Skip to main content

Leaked Realme 9 Pro specs show a potent Redmi Note 10 rival

While most smartphone enthusiasts in the West seem to focus on brand rivalries between giants like Samsung and Apple, unbeknown to them, Chinese smartphone brands Redmi and Realme have been fighting a similar battle for market domination in the affordable segment. For smartphone enthusiasts from China, India, and the rest of Asia, this battle has been as exciting a spectacle to witness and just as famous as the Apple-Samsung rivalry.

This rivalry is best exemplified by the game of one-upmanship that Redmi and Realme have been playing against each other using their Redmi Note and Realme series. Currently in its 11th generation, the Redmi Note 11 series from Xiaomi launched in China a few months ago and is expected to see a wider global launch later this month. Not to be left behind, the Realme 9 series, Realme’s answer to the Redmi Note lineup, is also likely to be launched in the next few weeks — which we know about thanks to a series of recent leaks.

Recommended Videos

It’s make or break for Realme

The Realme 9 series is an especially important device from Realme’s 2022 portfolio. Its predecessors — the Realme 8 Series, lacked the tooth (and hardware specs) to rival last year’s Redmi Note 10 series. The latter is famous for single-handedly bringing AMOLED panels and high refresh rate displays at ludicrously affordable prices, even surprising the usually competitive Realme in the process. This time around, because Redmi has already launched the Note 11 lineup in China, Realme has the second-mover advantage, and the Realme 9 lineup seems to be an evenly matched, more potent challenger to the Redmi Note 11.

Tell us the specs already!

Leaked renders showing the front and rear views of the Realme 9 Pro Plus.
Smartprix/ Onleaks

Thanks to the good folks at Smartprix, who collaborated with Onleaks to reveal key specs of the Realme 9 series, we know that there will be two variants of the lineup called the Realme 9 Pro and the Realme 9 Pro +. In addition, the company may also launch a vanilla model — the Realme 9 — a few months down the line, but we do not have any information about that device yet.

The Realme 9 will get the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset from Qualcomm and will be offered in 6GB and 8GB RAM options. Internal storage will top out at 128GB. It is unclear if the phone will get a microSD card slot.

We also know that the Realme 9 Pro will get a 6.59-inch display (likely an LCD) that will also support a 120Hz refresh rate. To alleviate previous concerns of Realme phones getting lower battery capacities compared to their Redmi-branded rivals, the Realme 9 Pro also gets a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 33-watt fast charging.

The camera setup reportedly consists of a triple camera array that gets a 64-megapixel primary sensor along with an 8MP secondary camera (possibly ultrawide) and a 2MP depth or macro sensor.

The Realme 9 Pro+

Leaked renders showing the front and rear views of the Realme 9 Pro Plus.
Smartprix/ Onleaks

Next up is the Realme 9 Pro+, which appears to be the smaller of the two variants but will almost definitely boast superior hardware. This one gets a smaller 6.43-inch AMOLED display, and even more strangely, a lower refresh rate (90Hz) compared to the 120Hz LCD panel on the standard variant. The AMOLED panel will also let Realme integrate an under-display fingerprint scanner on the Realme 9 Pro+.

This phone is rumored to get the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G processor, an improved variant of the Dimensity 900 from 2020. In addition, the Realme 9 Pro+ will be offered with up to 8GB of RAM, and there will be a rumored 256GB variant on the cards as well. The triple camera array will integrate a 50MP, 8MP, and 2MP camera, but it will also feature better sensors than the ones on the Realme 9 Pro. The smaller size of the Realme 9 Pro+ also means it gets a smaller 4,500mAh battery, but with support for faster 65W charging.

Indications are that Realme will bring the Realme 9 lineup to India first — quite possibly in the next few weeks. The company may follow it up with a wider launch across the rest of Asia, China, and Europe over the next two months. As always, Realme has no plans to launch these devices in the U.S.

Rahul Srinivas
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Rahul is a smartphone buff turned tech journalist who has been tinkering with all things mobile since the early 2000s. He has…
My Android 16 update made me jealous of iOS 26… but it shouldn’t
Deep down, I know my disappointment is irrational
The Android 16 logo on the screen of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

I've just downloaded Android 16 on my Pixel 9 Pro Fold. As someone who’s a sucker for a software update this should be a momentous occasion - so why am I feeling flat?

Whether it's an update for one of my favourite apps, or a complete operating system overhaul, I love pouring over change logs to see what's new and diving into features.

Read more
Samsung won’t stop teasing the Galaxy Z Fold 7: here are 3 things revealed already
We're getting a better idea of what the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be
The open Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Samsung is expected to announce its next generation of foldable devices in the coming months, and while we await confirmation from the South Korean brand on when exactly it plans on revealing the phones it’s continuing to tease the upcoming releases.

Samsung's remaining coy on exact specs, but with each teaser it publishes we get a clearer picture of what we can expect when the Galaxy Z Fold 7 launch finally happens.

Read more
Apple’s new iPadOS 26 shows Google what Android tablets need
4 windows open multitasking on the iPad Pro M4 11 running iPadOS 26 developer beta 1

Since the launch of the first iPad, Android tablets have struggled to compete. A lack of optimized apps means that Android tablets still don’t offer as seamless a transition to larger displays, which also impacts the best folding phones, where many apps don’t take advantage of the larger displays.

However, one area where Android tablets have outperformed the iPad is in productivity and multitasking. Samsung’s DeX desktop mode has been key to ensuring that some Android tablets offer a desktop-like experience, albeit one that needs more optimized applications. Last week, OnePlus also joined the party with the innovative Open Canvas system on the OnePlus Pad 3.

Read more