Since the launch of the first Redmi Note series in 2014, Xiaomi has dominated the mid-range segment. The simple reason is that the Xiaomi offered feature-rich devices at dirt cheap price and consumers lapped them up. However, the competitors, lately, the former market leader Samsung and emerging player Realme too have come up with similar low-cost phones.
Now, Xiaomi has launched a new Redmi Note 9 Pro with new design and powerful hardware with prices starting as low as Rs 12,999. On paper, it has the best specs-to-cost ratio compared to rival brands, but does it really live up to the hype? Let's check it out.
Design and display:
Our Redmi Note 9 Pro is an Interstellar Black model and it looks great not just in terms of build quality, but also in terms of visual appeal. The square camera module resembles the eyes of the adorable Disney-Pixar robot Wall-E. It is placed on the top center of the shell and the rest of the rear-side is glossy smooth and plain, offering premium hand feel.
The camera a protrudes a bit more than usual, but I didn't face any trouble while slipping the phone into the pocket. Also, the company offers soft silicone shell cover and it evens out the protrusion. And, in addition to protecting the device from accidental drops, it also saves the time to wipe the fingerprint smudges off the smooth shell.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro also comes with P2i coating, which protects the device from the accidental water splashes and also rains as well.
On the front, the device comes equipped with the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 cover and this will help to shield the device from getting scratches from keys and pens in the pocket.
One of the most noticeable changes we see in the Redmi Note 9 Pro over the predecessor is the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which also doubles up as the power button. It is ergonomically placed just above the mid-segment of the chassis on the right side. It is easy for the thumb to reach it and most importantly, the biometric sensor is super fast in terms of recognising and unlocking the phone.
However, the volume rocker which is placed on top of the power-cum-fingerprint sensor is a bit too high to reach but functionality-wise, it is tactile and responds well.
On the left side, the company has incorporated 2+1 slot--for two SIMs (type: nano) and a microSD card. This is a great value-addition, as the consumer never has to compromise between a second SIM and extra storage, which often the case with other phones in the market.
On the top, the Redmi Note 9 Pro comes with a trademark IR blaster and a mic beside it. And, at the base, the device features a type-C port, a mic, a single-grille speaker and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Xiaomi's new Redmi Note 9 Pro sports a 6.67-inch full HD+(2400 × 1080p) LCD Dot Display with 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen is really bright and reproduces near-natural colours of the multimedia content. Also, when viewed under direct sunlight, I had no trouble reading emails and also never felt slightest of irritation while playing games.
Performance:
The new Redmi Note 9 Pro comes packed with an 8nm class 64-bit 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core CPU ( 2.3GHz Kryo 465 A76 x 2 + 1.8GHz Kryo 465 A55 x 6) with dedicated Snapdragon Elite Gaming Adreno 618 graphics engine. It backed by 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage and Android 10-based MIUI 11.
The device works smoothly under normal day-to-day usages such as answering/making calls, switching between multiple apps, camera loading, and playing videos. Even when playing games like Asphalt 9: Legends, the Redmi Note 9 Pro didn't show lag-ness. Though the device got a bit warm, it was never beyond my comfort level.
As far as the MIUI 11 is concerned, it has the best interface in terms of value-added features and easy to locate settings options. Yes, Mi apps annoy us with ads, but it is not a deal-breaker, as we can clean the notifications in one go with the clear option below.
The new Redmi Note 9 Pro comes with a non-removable 5020mAh Lithium Polymer battery, 520mAh more than the predecessor. As advertised, the device lived up to the reputation. It was able to consistently offer more than a day of battery life under mixed usage, which included a good long session of video playback on OTT apps, photos, video recording, and some gaming too. It comes with an 18W charger out-of-the-box.
Another interesting thing about the Redmi Note 9 Pro is that it ships with the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) chipset developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is now the best alternative to US-based GPS (Global Positioning System) we see in other phones.
It can be noted that NavIC's location accuracy is close to 5 to 10 meters compared to GPS, which has around 20-meter range accuracy. Rest assured, mobile users at least in India, will get the most accurate turn-by-turn guidance while traveling inside the country.
Camera:
The new Redmi Note 9 Pro houses feature-rich photography hardware. It boasts 48MP (with Samsung ISOCELL GM2 with f/1.79 aperture)+8MP (with 120-degree ultra-wide-angle lens)+ 5MP 2cm macro lens+ 2MP depth sensor with 4k video recording up to 30 fps.
Xiaomi's new phone takes pretty gorgeous pictures in the bright sunlight. Though the colours of the flowers look more saturated, they are really good and worthy to be posted on social media platforms.
Even the wide-angle shots are really good, captures a lot of information particularly when capturing big structures like an apartment, a hill, monuments or even flatlands and beaches.
Another feature I loved about the Redmi Note 9 Pro is the portrait mode. The credit has to go to both the camera software and hardware. The camera sensor accurately separates the foreground and the background of the subject. The picture quality is just impressive.
As far as the night mode is concerned, it takes decent pictures and I have to tell, the picture quality is on par with premium phones under Rs 25,000. The Redmi Note 9 Pro can also take slo-mo videos in 960 fps, 240 fps, and 120 fps.
The 16MP front camera captures good selfies and offers an array of filters and editing tools to enhance the skin tone and complexion of the subject's face. Also, you also try out the sky filter, which can change the background from cloudy to sunny, dawn, twilight and other light conditions. You just have to take a selfie or a photo and go to the gallery. Then, pick a photo and tap on the filter tab, there you will find the Sky filter. There are other options like film, landscape, portrait and food to enhance the photography experience.
Final thoughts:
Over-all, the Redmi Note 9 Pro is a great value-for-money phone. It is not just a significant upgrade over the predecessor, but also one of the best phones under Rs 15,000 in the market. I particularly loved the device's design language, camera, battery life, and smooth processor performance.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro comes in two configurations-- 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM+ 128GB storage-- for Rs 12,999 and Rs 14,999, respectively.
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