Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: Specifications and pricing compared

Realme 6i has just launched in India and goes up against Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 in the budget segment. Starting at Rs 12,999, the Realme 6i brings a high refresh rate display to the budget segment accompanied by support for fast charging. The Redmi Note 9 was also launched recently and undercuts the Realme 6i by a Rs 1,000 margin. 

Let’s take a look at how the Realme 6i stands in front of the Redmi Note 9 based on specifications and pricing.

Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: Pricing

Realme 6i starts at Rs 12,999 in India for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and Rs 14,999 for the variant with 6GB RAM/64GB storage. The Redmi Note 9 undercuts the Realme 6i as it starts from Rs 11,999 for the base model with 4GB RAM/64GB storage and Rs 13,999 for the variant with 128GB storage. The maxed-out version with 6GB RAM/128GB storage is priced at Rs 14,999.

Xiaomi offers more aggressively priced variants for users to choose from while the Realme 6i is only available in two variants and the highest variant comes with 64GB storage.

Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: Design and Display

Realme 6i and Redmi Note 9 have a plastic body and both measure 8.9 millimetres in thickness. However, the Realme 6i is lighter at 191 grams as opposed to Redmi Note 9 that weighs 199 grams. Both the phones come with splash-proof resistance and dedicated microSD card slots for memory expansion.

The Realme 6i features a 6.5-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution display with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The screen supports 90Hz high refresh rate and is topped with a layer of Gorilla Glass 3. The Redmi Note 9, on the other hand, comes with a 6.53-inch Full HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels) resolution display with a punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner. Unlike the Realme 6i, Note 9 doesn’t come with a high refresh-rate display which is a bummer.

Realme 6i offers a high refresh rate display which is something that could please a lot of people looking to buy a budget phone, however, the price could be a concern as well.

Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: Under the hood

Realme 6i is powered by MediaTek Helio G90T chipset with an octa-core CPU that is capable of running at 2.05GHz and Mali-G76 as the GPU. This is paired with upto 6GB RAM and upto 64GB storage with an option to expand it further via microSD cards of upto 256GB. The Redmi Note 9 is powered by MediaTek Helio G85 chipset with an octa-core CPU running at upto 2.0GHz and Mali-G52 GPU. This is paired with upto 6GB RAM and 128GB storage options to choose from. Like the Realme 6i, Redmi Note 9 also comes with support for microSD cards of up to 512GB.

One of the highlighting differences between the two processors is the higher clock-speed of six cores on the Realme 6i that run at 2.0GHz while the six cores on Redmi Note 9 are only capable of running at 1.8GHz. The GPU on the Redmi Note 9 is also an older generation graphics chip than the Realme 6i.

Both phones come with the basic set of sensors and connectivity features including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm audio jack and USB Type-C port. The Realme 6i has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor while Note 9 has a fingerprint reader on the back.

Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: Cameras

Realme 6i comes with a quad-camera setup like the Redmi Note 9. It has a 48MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera with 119-degree field-of-view, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture. The rear cameras can record in 4K UHD at 30FPS and 1080p videos at upto 120FPS with support for EIS. 

The Note 9 has a 48MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera with 118-degree field-of-view, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. There’s a 13MP selfie camera on the front, housed inside the punch-hole cutout. The rear camera on the phone can record in 1080p at 30FPS.

Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: Battery

Realme 6i comes with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out-of-the-box. Realme claims that the phone can go from 0-100% in 55 minutes. The Note 9 comes with a larger 5,020mAh battery and support 18W fast charging.