Redmi 9 Global Variant With MediaTek Helio G80 Processor Announced; Worth The Hype?

| Published: Wednesday, June 24, 2020, 12:05 [IST]

Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi has launched a new entry-level smartphone after much hype. The Redmi 9 was unveiled via the company's official Weibo page. Redmi highlighted the launch as the 'new standard for entry-level machines in 2020'. The Redmi 9 is available starting from Yuan 799 (around Rs. 8,500).

Redmi 9 Launch

The Redmi 9 was announced in China and ships in three variants. The base model includes 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage for Yuan 799 (around Rs. 8,500). Next, the 4GB RAM with 128GB storage is priced at Yuan 999 (approx. Rs. 10,700) and lastly, the 6GB RAM with 128GB storage is available for Yuan 1,199 (around Rs. 12,800). The smartphone is available for pre-order starting today and sale begins on June 29.

Redmi 9 Features

To note, the Redmi 9 was first unveiled in Spain and Malaysia and is now available in the global market, including India. The smartphone packs a 6.53-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel with a 19:5:9 aspect ratio and 70% NTSC color gamut. A 5,020 mAh battery fuels the smartphone with 18W fast charging support.

The MediaTek Helio G80 processor powers the smartphone under the hood. The Redmi 9 will run Android Pie with MIUI 11 custom skin. However, a major update with the latest MIUI 12 on Android 10 is expected to rollout later.

Other features include a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual SIM, 4G connectivity, VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, wireless FM radio, dedicated microSD card slot, multifunctional NFC, IR blaster, 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C. Also, the global variant of the Redmi 9 comes with single-band (2.4 GHz) Wi-Fi.

The camera features of the Redmi 9 include a quad-camera module with 13MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. An 8MP selfie camera is housed in the waterdrop notch.

Is Redmi 9 Value For Money?

Redmi has decided to skip the 32GB storage model and heads straight into 64GB storage, which is a plus point for entry-level smartphones. Apart from the storage and RAM differences, all three variants have similar features. As a budget smartphone, the Redmi 9 does offer value for money features.

Despite its global launch and availability, the Redmi 9 might not have much luck in the Indian market. The ongoing trend to boycott Chinese products could affect the sales here. At the same time, Indian companies like Lava, Micromax, and others are also launching entry-level smartphones to up the competition.