Review Summary
Expert Rating4/5
Design★★★★★★★★★★ Display★★★★★★★★★★ Software★★★★★★★★★★ Camera★★★★★★★★★★ Performance★★★★★★★★★★ Battery★★★★★★★★★★
Pros
- Amazing display
- Excellent cameras
- Great battery life
Cons
- Bland design
- Bloatware
Starting out as OPPO’s sub-brand, Realme sure has come a long way. Growing exponentially, it’s now offering smartphones from entry-level to near-flagship, and challenging the dominance of the likes of Xiaomi and Samsung. As per a Counterpoint report Realme is the fastest-growing 5G brand year-on-year amongst the five major smartphone OEMs in the country. Much of the success can be attributed to its signature number series which started out as a budget challenger but has, over the years, started to penetrate higher price brackets. Realme 9 Pro series is the company’s latest endeavour in securing the top spot, and a device that doesn’t conform to the affordability mantra that has been a foundation for Realme’s success. The Realme 9 Pro+ is its highest-priced smartphone to date as part of the number series, and with its starting price of Rs 24,999, positioned squarely in the mid-range segment. The device has specs to flaunt too, with a flagship 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor acting as the primary camera and MediaTek’s Dimensity 920 5G heralding the processing capabilities. Does the Realme 9 Pro+ pack in the oomph needed for survival in the packed mid-range market? Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Verdict
If it is a supreme camera experience you are looking for in a mid-range smartphone, the Realme 9 Pro+ should be your top choice. Combined with a stellar display and lasting battery life, the device surely merits a second look. However, the less than pleasing facade and persistent bloatware issue bog down the experience somewhat.
Design and display
The Realme 9 Pro+’s design does not appear very flashy. It’s heavy in the hand and the edges are curved, providing a less than favourable grip. By all accounts, the 9 Pro+ is unremarkable from the outside but it has a simplistic appeal with matte-finished rails and a reflective back. The Aurora Green variant I have received looks more like Indigo Blue and has something akin to glitter scattered across that shimmers under bright light. I feel that the Sunrise Blue version, which uses Realme’s Light Shift Design to change colours when placed under sunlight, could potentially be a head-turner. Apart from that, Realme has made the device its thinnest smartphone of the number series with a thickness of just under 8mm. The 9 Pro+ has a triple-camera arrangement, not unlike the Realme 9i (review), with the housing sharply raised from the chassis. Realme is retaining the headphone jack for now and that is present on the bottom alongside the USB C slot and a speaker grille. The earpiece, thankfully, doubles as the second speaker while the power button is present on the right and the volume rockers are on the left. It is safe to say that the Realme 9 Pro+ won’t win a lot of style points, but that might not really be a bad thing from the perspective of those who don’t prefer super flashy phones.
