Redmi Note 9S vs Realme 6 specs comparison

After the release of Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 9S, you might be tempted to pull the trigger and upgrade right away. However, Realme Philippines has confirmed the release of its next-generation midrange devices in the Philippines, the Realme 6 series. Should you wait for its release, or go ahead and purchase Redmi’s offering?

Pros of each device:

Redmi Note 9S

• Larger display
• Inclusion of a macro lens
• IR Blaster
• Larger battery

Realme 6

• Faster refresh rate display
• Slightly better chipset
• More RAM options
• Larger 64MP main sensor
• Faster charging

Display

Both devices sport a 2400 x 1080 IPS display, with the Redmi Note 9S being slightly larger at 6.67 inches compared to the Realme 6’s 6.5-inch display. Both devices also employ a punch-hole cut out to house the front camera, with the Redmi Note 9S’ selfie shooter positioned in the upper middle, while the Realme 6 is situated on the upper left corner. Where the Realme 6 wins out is in the refresh rate, as it’s capable of running at 90Hz, while the Redmi Note 9S can only support the standard 60Hz. The Redmi Note 9S also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, while the Realme 6 comes with an undisclosed version of Corning Gorilla Glass.

Chipset

The Redmi Note 9S comes with a Snapdragon 720G chipset, which ships with an Adreno 618 GPU. The Realme 6, on the other hand, sports a MediaTek Helio G90T, with an ARM G76 GPU. Both chipsets are on the upper-midrange bracket, and users can expect good performance from both devices. That being said, the Helio G90T does slightly outperform the Snapdragon 720G in benchmarks such as AnTuTu.

Memory

In terms of memory, both devices come with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS2.1, with varying configurations. The Redmi Note 9S can be purchased with the following configurations:

• 4GB RAM + 64GB storage
• 6GB RAM + 128GB storage

The Realme 6, on the other hand, can be purchased with the following configurations:

• 4GB RAM + 64GB storage
• 6GB RAM + 128GB storage
• 8GB RAM + 128GB storage

Both devices also come with a dedicated MicroSD card slot for expandability.

Cameras

Both devices have a 16MP front camera, and a quad rear camera set up, with varying lenses. The Redmi Note 9S is equipped with a 48MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and a 2MP depth sensor. Meanwhile, the Realme 6 is equipped with a 64MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP black and white portrait, and a 2MP macro lens.

While the Realme 6 does ship with a larger 64MP primary sensor, the Redmi Note 9S is more versatile thanks to its macro lens.

Features

Connectivity-wise, both devices are pretty similar. They both support 4G LTE, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5, and various GPS tracking. Where the Redmi Note 9S wins out, however, is in its inclusion of an IR blaster.

Hardware features are also similar across the board, with both supporting USB Type-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

In terms of Software, both devices are on the latest Android 10 with their skins on top: MIUI 11 for the Note 9S, and Realme UI for the Realme 6.

Battery

While both devices do come with enough juice for a day, the Redmi Note 9S has a larger 5,020mAh battery compared to the Realme 6’s 4,300mAh battery. Do keep in mind, however, that the Redmi Note 9S only comes with 18W fast charging compared to the Realme 6’s 30W flash charge support. The lower wattage paired with a larger battery capacity means that your phone will take a longer time to charge.

Which one to get?

While the Realme 6 hasn’t been launched yet, the Redmi Note 9S will be available in Xiaomi’s official Lazada store starting May 8 for PHP 10,490USD 179INR 15,154EUR 170CNY 1,302 for the 4GB + 64GB variant with a one day PHP 500USD 9INR 722EUR 8CNY 62 discount on release. The more expensive 6GB + 128GB variant is priced at PHP 11,990USD 204INR 17,321EUR 195CNY 1,488. With that in mind, choosing a device all boils down to which features are more important to you.

The Redmi Note 9S comes with a larger display, a macro lens, an IR blaster, and a larger 5,020mAh battery. Meanwhile, the Realme 6 comes with a 90Hz display, a slightly better chipset, up to 8GB of RAM, higher resolution primary camera, and faster charging.

Do take note that the Realme Philippines has not yet set an official launch date for the Realme 6, so you may have to wait longer if you feel like that’s the device for you.