The budget smartphone segment is slowly getting frequently refreshed again with good value for money phones. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the chip shortage and rise in component prices, smartphones launched for around Rs 15,000 came with several compromises. With things getting back on track, the most popular segment in the smartphone space is now seeing new value-for-money options. Among the list include the newly launched Infinix Note 12 Pro, Realme 9i 5G and the iQOO Z6 5G.
The three smartphones are priced at around Rs 15,000 in India. If you are considering buying a new budget smartphone for around Rs 15,000, here is a quick comparison between the iQOO Z6 5G, Infinix Note 12 Pro and the Realme 9i 5G.
Realme 9i 5G comes with two storage options. The base model has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It is priced at Rs 14,999. The 6GB + 128GB variant, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 16,999.
Lastly, the iQOO Z6 5G is priced at Rs 15,499 for the base 4GB + 128GB variant, whereas the 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 128GB variants are priced at Rs 16,999 and Rs 17,999.
Infinix Note 12 Pro vs Realme 9i 5G vs iQOO Z6: Design
All three phones sport a polycarbonate back. The Infinix Note 12 Pro has a dual-tone design, with the top portion near the camera module having a glossy finish, whereas the rest of the back has a matte texture. The camera module is circular in shape and rests on the left side of the rear panel. It weighs about 192 grams and measures 7.8mm in terms of thickness.
The Realme 9i 5G has a 3-layer grain process on the polycarbonate back to offer a shimmery texture. The device weighs about 187 grams and is 8.1mm thick. It sports a waterdrop at the notch of the display for the front camera. The phone also has three circular cutouts on the back for the triple-camera setup.
iQOO Z6 5G is the lightest of the three phones in this comparison. It weighs 186 grams and is 8.33mm thick. The phone has a rectangular camera module on the back for the triple-camera setup.
Infinix Note 12 Pro vs Realme 9i 5G vs iQOO Z6 5G: Display
The Note 12 Pro has the tallest display in this comparison. The phone sports a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 60Hz screen refresh rate. It sports a water drop notch at the top centre for the front camera. The phone also comes with fairly thin bezels, except for the thick chin.
The Realme 9i 5G, on the other hand, has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone also has a water-drop notch for the front camera. In addition to this, the screen offers a 180Hz touch sampling rate and 400 nits of peak brightness.
The Z6 5G has a marginally small 6.58-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD with 120Hz refresh rate support. It also has a water-drop notch at the top for the front camera.
Infinix Note 12 Pro vs Realme 9i 5G vs iQOO Z6 5G: Performance
The Note 12 Pro is a 4G smartphone and comes with a MediaTek Helio G99 SoC. It is the first smartphone in India to feature the new mid-range 4G chipset. It comes with a single 8GB RAM option and offers 256GB of internal storage.
The iQOO Z6 5G has a Snapdragon 695 SoC under the hood. The 6nm chip is paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Lastly, the 9i 5G packs a Dimensity 810 SoC, which is a fairly popular budget 5G chipset and offers up to 20 per cent faster performance compared to the Dimensity 700 SoC.
All three phones run Android 12 out of the box. The Z6 5G runs Funtouch OS 12 on top of Android, whereas the 9i 5G has a layer of Realme UI 3.0 on top. The Note 12 Pro has a layer of XOS 10.6 on top of Android 12.
Infinix Note 12 Pro vs Realme 9i 5G vs iQOO Z6 5G: Cameras
All three phones have a triple-camera setup but skipped an ultrawide camera. The Infinix Note 12 Pro has a 108MP main camera, a depth sensor and an AI lens. The Realme 9i 5G has a 108MP main camera and two 2MP sensors for depth sensing and macro photography. The Z6 5G has the same rear camera setup as the 9i 5G.
For selfies, the 9i 5G has an 8MP front camera. The Z6 5G and the Note 12 Pro 4G feature a 16MP front camera sensor.
Infinix Note 12 Pro vs Realme 9i 5G vs iQOO Z6 5G: Battery
All three phones pack a 5,000 mAh battery under the hood but offer different charging speeds. The Note 12 Pro has 33W fast charging support, whereas the 9i 5G and Z6 5G offer 18W fast charging support.
Infinix Note 12 Pro vs Realme 9i 5G vs iQOO Z6 5G: Verdict
All three phones offer good value for money. The Infinix Note 12 Pro offers a tall display and a 108MP main camera sensor, which is not common in this segment. It also features an Helio G99 SoC and 8GB of RAM for the base model. Also, it is the only phone in this comparison to offer 256GB of internal storage. However, the device does not support 5G. Therefore, if you want a 5G phone, you need to consider the 9i 5G or the Z6 5G.
The Z6 5G has a faster 120Hz refresh rate screen and also offers a Snapdragon 695 SoC. The 6nm SoC is more powerful than the Dimensity 810 SoC. The 9i 5G, on the other hand, has a 90Hz refresh rate LCD. It is also slightly cheaper than the Z6 5G at Rs 14,999. However, we feel that the Z6 5G offers better value for money with a faster refresh rate display and a powerful processor for an additional Rs 500.
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