The Realme 6i and Honor 9X Pro represent compelling options in the crowded budget smartphone market. While both aim to deliver a solid experience without breaking the bank, they take distinctly different approaches. The Realme 6i prioritizes exceptional battery life, while the Honor 9X Pro focuses on delivering more processing power with its Kirin 810 chipset. This comparison will dissect their strengths and weaknesses to determine which device best suits your needs.
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing longevity, the Realme 6i is the clear winner. Its 186-hour endurance rating significantly outpaces the Honor 9X Pro’s 104 hours. However, users who demand more responsive performance for gaming or multitasking will find the Honor 9X Pro’s Kirin 810 a more satisfying choice.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41 - Global | 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 38, 40, 41 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat12 600/50 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| | 1, 3, 5, 8, 38, 40, 41 - India | 1, 3, 5, 8, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2020, March 17. Released 2020, March 29 | 2019, July 23. Released 2019, August 09 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.4 x 75.4 x 9 mm (6.47 x 2.97 x 0.35 in) | 163.5 x 77.3 x 8.8 mm (6.44 x 3.04 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 199 g (7.02 oz) | 202 g (7.13 oz) |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | - |
| Resolution | 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~269 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~391 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 102.8 cm2 (~82.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.59 inches, 106.6 cm2 (~84.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (2x2.27 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x1.88 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6769V/CU Helio G80 (12 nm) | Kirin 810 (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MC2 | Mali-G52 MP6 |
| OS | Android 10, Realme UI | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, EMUI 9.1, no Google Play Services |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 64GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| | eMMC 5.1 | - |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.3, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm
2 MP (macro)
2 MP B/W, f/2.4 | - |
| Triple | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide)
Auxiliary lens |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | - |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | Motorized pop-up 16 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@60fps |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 4.2, A2DP, LE (International)5.0, A2DP, LE (China) |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | No |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| Radio | FM radio | FM radio |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | 18W wired
5W reverse wired | 10W wired |
| Type | 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | White Milk, Green Tea, Blue Soda | Midnight Black, Phantom Purple |
| Models | RMX2040 | HLK-AL10, HLK-TL10, HLK-L41, HLK-L42 |
| Price | About 400 EUR | About 230 EUR |
| Tests |
|---|
| Battery life |
Endurance rating 186h
|
Endurance rating 104h
|
| Camera |
Photo / Video |
Photo / Video |
| Display |
Contrast ratio: 1610:1 (nominal) |
Contrast ratio: 1319:1 (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker |
-30.5 LUFS (Below average)
|
-31.1 LUFS (Below average)
|
| Performance |
AnTuTu: 202275 (v8)
GeekBench: 5890 (v4.4), 1349 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 17fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
AnTuTu: 312668 (v8)
GeekBench: 7836 (v4.4), 1911 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 18fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Realme 6i
- Exceptional battery life (186h endurance)
- Faster charging (18W)
- Slightly better display contrast ratio
- Less powerful processor
- Potentially lower gaming performance
Honor 9X Pro
- More powerful Kirin 810 chipset
- Superior CPU architecture
- Better GPU for gaming
- Significantly shorter battery life (104h)
- Slower charging (10W)
Display Comparison
Both the Realme 6i and Honor 9X Pro feature displays capable of 517-528 nits of peak brightness, ensuring adequate visibility outdoors. However, the Realme 6i boasts a slightly higher contrast ratio of 1610:1 compared to the Honor 9X Pro’s 1319:1, potentially resulting in deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. While neither display utilizes advanced technologies like LTPO, the Realme 6i’s marginally better contrast provides a subtle visual edge. Bezels are comparable, suggesting a similar overall viewing experience in terms of screen-to-body ratio.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer a 'Photo / Video' camera experience, but detailed sensor information is lacking. Without specifics, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment. However, given the Honor brand’s historical focus on camera technology, it’s reasonable to assume the 9X Pro may offer more refined image processing algorithms. The absence of information regarding OIS or aperture sizes prevents a deeper analysis. It's likely both phones rely on software enhancements to improve image quality, and the user experience will depend heavily on the image processing style of each manufacturer.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Honor 9X Pro’s Kirin 810, fabricated on a more efficient 7nm process, offers a performance advantage over the Realme 6i’s 12nm Mediatek Helio G80. The Kirin 810’s Cortex-A76 cores (2x2.27 GHz) are architecturally superior to the Helio G80’s Cortex-A75 cores (2x2.0 GHz), translating to faster app loading times and smoother multitasking. While both CPUs feature six Cortex-A55 cores for efficiency, the Kirin 810’s GPU is also more powerful, making it the better choice for mobile gaming. The 7nm process also contributes to better thermal management, potentially reducing throttling during sustained workloads.
Battery Life
The Realme 6i’s endurance rating of 186 hours is a standout feature, dwarfing the Honor 9X Pro’s 104 hours. This substantial difference is primarily due to the Realme 6i’s more efficient chipset and potentially optimized software. While the Honor 9X Pro’s Kirin 810 is more powerful, it consumes more power. The Realme 6i also supports 18W wired charging and 5W reverse wired charging, offering greater flexibility. The Honor 9X Pro is limited to 10W wired charging, meaning significantly longer charge times.
Buying Guide
Buy the Realme 6i if you need a phone that can reliably last through a full day – and then some – of heavy use, and if you’re less concerned with demanding gaming or intensive applications. Buy the Honor 9X Pro if you prioritize smoother performance in games and apps, and are willing to compromise on battery life and potentially carry a power bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Will the Honor 9X Pro struggle to run demanding games like PUBG or Call of Duty?
The Kirin 810 is capable of running these games, but you may need to lower graphics settings to maintain a stable frame rate. The Realme 6i’s Helio G80 will likely require even more significant compromises in visual fidelity to achieve playable performance.
❓ How much faster is the Realme 6i to charge compared to the Honor 9X Pro?
The Realme 6i’s 18W charging is significantly faster than the Honor 9X Pro’s 10W charging. Expect a substantial difference in 0-100% charge times, with the Realme 6i taking considerably less time to fully replenish its battery.
❓ Is the difference in battery life noticeable in everyday use?
Absolutely. The 82-hour difference in endurance ratings translates to a real-world advantage for the Realme 6i. Users can expect to go a full day, or even longer, without needing to recharge, while the Honor 9X Pro may require a midday top-up with moderate to heavy use.
