Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime review: Undisputable budget phone champion
In the recent weeks, Xiaomi has launched several versions of the Redmi 9 series in India. Among them, the Redmi 9 Prime is the top-end handset costing Rs 9,999 for the 64GB storage variant and Rs 11,999 for the 128GB storage model.
On paper, it has one of the best specifications-to-price ratio in the mobile phone market. I have been using the device for a week and here are my thoughts on Xiaomi's best of the Redmi 9 series.
Design, build quality, and display:
Redmi 9 Prime sports an Aura 360 design language with a concentric textured shell, resembling the fingerprint on the back. It not just offers a really good hand grip to hold on to the phone, but also repels sweaty fingerprint smudges. Our review unit is a mint green model and looks gorgeous in the bright sunlight and have to say, the big circular quad-camera module adds value to the visual appeal.
Furthermore, the Redmi 9 Prime comes with P2i certification, meaning the device can survive rains and accidental water splashes.
Thanks to Covid-19, I haven't ventured out much, but for now, I just trust the company's claims, based on my experience of reviewing other Xiaomi phones with similar water-resistant ratings in the past.
It comes with an IR emitter on the top and at the bottom, the company has incorporated a 3.5mm audio port, a microphone, a USB Type-C port, and single-grille speaker. On the right, it has volume rockers and power placed on top of the other. Whereas on the left, it has a SIM tray with three slots for two SIMS and a microSD card.
On the front, it has a 6.53-inch full HD+ (2340 × 1080p) LCD screen with a pixel density of 400 ppi (pixels per inch) and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 shield. . Also, I should note that the Redmi 9 Prime comes pre-fitted with an extra layer of screen guard on top in addition to the transparent silicone shell cover with retail package. That's again rare for a budget phone to have such protection for a display and the back.
As far as the screen quality is concerned, it is bright and I had no issues viewing contents even under direct sunlight.
Performance:
Under-the-hood, it houses an 12nm class MediaTek Helio G80 (2GHz Cortex-A75 x 2 cores + 2GHz 6x Cortex-A55 x 6 cores) octa-core processor backed by 950MHz ARM Mali-G52 2EEMC2 graphics engine with Android 10 with MIUI 11 (upgradable to MIUI 12), 4GB LPPDDR4x RAM, 64GB / 128GB (eMMC 5.1) storage (expandable memory up to 512GB via microSD).
During the testing, it worked smoothly under normal usage such as app loading, operating camera, browsing the web, playing games and day-to-day tasks.
It also boasts hyper engine game technology and the company claims, it will dynamically balance the load between CPU, GPU, and RAM for smooth gaming performance with thermal control and battery. To an extent, it lived up to the expectations. But, I still believe consumers, who are into extreme gaming, should go for either the Note 9 Pro or the Note 9 Pro Max. They are priced between Rs 13,999 and Rs 19,999.
Camera:
As said before, the Redmi 9 Prime features a quad-camera module-- the main 13MP (with f/2.2 aperture), an 8MP 118.2-degree ultra-wide angle lens (with f/2.2 aperture), a 2MP depth sensor, and a 5MP 4cm macro camera with f/2.4 aperture and LED flash.
The Redmi 9 Prime takes really good pictures in normal sunlight and in particular, I am pretty impressed with macro photo shots.
Even though it lacks a dedicated night mode, the phone took decent low-light images thanks to the LED flash and also wonderfully optimised MIUI camera software and hardware.
On the front, it features an 8MP front camera with the f/2.0 aperture. It takes good selfies and I did not find any stressing issue to point out.
Battery:
Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime houses a 5,000mAh battery with a 10W charger in the retail package. With normal usage, it can easily last two days.
For even extreme usage such as video calling (or attending online classes), browsing the internet, taking photos, watching videos for more than an hour, playing games for a limited time, and other day-to-day tasks, the phone can easily last a whole day without the need for a power bank. It should be noted that internet consumption via Wi-Fi is a better option to extend the battery life of the phone compared to doing on a mobile data plan.
Final thoughts (4.5/5)
Over-all, Xiaomi Redmi 9 Prime is a fantastic phone. It offers top-notch performance, long battery life and the camera hardware is just unbeatable in its class.
If I have to recommend, this Xiaomi phone is a really good option for salaried class parents to gift it to their children to attend online classes. Also, I suggest the elders keep an eye on screen time so that the kids don't fall prey to gaming addiction.
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