Xiaomi Philippines has officially launched the Redmi 9 in the country. With a MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, up to 4GB of RAM, quad rear cameras, and a 5,020mAh battery, it has a lot of similarities with the Realme 6i. If you have a budget of PHP 10,000 or less to get yourself a new smartphone, which of the two should you get? Find out here.
| Redmi 9 | Realme 6i |
|---|---|
| 6.53-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) IPS display | 6.5-inch HD+ (720 x 1600) IPS waterdrop notch display |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| MediaTek Helio G80 2.0GHz octa-core CPU | MediaTek Helio G80 2.0GHz octa-core CPU |
| Mali-G52 MC2 GPU | Mali-G52 MC2 GPU |
| 3GB, 4GB LPDDR4X RAM | 3GB, 4GB LPDDR4X RAM |
| 32GB, 64GB eMMC 5.1 storage | 64GB, 128GB eMMC 5.1 storage |
| Up to 512GB via MicroSD card (dedicated slot) | Up to 256GB via MicroSD (dedicated slot) |
| Quad rear cameras: 13MP F2.2 (wide) 8MP F2.2 (ultra-wide) 5MP F2.4 (macro) 2MP F2.4 (depth) | Quad rear cameras: 48MP F1.8 (main) 8MP F2.3 (ultra-wide) 2MP F2.4 (macro) 2MP F2.4 (portrait) |
| 8MP F2.0 front camera | 16MP F2.0 front camera |
| 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| WiFi 802.11 n | WiFi 802.11 n |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou | A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BDS |
| NFC | - |
| IR Blaster | - |
| Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner | Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| MIUI 12 (Based on Android 10) | Realme UI (Based on Android 10) |
| - | Reverse charging |
| 5,020mAh battery w/ 18W fast-charging support | 5,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast-charging support |
Summary of advantages:
Redmi 9
- Full HD+ display
- Higher MicroSD Card support
- Higher Macro camera resolution
- NFC
- IR Blaster
Realme 6i
- Higher storage capacity
- Higher rear camera resolution
- Higher front camera resolution
- Reverse Charging support
Table of Contents
Display
The display sizes of both phones are similar, with the Redmi 9’s size measuring at 6.53 inches and the Realme 6i’s at 6.5 inches. Where they differ is in resolution, with the former having a clearer Full HD+ display and the latter having a lesser HD+ resolution. Both devices are also using an IPS panel, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection, and a waterdrop notch to house the front camera.
Chipset
Under the hood, the Redmi 9 and Realme 6i runs on MediaTek’s midrange Helio G80 chipset, which is an octa-core CPU running at 2.0GHz, with a Mali G52 MC2 GPU. We already ran our standard benchmarks on the Realme 6i, and got the following results:
- AnTuTu v8 – 203,477
- Geekbench 5 – 388 (Single-core), 1,335 (Multi-core), 1,165 (RenderScript)
- PCMark – 8,658 (Work 2.0)
- 3DMark – 1,334 (OpenGL), 1,322 (Vulkan)
While we haven’t tested the Redmi 9 yet, having the same chipset with the same type of RAM and storage should net similar results to the Realme 6i.
RAM & Storage
Paired with the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset are LPDDR4X RAM and eMMC 5.1 storage. They do, however, vary in available configurations. The Redmi 9 can be purchased in 3GB+32GB or 4GB+64GB, while the Realme 6i can be purchased in 3GB+64GB or 4GB+64GB.
The Redmi 9, however, can be outfitted with a massive 512GB MicroSD card, while the Realme 6i only supports MicroSD cards up to 256GB.
Cameras
Camera-wise, both phones are equipped with quad rear cameras with varying resolutions. The Redmi 9 comes with a modest 13MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor. The Realme 6i, on the other hand, comes with a much higher 48MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP portrait camera. The selfie camera on the Realme 6i also has a higher resolution at 16MP, compared to the Redmi 9’s 8MP front camera.
As always, we’d like to remind you that the megapixel count is just one factor of the equation. Image processing and software also plays a key factor in the outcome of the photos. While we don’t have sample shots of the Redmi 9 yet, you can check out the Realme 6i’s sample photos in our full review.
Connectivity & Other Features
Having the same chipset, both devices have similar connectivity options, including 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 n, Bluetooth 5, and various GPS tracking.
Feature-wise, however, the Redmi 9 trumps the Realme 6i with its inclusion of NFC, and an IR Blaster. The Realme 6i, however, supports reverse charging, which allows users to charge other devices with the smartphone.
OS & Battery
Both devices run on Android 10 out of the box, with their own skins laid on top. The Redmi 9 has MIUI 12, while the Realme 6i runs on Realme UI. Both devices do have Google Mobile Support, in case you were wondering.
Powering the Redmi 9 is a 5,020mAh battery while a 5,000mAh battery powers the Realme 6i. They also support 18W fast charging.
Price
Redmi 9
- 3GB + 32GB –Â PHP 6,990
- 4G + 64GB –Â PHP 7,490
Realme 6i
- 3GB + 64GB –Â PHP 7,990
- 4GB + 128GB –Â PHP 9,990
The Realme 6i is more expensive than the Redmi 9, but you’re getting a larger storage capacity and camera resolution.
Which phone should you get?
Despite having the same chipset, RAM, camera setup, and battery capacities, the Redmi 9 and Realme 6i do differ in a lot of ways. Those looking for a device for media consumption and gaming would be better off saving money and getting the Redmi 9 thanks to its higher resolution display and large expandable storage capacity. It also has several features that may be important to other users, such as NFC support, and the inclusion of an IR Blaster.
The Realme 6i, on the other hand, is better suited for those looking for a device for social media and photography as well. Make no mistake. This phone can game and stream videos as well, but at less graphical fidelity due to its lower, HD+ display.
Also, although these brands advertise 48, 64 megapixel cameras, the output would still be 12 mp and 16mp, since they use a process called pixel binning. If it was true 48mp imagine how big the files would be in your phone.
I think you missed out on another advantage of redmi 9, in that, at 7490pesos, the redmi 9 has 4GB of RAM whereas the realme 6i has 3GB of RAM at 7990pesos.
The screen resolution has been realme’s weakness, that is where they cut corners. Just ordered my Redmi 9.