The popular Redmi Note smartphones are at their ninth generation this year, and the initial limited run has enjoyed a warm reception. But the Note 9 lineup is now going global.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
The Redmi Note 9S is Redmi’s latest offering in the mid-range, and while it is not a direct successor to the very impressive Redmi Note 8 Pro, it definitely offers a huge upgrade from the Redmi Note 8, with a new Snapdragon 720G versus the Snapdragon 665 in the latter.
But of course, a smartphone isn’t just about its chipset, so let’s see if the Redmi Note 9S has what it takes to be the next go-to mid-range smartphone.
Redmi Note 9S is shaping as your typical bang for the buck offer – it impresses with glass design, a large screen, a very capable chipset, a good value quad-camera at the back, and a huge battery.
There’s a punch hole cut-out where the phone’s 16MP selfie lens sits – this allows the top bezel to remain thin, but the notch can be hit-or-miss with some – but then again, so are all forms of camera notches, to be honest.
The body of the phone does feel sturdy and comes equipped with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 back panel – its mirror-like finish is gorgeous but saying it’s a fingerprint magnet is an understatement. The transparent case that comes with the phone should help, but it diminishes the Redmi Note 9S’ aesthetics.
Turning on 48MP isn’t as exciting as it once was a year or two ago, but it’s a reliable camera resolution to offer you high-res photography without sacrificing brightness, storage space, and shutter time.
The Redmi Note 9S is exactly this – it only loses a tiny bit of brightness but makes up for it with more details. Its ultrawide camera does a fine job at including more subject matter – plus, edge distortion is minimal.
The 5020mAh battery on the Redmi Note 9 is said to provide a backup of up to two days
The Redmi Note 9S supports 18W fast charging, but Xiaomi is shipping it with a 22.5W adapter instead – clearly overqualified for the job.
We saw a similar thing with the Mi 10 phones – the company wants you to have a universal USB-PD charger that’s compatible with all sorts of devices and this way – to reduce the charger clutter.