Redmi 9 update

There has been a sudden jump in the launch of budget phones in the last few months. Xiaomi’s Redmi 9 is one of them. The price of this latest offering is less than Rs.10,000 and it Redmi 8 the better. It would be a mistake to consider the Redmi 9 sold in India as a model sold in the global market with the same name, because that model was sold in India. Redmi 9 Prime sold as a variant of Redmi 9 launched in India is actually part of the global market. Redmi 9C Is it.

It comes at a starting price of Rs 8,999 Redmi 9 Today we will take a test and we will see if the new smartphone will come to this price. Realme C12 Again Narzo 20A How different it is from the phone and whether it can stand up to the competition or not.

Redmi 9: design

The Redmi 9 is quite tall and wide, which we also felt when we tried to use it with one hand. Thankfully, it doesn’t feel too thick or heavy, even though it measures around 9mm thick and weighs 194 grams. The power button is easy to reach, but to reach the volume buttons, the hand has to be slightly adjusted, as it is above the power button. Surprisingly, Xiaomi has provided a Micro-USB port in it, its previous model had a USB Type-C port.

The quality of the plastic used on it is good and the phone feels very sturdy. The Redmi 9 sports a square-shaped camera module on the back, which most brands have been using for quite some time now. There is a circular notch for the fingerprint sensor, which is smaller than usual but worked well for our usage. There is also face unlock, which was not very fast.

The Redmi 9 flaunts a 6.53-inch IPS HD+ display with a 720×1600-pixel resolution. Viewing angles and colors are good, definitely better than Realme C12 and C15. The lighting was also adequate, although it could be a little higher. As a budget phone, there is no high refresh rate, but complaining about it would not be fair. There is a waterdrop notch at the top and thick bezels all around.

In the box, the Redmi 9 comes with a 10W charger, a data cable, a SIM tray ejection pin, and a user guide. You don’t get a case or a cover.

Redmi 9: performance

Redmi 9 is powered by MediaTek Helio G35 processor and the same chipset is used by Realme C12 and C15. There are two variants of Redmi 9, both with 4 GB LPDDR4X RAM. You can choose 64 GB and 128 GB storage options, priced at Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively. The last type of flash used here is EMMC 5.1. The phone also has Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 5 and FM radio. The radio requires you to put in earphones, but that was not the case with the Redmi 8.

Considering the budget nature of this phone, the performance is good. The Redmi 9 runs MIUI 12, based on Android 10. There was a noticeable lag in graphics and there was a lag in opening apps or system menus at times. It is similar to the Realme C15, which has the same chipset and RAM.

Game performance was a little weak. Games like Grand Mountain ran smoothly, but heavy games like Asphalt 9 did not provide smooth frames. Videos played well on the phone screen and the bottom speaker was loud.

MIUI 12 stock apps are full of ads and fill the notification panel with unwanted alerts. Many apps come pre-installed, but thankfully many of them can be uninstalled.

Redmi 9: battery life

Redmi 9 delivered a satisfactory battery backup in our experience. We easily get one and a half day’s use. The phone has a 5,000mAh battery. The Redmi 9 lasted 18 hours and 44 minutes in our HD video loop test, which is an excellent time estimate. However, charging this large battery takes a while. Even after an hour with the 10W charger installed, the Redmi 9 battery only reached 40 percent. This phone does not support fast charging, which is a bit disappointing.

Redmi 9: cameras

Redmi 9 has a decent setup. You get a 5-megapixel selfie camera, and a 13-megapixel primary rear camera with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The camera app offers a basic shooting mode and there is also a pro mode.

The image quality is quite average when shooting during the day. HDR handles detail well when you’re zooming in, but landscape photos tend to be less detailed. The close-up was a little better, but the exposure could have been better. Autofocus speed was good, but not great. Portrait mode worked well, even in objects.

The Redmi 9 struggles in low light. It also took time to lock focus on close subjects. Details were poor when shooting at night. The AI ​​camera improves exposure, but there is no dedicated night mode to use.

The Redmi 9 can deliver social media-worthy selfies during the day, but it struggles to deliver good results in low light.

Video quality was also average when shooting in daylight. You can shoot at 1080p, but the stability is pathetic. While capturing videos, the camera tends to want to focus and as expected, the quality is worse in low light.

The decision

Redmi 9 The smartphone competes with many budget phones at a starting price of Rs 8,999, but once you have Realme Narzo 10A As for phones, it falls a little short, as Narzo offers better hardware for about the same money. The 128 GB storage version of the Redmi 9 is priced at Rs 9,999 and it Redmi 9 Prime which offers the best performance and specifications at the same price.

We don’t think the Redmi 9 has any special features that would set it apart from other smartphones at this price point. It would be a good option in the low price segment, but considering the recent increase in the price of smartphones in the industry, we think you can go with Redmi or other Realme options with the same price.