POCO X4 GT vs realme 9 Pro Plus: which is the best Chinese mid-range phone? | Comparative

The POCO X4 GT and the realme 9 Pro Plus are two premium mid-rangers that compete as the best in class among models from Chinese manufacturers. They deliver several premium specs, but some savings can be decisive for the duel.

Between Xiaomi’s smartphone and realme’s, which is the winner of this advanced segment? We will tell you now, in this TechMarkup Comparative.

• design
• Multimedia and Resources
• Performance
• Drums
• Camera
• Price
• Conclusion

POCO X4 GT

We started with the design talking about their construction. Both have plastic sides, but only the POCO repeats the material on the back. Its finish is matte to look more premium, but it’s the realme that uses the glass here, with a photochromatic effect to react with the light.

None of them contain any protection against liquids and dust. The camera block used by them is very similar, mainly due to the distribution of the cameras, with two lenses highlighted and one more to the right.

really 9 pro plus

The 9 Pro Plus has some differentials over its rival, such as a more compact and lighter body. Another advantage of it is the fingerprint reader under the screen, while the X4 GT uses the biometric sensor integrated into the power button. Manufacturers opted for the hole notch, but realme preferred to place it in the left corner, and not in the center, like Xiaomi.

Both have dispensed with the microSD card slot and do not offer storage expansion. The pair also supports sixth-generation Wi-Fi and NFC, for contactless payments. POCO’s Bluetooth 5.3 is more advanced than the 5.2 version found on the competitor.

The realme 9 Pro Plus has more benefits in its design and leads the way in the scoreboard.

Screen

We found very different scenarios on screen. Xiaomi preferred to use an IPS LCD display with Dolby Vision support and larger size than the competitor. Realme, on the other hand, chose a Super AMOLED panel that delivers a wider viewing angle than its rival and excels in multimedia quality.

POCO’s main highlight is the 144 Hz refresh rate, which provides greater fluidity to please demanding gamers. At least, the 90 Hz of the 9 Pro Plus will not disappoint in system animations and even in games. That’s because its touch response reaches 360 Hz and is above even the 270 Hz of the X4 GT.

Despite the big differences, you’ll find in both a Full HD+ resolution and the presence of Gorilla Glass 5, to give that extra security against scratches.

On one side is the high refresh rate panel and Dolby Vision. On the other, superior material and greater touch response. We give one point to each.

Sound

Both Xiaomi and realme did not leave audio aside and put a stereo system in their intermediaries. Manufacturers took advantage of the call loudspeaker as a secondary channel, to give more immersion to the user.

The sound power of both is good, despite not standing out in the category. In terms of quality, POCO delivers a better balance between bass, mids and treble. The duo still comes with the physical connector for headphones, but the accessory does not come with the device in the package.

The superior quality of the X4 GT sets it apart.

System

These devices come out of the box with Android 12 pre-installed. The two should receive at least two major updates from the “little robot”, but don’t count on frequent security patches on them.

POCO and realme are compatible with 5G, that is, they are ready to take full advantage of the new generation of mobile network. Both MIUI 13 and Realme UI 3.0 provide great fluidity and benefit from the high refresh rates delivered by these phones.

Both have a sidebar for shortcuts to the most used apps and great customization possibilities. The X4 GT still stands out for the Game Turbo, to improve the gameplay. The 9 Pro Plus allows you to use Always-on Display and dark mode to save energy, thanks to the AMOLED panel.

Overall, we see a great balance of advantages on each side. So we have a tie.

POCO comes equipped with a Dimensity 8100 platform and 8GB of RAM, against the Dimensity 920 and 6GB of RAM in realme. We saw in our speed tests that the chip and the amount of memory were decisive for the result, and Xiaomi came out on top in multitasking performance.

In the benchmarks, we also have a much higher score for MediaTek’s newest component, with both AnTuTu and Geekbench winning. Not to mention the games, which exploit the 144 fps support of the X4 GT more, although they also run well on the realme model.

It’s another point for POCO.

While realme insists on a 4,500 mAh battery in the 9 Pro Plus, Xiaomi goes further with 5,080 mAh in the POCO. Our standardized tests showed that capacity made the difference, with an advantage of more than two hours to the X4 GT’s range.

As for charging, POCO’s 67 W adapter and realme’s 60 W adapter charge with practically the same time in the socket. Both drop from one hour to 100% completion.

POCO X4 GT annotates the point for the longest duration.

On both sides we find a triple set of cameras. The POCO’s 64 MP main sensor may not disappoint, but it doesn’t quite excite as much as the 9 Pro Plus’s 50 MP. The realme device can capture much more detail, better contrast and less noise than the POCO, in addition to having superior HDR. Xiaomi’s night mode is also behind and does not reach the same quality as the competitor.

The ultrawide of these devices have the same resolution and have similar colors to the main one. During the day, the photos with them come out good on both. At night, the fall will be great. Finally, their macro lacks definition and lacks autofocus. Therefore, she is the weaker of the two trios.

realme is more focused on images and stays with the point here.

Photos taken with the POCO X4 GT

The camcorder of these smartphones is capable of recording in 4K, but restricted to 30 fps. Both deliver good quality videos, agile focus and a stereo audio capture that doesn’t suffer from wind noise. What makes the difference is the 9 Pro Plus’s superior stabilization system, to handle shake better than the POCO.

Realme scores again in this regard.

Photos taken with realme 9 Pro Plus

Both devices have a 16 MP front camera. In practice, sharpness is not the duo’s strong suit. But realme ends up recording selfies with more accurate colors and a portrait mode that doesn’t make the photos darker, as in the case of the X4 GT. Their front footage is nothing but Full HD.

Once again, the 9 Pro Plus marks the point.

Of these devices, only the realme 9 Pro Plus was officially launched in Europe, at a suggested price of R$3,500. In current retail, it is already found for less than R$ 3,000. The POCO X4 GT can even be a cheaper solution if you want to import, but maybe the customs costs don’t make the final value so much below the competitor, besides the lack of local guarantee.

On the one hand, lower imported prices. On the other, local availability. We ended the duel with a draw.

As we can see from the scoreboard, the confrontation between the Chinese intermediaries was well balanced. Among the advantages of POCO is its display with the highest refresh rate for gaming, the highest quality sound system, faster multitasking performance and longer battery life.

On the other side, the realme proved to have a superior build and an AMOLED screen to enhance the multimedia experience. But what made the difference was its camera set, which achieved higher quality results in rear photos, videos and selfies, in addition to having decided the most favorable score for this phone.

The 9 Pro Plus is the only one that is available in the Europeian market at the moment, so the ease of purchase and the local guarantee also weigh in its favor. However, the X4 GT can still be a cheaper option if you prefer to import the product.

RESULT

POCO X4 GT: 6 POINTS

• Larger screen with 144 Hz rate
• Highest quality sound system
• Software with premium features and same longevity
• faster performance
• Longer battery life
• lowest price imported

really 9 Pro Plus: 7 SPOTS

• More compact and lightweight design and superior construction
• AMOLED screen with higher multimedia quality
• Software with premium features and same longevity
• Rear cameras that take superior photos
• 4K videos with better stabilization
• Higher quality selfies at night
• Availability in the Europeian market

Between the Xiaomi model and the realme one, what would be your purchase choice? What feature of them stands out to you the most? Comment with us!

• The Poco X4 GT is not yet available in Europeian stores. To be notified when it arrives click here.
• Realme 9 Pro Plus is available on Amazon for BRL 3,499.