Xiaomi Redmi 9T review

Introduction

We are thrilled to see Xiaomi making its budget phones available to the wider market, and the arrival of Redmi 9T to Europe is great news. One of the most popular and successful lineups from Xiaomi's portfolio is about to make decent sales considering the aggressive price point. This year the Redmi series will have unexpected competition from none other than Xiaomi's own Poco sub-brand. And in the case of the Redmi 9T, we have the Poco M3 in mind.

The two devices are almost identical with just a couple of small differences in the back design and the camera selection. The Redmi 9T adds an ultrawide snapper, an NFC chip (still depending on the region, though) and boasts water-repellent coating. Of course, that means a few extra bucks for the Redmi 9T, which may be worth it if you are looking for those specific features.

Xiaomi Redmi 9T specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.3x77.3x9.6mm, 198g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic frame, plastic back; Water-repellent coating.
• Display: 6.53" IPS LCD, 400 nits (typ), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 (11 nm): Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver); Adreno 610.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM; UFS 2.1 - 64GB, UFS 2.2 - 128GB; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 10, MIUI 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.1, 27mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 6000mAh; Fast charging 18W, Reverse charging 2.5W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; Infrared port; 3.5mm jack, NFC (market-dependant).

Putting the M3 aside, the Redmi 9T still looks like a solid entry-level solution for just around €150. The phone's standout features include its stereo loudspeakers, the 48MP main camera, the ultrawide unit, the huge 6,000mAh battery, and the water-repellent coating of the internals. They are definitely hard to come across in this price segment, especially altogether in a single handset.

Memory configurations are also generous as the phone starts at 4GB/64GB, and a dedicated microSD card slot (not shared) can bump up the storage if 64GB isn't enough for you. The chipset, on the other hand, is pretty much what you'd expect from a device in this price bracket - Snapdragon 662, which was announced a year ago and is built with not performance but power-efficiency in mind.

We already have a good idea of what to expect from the Redmi 9T given that we've reviewed the Poco M3, but we will make sure to assess the small upgrades over the M3 and if they make up for the price difference.

Unboxing the Xiaomi Redmi 9T

The handset comes in a standard box with the usual user manuals, USB-A to USB-C cable for charging and data transfer and a charging brick rated at 22.5W but the phone caps at 18W. Xiaomi often ships more powerful bricks for its budget phones because it's cheaper to manufacture one charger that can cover more models.

The box also contains a transparent silicone case for the phone which we found to be quite hard to put on. The phone fits snuggly in it.