The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 series packs a whole lot of value into a smartphone at some stellar price points! We’re talking impressive battery life, FHD+ displays, and relatively great cameras amongst other things. There’s three to choose from based on your needs and budget: the Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9S, and Redmi Note 9 Pro.
At the most affordable end of the line-up is the Redmi Note 9, followed by the Redmi Note 9S, and then the Redmi Note 9 Pro. No matter what end of the spectrum you’re looking at, Redmi has done well in offering excellent value-for-money. Let’s take a look at what the differences are across the three models.
Design
The Redmi Note 9 smartphones have stunningly aesthetic designs. While the designs are fairly similar across the board, the Redmi Note 9 is where we see the most difference. It’s smaller and lighter than the 9S and 9 Pro due to it’s smaller display. It also has a fingerprint scanner on the rear of the phone, unlike the Note 9S and Note 9 Pro which has this on the side, providing a more seamless appearance on the rear. While the side fingerprint scanner provides a sleeker appearance, it doesn’t necessarily have a difference in functionality, which ultimately comes down to personal preference.
One other design difference to note, is that the Note 9 Pro has a slightly smaller camera nodule. It’s not a major difference but it does provide a slightly more attractive look.
Display
All three phones have the same Full HD+ Tiny Dot Display, the same 395ppi pixel density, the same 450 nits of brightness, and are all topped with Gorilla Glass 5. The only notable difference across the three models is the smaller display on the Redmi Note 9 of 6.53” compared to 6.67” on the Note 9S and Note 9 Pro.
Hardware
The hardware is a key difference between the Note 9 and the Note 9S and 9 Pro. The Redmi Note 9 features a high-performance MediaTek Helio G85 processor, which has a maximum clock speed of 2.0GHz, and a GPU frequency of 1000MHz. Paired with the Helio G85, the Note 9 offers 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
The Note 9S and Note 9 Pro on the other hand both feature a high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor. Qualcomm hardware is more premium and powerful, and as a result, is the preferred processor. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G is a high-performance octa-core processor, up to 2.3GHz; with a fifth-generation AI engine with boosted AI computing performance. The Note 9S and Note 9 Pro both offer up to 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.
Cameras
All three phones have a rear quad camera with a main camera, an ultra-wide, a macro, and a depth sensor. As expected, the most advanced camera is the Note 9 Pro which boasts a 64 MP main sensor, an ultrawide lens with an 8 MP resolution, a 5 MP macro camera, and a 2 MP depth sensor. The camera department is what sets the Note 9 Pro apart from the Note 9S which is otherwise pretty similar.
Battery
All three phones have the same amazing battery life, thanks to the 5,020mAh battery. You can expect approximately 147 hours of music playback, 33 hours of calling, 16 hours of continuous navigation, and up to 16 hours of gaming. Better yet, they all support 18W fast charging!
Overview
The Redmi Note 9 series does an excellent job at delivering value-for-money devices that have an eye-catching design, great performance, and excellent battery life. When weighing up between the different models, the main things you’ll want to consider is how much power and performance you need, and what your preferences are in the camera department. The Note 9S and Note 9 Pro offer better performance than the Note 9, and the Note 9 Pro offers the best camera across the board. Check out the Redmi Note 9 series at PB Tech here.