Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro/9 Pro Max review

Introduction

The Redmi Note lineup has been an essential pillar in Xiaomi's smartphone business and rightfully so as it ranks highly on the bang-for-buck scale. Now, in their ninth generation, the Redmi Notes are as attractive as ever, but the maker did not make it easy on the consumers by adopting a rather confusing naming convention.

We have the Redmi Note 9 Pro for review and this is the global version of the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max - an India-exclusive model. There is only one difference and that's the selfie camera - 16MP vs. 32MP. Here's a direct link to compare the two.

Then again, India also gets a Redmi Note 9 Pro model but that's identical to the global Redmi Note 9S. Here's a direct link to compare these other two.

No, it's certainly hasn't been easy keeping track of the Redmi Note 9 series all in one place but we did our best.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro, just like the many Redmi Notes before it, looks like a pretty solid midranger sold on a budget-friendly price. It has a large screen, gaming-friendly hardware by Qualcomm, an attractive multi-camera setup, a beefy battery, and the latest Android with MIUI, of course.

Xiaomi has checked almost all checkboxes for a mid-ranger, its screen even offers HDR10 support and there are hardly any holes in the spec sheet. Some may have wanted to see 90Hz refresh rate for the screen, but we are not sure they are looking at the right price bracket for that.

Let's take a closer look at the specs of the international Redmi Note 9 Pro.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro specs

• Body: Plastic frame, Gorilla Glass 5 front and back, splash-proof, 165.8x76.7x8.8 mm, 209g.
• Display: 6.67" IPS LCD, 1080 x 2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi, HDR10.
• Rear cameras: Primary: 64MP, f/1.9 aperture, 1/2.72" sensor size, 0.8µm pixel size, PDAF. Ultrawide: 8MP, f/2.2, 1/4", 1.12µm pixels. Macro: 5MP, f/2.4, 1.12µm, AF. Depth sensor: 2MP; 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps video recording, EIS.
• Front camera: 16MP, f/2.5 aperture, 1.0µm pixels. 1080p/30fps video recording.
• OS: Android 10; MIUI 11.
• Chipset: Snapdragon 720G (8nm): Octa-core (2x2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver), Adreno 618 GPU.
• Memory: 6GB of RAM; 64/128GB UFS 2.1 storage; dedicated microSD slot.
• Battery: 5,020mAh; 30W fast charging.
• Connectivity: LTE-A; USB-C; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; dual-band GPS; Bluetooth 5.0; FM radio; IR blaster.
• Misc: Side-mounted fingerprint reader; 3.5mm audio jack.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro should have the same P2i nano-coating as its Indian counterpart, though Xiaomi hasn't mentioned this in the official specs sheet. This is a water-repellent coating against high humidity and light splashes applied on the internals of the phone. It is not water-resistant, and the Redmi Note 9 Pro would probably die the instant it is fully submerged in water.

Unboxing the Redmi Note 9 Pro

Our Redmi Note 9 Pro arrived without its retail box, but we can still show you what you would find inside. The phone is bundled with a 30W charger, a USB-C cable, and a transparent silicone case.

Some units may or may not feature a very thin screen protector pre-applied within the factory.