Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro/9 Pro Max review

Wrap-up

The Redmi Note 9 Pro costs €269 at launch, which sounds like a bargain. The phone ticks every box for its class and even a few from the next price bracket. It has a high-res cinematic screen, one of the most powerful mid-range chips, a very capable and versatile camera, and, of course, outstanding battery life and fast charging.

The Note 9 Pro is a meaningful upgrade over the Note 8 Pro - it has a larger screen, a snappier processor, and a beefier battery with faster 30W charging. It also offers enough over the regular Redmi Note 9 model to deserve its Pro moniker by having a better screen, a newer chipset, and higher-res main camera.

So, the Redmi Note 9 Pro is an obvious incremental upgrade over its predecessor and fellow Note 9 model, but it has more than enough features not only to justify its existence - but to make it an attractive offer that's would be hard to turn down.

Alternatives

We tried to make sense out of Xiaomi's confusing naming convention. The Redmi Note 9 Pro, which we are reviewing here is known as the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max in India. It is also an upgraded version of the Redmi Note 9S, which is known as Redmi Note 9 Pro in India. Confused? Don't be. Here are the four phone models.

Global models: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro • Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S

Indian models: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max • Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro (India)

So with the important distinction that we're reviewing the Global Redmi Note 9 Pro here, let's have a look at what the competition has to offer.

First, some sibling rivalry. If the Redmi Note 9 Pro is too big or too expensive, the €200 Redmi Note 9 may be a better fit (this one is not available in India). It has a bit smaller screen and a slightly inferior chipset, but other than that it should still offer a similar MIUI and multimedia experience as the Pro model.

The Galaxy M31, where available, is sold at about the same price as the Note. It impresses with a Super AMOLED screen and a huge 6,000 mAh battery but is inferior in raw performance.

Huawei P40 Lite costs €40 less than the Redmi and it is not only better looking and one very good shooter day and night, but also has the most powerful midrange chip today. Sure, gaming will be a superb on the Lite, but there are no Google Services and not everyone is okay with third-party app stores, a few of them at that.

Finally, the Realme 6 is what really Xiaomi should be afraid of. One of the most popular Realme phones right now costs €40 less than the Redmi Note 9 Pro, yet it offers a high-refresh rate screen and snappier Realme UI, while its SoC is as powerful. We suspect most of the users will be choosing between the Realme 6 and the Redmi Note 9 Pro and it is a tough choice for sure.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 • Samsung Galaxy M31 • Huawei P40 lite • Realme 6

The verdict

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is a great smartphone. It has a lot to offer for a bargain price and will not disappoint its users. Realme may have a phone with a 90Hz display at this price point, the Redmi Note 9 Pro trumps it with a glass design and a larger battery. It is also part of the MIUI ecosystem, which may mean something for a lot of you.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro will be one of the hottest deals in the months to come, and if it fits your budget - rest assured, it comes highly recommened.

Pros

• Beautiful Gorilla Glass 5 body, splash resistance
• Large and bright LCD screen, HDR10 support
• Outstanding battery life, fast charging
• Top-notch performance for this class
• Good photo and video quality for the class
• Latest Android and MIUI
• NFC

Cons

• Realme offers 90Hz display for the same cash
• The uneven backlight around the notch is an eyesore