with moderate use.
Realme 9i: prices, colors, availability
The Realme 9i is available in Germany in two color variants: Prism Blue (light blue) and Prism Black (black). The recommended retail price for the variant with 64 GB of internal memory is 219.99 euros. Realme charges 239.99 euros for the version with 128 GB of internal memory. Prices have fallen since the start of sales: As of June 2022, the cheaper version is around 167 euros and the more expensive version is available for 173 euros.
Streaky back: The Realme 9i still feels smooth.
Realme 9i: conclusion of the test
The Realme 9i is the cheapest model in the 9 series. This is also noticeable in the features of the smartphone: the display is not bright enough for sunlight and the camera has problems with a sharp display of objects even in daylight. In addition, the smartphone is leisurely on the move and mobile gaming only works largely smoothly on low graphics settings. Only the decent battery and the quick charging function speak in favor of the Realme 9i – the latter in particular is by no means standard in the price range up to 250 euros.
