Redmi Note 9, another Xiaomi budget smartphone, has been launched in India under the Redmi Note 9 series for 2020. Nomenclature-wise, Redmi Note 9 succeeds the Redmi Note 8. We have been using the smartphone for a while now and before we publish our full review, here are our Redmi Note 9 first impressions.
2/12
From the back, Redmi Note 9 tries and distinguishes itself from the competition, courtesy of its camera module design. Redmi Note 9 feels slightly on the heavier side, mainly due to the massive battery it packs but feels sturdy when held due to the curved rear panel. The polycarbonate back of this Pebble Grey variant leans to the blue shade of the colour spectrum. It has a glossy finish, which makes it prone to fingerprint smudges.
3/12
At the front, Redmi Note 9 has a 6.53-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD with a peak brightness of 450 nits. The screen has a tiny punch-hole cutout for the front camera. Other than the chin, the bezels are relatively narrow. Brightness levels have not been an issue for us so far in outdoor conditions. The viewing angles are great too and there was no colour shifting either.
4/12
The Redmi Note 9 has four camera sensors on the back. There is a 48MP f/1.7 primary sensor at the helm, paired with an 8 MP ultrawide shooter, a 2 MP depth sensor, and a 2 MP macro camera.
We have been playing with the camera for a couple of days and here is one of the camera samples shot using the primary camera in broad daylight.
6/12
Here's another sample image shot using the Redmi Note 9's main camera. Our full review of Redmi Note 9 will have more camera samples, including some ultra-wide, macro, and portrait mode shots.
7/12
For selfies, the punch-hole cutout on the upper-left corner of the display houses a 13MP camera sensor.
8/12
Redmi Note 9 features a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, which offers better GPU performance than the Snapdragon 665 SoC. This would mean that, on paper, the Redmi Note 9 will provide a good gaming performance. We have had some interesting results so far on our 6GB + 128GB variant but we would like to confirm these as we review the device more extensively.
Redmi Note 9 runs on Android 10-based MiUi 11 out-of-the-box.
10/12
The fingerprint scanner is etched on the back under the camera sensors. It has been quick to respond and unlock the device in our initial testing. You also have an option to use face unlock as an alternative.
11/12
Redmi Note 9 has a splash-proof nano-coating, meaning that it can provide some protection in wet conditions.
12/12
The smartphone is available in three colour options -- Aqua Green, Pebble Grey, and Arctic White. Redmi Note 9 comes in three storage variants -- 4GB + 64GB, 4GB + 128GB, and 6GB + 128GB. The three storage configurations are priced at Rs 11,999, Rs 13,499, and Rs 14,999, respectively. While this was our first impressions, do wait to check out our Redmi Note 9 review, which will be up soon on our website.
