[Summary]
Every year, Xiaomi launches new smartphones and each time they bring a little more confusion because they change names, product lines and launch competing models. There is almost a Xiaomi phone in every price range and sometimes it's a detail that sets them apart.
The Redmi Note 9 is an entry-level model that like its predecessors (Redmi Note 7 / Redmi Note 8) will probably become a blockbuster. The positioning of the Redmi is very clear: offering a maximum for the lowest price.
So far, Xiaomi has never disappointed, will the Redmi Note 9 make life even harder for its competitors? That's what I'm going to show you in this test.
Manufacturer web site: https://www.mi.com
[device_intro device="smartphone" lg="en"]
Price Redmi Note 9
The list below shows the prices for the Redmi Note 9 from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops. [pricelist keyword="172"]
Timeline
29/05/2020 purchase of the Redmi Note 9 on Edway Buy, it's my first purchase on this site
04/06/2020 I received the Redmi in only a few days, that's very fast for a chinese shop.
Why this phone?
Just two years ago, nobody knew about Xiaomi, let alone the Redmi brand. Today, tests and articles about Xiaomi can be found on almost all specialized websites. Each new generation of Redmi is a must-see event for those interested by smartphones.
So far, I have bought the Redmi Note 5, the Redmi Note 7, the Redmi Note 8, the Redmi Note 9s and the Redmi Note 8 Pro. The Redmi Note 9 is the 6th Redmi that I am testing.
Xiaomi usually launches two Redmi ranges per year, the first wave brings something new and the second wave just brings minor evolutions. The Redmi Note 9 is in the first category, so it should bring something new and the first novelty is its size and format. The Redmi range has grown and gained weight to offer an ever larger screen and a battery with even more battery life. The control buttons have become very thin, it's very aesthetic but not always practical. The back of the phone goes in a delirium of colors where previous models offered a more sober configuration. This Redmi Note 9 confirms that this is a big evolution.
The Redmi Note 9 comes with the Redmi Note 9s and the Redmi Note 9 Pro, these devices look very similar and the differences are not very obvious. Usually the difference between the normal scale (Redmi Note X) and the pro scale (Redmi Note X Pro) is much more pronounced.
Structure of my tests
I test the phones according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with as much information as possible. Unfortunately, this takes a long time. Some tests like network performance tests take several days and for photo tests I sometimes have to wait until the weather is suitable to take pictures in good conditions. I am therefore obliged to publish the tests step by step, so I invite you to come back if the test is not complete at the time of your visit.
Unpacking
[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="body"] Xiaomi uses the same packaging for most of its phones. The box does not contain anything unusual, you will find the phone, a protective case, a small manual, the charger and a USB cable type C.
First configuration
The configuration of the Redmi Note 9 follows the same principles as the configuration of most Android phones but some changes have appeared on this Redmi Note 9 compared to the Redmi Note 9s I just tested.
The most noticeable change is the screen that proposes which search engine you want to use. It's the first time I see this choice appearing and it's not insignificant. I imagine that Xiaomi wants to try to take some distance from Google after what happened between Google and Huawei but the proposed engines are not yet valid alternatives to reduce the importance of Google in our daily lives.
The application recovery procedure also offers a new option based on an image that must be identical to the one displayed on your old device. The transfer allows you to resume your applications but also the accounts used on the other phone, this can be very convenient if like me you regularly change phone.
Facial recognition has disappeared from the initial configuration, but it is still available in the device settings.
Just at the end Xiaomi will try to place its cloud service but you will only have to pass a screen.
I got two error messages in the process but I suspect my router is responsible for this problem because my router blocks what it considers to be advertising and these calls to Google or Xiaomi are therefore blocked.
Finish
![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis recensione opinion revision 7]()
As I wrote above, this new generation of Redmi comes with a new chassis and Xiaomi decided to apply the same recipe to the Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9s and Redmi Note 9 Pro. There is however a difference between the Redmi Note 9 and the two others, the Redmi Note 9 is a little bit shorter and a little bit wider, this gives it a more massive look. It is also slightly thicker but lighter.
Top ![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis recensione opinion revision 15]()
At the top of the phone you will find the infrared diode that will allow you to use the phone as a remote control, you will also find what could be a sound sensor that I find on many other Xiaomi.
Bottom ![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis recensione opinion revision 14]()
The lower part of the phone has a classic configuration with a speakerphone, a USB type C port and a jack type audio connector.
Sides ![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis review opinion recensione prueba 3]()
On the sides there is the SIM drawer on the left (2 SIM cards + 1 memory slot) and the usual volume and start buttons on the right. The configuration is classic but the start and volume buttons are thinner than usual, I sometimes confuse the volume buttons because I can't always distinguish them by touch. The phone also gives the feeling that these buttons are higher than usual but in reality they are the same distance from the top of the phone as the previous models. What changes is that the phone has grown and the distance from the bottom of the phone has therefore mechanically increased.
Back ![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis recensione opinion revision 10]()
On the back of the phone, we find the camera positioned in the middle like the Redmi Note 9s or Pro, this sensor comes out a few millimetres but its central positioning reduces the feeling of having a phone in perpetual imbalance. Contrary to the 9s or 9 Pro, the fingerprint sensor has made its way back to the back of the phone just below the photo sensor.
The Redmi Note 9 offers several colors that come with two color gradients, I'm not a big fan of this kind of gradient, it reinforces the feeling of having a plastic object in hand but it's just a subjective impression.
Screen ![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis review opinion recensione prueba 1]()
The screen occupies 83% of the available space, it's a score in the middle, it's one percent less than the 9s. The borders are visible but this is also quite common in this price range. The pixel density is above average because the Redmi Note 9 offers the same resolution as the Redmi Note 9s on a smaller area.
The finish level of this Redmi Note 9 is quite correct, don't forget that this is an entry-level phone that you can already find for 150€ in China. For this price you probably won't find better.
3G/4G support
The Redmi Note 9 is compatible with most frequencies in Europe. It even offers compatibility with the 700 Mhz frequency (B28), which will be useful for Bouygues and Free customers in France.
3G Frequencies:
B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B5 (850), B8 (900)
4G Frequencies:
B1 (2100), B20 (800), B3 (1800), B38 (TDD 2600), B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1), B40 (TDD 2300), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B28 (700)
[network_support]
Network/Radio performance
[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="radio"]
Signal 4G
The ability to pick up the network correctly is an essential element for a phone but it is only very rarely measured. To measure a phone's ability to pick up the network, I perform a large number of measurements on the same cells to be able to compare phones under similar conditions. The signal is measured in dBm, a value of -90dBm indicates a worse signal than -70dBm. These measurements are therefore taken under real conditions and not in a laboratory, they are not scientific but give a good indication of performance.
[short_signals]
Comparison Redmi Note 9 with another device
The graph below shows the comparison between the two devices. The best device should have the largest number of measurements close to the center. The comparison is made only on the cells common to both devices. The measurements were carried out under the same conditions.
Phone 1:
na
Phone 2:
na
Performance evaluation:Not yet available / tested
Download max speed:
Upload max speed:
na
Download max speed:
na
Performance evaluation:Not yet available / tested
Wifi signal
To test a phone's ability to receive the network properly, I take measurements near my router and then remotely (and always at the same place). This gives me an average in dBm where a value of -90 dBm indicates poorer performance than a value at -30 dBm.
Signal strength close to router:
-19 dBm
Signal strength away from router:
-77 dBm
Performance evaluation: I measured -19 dBm near the router, that's one of the best scores I've gotten so far. From a distance I measured -77 dBm, which is far below the average. The Redmi Note 9 offers a very good performance near the router but when you move away the quality degrades faster.
Download / Wifi
To test the speed in Wifi, I connect to my router in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz (if available) and use the Ookla application to measure the speed.[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="measures"]
Max upload speed:
20 Mbps
Max download speed:
207 Mbps
Performance evaluation: Good signal quality often translates into good performance in download speed and this can be verified with Redmi Note 9. I got a download speed of 207 Mbps, that's a very good score. With this kind of performance you will be able to use this phone for both downloading and watching HD movies.
GPS signal
To test the quality of the GPS signal I use the Offline Maps application and I make the same train trip in pedestrian mode. Why? In pedestrian mode, the GPS does not artificially correct the signal to stick to the road, it has no markings, so you can see the actual position.Not yet available / tested
Battery range
[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="battery"] [battery product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" capa="5020" lg="en"]
The Redmi Note 9 has a 5020 mAh battery, which is well above the average in this price range. I think only the Umidigi F2 does better with its 5150 mAh.
The Redmi Note 9 has the same battery capacity as the Redmi Note 9s but I am not sure if it is the same battery as the Redmi Note 9s as the performance is much better on the Redmi Note 9 both in terms of charging time and range. The difference could also be explained by a less bright display, the test with the probe should validate or invalidate this hypothesis. It could also be that the Mediatek processor is less greedy than the Snapdragon.
The Redmi Note 9s offers a good battery performance but the Redmi Note 9 is much better. It lasted 30 hours with the screen on at 50%.
Audio quality
To test the quality of the phone's audio output, I connect the device's audio output to a measuring tool, then play sounds on all frequencies and measure the differences between the original sound and the sound produced by the phone. In this way I measure the phone's ability to correctly reproduce all sounds.
[specs product="%product_life%" category="sound"]
The Redmi Note 9 is equipped with a simple speaker at the bottom of the phone like most phones in this price range. This speaker does not produce a very powerful sound and the high frequencies are quite pronounced. The maximum volume is more than enough to listen to music but the volume is lower than the average of the phones I tested.
With headphones, the maximum volume is always below what I tested. On the other hand, the sound is better, the sounds are more balanced.
Frequency Response
This test is intended to test the device's ability to correctly reproduce all frequencies. The white line in the middle of the graph is the ideal situation and the other colors come from tests on different phones. A deviation from the reference line indicates a deviation from the ideal situation. To see good sound at all frequencies, it is therefore necessary to get as close as possible to the reference line ![redmi note 9 frequency respons]()
The Redmi Note 9 reproduces the frequencies quite faithfully and offers a more stable rendering than the Redmi Note 9s. This confirms what I perceived when listening to music with the headphones.
Dynamic Range
This test is designed to test a phone's ability to play sounds at different volume levels. Here too, the phones must be as close as possible to the reference ![redmi note 9 dynamic range]()
Here too, the Redmi Note 9 offers a stable performance but with a clear deficit in volume, which I had perceived from subjective listening is also true here.
Noise Level
This test aims to identify if the device under test is able to reproduce sounds without too much noise. A high score indicates a low parasite rate, a lower score indicates a higher presence of parasites. ![redmi note 9 noise level]()
Redmi Note 9 reproduces sound without interference and offers stable performance across all frequencies, for this test the frequency reproduction is similar to Redmi Note 9s at a lower volume.
The Redmi Note 9 delivers a midrange sound performance with distortion in the midrange as well. It is at the volume level that Redmi Note 9 makes a difference by offering a volume about 20% lower than the average.
Concert recording
The purpose of this test is to measure the recording quality of the phone when there is a lot of ambient noise. Since I don't have the opportunity to go to a concert every time I test a phone, I simulate the noise of a concert in a closed environment.Not yet available / tested
CPU / GPU Performance
[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="hardware"]
CPU/GPU type
The Redmi Note 9 is equipped with a Mediatek G70 processor where Redmi's are usually equipped with a Snapdragon processor. This processor offers similar performance to the Snapdragon 710 found in the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite.
Graphically, the Redmi Note 9 is equipped with a Mali G52 GPU that is also found in the Honor 9x. This GPU offers a graphics performance equivalent to an Adreno 610 also found in the Motorola G8 Power or the Redmi Note 8.
This combination should offer sufficient performance for all applications as well as 3D games with sometimes a limitation in the level of graphics.
Hardware info
The information below comes from the Device Info HW application. The application provides detailed technical information about the tested phone. On a daily base, the phone performs without any problem all the common tasks, I note a slight delay in the display compared to a Redmi Note 9s but this is logical because the latter offers a performance almost 50% higher.
I tested the 3Gb / 64 Gb version which answers to the code name "Merlin" and the MT6768 version. Here are the characteristics of the phone:
Benchmark 3DMark
I couldn't get 3DMark to work on the Redmi Note 9, this is the first time this has happened to me. The phone may still be too new.
Benchmark Antutu[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="benchmark"] I got a score of 191,000 points with Antutu v8. With this kind of score, the Redmi Note 9 offers a performance 10% higher than the previous model while remaining in the same price range. The jump in performance is usually greater between two generations, so this Redmi Note 9 does not stand out clearly from the previous model.
The performance increases a little bit in the processor and the graphics chipset but it is especially on the UX indicator that the Redmi Note 9 is ahead of the previous model. This element should bring more comfort in daily use.
Gaming
To test the performance in game, I download the mobile PUBG game and evaluate the in-game experience, graphics level and depth of vision. This game is quite demanding and should help you evaluating the performance of a phone.Not yet available / tested
Photo camera test
[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="camera"]
Hardware
The Redmi Note 9 is equipped with a Samsung S5KGM1 sensor that is found on many other phones such as the Redmi Note 7 or the Redmi Note 8. Xiaomi has not made a big effort on this side, so it remains to be seen if they have made improvements in image processing that could make a difference. This sensor produced good results on the Redmi Note 7, I remember in particular the night mode I tested in Stockholm, the result was amazing. So I'm curious to see if Xiaomi has managed to improve this sensor a year after the launch of the Redmi Note 7.
Photo quality
Default app
Not yet available / tested
Photo test / studio
First example: ƒ/1.79 1/461 4.74 mm 100 ISO
![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis review recencione prueba photo test studio 2]()
Exposure: almost correct
Sharpness: good
Colours: slightly too warm
Depth of field: good
Distortion: none
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
The Redmi Note 7 using the same sensor had not produced good results in the studio, the Redmi Note 9 does a better job here. The photo is better exposed but Xiaomi chose for a warmer rendering and under the artificial light of the studio it is clearly visible. The sharpness zone is on the character in white and Harry potter, the sharpness in this zone is good.
Second example: ƒ/2,2 1/244 1,65 mm 111 ISO
![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis review recencione prueba photo test studio 4]()
Exposure: good
Sharpness: slightly smooth
Colours: a little too cold
Depth of field: good
Distortion: none
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
The ultra-wide angle sensor of the Redmi Note 9 produces a very different type of photo, it produces cooler but closer to reality photos and loses some sharpness at the edges. Ultra-wide-angle sensors often produce underexposed photos, but this is not the case here.
Third example: ƒ/1.79 1/494 4.74 mm ISO 101
![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis review recencione prueba photo test studio 3]()
Exposure: almost correct
Sharpness: good
Colours: slightly too warm
Depth of field: good
Distortion: none
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
The zoom is a digital zoom, it is made from the main sensor, so the photo has the same characteristics as the first photo.
Fourth example: ƒ/1.79 1/500 4.74 mm 100 ISO
![xiaomi redmi note 9 test avis review recencione prueba photo test studio 7]()
Exposure: good
Sharpness: good
Colours: too cold
Depth of field: good
Distortion: none
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
I wanted to see if the warmer colours came from the sensor or from a processing done by the device. So I took a picture in manual mode by forcing the color temperature to 4500K. The result shows that the sensor is perfectly capable of reproducing colder photos which means that Xiaomi made a choice for these warm colors. The good news is that this choice can be modified from the photo application if you don't like the color temperature.
Photo test / sunny
Not yet available / tested
Photo test / cloudy
Not yet available / tested
Test photo / night
Not yet available / tested
Video quality
Stabilisation
As for each of my tests, I start with a video made under the same conditions to be able to compare the quality and stabilization with the other devices. Not yet available / tested
Video normale conditions
Not yet available / tested
Video low light
Not yet available / tested
Screen quality
To test the screen, I use a colorimetric probe that measures the color accuracy of a screen, as well as other parameters to see if a screen is able to correctly reproduce an image. I also test the brightness level to determine if the screen will be able to display an image in full sunlight.
[specs product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" category="screen"]
Colorimetry
Not yet available / tested
Brightness
Not yet available / tested
Contrast
Not yet available / tested
Light Absorption/Reflection
The smartphone screen reflect light and sometimes turn them into a real mirror. This mirror effect makes it harder to read.
The absorption index below indicates the percentage of light absorbed by the screen. The readability of a screen is better when the absorption index is high.
[absorb]Not yet available / tested
Biometry
Not yet available / tested
Operating system
Not yet available / tested
Encoutered bugs
Not yet available / tested
Accessories Redmi Note 9
[accessoires type="smartphone" product="xiaomi-redmi-note-9" lg="en"]
Compare Redmi Note 9 with the others
[ranks type="smartphone" device="Redmi Note 9"]
Test / Review conclusion
Not yet available / tested
Strengths
Not yet available / tested
Weaknesses
Not yet available / tested
Alternatives to this product
[alternatives]Not yet available / tested
