Redmi Note 9 Pro Review

The Redmi Note smartphone range is renowned for providing reliable performance at a reasonable cost. The Redmi Note 9 Pro, which was released in March 2020, offers a new design aesthetic and a day's worth of battery life. In addition to white, grey, and a beautiful shade of green, the phone is offered in various colors.

The device, a member of Xiaomi's most well-liked smartphone series, the Redmi Note series, boasts several upgrades, including a quicker Snapdragon 720G chipset and a larger 5,020mAh battery.

Two variations of the Redmi Note 9 Pro are offered. Compared to the high-end model, which has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, the base model has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The Redmi Note 9 Pro's premium version has been under test by me for the past few weeks, and this is a complete evaluation of the most recent Note on the market.

Review

Design

Smartphones in this price range typically have a polycarbonate finish or a semi-metal unibody design, making them look plain and uninteresting. The business first launched the aura design with the Redmi Note 7, and the Redmi Note 9 Pro includes a triple layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to protect the screen, the back panel, and the camera setup. The smartphone's frame is still plastic, slightly prone to scuffs.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro sports a USB Type-C port at the bottom of the device, a 3.5mm headphone socket, a primary microphone, and a speaker. Various electronic equipment can be controlled via the phone's IR blaster, which is also included.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro's back panel is available in several colors, and the model I'm using is Aurora Blue. This color has a unique ability to reflect light in various patterns.

One of the best-looking smartphones, around Rs. 15,000, is undoubtedly the phone's enormous camera hump at the rear, otherwise making it look clean.

Similar to the Redmi Note series smartphones from the previous generation, the smartphone's volume, and power buttons are on the right side. Two nano-SIM cards and a microSD card can fit in the SIM card tray on the left side.

Another significant design feature is the fingerprint sensor on the Redmi Note 9 Pro's right side. It is a quick and precise biometric scanner and is highly useful. I can easily log into the gadget while holding the phone in either hand because I have registered my left thumb and right index finger.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is the gadget you should consider if you're seeking a smartphone with a large screen that looks organized and professional. The Redmi Note 9 Pro outperforms expectations regarding design and build quality for the asking price.

Largest Display

One of the largest Redmi Note smartphones ever is the 6.67-inch IPS LCD on the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The business refers to the display as a "Dot Display" and describes it as having a native resolution of 2400 x 1080p (FHD+), rounded corners on all four sides, and a punch-hole cutout in the top center of the screen.

Netflix does not currently support HDR streaming on the Redmi Note 9 Pro's screen, which has a maximum brightness of 450 nits. Similarly, the screen has an 84 percent NTSC color gamut coverage and a contrast ratio 1500:1.

The color palette of the display can be modified using the settings menu. For further enhancing the colors on display, there are three modes: auto, standard, and saturated. I ultimately chose the saturated setting, which displays vivid colors and is helpful, especially while consuming multimedia.

Even though the smartphone has a 6.67-inch screen, the display has a larger 20:9 aspect ratio, making it easy to carry. The overall fit and finish of the device are also improved by the 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5 finish.

Wide-vine L1 certification and HD Netflix and Prime Video streaming are built into the Redmi Note 9 Pro right out of the box. The Redmi Note 9 Pro features all you need to enjoy multimedia content if you want a smartphone to binge-watch films and television series.

Primary Camera

Given that the Redmi Note 8 Pro boasts a 64MP primary sensor, the Redmi Note 9 Pro's quad-camera configuration at the back with a 48MP primary sensor might appear like a downgrade. The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is an option for a 64MP camera.

The Samsung ISOCELL GM2 sensor, which has a 48MP primary sensor and an f/1.9 aperture, is used in the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The phone also includes a specialized 8MP ultra-wide angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture, a 5MP macro lens with a 2cm focus distance, and a 2MP depth camera, which aids in producing depth-of-field.

Pixel-binning technology is used by the Redmi Note 9 Pro's primary camera to capture photographs with a native resolution of 12MP. The native 48MP full-resolution option is also available, although these images typically occupy much space. The Redmi Note 9 Pro can capture images with excellent quality and bright (slightly saturated) colors in well-lit and daylight situations.

Ultra-Wide Angle Camera

The phone's 8MP ultra-wide angle lens, which has an f/2.2 aperture and a 112 field of view, allows it to take pictures of more significant scenes. The ultra-wide angle camera uses a somewhat different color science than the standard camera. This sensor performs well in scenes with natural light. The images captured with an ultra-wide angle lens appear noisy and blurry in dimly lit and gloomy surroundings.

Macro Lenses

One of the top macro lenses for a midrange phone can be found on the Redmi Note 9 Pro. Much information may be captured in beautiful pictures with the 5MP sensor with autofocus capabilities and a 2cm focus distance. The Redmi Note 9 Pro is impressive if you enjoy taking macro pictures.

Selfie Camera

One 16MP selfie camera on the Redmi Note 9 Pro features several software adjustments that make it easier to take the ideal selfie. For more natural selfies, switch off the selfie camera's beauty setting, which is turned on by default. The Redmi Note 9 Pro's selfie camera can also capture slow-motion videos at 120 frames per second in 1080p at 30 frames per second. Another feature that will be helpful to vloggers is the video beauty mode.

Benchmarks for the CPU and GPU

The NaViC real-time navigation system, created by ISRO in India, is supported by the Redmi Note 9 Pro's Snapdragon 720G SoC, based on Qualcomm. One of the earliest mobile devices that support the system is the Redmi Note 9 Pro. NaViC can provide more precise geo-positioning, and ISRO claims, than GPS or any other navigation technology.

Returning to the CPU, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G is an effective chipset that is an upper mid-range processor based on an 8nm fabrication technology. It has an Adreno 618 GPU and an eight-core CPU that can run at a maximum speed of 2.3GHz.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro records a single-core score of 569 and a multi-core score of 1755 in Geekbench 5. The smartphone is capable of efficiently completing typical daily chores in real-world situations. The Redmi Note 9 Pro outperforms single-core and multi-core CPU performance compared to the Poco X2, Redmi Note 8 Pro, and Realme X2.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro performs better than previous models like the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Poco X2, and Realme X2 on 3D Mark, a benchmark that focuses on GPU performance, scoring 2536 on OpenGL ES 3.1 and 2356 on Vulkan. Although I didn't detect any warmth during everyday use, the smartphone does get a little warm while performing these benchmarks. The Redmi Note 9 Pro is still a capable smartphone that consistently delivers.

Gaming Performance: Designed for PUBG

The Redmi Note 9 Pro provides excellent gaming performance, especially on games like PUBG, even with high graphics settings, thanks to the Adreno 618 GPU and 6GB RAM. I observed a stable PUBG performance (about 60fps) with little frame drops while the graphics were set to their highest setting.

Additionally, the smartphone provides smooth gaming performance on games like Asphalt 9, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Modern Combat 5. The Redmi Note 9 Pro might be a good choice if you're seeking a smartphone that can play battle royale games with reliable gaming performance.

Software: Overloaded with Adware

Android 10 is preinstalled on the Redmi Note 9 Pro, and MIUI 11 has been added. The system-wide dark mode, battery-saving mode, support for custom themes, and other features are just a few of its benefits. Though numerous apps perform the same functions, the interface could be more transparent with bloatware.

Three built-in web browsers and many bloatware programs can be either disabled or deleted, including ShareMe, GetApps, Security, Cleaner, and Mi Mover. Even though it is possible to turn off adverts (recommendations), it is time-consuming, especially for novice smartphone users. If you are okay with advertisements and product recommendations, MIUI 11 delivers a good user experience with an iOS-like design. There will likely be two more significant MIUI updates for the Redmi Note 9 Pro.

Audio

A 3.5mm headphone port and one bottom-firing speaker are both included on the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The speaker produced a clean sound even at greater volume levels, and I did not detect any distortion. However, the Redmi Note 9 Pro's speaker could be more powerful, and there's no stereo effect. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 9 Pro's headphone jack provides a good sound output, and I even used a USB-Type C headset with it. Multiple sound profiles are also available on the phone, which is helpful if you use headphones or earphones with the Xiaomi brand.

Battery: Two Days of Use

The 5,020 mAh battery inside the Redmi Note 9 Pro is the largest capacity battery the Redmi Note brand has ever included in a smartphone. It can easily last for two days on a single charge. The phone supports 18W fast charging, and I could still get 8 hours of screen time overall despite my intensive usage (the charger is part of the package).

The Redmi Note 9 Pro weighs 209g, making it slightly heavier than most smartphones in its price range because it has a larger battery. There was a weight difference, and I liked it over the following few days.

The phone does not get very warm while charging; it takes approximately 90 to 100 minutes to reach 90% of its capacity before another 30 minutes are needed to reach total capacity. One of the smartphones with excellent performance and long-lasting battery life is the Redmi Note 9 Pro. This smartphone is undoubtedly among the finest in its class regarding battery life.

Connectivity of the Redmi Note 9 Pro

In addition to dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz), the Redmi Note 9 Pro supports 4G LTE and VoLTE on both slots. I tried the Redmi Note 9 Pro with two Jio SIM cards without connectivity or networking issues.

The other party could hear each other during voice calls, even when the network was poor. Due to the phone's use of a 2 x 2 Wi-Fi MIMO antenna, I also experienced exceptional Wi-Fi coverage. Additionally, the phone does enable VoWiFi (Wi-Fi calling) on specific networks that support Bluetooth 5.0.

I connected a few wireless headphones to the smartphone, which worked. I was also able to attach Bluetooth speakers and headphones quickly. The Redmi Note 9 Pro has solid cellular and Wi-Fi network connectivity overall.

Conclusion:

Many mid-range cell phones aim for the unattainable. Some of these phones will have one or two distinctive characteristics, with the rest being quickly forgotten. By distributing the features evenly, the Redmi Note 9 Pro breaks this law.

It lacks a flashy faster refresh rate panel and a rapid charging system. Instead, it contains a little bit of everything. A two-day battery life, a camera system that takes excellent photographs in daylight, a stylish design, and a price tag to match all these. A processor that can handle both games and everyday duties.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is the most potent smartphone in India at Rs. 12,999. The premium model, which has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, is also a solid choice for less than Rs. 15,000. A two-day battery life, a camera system that takes excellent photographs in daylight, a stylish design, and a price tag to match all these. Choose the Redmi Note 9 Pro without thinking if you want a phone with reliable performance.