Xiaomi is a household name for anyone who has wants a budget smartphone with killer specs. The brand has been found big on value. That was true when they started globalising the brand with the Xiaomi Mi3, and it is still true today. If you want to get the best value out of your money on a smartphone, you can always be sure that Xiaomi has something in their catalogues.
The Redmi sub-brand for example has been the champions in the budget category making very competitive devices for not very much money available. The devices are no slouches though, despite the asking price. They still pack plenty of features that would impress even the toughest crowds. They still pack the latest of hardware from the modern world at least.
The Redmi Note 9 this year continues with that recipe with an even more powerful offering. The Redmi Note 9 is now offered in two flavours too, a regular one and a Pro version. Of course, it is easy to tell which will be carrying the torch for the Redmi name.
Last year’s Redmi Note 8 Pro came with a MediaTek processor that is admittedly faster than its Qualcomm cousin. This year’s Redmi Note carries a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G System on a Chip (SoC) which is faster than both. The 700 series in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line-up is actually lined up very closely to the flagship 800 series in their books. That also means the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 this year packs some power. The regular Redmi Note9 comes with a brand-new MediaTek Helio G85, which is no slouch either, to be fair.
The Redmi Note 9 series also gets bigger displays than its predecessors from last year. The Pro version gets a bump to 6.67-inch and the regular variant get 6.53-inch. Both are DotDisplays with a punch hole for a front-facing camera in the display.
The larger display would be a benefit for the 64-Megapixel quad-camera array at the back. That 64-Megapixel is supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 5-Megapixel macro lens, and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor for Bokeh portraits. Up front is a 16-Megapixel shooter.
The regular Note 9 does not get a 64-Megapixel camera. You still get a great 48-Megapixel shooter with 8-Megapixel Ultra-Wide lens, a 2-Megapixel Macro lens, and 2-Megapixel depth sensor. The small dot up front is a 13-Megapixel shooter.
Of course, with bigger displays and bigger bodies the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 and Note 9 Pro need to have bigger batteries. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro gets a super big 5,020mAh battery that should last you well over a day of use. Its 30W fast charging capability should also keep you juiced up and ready to go even before you can get your nose hair trimmed properly. The regular variant of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 also gets a large 5,020mAh battery but fast charging is kept at 18W, still good for a quick 2-hour charge time from zip though.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 and Note 9 Pro will be available in three colours each globally. The Note 9 Pro will be available in Interstellar Grey, Tropical Green, and Glacier White. The Redmi flagship will be available also in two storage variants: either a 64GB or 128GB variant, both with 6GB of RAM. The Note 9 will come in either Midnight Grey, Forest Green, or Polar White. It will also be available in two storage variants with differing RAM offerings too; one comes with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, while the other will be coming with 4GB of RAM and 128GB in storage.
The official word for the local availability is to be somewhere in May 2020. That is not long after the global launch. That is also this month. The only thing we do not have is the local pricing. The global pricing for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 though is from US$ 199 (MYR 855*) and US$ 249 (MYR 1,070*) for each respective variant. For the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro you have to fork out about US$ 269 (MYR 1,156*)and US$ 299 (MYR 1,285*) for each respective model. For more information on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 you can head over Xiaomi’s global blog.
*Approximately based on US$ 1 = MYR 4.30 as of 1st May 2020