Xiaomi just unveiled the Redmi 9: an amazing affordable phone with no serious weak points, at least for the price at which it is offered. But is it really the best sub-€200 budget phone out there or there is something better from the other brands? In order to establish that, we decided to compare it with two other affordable handsets sold for less than €200: the ones we consider among the greatest phones in that segment. We are talking about the Moto G8 and the Realme 6i which, just like the Redmi 9, come with well-balanced specs sheets and no important cons at very affordable prices.
Xiaomi Redmi 9 vs Realme 6i vs Motorola Moto G8
| Xiaomi Redmi 9 | Realme 6i | Motorola Moto G8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 163.3 x 77 x 9.1 mm, 198 grams | 164.4 x 75.4 x 9 mm, 199 grams | 161.3 x 75.8 x 9 mm, 188 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.53 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.4 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 268 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Mediatek Helio G80, octa-core 2 GHz | Mediatek Helio G80, octa-core 2.0 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, octa-core 2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 10, MIUI | Android 10, Realme UI | Android 10 |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Quad 13 + 8 + 5 + 2 MP f/2.2, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Quad 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.3, f/2.4 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Triple 16 + 8 + 2 MP f/1.7, f/2.2 and f/2.2 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 5020 mAh, fast charging 18W | 5000 mAh, fast charging 18W | 4000 mAh |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot, splash resistant | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Design
In my honest opinion, the king of the design in this trio is the Motorola Moto G8 because it offers a more futuristic punch-hole display while still providing a similar screen-to-body ratio to its two rivals. But if you are looking for amazing build quality you should not underestimate the Realme 6i as it is the only splash resistant phone in this comparison. But in each case, do not expect a premium design. All the devices from this trio have a plastic body instead of a glass back like higher-end phones. So if you want a more impressive design, you should move to something else such as devices from the Redmi Note 9 family, if you want to stay in a similar price segment.
Display
The display is not the strongest point of these handsets, just like the design. The Redmi 9 wins because it is the only to offer a Full HD+ resolution, so it provides a higher level of detail. Moto G8 and Realme 6i come with a below-average HD+ resolution, despite they have wide displays, so their pixel density is all but high. Redmi 9, Moto G8, and Realme 6i are equipped with average IPS panels, nothing so exciting. The only element making the difference is the Full HD+ resolution on the Redmi 9.
Specs & Software
While most of the people prefer having a phone with a Snapdragon chipset inside like the SD665 found on the Moto G8, the Helio G80 found on the Redmi 9 and Realme 6i actually scores more points on the most reliable benchmarks and it comes with high GPU performances. But the difference is not abyssal and the Snapdragon 665 chipset is built with a more efficient production process (11 nm vs 12 nm). Moto G8 also offers a lighter experience thanks to stock Android, while Redmi 8 and Realme 6i have highly-customized user interfaces. Note that you can get Realme 6i with up to 128 GB, while Moto G8 and Redmi 9 come with max 64 GB. But in each case, you can expand the internal storage through a micro SD slot (it is shared on the Moto G8 and dedicated on Realme 6i and Redmi 9).
Camera
The most impressive rear camera belongs to the Moto G8. Despite it has a triple camera instead of a quad camera, it sports an awesome main sensor with a bright f/1.7 aperture and laser autofocus boosting the photo quality. It is even able to record videos with a 4K resolution, unlike Realme 6i and Redmi 9. On the other hand, Realme 6i is still able to offer a great photo quality thanks to its 48 MP main sensor and a great 16 MP selfie camera. Redmi 9 should be the most disappointing one as a camera phone.
Battery
Realme 6i, Redmi 9, and Moto G8 are very good battery phones. But the longest-lasting one in most of the scenarios is the Realme 6i because it has a bigger battery than Moto G8 and a less energy-demanding display than Redmi 9 due to its lower resolution. Realme 6i is the king of battery life, but keep in mind that all of these phones offer a very long-lasting battery. Realme 6i and Redmi 9 support 18W fast charging, while unfortunately, Moto G8 does not provide any kind of fast charging technology.
Price
Redmi 9 and Realme 6i start from €179/$203 in their base variant with 3 GB of RAM (Redmi 9’s price varies depending on the market), while Moto G8 is only available in a version with 4 GB of RAM and it costs €199/$225. There is not a definitive winner of this comparison and you should make a choice based on your personal needs. Realme 6i has a longer battery life and pretty nice cameras for photos (it is my favorite one), Moto G8 has a great rear camera for photos and videos, and Redmi 9 has a better display.
Xiaomi Redmi 9 vs Realme 6i vs Motorola Moto G8: PROs and CONS
Realme 6i
PROs
- Longer battery life
- Great cameras
- Splash resistant
- Micro SD dedicated slot
CONS
- HD display
Motorola Moto G8
PROs
- Great design
- Nice rear cameras
- Best design
- Stock Android
CONS
- HD display
Xiaomi Redmi 9
PROs
- IR sensor
- Full HD display
- Big battery
- Micro SD dedicated slot
CONS
- Inferior cameras
