Realme released the less expensive 6i just five months after the original Realme 6 was released. Of course, by being less expensive, Realme has to cut few corners for the 6i to fit into the budget segment. The Realme 6i lacks some flagship features like a 90Hz refresh rate, 64-MP camera, and many others that are on the original Realme 6.
However, the two smartphones are very identical with almost similar specs. They both have the same body design, display size, gaming processors, but with few differences. Meanwhile, let’s dive into the Realme 6i full review and how it levels against its higher sibling.
Realme 6i Key Specifications
- Display: 6.5-inches LCD
- Resolution: 1600 x 720 pixels
- Processor: MediaTek Helio G80
- Front Camera: 16-megapixel
- Rear Camera: 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel
- RAM: 3GB /6GB
- Storage: 64GB /128GB
- Battery Capacity: 5000mAh
- OS: Android 10, Realme UI
Realme 6i Design and Display
Undeniably, the Realme 6i is an eye-catching smartphone. The front panel is dominated by a 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels) resolution with a little bezel at the chin and a tiny dot on the top for the selfie camera. This gives the phone modern aesthetics and keeps it on track with the latest flagship design trend.
There’s no doubt this display is sharp and colorful, making it pleasant to use. However, you’ll experience some slowdown while scrolling unlike the Realme 6. This is because the Realme 6 offers a 60Hz refresh rate which is absent on the 6i model. However, there’s nothing to complain about here as the refresh rate feature is rarely found on smartphones of this price.
At first glance, you’ll easily notice a unique vertical ripple design that’s on the rear panel of Realme 6i. The device is available in the triple color of White Milk, Blue Soda, and Green Tea, but we found the latter more appealing because of its deep vertical ripple that gives the phone a flagship look.
The Realme 6i is quite light at 199g despite its large battery cell. The rear panel is made from plastic and does a fantastic job of repelling any fingerprints or smudges, although there’s a silicone case available in the box. Meanwhile, the vertical ripple pattern is interrupted by a rectangular camera bump on the top left corner of the phone, with a fingerprint scanner right beside it.
On the right side of the phone, you’ll see a volume rocker and power button, while the 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port are housed on the bottom corner.
Realme 6i Cameras
As earlier mentioned, the Realme 6i is equipped with a 48-MP primary shooter, along with an 8-MP ultra-wide sensor with 119-degree field-of-view (FOV), a 2-MP macro lens, and another 2-MP monochromatic sensor that is used for depth sensing. On the front is a 16-MP selfie camera with a 79.3-degree FOV. When it comes to video, the Realme 6i can comfortably shoot 4k videos at 30fps, and can also shoot slow-motion videos of up to 120fps at 1080p, along with UIS video stabilization feature.
When comparing the camera specs between Realme 6 and 6i, the main difference between the two phones is the downgrade of the primary sensor from 64-MP to 48-MP on the Realme 6i. However, the two phones are faced with a similar problem of lack of detail when zooming photos.
However, the Realme 6i camera is shot at 12-MP by default, with photos a bit over-processed with its sharpness. Also, the dynamic range is not good enough, but the excellent color reproduction is more than enough to cover for it. The ultra-wide and macro sensor does a great job by capturing great pictures as expected.
Overall, the Realme 6i is a great camera device and performs better than the original Realme 6 model. Fortunately, the Realme 6i is cheaper, so there’s no point in spending much on Realme 6 when you can get the same performance on the 6i model.
Performance and Software
The Realme 6i is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, with an octa-core processor, and paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. Realme revealed that the processor on the Realme 6i offers a 35% performance boost over previous models, and the Mali-G52 GPU is 25% better than the previous generation. Meanwhile, the Realme 6i offers dual storage options of 64GB and 128GB with an option of SDcard slot too.
Fortunately, Realme has solved the performance problem that was encountered on the Realme 6. Amazingly, the chip on Realme 6i stays well under control with nearby no heating issues at all even after long gaming sessions. Also, you can comfortably play high-end games like PUGB, Asphalt 9, Call of Duty, and many others without lags.
The Android 10 OS on the Realme 6 is the same on the 6i. They both have the same performance and the software seemed well optimized for the hardware. However, the Realme UI is faced with a lot of criticisms because of lots of advertisements and notifications. Fortunately, Realme introduced a lot of tweaks and up to date Android Security patches.
Realme 6i Battery Capacity
The Realme 6i comes with a 5000mAh battery cell which is quite huge for this price. This is one of the best positive areas of this smartphone and Realme boasts the battery can offer up to 39 days of standby time, although we found it shorter.
Fortunately, the phone offers 18W fast charge capability, with support for reverse charging, and it’s compatible with USB-C. By using the fast charger, the phone can hit from 0 to 50% in an hour and a full battery in 2hrs 30mins.
Realme 6i: Price in Nigeria and Availability
The Realme 6i starts selling at a price of ₦80,000 (roughly $210) for the 4GB of RAM and 128GB variant. You can easily buy any of the phone’s variants at jiji or other reputable online and offline phone outlets in Nigeria and beyond.
At this price, the Reame 6i levels against Xiaomi Redmi 9t (₦78,000) and Poco M3 (₦80,000).
Realme 6i Full Specifications
General
- Brand: Realme
- Model: 6i
- Release Date: March 29, 2020
- Operating System: Android 10, Realme UI
- Weight: 199g
- Colors: White Milk, Green Tea, Blue Soda
Display
- Touchscreen: YES
- Type: IPS LCD
- Display Size: 6.5-inch
- Screen Resolution: 1600 x 720 pixels
- Dimensions: 164.4 x 75.4 x 9 mm (6.47 x 2.97 x 0.35 in)
- Facelock Support: YES
- In-display fingerprint scanner: Yes
- Sensors: Fingerprint (Rear-mounted)
Platform
- Chipset: MediaTek Helio G80 (12 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
- GPU: Adreno 610
Memory
- RAM: 3GB /4GB
- Inbuilt Storage: 64GB /128GB
- SD Card slot: Yes (Dedicated slot)
Camera
- Rear Flash: LED Flashlight
- Rear Camera: 48-MP f/1.8 (wide), 8-MP f/2.3 (ultra-wide), 2-MP f/2.4, (macro), 2-MP f/2.4 (monochromatic)
- Video: 1080p@30fps
- Front Camera: 16-MP, f/2.0 (wide)
- Front Flash: —
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi: YES
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- USB: MicroUSB-C 2.0
- GPS: YES
- WLAN: YES
Network
- SIM: Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
- Technology: GSM | HSPA | LTE
- 3G Support: Yes
- 4G/ LTE Support: Yes
- 5G Support: No
Battery
- Capacity: Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable
- Fast Charge: 18W
Price
- Price in Nigeria: ₦80,000
- Price in Dollars: $210
