By now, the Xiaomi brand should not be an unfamiliar name to any of us. The brand has been associated with not only super budget friendly smartphones. They are also associated with high-quality smartphones for the modern sensible people. The Xiaomi Mi 9T and Mi 9 Pro is still a very impressive device to us, at its price.
While you think that Xiaomi cannot get any better than the Mi 9 series and Mi Note 10 series, you would think wrong. They just launched their brand-new Xiaomi Redmi 9S just a little while ago. It starts at MYR 799, and they are measuring themselves against the biggest names in the industry, like Samsung and their Galaxy A51 mid-ranger. That Samsung device Is worth twice the Redmi Mi Note 9S.
We start with the outlook, the design. While the front looks just like any other smartphone that is, the back is a little different. They say they design it with symmetry in mind. They are not kidding. It sort of looks like a little like a familiar smartphone we saw a year or two ago. In a sense, it looks good. It also has all the familiar things that makes it a Xiaomi device.
It has that very familiar 3D curve at the back that makes the device feel better in the hands. To be fair, plenty of smartphones share similar design too. This is a Xiaomi device though, so even at MYR 799, it should feel premium. Still, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S is not known as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S in India, it was known as the Redmi Note 9 Pro and it was launched earlier this month.
Out the front is a 6.67-inch IPS Small DotDisplay pushing out Full HD+ resolution protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The Corning Gorilla Glass is not just reserved for the front too. It extends all the way at the back.
On the sides are aluminium frame that holds the two pieces of glass together. The display does not contain a fingerprint sensor though. The fingerprint sensor is now on the side integrated with the power button. Yes, the power button fingerprint sensor is making a comeback.
At the back is a 48-Megapixel quad camera that is housed with an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 5-Megapixel macro lens, and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor. Oh yes, we are forgetting the front facing “dot” camera – a 16-Megapixel shooter. The main camera also packs an Electronic Image Stabiliser for better photos. It makes night, long exposure photos look even better. Even if you are not using a tripod.
The Android 10.0 based MIUI 11 device is packing power with Qualcomm’s 720G Octa-core system on chip (SoC). You get up to 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB in storage, with microSD compatibility. All this goodness is kept running by a large 5,020mAh battery with 18W fast charging.
There are a few more things that makes this device a treat though. The Redmi Note 9S still comes with 3.5mm headphone jack when every other smartphone does not include the jack. It is also splash-proof; not an IP rating, but splash-proof is still good to have. It has an IR blaster packed in as well.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S will be available in Malaysia from the 27th March 2020 onward. It will come in three colour options; Glacier White, Aurora Blue, and Interstellar Grey. It will be available in two variants; a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and a 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. When it is available you can get the 4GB + 64GB from Shopee and Lazada for MYR 799. The 6GB + 128GB options will be available in the online stores and the official stores on the same day too for MYR 899. You can find more information on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S from their website.