iaomi’s smartphones are the epitome of affordability. The Redmi Note series enjoys the status of being one of the most popular budget smartphone series. A few years ago, any smartphone enthusiast would quickly choose the Redmi Note series when recommending a worthy performance-oriented and affordable smartphone. But since then, the smartphone market has become much more staggered, fragmented, and confusing. Almost every other smartphone company is now trying to surf the “affordability” wave, putting pressure on Xiaomi and its sub-brand Redmi. Adding to the intense competition is the fact that Xiaomi’s other sub-brand POCO has spun-off into an independent entity. So, with the overwhelming number of options now out there, is the recently launched Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro still the best device in the sub-$200 price segment?
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Owing to the changes in the market, Xiaomi has evolved the Redmi Note series over time. The company first launched a Pro variant starting with the launch of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 series in India in 2018; it has now introduced the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max alongside the regular Pro variant. Curiously, the standard Redmi Note 9 is missing, but it’s possible it may launch in the near future. Nonetheless, the Redmi Note 9 Pro and the Max are almost identical; they have the exact same design, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G mobile platform, hole-punch displays, chunky 5,020mAh batteries, and even the same color variants. The features that set the Pro apart from the Pro Max are the resolutions of the primary as well as the selfie cameras, much faster 33W charging on the Max, and lastly, an 8GB RAM option for that Max performance boost.Redmi Note 9 Pro Design
The Redmi Note 9 Pro embraces the “Aura Balance Design” which combines serenity with symmetry. This design approach succeeds the “Aura Design” philosophy, which comprised 3D holographic designs paired with shiny colors. Xiaomi intends to design every phone they launch in 2020 with the Aura Balance Design, which can also be seen on the Xiaomi Mi 10 and the Mi 10 Pro, which are both launching in India soon.
The new style statement lends the Redmi Note 9 Pro a much more premium and eye-catching appearance than previously launched devices in the series.
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The Redmi Note 9 Pro, as well as the Max, is being made available in Glacier White, Interstellar Black, and Aurora Blue colors, and their names are well descriptive of the inspirations for these colors. Xiaomi India sent us the black variant, but I prefer perceiving it as a shiny gray color that appears blue in sunlight.
The back panel – at least on the black variant we have – is highly reflective. It is shielded under a layer of Gorilla Glass 5, which while makes the phone feel sturdy, premium, and resistant to scratches, also adds to its weight and makes it more vulnerable to shattering from impacts. The glass panel also bears the Redmi branding near the bottom in symmetry to the single LED flash and the “48MP Camera” messaging just under the quad-camera setup.
The square camera module is strikingly different from the linear camera arrays used by Redmi on previous devices. The camera module sits atop a thick platform, which adds a few extra millimeters to the thickness of the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The camera module’s square shape has a couple of glaring advantages over linear arrangements as seen on the Redmi Note 8 Pro. First, it allows the phone to sit on a flat surface such as a table more firmly without causing any wobble when you tap on the display. Second, it makes the camera more of a subtle element and less in-your-face. The obround ring that encloses the two cameras in the upper row reminds me of Bender, the robot from the animated series Futurama.
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