Realme's next cheap phone has a weird color-changing back

Realme 9 Pro
(Image credit: Realme)

We're expecting the Realme 9 series to launch very soon, as the company has been teasing the upcoming phone's Pro and Pro Plus models recently, and the latest piece of information shows us the rear of the phone.

As you can see from the picture above, this isn't just your average smartphone design, as the Realme 9 Pro models will use a color-changing glass back. This will change from blue to red depending on how the light is hitting it, and it sounds a lot like the Vivo V23 in this regard, which has a gold-blue shifting pattern.

Realme calls this its 'Grace Color', using a 'Light Shift Design', although those are really just its marketing terms for what you or I would call a 'groovy'.

We've seen a few phones over the years with similar designs, but it's hard to capture these effects in a single image. So while the imagery Realme has provided is a guide, we'd recommend looking for a video or checking out the phone in person.

In addition, Realme has provided some other design details, including the 9 Pro's weight of 182g and thickness of 7.99g – both suggest this will be quite a dainty phone, and that's also suggested by the image above. Realme's previous numbered phones have been handy compact handsets, and it sounds like the new ones will follow that trend.


Realme 9 Pro

(Image credit: Realme)

Analysis: the Realme 9 Pro is making a splash

Just one day prior to the Realme 9 Pro design unveiling, the company's Vice President announced that the phone will also feature a heart rate monitor.

In our analysis section for that news report, we said the feature sounded interesting, although for Realme to make its 9 Pro series stand out it needed even more novel or cutting-edge tools and extras.

Well, this color-changing design is exactly the kind of thing we had in mind; Realme now has our attention, and the 9 Pro phones could really make a splash.

We don't know when the phones will launch just yet, but hopefully we'll hear about even more cool features like this before the official debut.

Saying that, we hope Realme doesn't betray its numbered phone series' legacy of being great affordable mobiles by hiking the price too much.

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.