Realme 6i vs 6 vs 6 Pro: What’s the Difference?
Realme has started to make something of a name for itself outside of its native China and following on from theX50 Pro 5Glaunch, we have three newRealme 6Android phones, with two that are seemingly identical.
It’s hard to choose between two phones that look the same so what is different between the Realme 6i, the regular 6 and the Realme 6 Pro?
Read ourRealme 6 reviewandRealme 6 Pro review.
Price & Availability
Despite some impressive specs, the Realme 6 range is incredibly affordable starting at just£189in the UK. The Realme 6 will arrive on9 Aprilvia theofficial storeandAmazon.
The Realme 6i has a20 Aprilrelease date from those same retailers, while the Pro arrives on5 May.
You can see the details below for individual models coming to the UK:
Realme 6i prices
Realme 6 prices
Realme 6 Pro price
Check out our list of thebest budget phones.
Specs
Oddly, there’s not actually not a very long list of differences between the Realme 6 and the Pro model. The latter is namely more powerful and has a more impressive set of cameras while the 6i is more distanced.
At the rear, these two phones have three common cameras. A 64Mp main sensor, 8Mp ultrawide angle and a 2Mp macro lens. The Pro swaps a simple depth sensor for a 12Mp telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom making it more versatile.
The cheaper 6i has three of the same cameras when compared to the regular 6 but swaps the 64Mp main sensor for 48Mp one, still with an impressive f/1.8 aperture. Note that it’s limited to 1080p video recording while the others can shoot in 4K.
At the front, they all share a 16Mp selfie camera but the Pro has an additional 8Mp ultrawide lens too.
Pro models are often much speedier than their little brothers but that’s not what we’ve found in early testing.
The Realme 6 has a Mediatek Helio G90T processor while the Pro gets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G. They’re both octa-core chips, but the Pro model only scored 4 more points in Geekbench 5’s multi-core test.
The Pro gets you 50% more RAM at 6GB at the base model, but both are available with up to 8GB.
Meanwhile, the 6i – which we don’t have to benchmark yet – has a Mediatek Helio G80 and the UK model has 4/128GB.
Key differences aside, we’re left with a few minor details such as the Pro having a 6.6 inch screen – only 0.1 inches larger than the regular model. Otherwise, they both have IPS LCD panels with a Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate.
The 6i has a 6.5in display with a lower HD+ resolution. It still offers an IPS LCD panel but doesn’t have a 90Hz refresh rate.
Battery sizes are the same at 4300mAh, both with 30W charging and there’s a side-mounted fingerprint scanner either way you go. However, the 6i has a larger 5000mAh battery, slower 18W charging and a rear mounted fingerprint scanner.
A small detail that might tempt some users is the Pro’s ability to handle High-Res audio at 24-bit/192kHz.
Design
There’s not a huge amount to say design wise as all three are a similar size and weight
You’ll be able to tell which Realme 6 is which by quickly looking at the colour. The regular is available in Comet Blue or Comet White while the Pro comes in Lightning Blue and Lightning Orange.
The 6i has a striped back and comes in White Milk or Green Tea colours. It’s also recognisable by the rear fingerprint reader and teardrop notch.
All three are splash resistant, but the Pro is the only one to come with a glass back.
Which Realme 6 should I buy?
As usual, it’s a tricky thing to say outright which phone to buy. The Realme 6i looks like a real bargain and even has more storage and a larger battery than the regular model at its base price.
However, it misses out on things like a 90Hz high-res screen, some camera tech and 30W charging. That’s not bad though when you consider the extra £50 to get the same amount of storage.
With the Pro coming in at £299, there’s very little reason to buy it over the regular 6. It’s largely a case of whether you really want a telephoto camera and an ultrawide option at the front. For most people, we’d recommend saving some money and getting the regular 6.
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Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor, Tech Advisor
Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been at Tech Advisor for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
