Looking for a capable smartphone in the Php11,000 range? Check out these two offerings from Realme and local brand Cherry Mobile.

First, we have the Realme 9i, the latest addition to the company’s line-up and the cheaper option for the new Realme number series.

Realme-9i-Price-Philippines-NoypiGeeks

We’ll be comparing that to the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV, one of the first 5G phones from the Filipino tech brand.

If you’re shopping in this price range, it’s clear that you’re looking for the most smartphone you can get for the money.

So the question is, which between the two is actually worth your money? We find out in our Realme 9i versus Cherry Mobile Aqua SV specifications and features comparison.

Cherry-Mobile-Aqua-SV-NoypiGeeks-5140
Realme 9iCherry Mobile Aqua SV
Operating SystemAndroid 11
Realme UI 2.0
Android 11
Display6.6-inch FHD+ IPS
2412 x 1080 pixel
401ppi
30Hz/48Hz/50Hz/60Hz/90Hz refresh rate
180Hz touch sampling
6.6-inch FHD+ AMOLED
2400 x 1080 pixels
398ppi
90Hz refresh rate
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Processor2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 octa-core2.4GHz MediaTek Dimensity 810 octa-core
Liquid Cooling Technology
RAM6GB RAM
+5GB via Dynamic RAM Expansion
8GB
GPUAdreno 610Mali-G57 MC2
Storage128GB
expandable via microSD
128GB
not expandable via microSD
Front Camera16-megapixel16-megapixel
2-megapixel
Rear Camera50-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF)
2-megapixel (f/2.4, macro)
2-megapixel (depth sensor)
LED flash
64-megapixel
5-megapixel (ultra-wide)
2-megapixel (macro)
2-megapixel (depth sensor)
LED flash
AudioStereo speakers
Headphone jack
Single Loudspeaker
No Headphone jack
ConnectivityHSPA+, 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
USB Type-C
HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.1
GPS, A-GPS
USB Type-C
SecuritySide-mounted fingerprint scanner
Face unlock
In-display fingerprint scanner
Face unlock
OthersCurved screen
ColorsPrism Blue
Prism Black
Luxxe Green
Dimensions and Weight164.4 x 75.7 x 8.4mm
190g
160.5 x 73.8 x 8.8mm
175g
Battery and Charging5,000mAh
33W Dart fast charging
4,200mAh
30W fast charging
PricePhp11,990Php11,999

Design and Build Quality

We always say that judging which smartphone has the better design is subjective. However, in the case of our contenders today, it’s quite obvious that the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV is the winner.

Cherry-Mobile-Aqua-SV-NoypiGeeks-5141

This device is easily one of the best, if not the best, designed Cherry Mobile in the market today. It has a curved screen that feels really nice in the hands. It’s lighter, too.

What’s more, it has a faux leather design on its plastic back, while the front is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

Realme-9i-Specs-Features-NoypiGeeks

That doesn’t mean that the Realme 9i looks bad. For a Realme device, it looks a little refreshing. Although, it lacks the flare that the Aqua SV has.

Winner: Cherry Mobile Aqua SV

Display and Audio

The Aqua SV boasts a fancy and contrast-y AMOLED panel, which even has a Gorilla Glass 5 and a curved screen.

Realme-9i-NoypiGeeks-5811

However, the Realme 9i gets to have a stereo speaker setup, which the former lacks. It also has an adaptive refresh rate for better battery efficiency.

Winner: Tie

Performance and Hardware

An easy win for the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV, which is one of the first 5G smartphones from the local brand. You get that while having a similar price tag.

Cherry-Mobile-Aqua-SV-NoypiGeeks-5142

On the other hand, the Realme 9i settles for a 4G-only Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. It also only has 6GB of RAM, while the Aqua SV has 8GB of memory.

Winner: Cherry Mobile Aqua SV

Cameras

Another win for the Aqua SV. This one boasts a sharper 64-megapixel main camera. It’s joined by a 5-megapixel ultra-wide lens, 2-megapixel macro, and depth sensor. On the front, we have a pill-shaped punch-hole for the 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel shooters.

Cherry-Mobile-Aqua-SV-NoypiGeeks-5922

On the other hand, the Realme 9i settles for a 50-megapixel main camera. Sadly, it lacks an ultra-wide lens and a secondary front sensor.

Winner: Cherry Mobile Aqua SV

Battery

Finally, a clear win for the Realme 9i. It may be bulkier than the Aqua SV, but that’s due to its larger 5,000mAh battery. The competition settles for a 4,200mAh battery.

Realme-9i-Availability-NoypiGeeks

Related

The charging adapters they come with are similar, but due to its smaller battery, charging times on the Aqua SV should be faster. Still, at the end of the day, most people would prefer a larger battery.

Winner: Realme 9i

Conclusion

I guess we have a clear winner here. The fact that the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV managed to have 5G connectivity already made it an easy winner against the 4G-only Realme 9i.

Cherry-Mobile-Aqua-SV-S10-Pro-5G-NoypiGeeks-5140

If that’s not enough, it was able to edge out the Realme 9i thanks to its sleeker design, better cameras, and a fancy AMOLED panel with an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Both the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV and Realme 9i have a retail price of around Php11,990. As a special introductory offer, they are being sold at Php9,999 and Php10,790, respectively, for a limited time.

Winner: Cherry Mobile Aqua SV

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