Redmi Note 9 Pro Review

The Redmi Note 9 Pro has simply been launched in India, and its beginning worth of Rs. 12,999 is surprisingly low as a result of Xiaomi has made a number of very fascinating selections when it comes to positioning and options. It is not simple to remain forward of the sport, and the Redmi Note 9 Pro goes up in opposition to the formidable Realme 6 and Samsung M30s. Longtime followers of the collection could be stunned at how Xiaomi has really held again somewhat with this mannequin, since expectations are at all times when a brand new era of Redmi Note smartphones is introduced.

Previous fashions, most notably the Redmi Note 8 Pro (Review), have been outlined by their positioning above the usual Redmi collection and the aspirational options they provide. While costs are nonetheless very cheap, Xiaomi has made a behavior of delivering issues that individuals will probably be tempted to spend somewhat more cash on, such giant shows, high-capacity batteries, a number of cameras, premium styling, and class-leading specs.

The tradeoff for that new low worth is that the Redmi Note 9 Pro doesn’t provide lots of at this time’s most buzzworthy options ­­– a 90Hz show, extraordinarily quick charging, and high-resolution cameras. This telephone is extra about core specs and the general utilization expertise. In an fascinating shuffle, although, a few of these options may be present in a brand new higher-tier gadget, the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max.

So what’s in a reputation? Does this repositioning imply that the Redmi Note 9 Pro is a disappointment, or can it stay as much as its illustrious predecessors’ requirements? Let’s discover out.

Redmi Note 9 Pro design

By any normal, the Redmi Note 9 Pro is a cumbersome telephone. At 8.8mm thick and 209g in weight, many individuals will discover this gadget cumbersome and unwieldy. That’s the place Xiaomi’s new ‘Aura Balance’ design philosophy is available in – the corporate says that weight is distributed completely evenly and the outside design is symmetrical to make utilization extra comfy. We discovered one-handed use troublesome however not inconceivable.

In phrases of appears to be like, Xiaomi has gone with three comparatively easy colors – Interstellar Black, Glacier White, and Aurora Blue. You will not discover any graidents or patterns right here, although the looks is something however delicate. Our Aurora Blue unit was vivid and vibrant, with a really shiny, reflective rear panel. You’ll see mild play throughout the floor when utilizing this telephone, giving the sensation of depth. Thankfully the rear panel is not too slippery, nevertheless it does decide up fingerprints as quickly as you contact it.

Xiaomi has provide you with a particular new digicam bump design which performs into the theme of symmetry. Even the flash is centred under the 4 digicam lenses. This is a pleasant design contact that can set the Redmi Note 9 collection aside and make this telephone and its siblings recognisable. The digicam module does stick out fairly a bit although.

The entrance and rear of the Redmi Note 9 Pro are each made utilizing Gorilla Glass 5, whereas the body is polycarbonate. The most distinctive function on the entrance is in fact the brand new embedded selfie digicam, which is centred on the high of the display. It is considerably distracting, and the display’s backlighting is somewhat uneven round it. Interestingly, we famous that the image of the Redmi Note 9 Pro on the quilt of its field appears to indicate a smaller gap and slim chin than the gadget really has. That stated, the telephone nonetheless appears to be like trendy and undoubtedly defies expectations for its worth class.

The rear is product of Gorilla Glass 5 and may be very reflective

The subsequent fascinating design contact is the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is embedded into the ability button. This sits in a slight recess on the correct of the telephone which lined up pretty properly with the thumb of our proper hand. You’ll discover this inconvenient for those who’re left-handed, and we would counsel registering a number of fingers so you possibly can unlock this telephone whether or not it is in your hand or mendacity on a desk.

Xiaomi says that this strategy was chosen as a result of it is faster than an in-display sensor and extra handy than having one on the again, plus it would not disrupt the design of the rear panel. This is unquestionably a development within the funds phase proper now, although. We even have to notice that the selection of an LCD display reasonably than AMOLED performs into how an in-display sensor may be applied.

The quantity buttons are positioned awkwardly above the sensor, and are not simple to succeed in whereas on a name. On the left, there is a tray with slots for 2 Nano-SIMs and a microSD card. Xiaomi’s trademark infrared emitter is on the highest, and can be utilized to manage a number of house home equipment. There’s the same old USB Type-C port, 3.5mm audio socket, and speaker on the underside. Many individuals will probably be completely satisfied to notice that there’s the truth is a notification and charging LED hidden within the earpiece.

Xiaomi has executed properly when it comes to design, and the Redmi Note 9 Pro does really feel contemporary with out really altering an excessive amount of for a telephone on this phase. There’s additionally a P2i coating for splash resistance, although in fact no correct waterproofing.

The fingerprint sensor is embedded into the ability button on the correct

Redmi Note 9 Pro specs and software program

Redmi Note collection telephones sometimes have spectacular specs, and Xiaomi has gone with a bigger display and battery than ever earlier than. You get a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1080×2400-pixel) display which has a tall facet ratio to accommodate the entrance digicam. What may shock many followers who comply with present traits, as a result of it’s a normal 60Hz panel and would not have a 90Hz refresh charge like another just lately launched gadgets, most notably the Realme 6 (Review).

Xiaomi claims that there aren’t many apps that benefit from a excessive refresh charge, individuals cannot actually inform the distinction, it is not well worth the battery life tradeoff, and the Snapdragon 720G SoC is not highly effective sufficient. We do not essentially agree with all these factors, however we do should do not forget that some compromises are to be anticipated at Rs. 12,999.

The 5020mAh battery can also be fascinating. Xiaomi claims 29 hours of VoLTE calling and 14 hours of gaming per cost. You get an 18W charger within the field – sooner charging is reserved for the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max.

The Snapdragon 720G is a contemporary SoC with two high-performance 2.3GHz cores and 6 power-efficient 1.8GHz cores, all manufactured on an 8nm course of which is claimed to end in larger energy effectivity and decrease warmth dissipation. Buyers will be aware that the Redmi Note 8 Pro’s assist for Amazon’s Alexa alongside Google Assistant has been dropped – Xiaomi tells us that this relied on particular capabilities of the MediaTek processor used for the earlier mannequin.

There’s an IR emitter on the highest, and the speaker, Type-C, and three.5mm ports on the underside

Xiaomi has famous that that is the primary time we’re seeing a 7xx-series Snapdragon processor in a Redmi Note collection gadget at this worth. It’s a predictable transfer contemplating the arms race producers are in, however calls into query Qualcomm’s technique of launching the 7xx-series as a premium tier to offset the downward migration of the 6xx-series.

You can get the Redmi Note 9 Pro with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for Rs. 12,999, or with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for Rs. 15,999. It’s fascinating to notice that when the Redmi Note 8 Pro had launched six months in the past, Xiaomi had highlighted how 6GB of RAM was the minimal quantity on provide. The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max provides you with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage at Rs. 14,999, and can also be the one possibility if you wish to step as much as 8GB. The incontrovertible fact that these two sibling fashions overlap may trigger some confusion out there.

Other highlights embody NavIC assist together with normal GPS, dual-band Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5, and all the usual sensors. Along with the 18W charger and USB Type-C cable, you get solely a SIM eject software and plastic case within the field together with this telephone – the blue and white variants will ship with a transparent case whereas the black one will get a smoky translucent one.

MIUI 11 runs on high of Android 10, and our evaluation unit had the February safety patch. Sadly, bloatware and promotional content material stay components of Xiaomi’s enterprise technique. The firm does say that customers can take away and/or disable a few of these options however we did see a lot of spammy notifications.

There’s no app drawer, however you do get some stage of UI customisation. Swiping up on the homescreen launches the MI browser which additionally permits you to seek for put in apps. This is considerably handy however we want we may reassign this shortcut. There’s a Dark Mode, downloadable UI themes, and Google’s Digital Wellbeing settings. You can clone apps and retailer delicate information in a Second Space for privateness, and sort fast replies to messages from throughout the notification popups for some apps.

The rear digicam cluster has an attention-grabbing design

Redmi Note 9 Pro efficiency and battery life

At this level, with the form of {hardware} used at even the low finish of the market, there is not a lot that may be stated about on a regular basis utilization. The Redmi Note 9 Pro is greater than highly effective sufficient to deal with something from fundamental calls and messaging all the best way as much as heavy 3D gaming, with no bother in any way. Multitasking was additionally easy and trouble-free. If you are used to a better show refresh charge you may discover that lacking, however most individuals should not actually thoughts – apart from the sensation of lacking out on one thing.

Ergonomically, this is not the simplest telephone to make use of, as we have stated. The giant display does work properly for movies and video games, however the measurement and placement of the digicam bump make holding the Redmi Note 9 Pro in panorama whereas taking part in video games just a bit uncomfortable. Holding it as much as take lengthy calls may additionally get fatiguing. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor and face recognition had been each fast and efficient in our expertise.

The display is fairly vivid and crisp. Colours do look vibrant, and there are some changes within the Settings app if you wish to play with them. We did discover the digicam gap somewhat distracting when watching movies full-screen. Some apps are designed to masks notches on the high of the display with a black band, and these may must be up to date to account for the dimensions and placement of digicam holes just like the one on this telephone. We weren’t very impressed with the speaker although – sound was loud, however harsh and tinny.

As for benchmarks, there have been no surprises. The Snapdragon 720G does provide class-leading efficiency for a funds telephone. We noticed scores of 279,978 in AnTuTu in addition to 568 and 1,761 in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core exams respectively. 3DMark gave us 3,665 factors in its Slingshot Unlimited take a look at, and GFXBench’s Manhattan 3.1 and Car Chase recreation simulations ran at 27fps and 15fps respectively.

PUBG Mobile defaulted to the High high quality preset. We performed a number of rounds for about 20 minutes and located that the Redmi Note 9 Pro did get somewhat heat, opposite to Xiaomi’s claims. The telephone by no means received too uncomfortable however we did not need to play for an excessive amount of longer. Graphics had been persistently easy although, and gameplay was pleasing. Asphalt 9: Legends did not give us any bother both.

We had been keen to check this telephone’s battery. With strange use, we had been very happy to see the Redmi Note 9 Pro simply lasting by means of a full day and almost half of the second day earlier than needing a recharge. During this time we performed some video games, streamed video, and took a lot of pictures and movies. Our HD loop video take a look at ran for 16 hours, 2 minutes which is nice however not as nice as we had been anticipating, contemplating that some rivals on this area can boast of scores that cross 20 hours.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro has slots for 2 Nano-SIMs and a microSD card

Redmi Note 9 Pro cameras

The squared-off digicam bump on the rear may also shock some Redmi Note collection followers. The main shooter has a 48-megapixel decision and f/1.79 aperture, and makes use of the brand new Samsung Isocell GM2 sensor. You do not get a 64-megapixel digicam just like the one on the Redmi Note 8 Pro or different latest value-segment telephones. That’s primarily a results of the Redmi Note 9 Pro addressing a decrease market tier with its decrease costs – you do get a 64-megapixel digicam with the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max.

Next to it you will discover an 8-megapixel wide-angle digicam, which is fairly normal for this worth stage. The 2-megapixel depth sensor within the decrease row can also be fundamental and commonplace. What is fascinating is the truth that the macro digicam has a 5-megapixel decision, which must be a pleasant bump up from the barely-useful 2-megapixel ones we have seen in most telephones of late.

Xiaomi boasts of an improved Night Mode, tremendous part detection autofocus, and a color profile optimised for Indian tastes. Video may be recorded at 4K 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. 720p slow-mo recording goes as much as 960fps. One of this telephone’s main goal audiences is video content material creators, particularly TikTok customers, so there is a Short Video mode with a 15-second cutoff. You may shoot video utilizing the macro digicam, or save RAW 8-bit footage for exterior processing.

Redmi Note 9 Pro daytime digicam samples (faucet to see full measurement)

The entrance digicam has a 16-megapixel decision, and as soon as once more the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max provides a step as much as 32 megapixels. Slow-mo as much as 120fps is feasible as properly. There’s AI beautification which is on by default.

The digicam app is easy for probably the most half, however there are some quirks. For occasion, you need to open a submenu to search out the Macro digicam icon. There are 0.6x, 1x and 2x zoom selectors proper above the shutter button – the primary two change between the wide-angle and normal cameras, however the zoom is all digital. As ordinary, we needed to manually disable Xiaomi’s promoting watermark on pictures.

Redmi Note 9 Pro daytime digicam samples: normal (above) and wide-angle (under)  (faucet to see full measurement)

Starting with daytime pictures, we discovered the first digicam to be moderately good, nevertheless it would not break any new floor when it comes to high quality or flexibility. Close-ups appeared good and particulars had been clear in foreground topics. Distant objects had been additionally properly represented if there was ample mild and textures weren’t too advanced. The wide-angle digicam is not too unhealthy, however high quality undoubtedly suffers. Despite promising distortion correction, there’s nonetheless some pretty apparent warping on the sides of frames.

The 5-megapixel macro digicam does ship a lot greater high quality pictures than we have seen from most different macro cameras, and the digicam app makes it apparent while you’re holding the telephone on the right distance to lock focus. Many of our makes an attempt nonetheless come out wanting uninteresting although, typically with washed-out colors and poorly balanced exposures.

Redmi Note 9 Pro daytime macro digicam pattern (faucet to see full measurement)

Redmi Note 9 Pro daytime portrait mode digicam pattern (faucet to see full measurement)

At evening, we discovered the Redmi Note 9 Pro’s main digicam to be good if there was a lot of synthetic mild round, in any other case particulars had been misplaced. Low-light landscapes had been unimpressive. The wide-angle digicam delivered murky outcomes, however we did not count on an excessive amount of from it. Night mode was surprisingly ineffective – it did assist steadiness darkish scenes with vivid lights that may in any other case simply be overexposed blotches, nevertheless it did not do something in any respect for pictures of topics at the hours of darkness, which different telephones are able to bettering.

The entrance digicam is pretty good within the daytime in addition to at evening, however we did not just like the aggressive beautification which made faces look synthetic. Details had been good within the daytime in addition to at evening, and portrait pictures had properly blurred backgrounds.

Redmi Note 9 Pro low-light digicam samples (faucet to see full measurement)

Video shot at 1080p appeared wonderful, with good stabilisation. Our solely criticism was that our take a look at footage was somewhat overexposed. At 4K, colors went fully out of whack and our pattern pictures had an overwhelming, unnatural pink tone. The shimmer impact was fairly unhealthy at evening when taking pictures at 1080p. The similar scenario was evident at evening – 1080p footage was not usable if we had been transferring, however we managed to seize usable footage if we stood nonetheless.

Verdict

With over 100 million models offered, the Redmi Note 9 Pro has an enormous legacy to stay as much as. For its worth, the bottom variant is a superb possibility, and raises the bar when it comes to options and efficiency. However, this telephone is extra of an improve to the Redmi Note 8 (Review) than the Redmi Note 8 Pro (Review), as its title may counsel, and that is going to be somewhat complicated for patrons.

We just like the Redmi Note 9 Pro for its general model, and it may simply stand subsequent to full-priced flagships from 5 – 6 years in the past. The specs are very spectacular and we had only a few complaints when utilizing this telephone for day-to-day duties in addition to basic leisure. The main digicam is a letdown although, particularly in low mild. We additionally discovered this telephone a bit too cumbersome for our liking.

Throughout this evaluation, we have referenced the higher-end Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, as a result of because it seems, Xiaomi has interleaved the costs of its variants in order that step one up from the bottom Redmi Note 9 Pro priced at Rs. 12,999 is definitely the sibling mannequin. For Rs. 14,999, you get higher entrance and rear cameras, extra RAM, and sooner charging. The Rs. 15,999 variant of the usual Redmi Note 9 Pro is priced even greater, just for extra storage. However, you get the comparatively poorer function set, making this specific variant very arduous to suggest. The lineup appears much more convoluted and complicated than it must be – and there is now affirmation of a brand new Redmi Note 9S which could or may not come to India.

While it is arduous to see the worth within the 6GB+128GB model of the Redmi Note 9 Pro, the 4GB+64GB model has been launched at an unbelievable worth. We hope to see Xiaomi enhance issues on the digicam entrance by means of software program updates. If that occurs, this telephone may very well be very, very arduous to beat.

Is Redmi Note 9 Pro the brand new greatest telephone beneath Rs. 15,000? We mentioned how one can decide the most effective one, on Orbital, our weekly know-how podcast, which you’ll subscribe to through Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or simply hit the play button under.