Realme 9 4G Launch Set For April 7- Should You Buy A 4G Smartphone In 2022?

Realme will be hosting a grand virtual launch event on April 7 in India. The brand will launch consumer products in categories including smartphones, audio devices, and personal computing devices. These include the flagship Realme GT 2 Pro, a sub-20K 4G only smartphone- Realme 9, Realme Buds Air 3 Truly wireless earphones, an affordable version of Realme's 4K TV Stick, and Realme Book Prime notebook.

Among all the aforementioned products, the Realme 9 4G caught our attention due to its 108MP camera. Here's everything you need to know about the new Realme budget smartphone.

Realme 9 4G Key Specifications & Features

As the name suggests, the budget smartphone will skip 5G connectivity and will only work with the current 4G networks in the country. Even without a 5G modem, the Realme 9 has plenty of other high-end features to make it worth considering. These include a massive 108MP primary camera sensor using the first-ever Samsung-made ISOCELL HM6 image sensor. It is touted to offer brighter and clearer pictures due to its bigger sensor size and better processing.

As per Realme, the new 108MP sensor employs the latest NonaPixel Plus technology, upgraded from the traditional 3Sum-3Avg solution. The technology will most likely improve the overall light intake by 123% compared to the Samsung ISOCELL HM2 image sensor. This should result in better daylight and brighter low-light images with improved color reproduction.

The other two camera sensors in the triple-lens system will include a 2MP macro sensor and a 119-degree FOV wide-angle lens. For selfies, the smartphone will flaunt a 16MP front-facing camera.

Moving on, the smartphone will flaunt a 90Hz AMOLED display with a 360Hz touch-sampling rate. The display will house a biometric scanner underneath (an in-screen fingerprint scanner) to offer a secure user experience. The Realme 9 4G will be powered by a huge 5,000mAh battery, as well as a 33W fast-charging technology. Notably, the brand will offer the fast-charger in the box along with a Type-C charging cable.

The 4G-only smartphone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC. The smartphone will feature a 3-card slot offering a dedicated slot for storage expansion. The Realme 9 4G will come running on the latest realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12.

The Realme 9 4G is expected to be priced under Rs. 16,500. The smartphone will join the Realme 9-series devices including the recently launched Realme 9i, Realme 9 Pro, Realme 9 5G SE, and the Realme 9 Pro+. Realme will stream the launch event live on its social media platforms, YouTube and Facebook.

Should You Buy A 4G Smartphone In 2022?

India is inching closer to 5G network deployment. It has been reported that the 5G network is in its final stages of development and the network's rollout is on schedule. We expect the leading telecom operators to start rolling out the 5G services for smartphone users in the first or second quarter of 2023. However, smartphone users will only see an active 5G connection on their handsets somewhere around late 2023.

If you prefer to stick with one device for over two years, the Realme 9 4G could be a problem. As the device does not have a 5G modem, it will not be able to support future 5G connections. You won't gain much from selling the handset second-hand since the market will gradually move towards 5G-only devices.

The smartphone, however, would make for a good purchase if launched at a competitive price and that too for consumers who switch to new devices every year or two. We will wait for the official price announcement before making any judgment on the handset.