After teasing various details since the beginning of February, the Realme 9 Pro series is now official. So what can you expect, when can you buy a handset, and how much will it cost?

First up, there are two variants: the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+. It's not just a case of one being midly different to the other either, as the two are different sizes (the Plus is actually smaller), use different processors, and have differing camera setups too.

First the Realme 9 Pro. This 6.6-inch (120Hz) handset, which comes in a colour-changing Sunrise Blue option, will be available from 23 February, priced from £299 in the UK. It features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 695 platform with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Next the Realme 9 Pro+. This 6.43-inch (90Hz) handset is indeed the smaller of the two variants, also available in colour-changing Sunrise Blue from 4 March, priced from £349 in the UK. It instead features MediaTek's Dimensity 920 platform and 8GB RAM, but double the storage of the 9 Pro, at 256GB.

Realme 9 Pro+

So what's so 'plus' about the pricier model, despite its apparently lesser screen specification? It's largely all about the cameras. The 9 Pro+ comes with a 50-megapixel sensor - the Sony IMX766, as you'll find in the OnePlus Nord 2 - coupled with optical image stabilisation (OIS) as its main camera. This also features what Realme calls ProLight Imaging Technology - in effect the ability to use the stabilisation for assisting low-light scenes.

The standard 9 Pro, on the other hand, has a higher-resolution 64MP main camera, but it's not as high-end and there's no OIS either. It's this that really stands the two handsets apart. Otherwise the other two lenses - an 8MP wide-angle and 2MP depth sensor - comprise the triple rear setup of both models.

We've got a Realme 9 Pro+ in for review and will be putting it through its paces prior to its March release date to see whether it's worth your while. But, given these prices, there's obvious appeal in what Realme has on offer here - even if the idea of a 'plus' model that's not a step-up in every regard may come across as slightly confused.

Realme 9 Pro