Redmi Note 9 vs Realme 6i: Specs Comparison

A couple of smartphone brands just released their latest smartphones in the Philippines. So if you’ve been holding back for an upgrade, now is the time.

But which between these devices should you get? Well, if your budget is under Php10,000, this comparison is for you. Today, we’ll be comparing two of the latest bang-for-the-buck smartphones in this price category — starting with the Redmi Note 9.

The Note 9 came from a line of devices that disrupted the entry-level category. Xiaomi crammed a lot of specs and features on this thing to justify every penny you’d be paying for it.

However, Redmi is facing tough competition with another emerging brand, Realme, who also released the new Realme 6i in the Philippines.

Just like the former, this one wants to be your top choice on this segment. This is why, here in our Redmi Note 9 versus Realme 6i specifications and features comparison, we’ll see which between the two is worth your hard-earned money. Let’s begin.

	Redmi Note 9	Realme 6i
Operating System	Android 10 MIUI 11	Android 10 Realme UI
SIM	Dual SIM Dual Standby	Dual SIM Dual Standby
Display	6.53-inch FHD+ IPS 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~394ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 5	6.52-inch HD+ IPS display 1600 x 720 pixel resolution ~269ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 89% screen-to-body ratio
Processor	2.0GHz MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core	2.0GHz MediaTek Helio G80 octa-core
RAM	3GB/4GB	3GB/4GB
GPU	Mali G52	Mali-G52
Storage	64GB/128GB expandable via microSD	64GB/128GB eMMC 5.1 expandable via microSD
Front Camera	13-megapixel Punch-hole	16-megapixel Dewdrop notch
Rear Camera	48-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash 1080p@30fps 720p@120fps slow-mo	48-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.25) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash AI Scene Detection Nightscape
Audio	Headphone jack Single speaker	Headphone jack Single speaker
Security	Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock	Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock
Connectivity	HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS IR blaster USB Type-C	4G LTE WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, BDS, Galileo, A-GPS USB Type-C
Others	Splash-proof nano-coating	n/a
Dimensions	162.3 x 77.2 x 8.9mm	164.4 x 75.4 x 9.0mm
Weight	199g	199g
Colors	Polar White Midnight Grey Forest Green	White Milk Green Tea
Battery	5,020mAh 18W fast charging 22.5W in-box charger Reverse charging	5,000mAh 18W fast charging Reverse charging
Price	3GB/64GB: Php7,990 4GB/128GB: Php9,990	3GB/64GB: Php7,990 4GB/128GB: Php9,990

Design

Like we always say, design is really subjective. So it’s now up for you to decide.

The Realme 6i was designed by Naoto Fukasawa, a renowned Japanese designer. It has vertical reflections that look like stacked bamboo. The back panel feels made of polished plastic. You can get it in Green Tea and White Milk.

On the other hand, the Redmi Note 9 has a more minimalistic finnish that’s available in Polar White, Midnight Grey, and Forest Green. Personally, this feels more elegant with the glass-like panel on the back. The design is being carried by the unique camera and fingerprint placement on the back.

As per durability, the Redmi Note 9’s webpage officially reveals that it has splash-proof nano-coating, while the Realme 6i doesn’t. Albeit, in our hands-on experience, the Realme 6i feels more solid when we tried flexing it, possibly due to the solid back panel.

But on the front, we expect the Note 9 to take hits better with its Gorilla Glass 5, while the latter only has Gorilla Glass 3.

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Display

The Redmi Note 9 easily takes the win on this round, thanks to its sharper FHD+ resolution with 2340 x 1080 pixels. There’s also the aforementioned Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Plus, a cleaner punch-hole for the selfie camera.

On the other hand, the Realme 6i only has an HD resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels, an outdated notch for the front camera, and Gorilla Glass 3.

Processor

We might have a score draw here. The Redmi Note 9 uses a MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core processor, while the Realme 6i has the Helio G80. Both devices also have the same Mali-G52 GPU, but the one on the G845 is clocked at 50MHz more. You can check the benchmark scores below.

The benchmark scores that we got from both devices were neck and neck, with the Helio G85, ironically, slightly lagging behind the Helio G80. The units tested were both the top-of-the-line 4GB/128GB models.

Camera

It looks like the Redmi Note 9 and Realme 6i were made to go head-to-head with each other. As you can see on the table above, both devices share the same exact cameras on the back. There’s the 48-megapixel main shooter, 8-megapixel ultra-wide, and the two 2-megapixel cameras for macro and depth sensing, respectively.

Probably the main difference here is in the selfie cameras. The Redmi Note 9 uses a 13-megapixel sensor, while the latter uses a sharper 16-megapixels. The difference are barely noticeable. You can check the samples below and be the judge.

Battery

Both devices has identical 5,000mAh battery. But since the Realme 6i uses a lower resolution display, you might get better longevity out of it.

The Redmi Note 9 and Realme 6i also has 18W fast charging support, but the former do come with a 22.5W fast charger on the box. Reverse charging is also present on the two, which lets you turn them into a powerbank, for as long as you have the right cable or OTG. We’ll have more details about their battery capacity in our full review, which will be out in the coming days so stay tuned for that.

Others

We definitely appreciate the extra features that we got on the Redmi Note 9 that are missing on the competition.

There’s the included 22.5W charger on the back, the use of a punch-hole instead of the boring notch, and a splashproof coating for extra peace of mind.

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Conclusion

As stated earlier, the Redmi Note 9 and Realme 6i are almost the same device. They share an identical processor, camera, and battery.

However, it’s clear that the HD+ resolution of the Realme 6i has been its biggest downfall — which makes the Redmi Note 9 the winner in this specs battle.

The interesting part is, both devices also have identical price tags. Their 3GB/64GB models retail for Php7,990 while the 4GB/128GB variants are priced at Php9,990.