REDMI NOTE 9 PRO

amazon REDMI NOTE 9 PRO reviews

Similar design to Redmi Note 9s, only the blue version is “stylized”

For some reason, out of the three colors sold in the market, including gray, blue, and white, only the blue version – the one that BiaReview evaluates in this article – is “stylized”. A bit of the back design compared to the Redmi Note 9s.

The two-tone design reminds us of Google’s Pixel phones, but Xiaomi does a little differently by using many small diagonal lines, slightly green when the light is diagonal. The back is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, a plus point in the segment when most manufacturers choose the fake glass plastic material, which is not slippery but has quite a lot of fingerprints.

The rear camera cluster of Redmi Note 9 Pro is also made more compact, there is no black strip covering the LED flash to create a “terraced” effect. The highlight of the camera cluster is nothing but the main camera upgraded to 64MP resolution, using Samsung’s ISOCELL GW01 sensor instead of a 48MP GM2 sensor like Redmi Note 9s. The rest includes 8MP wide-angle camera, 5MP macro camera, and 2MP depth-of-field camera, a popular setup in the segment in general, and Xiaomi in particular.

Redmi Note 9 Pro’s camera cluster is much convex, the machine channel when placed on a flat floor, and even though there is a metal rim protruding to avoid scratching, we still recommend using the included case.

On the front, Redmi Note 9 Pro is equipped with a 6.67-inch perforated screen, Full HD + resolution, an IPS LCD panel. The difference between the Redmi Note 9 Pro and the standard Redmi Note 9 is that the selfie camera is placed in the center instead of the left corner, which looks more harmonious and balanced. The selfie camera has a 32MP resolution, f / 2.3 aperture, a significant upgrade over the 16MP, f / 2.5 aperture of Redmi Note 9s. The screen protector is also Gorilla Glass 5.

Due to the use of an IPS LCD panel, Redmi Note 9 Pro will not have an under-screen fingerprint sensor. With this model, Xiaomi still keeps the option of using the power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor on the side, while the standard Redmi Note 9 puts the fingerprint sensor on the back below the camera cluster, in a traditional way. In terms of recognition speed and accuracy, the sensor on Redmi Note 9 Pro has nothing to blame.

Instead, I have a little complaining about the placement of the volume up and down keys: They are set too high, plus the large screen size of 6.67 inches makes it difficult even for someone with big hands like me uncomfortable when used. Xiaomi should have placed them on the opposite side, which is very “empty”, and lowered a bit.

Redmi Note 9 Pro supports two nano sims and a separate memory card tray. As usual, the machine is not IP-rated for dust and water resistance.

The machine still has a full range of ports, including a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C, and “specialty” infrared port on top. However, for unknown reasons, the ports on the bottom edge and the speaker strip of Redmi Note 9 Pro are completely deviated downwards, less or less reducing the balance and aesthetics. Interestingly, the design philosophy of Xiaomi on the Redmi Note line is called “Aura Balance”, with balance as the focus, so this is indeed an unnecessary minus point.

Camera hardware upgrade slightly, more complete than “both front and back”

Since the Redmi Note 9 Pro has many similarities with the Redmi Note 9s, I would like to take the differences above and mention them first. The hardware upgrade takes place in both the front and rear cameras, most clearly the resolution: The main camera increased from 48MP to 64MP, while the selfie camera increased from 16MP to 32MP. The aperture also changes, and in certain environments, the image quality will be different.

The greatest benefit of higher resolution is when we take pictures in well-lit conditions. Redmi Note 9 Pro for photos rich in detail, good contrast, wide color gamut, AI mode with a color push but in most cases it is still natural. With the need to capture a “selfie”, you just need to shoot in default mode, which produces 16MP images, not 64MP, their quality is equivalent except 64MP photos that need longer photo retention.

However, when there is low light, things are not much improved on Redmi Note 9 Pro. Highlights still lack control, resulting in a loss of detail in the surroundings. Night Mode, on the other hand, works well, but the user has to hold his hand firmly, or better yet, use the tripod, which is not practical if you want to capture a moment.

The 5MP resolution, which supports autofocus with a minimum distance of 2cm, are the bright spots on the macro camera of Redmi Note 9 Pro. Rich in detail, colors are a bit flattering, but overall, the macro image of this smartphone is superior to its competitors in the price range with dedicated macro cameras from Samsung or Realme.

Taking on the role of wide-angle shooting of Redmi Note 9 Pro is still an 8MP camera, f / 2.2 aperture. In general, you should still only use this camera in bright enough conditions to preserve details. The inherent weakness of wide-angle cameras, in general, is still the low contrast range, and the Redmi Note 9 Pro is no exception.

The selfie camera of Redmi Note 9 Pro is doubled in resolution from 16MP to 32MP, a slightly larger f / 2.3 aperture promises to shoot in better low light conditions. The selfie image has improved in light tones, making the subject’s face stand out more, without a dull feeling like the Redmi Note 9s.

When removing fonts, both the front and rear cameras on the Redmi Note 9 Pro tend to smooth the skin even without the beauty feature turned on. The background is smooth, natural, and there is no smudge, and the user can edit the degree of background blur before and after the shot.

Fully charge the 5020 mAh battery much faster!

Still equipped with a 5020 mAh battery, what Redmi Note 9 Pro makes Redmi Note 9s users jealous of is the charging speed, when the Redmi Note 9 Pro supports a maximum charging capacity of up to 30W instead of 18W. Inside the box, Xiaomi comes with a 33W charger, and to fully charge the Redmi Note 9 Pro’s battery from 0% only takes 1 hour 20 minutes.

In the familiar battery tests of BiaReview, it is not surprising that the Redmi Note 9 Pro has almost identical results as the Redmi Note 9s, when the two devices have similarly sized screens, sharing the same software and the same Snapdragon 720G chip.

where can you get a REDMI NOTE 9 PRO online

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro 128GB + 6GB RAM, 6.67″ FHD+ DotDisplay, 64MP AI Quad Camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G LTE Factory Unlocked Smartphone – International Version (Tropical Green): Buy it now

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro 64GB + 6GB RAM, 6.67″ FHD+ DotDisplay, 64MP AI Quad Camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G LTE Factory Unlocked Smartphone – International Version (Tropical Green): Buy it now

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro (64GB, 6GB) 6.67″ FHD+ Display, 5020mAh Battery, Snapdragon 720G, Dual SIM GSM Unlocked Global 4G LTE (T-Mobile, AT&T, Metro, Straight Talk) International Model: Buy it now

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro (128GB, 6GB) 6.67″ FHD+ Display, Snapdragon 720G, Dual SIM GSM Unlocked Global 4G LTE (T-Mobile, AT&T, Metro, Straight Talk) International Model (128GB SD Bundle, Grey): Buy it now

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro (128GB, 6GB) 6.67″ FHD+ Display, Snapdragon 720G, Dual SIM GSM Unlocked Global 4G LTE (T-Mobile, AT&T, Metro, Straight Talk) International Model (128GB SD Bundle, White): Buy it now

The display has fixed HDR display error

Redmi Note 9 Pro equipped with 6.67-inch screen, IPS LCD panel with Full HD + resolution. The size, brightness, and display quality of this screen are identical to the Redmi Note 9s I reviewed, so I won’t need to say more.

Instead, the most notable point is that the Redmi Note 9 Pro has fixed the HDR content display error I have encountered on the Redmi Note 9s. The wide contrast range is very clear, the colors also become more vivid and soulful, instead of being pale as if there was an error.

Unfortunately, the Redmi Note 9 Pro still only has a 60Hz refresh rate instead of 90Hz. According to Xiaomi, there are not too many applications that can exploit the high frequency of the scan, users will not be able to notice the difference and it is not worth the price of the battery. With the experience of Realme 6 Pro, I consider Xiaomi’s point of view is not entirely correct: The difference in use is yes, the true battery life is reduced but not too significant, and anyway. Xiaomi has also equipped the Redmi Note 9 Pro with faster charging.

Performance is good with Snapdragon 720G, MIUI “remains the same”

The “soul” of Redmi Note 9 Pro is still the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G 8nm process, the evaluation version of BiaReview has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory.

Initially, when evaluating the Redmi Note 9s, I thought that because the Snapdragon 720G chip is too new, the game is not optimized for performance. However, with the Redmi Note 9 Pro, the graphics settings when playing familiar titles have not changed, although the average fps and frame stability are both high.

With three familiar PUBG Mobile, Dead Trigger 2, and Arena of valor mobile titles, Redmi Note 9 Pro cannot fully enable the graphics settings. PUBG Mobile is locked at 30fps with HD resolution, cannot choose HDR; Arena of valor Mobile has hidden cloud effects, cannot choose the highest graphics setting; Dead Trigger 2 is only playable at High 60fps graphics instead of Ultra.

With 6GB of RAM, the phenomenon of background apps having to reload was significantly reduced compared to the Redmi Note 9s with only 4GB of RAM. Snapdragon 720G chip for agile performance, fully meeting daily tasks.

In terms of software, Redmi Note 9 Pro comes pre-installed with Android 10, MIUI 11.0.1 interface right out of the box. MIUI is still known for its powerful customization capabilities, a lot of settings for users to change to their liking, but switching to a Xiaomi phone for the first time can be overwhelming.

To maintain competitive pricing, Xiaomi pre-installs quite a few apps and you will see ads in system apps from time to time. To me, that is not a big deal, but for sure there will be users with different thoughts, in the end, it is still something we have to accept the trade-off.

Summary

Whether accidentally or intentionally, Xiaomi has also released a more complete version of the Redmi Note 9s. That is good for consumers, but perhaps those who bought the Redmi Note 9s will feel a bit sad. Whether that strategy of Xiaomi is right or wrong, time will give us the answer.

The camera upgrades or charging time don’t come for free, but overall, the Redmi Note 9 Pro has proven its worth. A few very small minus points such as the screen still only having a 60Hz refresh rate or bloatware, the advertising in the system does not deny that the Redmi Note 9 Pro is still one of the most worth buying smartphones in the segment under $ 300.