Xiaomi Redmi 9 review Why you should not buy Xiaomi?

Xiaomi Redmi 9 review

It is now clear that Xiaomi is a price fighter. The new Redmi 9 costs just Rs 27,499/- PKR, but what do you get for that money and how does the phone perform? Time for a review.

 The Xiaomi Redmi 9 has a lot to offer despite its low suggested retail price of Rs 27499/- PKR. The device has four cameras on the back, a large screen with high resolution, large 5020 mAh battery and all kinds of interesting gadgets. You can read how the device does in practice in this Xiaomi Redmi 9 review.

 

Xiaomi Redmi 9

Design is plastic fantastic Redmi 9

The Redmi 9 is available in green, purple and gray and has a plastic housing. This is to reduce costs and that is a good choice. The back has a pattern of ridges, which looks nice and provides a little more grip. The cameras are located in a circle and there is also the fingerprint scanner.

 

The rounded sides also ensure that the device feels fine. The two buttons on the right (power and volume) are also plastic, but feel good. At the bottom is the single speaker, USB-C port and headphone jack.

 

There is also an infrared sensor on the top and the SIM card slot is on the left. In addition to two SIM cards, you can also store a micro-SD memory card.

 

Screen with (too) high resolution Redmi 9

The Xiaomi Redmi 9 has a 6.53 inch LCD screen with a resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels. For this price range that is very neat and everything on the screen looks good. From text on websites to a video and from photos taken to playing a simple game. At the top is a water drop notch, in which the front camera is incorporated.

 

The maximum brightness is not too high, so viewing the screen in full sun is not an option. Reading something new in a dark room is nice, because the minimum brightness is fine. You can also play around with the color temperature, so that you adjust the screen as desired.

 

Finally, there is a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 with a plastic screen protector on top. This ensures that scratches are less likely to appear on the screen itself. All in all a good screen, especially for this price.

 

Powerful enough for simple tasks Redmi 9

For Rs 27,499/- PKR you should not expect a speed monster, and that is not the Redmi 9. However, if you are looking for a device for simple tasks, social media, e-mail and playing simple games, the Redmi 9 will certainly hold its own.

 

As mentioned, the resolution is perhaps a bit too high in combination with the less powerful MediaTek processor. Stutter is sometimes visible, for example when you open the app drawer or switch home screens. Heavier 3D games such as Asphalt 9 or PUBG run with difficulty on the Redmi 9, but simpler games are playable.

 

We have tested the model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, with a suggested retail price of 35122/- PKR. For the suggested retail price of 27499/- PKR you can buy the variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.

 

Extra gadgets are useful Redmi 9

For this price range you might not expect too much, but Xiaomi still delivers nice extras. A headphone jack is 'just' available, so you can listen to music with wired headphones. On the back is the physical fingerprint scanner, which works quickly and accurately.

 

There is room for two SIM cards and a micro-SD memory card. With many devices you have to choose between an extra SIM card or more storage. There is also the infrared sensor, so you can use the Redmi 9 as a remote control for, for example, your television. They may be small extras, but features that you often do not find on more expensive devices.

 

Android 10 with busy skin Redmi 9

Xiaomi is supplying the Redmi 9 with Android 10 topped by the company's MIUI 11 shell. That is not our favorite combination, because the manufacturer has a hand in installing many of its own apps. For example, apps for security, music, file management, notes, weather and a browser can be found on the device.

 

There are also games and apps from third parties, such as Facebook, Netflix, LinkedIn, Titanxess and WPS Office. Fortunately, you can remove these apps. When setting up the Redmi 9, you should also pay attention that you disable ads, otherwise you will see them appear here and there. You can get started with themes to adjust the software in terms of appearance, which is nice.

 

Xiaomi Redmi 9 interface

The Dutch translations in the software are crooked here and there and not entirely perfect. As a result, you sometimes have to dive deeper into the settings to find what you are looking for. An app drawer is also not active by default, but you can enable it via the settings. The system-wide dark mode is present.

 

The installed security update is that of June 2020, so the company is somewhat behind. Android 11 and a renewed MIUI shell are expected for this device and that adorns Xiaomi. All in all, the skin is a bit too heavy and the hardware of the Redmi 9 makes you notice that faster than with a more powerful device from the manufacturer.

 Cameras: great for a quick snapshot Redmi 9

The selfie camera of the Redmi 9 shoots pictures of 8 megapixels. Good enough for a quick selfie, but the camera does not capture many details. There are four more cameras on the back. Nice of course for the specification lists, but the cameras are far from great.

 

Xiaomi chooses a primary camera of 13 megapixel and with enough light, this camera takes good photos. The contrast and color reproduction then look natural and a lot of detail is visible.

 

If it gets darker, or if the weather is a bit gray, it will quickly decrease the photo quality. For example, in the examples below you see a few bitten air. A special night mode is not available on the Redmi 9.

 

Xiaomi Redmi 9 - normal

There is an AI mode, so that photos are inflated in terms of colors thanks to artificial intelligence. The second camera has a wide-angle lens, with which you shoot photos of 8 megapixels. In the gallery below you can see such a snapshot next to a photo in normal mode and another picture taken with two digital zooms.

 

Xiaomi Redmi 9 - wide angle vs normal vs 2x zoom

You use the third camera for the close-ups and you make them in a maximum of 5 megapixels. Photographs taken in this mode also look great with good light. These pictures also show slightly more details than 2-megapixel macro cameras, such as in the new OnePlus Nord .

 

Xiaomi Redmi 9 - macro

Finally, there is also a fourth sensor, which stores depth information. This allows you to take good portrait photos, in which the subject is captured sharply and the background is somewhat blurred.

 

Battery life is excellent Redmi 9

Looking for a device with a good battery life for a low price? Then you should definitely consider the Redmi 9. I easily reached the two days, where the device was also used quite intensively. Consumption is also minimal in standby, which is of course nice.

 

The battery has a capacity of 5020 mAh and charging is done with the included 10 Watt charger. This is slow and it takes hours before the battery is full. Fast charging (with 18 Watt) is supported, but for this you have to buy a suitable charger yourself.

 

  Conclusion Xiaomi Redmi 9 review

The Xiaomi Redmi 9 is a must if you are looking for an affordable device with a large battery. The battery life is very good, only charging takes a bit longer with the standard charger.

 

The screen is large and has a high resolution, making everything look sharp. Here and there, the processor can not always cope well, so you notice small stutters. The brightness is also not too high, but those are compromises that you have to make in this price range.

 

The design may be plastic, but it feels good. In addition, the device has many extras to offer such as a headphone connection and infrared port. The Redmi 9 runs on Android 10 and contains a fairly heavy shell, which will hopefully be refined in the future.

 

Xiaomi shows with this device again clearly that it is a real price fighter in heart and soul. The relationship between price, functions and quality is not easily found with other devices in this price range.

 

Buy Xiaomi Redmi 9

Interested in this device and do you plan to buy a Xiaomi Redmi 9? Then view our price comparison for the best price for a separate Xiaomi Redmi 9 . Of course, you can also purchase the Xiaomi Redmi 9 with a subscription . Finally, also check out the best SIM only plans , which are easy to combine if you buy a separate device.