Redmi Note 9

Redmi Note 9: Design

The Redmi Note 9 is the latest affordable Redmi Note in the market that looks like the Redmi Note 9 Pro and the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max with just a single change. Unlike the Pro variants, the Redmi Note 9 has a rear-facing fingerprint sensor along with a glass back panel.

At the front, the Redmi Note 9 has a 6.53-inch display with FHD+ resolution with a punch-hole cutout on the top left corner of the display. The screen is protected by a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass, and the device does look like a premium smartphone, thanks to a higher screen-to-body ratio.

Redmi Note 9: Hardware Performance

The Redmi Note 9 will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, which is an overclocked Helio G80 that powers the Redmi 9. This is a capable mid-range gaming processor with eight CPU cores, where two high-performance cores operating at 2.0GHz and six efficient cores with 1.8GHz clock speed. 

The device has the Mali-G52 MC2 GPU, capable of handling high-end battle royale games. Thanks to a minimum of 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, the Redmi Note 9 can also handle normal tasks with ease and the phone does features a dedicated microSD card slot for additional storage expansion.

Redmi Note 9: Camera Performance

Just like the Redmi Note 9 Pro, the Redmi Note 9 has a quad-camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide angle lens, 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The main camera can shoot native 1080p videos with up to 30fps and the 13MP selfie camera can also record 1080p videos as well.

As per the real-life performance, the Redmi Note 9 Pro can take some great shots in normal lighting conditions using pixel binning technology. 48MP shots do offer a great amount of details when compared to other smartphones of this range and the ultra-wide angle lens can take wider photos, albeit, the photos taken on the 8MP ultra-wide angle lens are not that great.

Redmi Note 9: Price To Specs Ratio

The Redmi Note 9 costs Rs. 11,999 in India for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It is a bit cheaper than the Redmi Note 9 Pro. For the asking price, the Redmi Note 9 does have a great set of specifications, including the capable processor, up to 128GB internal storage, and a display with a higher screen-to-body ratio.

Around this pricing, the Redmi Note 9 is a good option and it has to compete against the Realme 6 with a higher refresh rate display and a more capable processor -- the Helio G90T. Do note that, the Realme 6 does cost a bit more than the Redmi Note 9.

Redmi Note 9: Important Features/Highlights

The Redmi Note 9 has a big 5,020 mAh battery like the other Redmi Note 9 series of smartphones and the device also supports fast charging via the USB Type-C port and the fast charger is included in the retail package. Besides, the side punch-hole display makes it look great even when compared to the Redmi Note 9 Pro or the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max.

Though the device runs on Android 10 OS, the custom MIUI 11 skin on top is filled with bloatware and a lot of ads that might irk some users. There is also a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack that offers surprisingly good audio output.

Redmi Note 9: Verdict

The Redmi Note 9 is for those who might not need the fastest processor in the business and who are short on a couple of thousands and can't buy the Redmi Note 9 Pro or the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. If you have a few more thousand, then the Redmi Note 9 Pro is a great choice, otherwise, go with the Redmi Note 9.