Two-minute review
Xiaomi had been pretty proactive in explaining why the Indian smartphone market has changed so much this year. Its objective was to make people understand that phones are about to get more expensive across the board, and it’s time for them to recalibrate their expectations. While the factors pointed out are legitimate, it understandably left a chunk of budget smartphone buyers disappointed. The Redmi 9 Prime exists to bring some relief to consumers looking for a new phone in the sub Rs 10,000 segment in an altered market.
Phones by Redmi have been instrumental in carving the budget segment of India. Being the poster child of the space, expectations have always been high with what the sub-brand manages to pull off. We saw the Redmi Note 9 series take turns at it earlier this year, but there was still some space left closer to the Rs 10,000 mark. In fact, even the existing offerings moved higher up the price ladder due to various economic sector, leaving the most popular smartphone segment of India rather barren.
With big responsibilities on its shoulders, the Redmi 9 Prime manages to impress with its performance and features which the competition just can not manage. It starts with the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, which is the most powerful SoC at this price. It also moves a Full HD+ display, which is a rarity at this price point. If that wasn’t enough, there are also four cameras on the back to extend its lead. Add the large battery and fast charging to the mix, and it becomes easy to understand why the Redmi 9 Prime is an easy recommendation.
Of course, it isn’t perfect, but the few missteps and cost-cutting measures aren’t really that major. The build can feel a little underwhelming with the switch to polycarbonate from glass. The secondary cameras could’ve been better too. But that’s about it when it comes to the Redmi 9 Prime’s weaknesses. We are usually the last ones to judge a phone on its specifications, but just a glance at those is enough to explain why the Redmi 9 Prime is unique in many ways.
Moreover, Xiaomi also throws in a free protective case, screen protector and a moderately fast charger in the box, which are important additions here. If MIUI is something you don’t mind, this phone definitely deserves a spot in your consideration.
Redmi 9 Prime price in India
| Configuration | Price in India |
|---|---|
| 4GB + 64GB | Rs 9,999 |
| 4GB + 128GB | Rs 11,999 |
In India, the Redmi 9 Prime comes in two configurations. The base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is priced at Rs 9,999 while the top variant with 128GB of storage capacity is priced at Rs 11,999. Colour options include Space Blue, Mint Green, Matte Black and Sunrise Flare. Amazon is the online sale partner, as well as Xiaomi’s offline retail network.
Check out the Redmi 9 Prime on Amazon.in
Design
- Aura 360 design
- Textured polycarbonate back
- Fingerprint scanner on the back
The Redmi 9 Prime looks like a Xiaomi device through and through. We have the familiar ‘Aura 360’ design language at play here, bringing horizontal symmetry and balance. Even the 198 grams of weight is very well distributed to make the phone not seem particularly heavy.
The back is made of polycarbonate (read: plastic) that meets the frame seamlessly. It has tiny etches all across to help with the grip and even fight fingerprints to an extent. The cameras are housed in a vertical housing along the spine, within an iconic round section - similar to what we saw on the Poco X2.
Under the cameras, there is an active fingerprint scanner. It's not particularly big but is fairly easy to locate without seeing. It works adequately well. There's also 2D face unlock.
We reviewed the Space Blue colourway, which was a little too jazzy and saturated for our taste. The other colours are a lot more understated, so you should be able to find your match.
It continues to retain the essentials such as a 3.5mm headphone jack and an infrared blaster, along with the usual loudspeaker and USB port on the bottom. The power button and the volume rocker are on the right side while the SIM tray is on the left. It can accommodate two SIM cards and a micro SD card simultaneously.
There’s nothing particularly wrong or disappointing with the Redmi 9 Prime’s design. We’d have liked a glass sandwich design implementation but that would be a little too wishful at this price. It looks nice, feels comfortable and shouldn’t shatter from drops, which is appreciation-worthy.
Display
- 6.53-inch Full HD+ display
- Gorilla Glass 3
- 400nits brightness
Bigger displays were the normal for budget smartphones in recent years, but the resolution would almost always top off at just 720p. The Redmi 9 Prime proudly takes that up to Full HD, matching the likes of more expensive devices. We get a 6.53-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 (19.5:9 aspect ratio), protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The refresh rate is 60Hz.
These features make it a perfectly acceptable panel with ample sharpness and area for all tasks. Media consumption was great too. Colours are pretty accurate and vivid for LCD standards. Just expect to be blown away by the black levels as they look borderline grey. Off-axis viewing didn’t bring any colour shift either. The phone is also Widevine L1 certified for HD content playback on platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Our only gripe was that the peak brightness levels were inadequate under direct sunlight. That wasn’t such an issue for indoor use. If we were to nitpick, the bezels could also do with some trimming.
Performance and gaming
- 12nm Octa-core chipset
- Good for gaming
The Redmi 9 Prime is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, which is a new gaming-centric processor destined for mid-rangers. It is paired with 4GB of RAM. It is a surprisingly capable package that can usually keep up with all tasks. Multi-tasking can take a bit longer, when compared to other phones, but we think that is more due to the time taken to launch these apps. Once opened, things are much smoother.
It doesn’t come with the heating complications that the G90 series brought, making it decent for long gaming sessions. Games such as PUBG run well on lower settings and can retain about 40fps consistently. There are occasional frame drops or lag, but not major enough to ruin your experience. In fact, it is one of the best gaming experiences at this price point as other phones will struggle to even match the frame rate or graphics. There was no heating either.
Software
- MIUI 11 based on Android 10
- No banned apps
As with all phones from the house of Xiaomi, the Redmi 9 Prime runs on MIUI 11 based on Android 10. If you’ve used one, you’ve used them all. It is a heavily customized skin that changes how the homescreen, app drawer, icons and settings screen looks.
Thankfully, during our time with the phone, we didn’t get too many ads or NSFW content, but that could change with extended use. The unnecessary notifications can be switched off with a single click, so that’s not really an issue. Similarly, there’s a ton of pre-installed apps, most of which can be uninstalled.
None of the recently banned apps will be on your retail unit.
MIUI also offers quite a bit of customization capabilities. You can add an app drawer, gesture to drop the notification shade, change icons and themes, as well as switch to a system-wide dark mode. Some of the aforementioned additions are pretty useful too, such as Game Launcher, Mi Remote as well as Google’s apps. The leftmost screen can also be set to Google Discover.
MIUI has come a long way and is much cleaner and functional than before. With the reduction in bloatware and ads, it is also easier to recommend. Just ensure that you disallow certain apps from pushing notifications.
Audio
Taking care of the second half of the content equation, we have a single mono bottom-firing speaker and a headphone jack on the opposite side. The output via the loudspeaker can reach very high levels, just be wary of the distortion. The pitch seemed a little higher than normal at times for music. Output via earphones was great.
Battery life
- 5,020mAH battery
- 18W fast charging
As with its more expensive siblings, the Redmi 9 Prime houses a big 5,020mAh battery. Add the lower-powered chipset to the mix, and we have a true battery champion. It will easily last you over a day on a single charge, with 7-8 hours of screen-on-time.
It also supports 18W fast charging, which can take the phone from 0 to full in about 2 hours. The included charger has a rated output of 10W, which takes close to 3 hours for the refuelling. It’s not often we see such fast charging on phones in the sub Rs 10,000 segment, and even rarer is that happening over a USB Type-C interface. Considering that a first-party 18W charger costs only Rs 499, it would be a suitable eventual addition.
Camera
- Quad-camera setup
- No night mode
As with nearly every budget smartphone, the Redmi 9 Prime ships with a quad-camera array on the back. While they might not seem that great on paper, they resort to AI to fill the gaps and create surprisingly great results.
The primary camera is a 13MP f/2.2 camera, which produces good pictures in adequate lighting. We’d suggest turning on AI and HDR for better results across the board and to push the dynamic range further. The colours were accurate too but the temperature would suffer in darker scenarios. It degrades quickly when you start zooming in or move to dimly lit areas.
The ultra-wide lens, while fairly wide, isn’t great. The resolution, aperture and sensor size work against it, crushing details. Low-light photography will disappoint you further.
The macro lens has a resolution of 5MP. Finding the right focus distance will take time, but in the right conditions, the results can be pretty cool.
Should you buy the Redmi 9 Prime?
Buy it if...
You’re looking for a great all-rounder under Rs 10,000
The Redmi 9 Prime practically has no major issues. It does almost everything well - big and sharp display, reliable battery life with fast charging, versatile cameras and above-average performance.
You consume a lot of media
The phone brings a big, bright and sharp display that is great for media consumption or even gaming. Add the great battery life and decent audio output, and you have a binge-watching monster.
Need all-day battery life
MIUI optimizations, combined with a fairly large battery make the Redmi 9 Prime a true all-day warrior and then some. The fast charging is the icing on the cake.
Don't buy it if...
You can extend your budget by a bit
As basic as this may sound, raising your budget by Rs 2-3K will bring significantly better options to choose from.
You do not want a phone urgently
On the same lines, India gets great new affordable smartphones every month. If you can wait, you really should, as you’re guaranteed to get something equally great. The upcoming Realme C12 and Realme C15 are worth looking out for.
MIUI is not your thing
Xiaomi’s MIUI does not have the best reputation these days. More than those issues, some find the skin to be a little too heavy or bloated. While that is the norm in this segment, there are a few offerings which could serve you better.
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