Redmi 9-series officially entered into the African smartphone market in the close of July last month. The series includes the entry-level Redmi 9A, Redmi 9C and the vanilla Redmi 9, which have the upper spec sheet in the trio. We were able to get a unit of the standard Redmi 9, and this is our review of the device.
The Redmi 9 runs on MIUI 11 out of the box with Android 10 underneath. Usually, with MIUI, you get all apps on the home screen without additional drawer, and the app drawer fans mostly resort to a third party launcher to get their beloved feature. Well, with MIUI 11, extra launcher may not be needed as the OS now have two home screen interface, of which the second interface is app drawer based.
One major argument for MIUI is the customization features. Through the MIUI theme app on the Redmi 9, users can access and download almost unlimited skin and themes of varying customization, given that viewing and interacting with Adsense Ads is okay with you.
Aside the Ads, it is important to note that Xiaomi have it own services and apps, tailored for the Chinese world, a little similar to Google service and apps. Most of these apps and services are preloaded even on the international variants of Redmi and Xiaomi Mi devices. And for phones like the Redmi 9 that come with Google Services and apps, as well as Xiaomi Services and apps, expect a handful number of bloatware.
Aside the two issues above, MIUI is a great OS. Yes, you read that well, MIUI isn’t just a User Interface (UI) but an Operating System (OS), and when combined with Google’s fastest OS till-date (the Android 10), the result is a smooth and buttery fluid User Experience (UX). Although the combination took out above 12GB ROM from the built in 64GB of storage.
I don’t really like the old ‘all apps on the home screen’ feature of MIUI, so after setting up the device, I instantly switch to the App drawer version of the interface. For what it worth, OS alone won’t amount to a smoother interface, the hardware department also has it role to play, thankfully, the Helio G80 CPU plays it game very well. And if there is any area I did not encounter any issue with the Redmi 9, is in the software department.
The notification drawer is kept very minimal, and a single click (inside phone setting), will switch you from normal to dark mode in seconds. Software connecting the peripherals of the phone are will optimized as well. The phone will guide you to set up the fast fingerprint scanner, the built-in speaker is loud enough for my Parlor. The camera components are connected fairly well, except for the LED flash talked above earlier.
How About Battery Performance?
One of the reason while the Redmi 9 is a bit weighty, is due to the built-in 5020mAh battery. After a whole 24 hours of pushing and pressing the Redmi 9, I had to, reluctantly, charge it remaining 30% juice this morning for charging sake, and not because I know the device might be going off anytime soon.
The Redmi 9 also come with great battery management app, which when turned on, gives you almost twice your battery run time, but to the detriment of background running apps, like emails, chat notifications etc.
Charging the device from 30% to 100% this morning took around 1H:37M. Kinda slow right? Well, perhaps, and that is because even though the Redmi 9 support 18W fast charger, a 10W charger is what you’ll get out of the box, and not the faster 18W charger.
Xiaomi Redmi 9 Pricing, Alternative and Conclusion
On the international front, the Redmi 9 starts at around $119 for the base model with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage. But in local market, Nigeria for example, the device is available with 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage and price at N66,000.
Phones with similar specs you can get at this price includes: Infinix Note 7 Lite, Samsung Galaxy M11, Tecno Camon 15, Huawei Y7p and the OPPO A31 smartphone.
When I got the Redmi 9, I wasn’t expecting the device to tick all spec box, knowing fully well that it a mid-range offer, but it did, sort of. Seriously, it interesting to see how much specs and features Xiaomi has pack into the Redmi 9, and despite the little hitches we noticed in the camera department and the less-bright LCD screen, the Redmi 9 is still a big bang for the buck, offering Mediatek Helio G80 under $120 dollars.
The Review
Xiaomi Redmi 9
The Redmi 9 is the cheapest Mediatek Helio G80 from Xiaomi. The device offers great value for money, and even priced lower than competitors offer.
PROS
- Great Battery
- Value for money
- Fluid OS
CONS
- Camera can be better
- Screen can be brighter
Review Breakdown
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Built Quality
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Display
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Performance
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Battery
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Camera
thanks for a very detailed review, already excited about this phone! In your opinion, is the price N66,000 the right investment for the phone? I have heard a lot about the gaming performance of the Mediatek helio G80 and really want to go for it!
Thanks for the feedback bro. Trust me, even at N70K, the Redmi 9 is still worth it.
that is amazing! thanks for the honest opinion. Even I had this intuition that this is the right phone for this price
that is amazing! thanks for the honest opinion. Even I had this intuition that this is the right phone for this price
Thanks for the feedback bro. Trust me, even at N70K, the Redmi 9 is still worth it.
thanks for a very detailed review, already excited about this phone! In your opinion, is the price N66,000 the right investment for the phone? I have heard a lot about the gaming performance of the Mediatek helio G80 and really want to go for it!
Just love the specs of the smartphone. Not just its Mediatek processor, even its battery, display and camera are so awesome at the cost.
Just love the specs of the smartphone. Not just its Mediatek processor, even its battery, display and camera are so awesome at the cost.