Realme has launched two new lower mid-range phones called the Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 5G Special Edition. The Realme 9 5G SE brings a 144Hz display and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G processor at a price of around Rs 20,000. The Realme 9 5G is basically the same phone with a watered-down MediaTek Dimensity 810 chip, 90Hz screen and slower charging—obviously it is cheaper. The Realme 9 5G price in India starts at Rs 14,999. The Realme 9 5G SE has a starting price of Rs 19,999.  

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Naturally, these phones are Realme’s answer to Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 11 Pro series with the SE Realme 9 squarely targeted at the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G. The Note 11 Pro+ stands out with its 120Hz AMOLED screen and 67W fast charging. Let’s take a quick look at the Realme 9 5G, Realme 9 5G SE, and Redmi Note 11 Pro and how they stack up against each other.

Realme 9 5G versus Realme 9 5G SE versus Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G: Every difference that you wanted to know:

Display: The Realme 9 5G has a 6.5-inch 1080p LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling. The Realme 9 5G meanwhile has a 6.6-inch 1080p LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling. The panels, in both cases, can top 600 nits. Realme does not mention any screen protection. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ has a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The panel here can top 1200 nits and support 360Hz touch sampling.

Processor: The Note 11 Pro+ 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip. The Realme 9 5G SE has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G while the Realme 9 5G has MediaTek’s Dimensity 810.

RAM/Storage: The Realme 9 5G SE comes with up to 8GB RAM and up to 128GB UFS2.2 storage. The Realme 9 5G comes with up to 6GB RAM and up to 128GB UFS2.1 storage. Both phones have storage expansion with dedicated micro-SD card slot. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ comes with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB UFS2.2 storage. This is expandable via a hybrid micro-SD card slot.

Software: Both Realme phones run Android 11-based Realme UI 2.0. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ runs Android 11-based MIUI 13.

Rear camera: The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has three cameras on the back—108MP main (f/1.9), 8MP ultrawide, and anther 2MP macro shooter. Video recording tops out at 1080p@30fps. The Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 5G SE have the same triple rear cameras which is a combination of 48MP main (f/1.8), 2MP macro, and another 2MP portrait. The SE model can record up to 4K@30fps, while the Realme 9 can do only up to 1080p@30fps.

Front camera: All the three phones have a 16MP front camera.

Speakers, IP-rating: The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ packs dual speakers and has a IP53 splash-proof design. Realme doesn’t offer either.

Battery capacity: All the three phones have a 5,000mAh battery with varying charging speeds. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ supports 67W, the Realme 9 5G SE 30W while the Realms 9 5G has 18W fast charging.

Prices: The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G starts at Rs 20,999 for a version with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage while a version with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost Rs 22,999. It will also come with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage for Rs 24,999. Note that these are “introductory” prices valid only until end of March. The Realme 9 5G starts at Rs 14,999 (introductory) for a version with 4GB RAM and 64GB UFS storage. A model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost Rs 17,499. The Realme 9 5G SE starts at Rs 19,999 for a version with 6GB RAM and 128GB UFS storage. A model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost Rs 22,999.

Also Read | Realme 9 5G, Realme 9 5G Special Edition with up to 144Hz display launched in India: Prices, specifications