The release of Redmi Note 9 Pro is crucial for Xiaomi. Xiaomi needs to reaffirm its leadership in the cheap mobile phone market. It wants to show that if it wants to gain a foothold in this market, the Xiaomi brand is a hurdle. Let’s see if it really does.
Last year’s Redmi Note 7 Pro added a new iridescent gradient design language, and Redmi Note 8 Pro is also based on this design aesthetic. Redmi Note 9 Pro is a further continuation of this design theme, and this phone also has a similar glass back cover. The phone is available in three colors: Aurora Blue, Glacier White, and Interstellar Black. The Aurora Blue version is particularly eye-catching. The bright tones and camera module on the back give this phone a unique recognition.
Another interesting change this year is fingerprint recognition. Just like on the POCO X2, Xiaomi has installed a fingerprint recognition sensor on the side of the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
Redmi Note 9 Pro Design
Although the design is excellent, when you pick up the Redmi Note 9 Pro, the first thing you notice is its huge size. The phone’s measurements are 165.7 x 76.6 x 8.8mm, which is currently the longest and widest on the market One of the phones. For comparison, Samsung’s huge Galaxy S20 Ultra measures 166.9 x 76 x 8.8mm. The Redmi Note 9 Pro is 1.2mm shorter than it but 0.6mm wider.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro is also very heavy and weighs 209g, which makes it impossible to control it with one hand at all, it is too wide and too long. The reason why it is so heavy is because of the large 5020mAh battery inside the phone. This is the first time that Xiaomi has put such a large battery in the phone.
Appearance
This phone is also equipped with a large screen, a 6.67-inch IPS LCD panel, which has the same FHD + resolution as last year. However, the refresh rate has also remained unchanged at 60Hz. Compared to Realme which provides a refresh rate of 90Hz on its Realme 6 Pro, Xiaomi has taken a step back this time. Xiaomi said that the reason why it decided to continue to use the 60Hz screen is that there is not much content that supports 90Hz, including applications and games. And, if you want a phone with a 90Hz screen, there are other options.
However, the 60Hz screen also has an advantage: battery life. Xiaomi has used a 4000mAh battery for many years, and it was replaced with a 4500mAh battery last year’s Redmi Note 8 Pro. The Redmi Note 9 Pro is further upgraded in this regard. The battery capacity reaches 5020mAh. I have been using this phone for almost a week and the battery life is very long.
Xiaomi claims to play 11 hours of PUBG, 200 hours of music playback, and 20 days of standby time. The 5020mAh battery can easily provide more than two days of continuous use. Xiaomi is also equipped with an 18W fast charge. If you give priority to battery life, the Redmi Note 9 Pro should obviously be listed as the key consideration.
Redmi Note 9 Pro Hardware & Performance
Let’s talk about the hardware: Xiaomi’s marriage with MediaTek has ended, and the Redmi Note 9 Pro uses a Snapdragon 720G chip. This chipset has two 2.3GHz A76 cores and six 1.80GHz A55 cores, as well as Adreno 618 GPU. The Helio G90T used by Xiaomi on the Redmi Note 8 Pro has made impressive performance improvements, and I haven’t seen any slowdowns in daily use. In this specification chip, Snapdragon 720G is a good choice.
In terms of storage, Xiaomi offers Redmi Note 9 Pro in 4GB / 64GB and 6GB / 128GB configurations. Both models use LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. Xiaomi did not compromise too much on the basic configuration, there are still 3.5mm headphone jack, infrared emission, P2i coating, dual SIM card slot with dedicated MicroSD slot, and 5G WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 connections. Since this phone is dedicated to the Indian market, there are only a limited number of LTE bands: 1/3/5/8/40/41. At the same time, this phone also has dual VoLTE and VoWiFi (Wi-Fi calling) functions and is covered with 5th generation Gorilla Glass for protection.
MIUI
Redmi Note9 Pro also comes with NavIC (India’s GPS function). Cell phones can lock signals faster than traditional GPS, and GPS can also be used as a backup if the NavIC signal is not found for some reason. In terms of software, the phone is running MIUI11 based on Android 10. MIUI11 is rich in features, and its design is more modern, which can beautify the UI as necessary.
Cameras & Battery
Interestingly, Xiaomi also launched a stronger Redmi Note9 Pro Max. With a 64MP camera and 33W fast charge, and also equipped with a 33W charger.
The front-facing camera is no different. There are four cameras on the back of the Redmi Note9 Pro. The main camera this time uses a 48MP Samsung GM2 sensor. The main camera consists of an 8MP wide-angle lens with a 120-degree viewing angle. A 5MP telephoto, and a 2MP portrait lens. Xiaomi said that the telephoto lens performed well and also supports video recording. The front 16MP camera has the same AI auxiliary functions as the main lens.
Xiaomi’s publicity indicates that the use of this main camera sensor has brought huge benefits. Including RAW shooting capabilities and new night scene shooting. After losing to Realme in this area last year, it needs a performance. The photos I took with the Redmi Note 9 Pro show that Xiaomi has made a real change in this regard. But I will release more detailed content in the full review.
Read Also: Redmi Note9 Pro and Note9 Pro Max Officially Announced In India
Verdict
Overall, the Redmi Note9 Pro does bring many exciting new features. If you care about battery life, this phone is your first choice. The 5020mAh battery easily brings the Redmi Note 9 Pro an edge over everyone else in this segment. The internal hardware and camera updates are also very attractive and really worth the money.