Xiaomi Redmi 9 two-minute review

The Xiaomi phones is where it all started for Redmi series is still by far the company's most important. It grew immensely over the years, with the highest standing members able to trade blows with some of the most powerful flagships out there. Yet the pure Redmi phones always stuck to the same formula - deliver solid smartphone experience at the tightest budget possible thus maximizing the value for money.

Xiaomi Redmi 9 Full Specification:

• Body: 163.3 x 77 x 9.1 mm, 198g; Gorilla Glass 3 front, plastic back and frame.
• Screen: 6.53" IPS LCD display, 1080 x 2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• Chipset: MediaTek Helio G80 (12nm): Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G52 MC2 GPU.
• Memory: 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM, 32GB/64GB/128GB storage, dedicated microSD slot.
• OS version: Android 10, MIUI 11 (MIUI 12 update coming soon)
• Rear camera: Main: 13MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.1" sensor, 1.12µm pixel size, 28mm equiv., PDAF. Ultrawide-angle: 8MP, f/2.2, 1/4.0" sensor, 1.12µm pixels, fixed focus; Macro: 5MP, f/2.4, AF; 2MP depth sensor.
• Front camera: 8MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm.
• Video recording: Rear camera: Full HD 1080p@30fps. Front camera: Full HD 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5,020 mAh, 18W fast charging (10W charger included)
• Misc: NFC (market dependent); wireless FM radio, rear-mounted fingerprint reader, IR blaster.

That reveals another thing missing from the Redmi Note 9 - the water-repelling coating. That's hardly going to be held against the Redmi 9, though, as it's hardly a feature to expect in the entry level segment. And it's not like the Note 9 had an IP rating either so you'd still better be careful around the pool.

The Xiaomi Redmi 9 is powered by a large 5,020mAh Li-ion battery. It supports 18W quick charging, but it only ships with a 10W adapter. Using the charger in the box will get a flat battery up to 20% in 30 mins - far from impressive. If you purchase an 18W (or more) USB-PD compatible adapter, you can get about 33% of the Redmi 9's battery filled in half an hour.

The Redmi 9 scored an outstanding endurance rating of 131 hours in our battery life test. The phone shows impressive times across the board - talk time, video playback and web browsing, as well as standby.