The Realme 9 could be identical to the Realme 8 5G that debuted last year, a listing on the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website has indicated. The new Realme phone is expected to join the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+, which have so far been part of the rumor mill. It would come with features including a perforated screen design and 18W fast charging. The Realme 9 will likely be the company’s new affordable 5G phone in the lineup.
The US FCC website has loaded a document from Realme in which the company asked the regulator to consider a Realme phone with model number RMX3388 to be an identical model of the phone with model number RMX3241. The latter is the model number of the Realme 8 5G, while the former is considered to be associated with the Realme 9.
“Except the model name and FCC ID number change, the EUT [equipment under testing] are electronically/electrically identical to the original equipment and that the original test results remain representative and applicable thereto,” reads the document available on the US FCC website.
While the document doesn’t mention more details about the new model, we can expect some minor changes to make the Realme 9 distinct from the Realme 8 5G.
The Realme 8 5G was launched in India and other markets in April last year. It came with a 90Hz display and was powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC.
Earlier this month, the Realme phone with model number RMX3388 appeared on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website to hint at its release in India. It would also have been seen in the European Economic Community (EEC). In both cases, it was believed to be Realme 9.
The US FCC website listed the new model with FCC ID 2AUYFRMX3388. Includes some live photos of the phone that are also hinting at similarities to the Realme 8 5G. The phone appears to have the screen cutout in the top left corner. It is also seen with a 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone, USB Type-C port, and a speaker grille at the bottom.
Furthermore, the photos that appeared on the US FCC website show the phone with triple rear cameras and a gradient rear.
The Realme 9 looks quite similar to the Realme 8 5G
Photo credit: US FCC
A charger has also appeared alongside the Realme phone which appears to have up to 18W output. Rumor has already suggested that the Realme 9 would come with 18W charging, while the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+ are speculated to have support for fast charging up to 33W.
Exact details on when Realme plans to release the Realme 9 series have yet to be revealed. However, considering what the phones look like on various certification websites, the new series could be made official sometime in the next few days.
A report in November suggested that Realme could push back the launch of its new models to February due to global chip shortages. The company itself also confirmed in September that it plans to launch the Realme 9 in India this year.