Realme 9i leaked specifications hint at another affordable phone, launch likely in January

Realme 9i smartphone is likely to come next month as the company’s first number-series phone of 2021. The remaining phones in the series, such as the Realme 9, Realme 9 Pro, and Realme 9 Pro+, may arrive sometime later. The reason why we think Realme 9i will arrive first is because it is getting certifications from various regulatory bodies. For instance, it was recently listed on Thailand’s NBTC and FCC platforms. And now, a listing on China’s AliExpress has revealed nearly everything about the Realme 9i ahead of its release.

The AliExpress listing of the Realme 9i, spotted first by 91Mobiles, shows that the upcoming smartphone will come with a 6.59-inch LCD with Full-HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. On the back, the phone will bear a 50-megapixel main camera along with two other sensors. And for selfies, there may be a 16-megapixel camera on the Realme 9i, placed inside a punch-hole cutout. The phone may have 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. And it may use a 5000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging.

While all that information is adequate enough to figure out what price tag this phone would bear, the listing goes on to reveal how the Realme 9i would perform. According to AliExpress, the Realme 9i may come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor, and it means it will be suited for most light to heavy tasks. For connectivity, the phone may come with Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a USB-C port. There may also be a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the Realme 9i, according to the listing.

From what we have learnt about the Realme 9i, the upcoming number-series phone will be an affordable device. And this might be a good way for Realme to begin the year 2022. Besides the Realme 9 series, the company is also going to launch the GT 2 Pro smartphone probably in the second week of January, so customers will have a choice between a high-end phone and a modest one.

That being said, both Realme 9i and Realme GT 2 Pro are not likely to come to India anytime soon. It may take Realme at least a month to introduce the Realme 9 series in India, according to some reports. One of them even said that the Realme 9i may arrive in India as Realme Narzo 9i. For what it is worth, Realme is unlikely to skip the launch of this phone in India, so if you are waiting for the Realme 9i, there is hope after all.