Realme 9 Pro 5G in review: More steps backwards than forwards!?

This year, the Chinese manufacturer introduced two devices from the 9 Pro series, the Realme 5 Pro 9G and the Pro+, which differ greatly, particularly in terms of the display and the main camera. After we have already tested the Pro Plus model in detail, it is now time to take a closer look at the regular 9 Pro.

For a recommended retail price of 319,99 euros, customers get, among other things, a large LCD display with a smooth refresh rate of 120 hertz, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695, a 5.000 mAh battery with 33 watt fast charge and a 64 megapixel triple camera. All of that doesn't sound bad, but for a recommended retail price of 319,99 euros, you might expect a bit more, at least on paper. Fortunately, the price has now dropped to around 250 euros, which makes the technical data seem much more interesting. You can read how the Realme 9 Pro has performed in everyday use over the past few weeks in this detailed test report.

Haptics & design – the first step backwards

The Realme 9 Pro is a rather large smartphone, which is clearly illustrated by the dimensions of 164,3 millimeters in height and 75,5 millimeters in width. In some situations, it may not be possible to hold it procan be operated easily with one hand, but that is the case with almost all smartphones these days. At 195 grams, the 9 Pro is significantly heavier than its predecessor and its thickness has also increased to 8,5 millimeters, which is probably due to the larger battery. Nevertheless, the smartphone is quite comfortable to hold, because the back is slightly rounded on both sides towards the frame.

The frame is made of plastic, which thanks to its matte surface is very resistant to fingerprints. The fingerprint sensor, which unlocks the smartphone quickly and reliably, is also placed in the frame. The back is also made of plastic, but it has a high-gloss finish, which almost magically attracts fingerprints. In addition, it feels anything but high-quality and can even be dented. Compared to the predecessor, we are dealing with a considerable step backwards here, because it was still equipped with a matte back, which left a significantly higher quality and more stable impression. When it comes to colors, customers have three options to choose from: “Sunrise Blue”, “Aurora Green” and “Midnight Black”. I was given the latter to test and would honestly advise against this color as it is extremely fingerprint prone. There is space for three cameras in the left-hand corner, which protrude quite a bit from the case, which means that the smartphone wobbles noticeably when it is being operated lying on the table.

If we turn the Realme 9 Pro around, we see a familiar image from the entry-level to mid-range range. The display is interrupted by a small notch in the left corner and the edges around the screen could definitely be a bit thinner.

Display - advance and regress

The Chinese manufacturer installs a 6,6-inch LC display with a resolution of 2.412x1.080 pixels, which is only interrupted by a small punch hole for the front camera. Furthermore, the screen supports a smooth refresh rate of 120 Hertz, which is a step forward compared to its predecessor, which only ran at 60 Hertz.

However, Realme decided to make both the 7 Pro and the 8 Pro for a high-quality OLED panel, which provided excellent black and contrast values. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case with the Realme 9 Pro, because Realme opted for a cheaper LC display in order to be able to install 120 Hertz, because 120 Hertz is much easier to market. Furthermore, the screen does not have a very stable viewing angle, which can be very annoying in everyday life. The maximum brightness is fine, but in direct sunlight there can definitely be problems with readability.

In conclusion, I can say that the display in the Realme 9 Pro is rather disappointing, especially when you compare it to its predecessor and the competition. OLED panels have now become the standard for over 300 euros and Realme was on the right track with the 8 Pro and have GT Master Edition or the GT Neo 2 have delivered pretty much the best displays for around 300 euros, but with the panel of the 9 Pro, the manufacturer unfortunately takes a big step backwards. Shame Realme.

Software – Realme UI 3.0

The in-house user interface Realme UI in version 3.0, based on Android 12, is used as the software. I'm actually a big fan of the Realme UI now, because you can customize a lot here to your own taste. For example, the colors and symbols of the UI can be changed. In addition, Realme integrates the popular Google Discover feed on the left side of the home screen and of course there is also an app drawer. Compared to the Realme UI 2.0, the settings app and the notification bar have become a bit clearer and there are even nicer and smoother animations, which improve the user experience enormously.

As additional functions, the user can, for example, configure the icons of the apps, change the navigation and there are screen-off gestures (gestures for the switched-off display). Furthermore, the device can be woken up by double-tapping on the switched-off display and switched off again by double-tapping on an empty spot. A very useful and practical feature, which I use very often in everyday life. There is now even a quick start function for starting the camera, which I missed in the recent past.

Unfortunately, Realme pre-installs some bloatware, which spoils the actually positive first impression a bit, but at least all apps can be uninstalled.

Performance - Slight progress, but...

Under the hood is the Snapdragon 6 from Qualcomm, which is manufactured using the 695-nanometer process and is supported by 6 or 8 GB of RAM, depending on the version. There is also 128 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card.

On paper, the Snapdragon 695 is only slightly stronger than the 720G in the previous model. It is a solid processor that provides decent performance in everyday use. Apps start and close pleasantly quickly and thanks to the smooth 120 Hertz refresh rate, the Realme 9 Pro seems considerably smoother than the 8 Pro. However, there are slight stutters even with slightly more complex tasks and for a recommended retail price of 319,99 euros, I would have preferred a more powerful processor. For example, the Realme GT Master Edition offers a significantly more powerful and future-proof processor with the Snapdragon 300G for under 778 euros.

Battery - (minimal) progress and major regression

The battery life is slightly better than its predecessor thanks to the huge 5.000 mAh battery. With the 120 Hertz refresh rate activated, I always got through a day easily and often up to two days were no problem at all. At the end of the day, with a screen-on time of 5 to 6 hours, I usually still had between 45 and 55 percent battery left.

The battery can be fully recharged in about 33 minutes with the included 90 watt power supply unit, which is rather average in the price range of about 300 euros. Compared to the predecessor, we are dealing with a big step backwards, because it could be fully charged in 50 minutes with the included 50 watt power supply. Also, we must not forget that Realme 7 Pro even with up to 65 watts could be loaded. How can it be that the smartphone, which is almost two years older, has less charging technology clear is better?

Camera – step backwards on paper, but…

Realme has installed a triple camera on the back, consisting of a 64 megapixel main camera, an 8 megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and another 2 megapixel sensor, which is responsible for macro shots. For comparison, the 8 Pro had a 108 megapixel main sensor. A 16 megapixel front camera is responsible for selfies.

The triple camera of the Realme 9 Pro. (Image: TechnikNews)

The main camera actually takes very solid shots with decent sharpness and a good dynamic range. Last year, I criticized the predecessor for its oversaturated color reproduction, but this criticism no longer applies to the Realme 9 Pro. The color reproduction is good. Even in low light, it is quite impressive in night mode for under 300 euros.

The ultra-wide-angle camera is very useful in some situations, as it can capture a lot more, but the quality is visibly worse than the main camera. To be honest, hardly any other competitor in this price range is better here.

Conclusion

The Realme 9 Pro was not really convincing in our test phase, as there are some setbacks compared to its predecessor and the price of currently around 250 euros is far too high. For almost the same price you can even get the Real GT Master Edition, which is significantly better in terms of design, display and performance. However, if you are looking for a better camera, you should get it Realme 9 Pro + see which one is available for about 70 euros more.

We would like to thank Realme Germany for providing the Realme 9 Pro!