Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro - 8GB 128GB

Introduction

Redmi Note 9 Pro was released by Xiaomi on September 14, 2020 and is available in the Philippines for Php 11,990.00 making it one of the cheapest among mid range phones today.

It is equipped with 8 GB memory, a big 128 GB storage, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G processor.

It has a decent resolution selfie camera and four rear cameras.

A decent phone for gaming and taking photos for a cheaper phone compared to most mid range phones.

Usability

Let us see its pros and cons if it will fare in other uses.

Photography

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is equipped with four rear cameras. Starting from its main camera, it uses a wide camera sensor measuring 1/1.72" (inches) able to fit 64 million pixels with 0.8 micrometer size each (64 MP with 0.8µm size per pixel).

The main camera has PDAF autofocus but sadly, it does not have a stability feature that can minimize blurriness from small shaking.

The device has a 8 MP ultrawide camera that can cover 119 degree wide angle shots.

It also has a macro camera that can help for taking macro (close up) shots.

Plus a 2 MP depth sensor to determine distance which is used for portrait shots.

It features LED flash, HDR quality photographs, and is capable of making panorama shots.

The device's rear camera can produce videos with 4K resolution at 30 fps (frames per second) with a gyro-EIS stability feature that helps to stabilize video while on the move.

As for its selfie camera, it has a 1/3.06” camera sensor size that can fit a 16 MP resolution image with a 1.0µm per pixel as its size.

It also features an HDR quality front camera and can produce 1080p video resolution at 30 fps.

As for the image processing, it uses “Snapdragon 720G” which is a decent mid range processor.

Gaming

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is equipped with 8 GB memory and 128 GB storage. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G sso with a Octa core CPU and Adreno 618 GPU.

With the above specs, it makes the phone capable of running high end games such as Genshin Impact, Ragnarok X: Next Gen and battle royale games like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG.

But unlike high end phones, its processor is not capable of superb performance and lag or slowness might occur some of the time.

For games with a wide world, loading the elements in the map might be delayed sometimes especially when the player is moving from place to place rather fast which would require the game to load the map quickly as well.

Example of this is Call of Duty Mobile. Riding a quick vehicle might show a map with missing elements around.

Still, the games are still playable on the device and adjusting the display resolution might be able to fix the missing elements issues.

For games with low requirements, such as Mobile Legends, the device's smooth performance is to be expected.

The device is also equipped with a 5020 mAh battery so game time will be long enough as well. It also has fast charging capability so getting bored will be shorter.

As for the screen, it has a wide 6.67 inches screen size which is wide enough for gamers. Having a wider screen view helps to have a better view of the game you will be playing.

Multimedia

Phones usually categorized for multimedia usage are widely used for music and video streaming. So a good screen size and features, and a good speaker is a must.

Screen wise, the Redmi Note 9 Pro with a 6.67" wide screen size, watching series or movies will be great.

It uses an IPS LCD screen which provides sharp images and supports better colors and contrast than normal LCD.

The screen is also easy to use outdoors with bright light.

Sadly, its black is not perfect and the screen may utilize more power than normal LCD and AMOLED.

As for audio, a stereo speaker is available and if you want to listen alone, a 35mm jack is available for wired earphones or headset.

Travel

This is the most in-demand use of smartphones nowadays. Mostly everyone uses their smartphone on their life travels, be it summer getaway, mountain hiking, and many more adventures.

With these, app support for travelling is widespread from maps to online navigation.

For phones, devices with a good storage capacity, good network connection, and a long battery life is a must.

As for the Redmi Note 9 Pro, it is equipped with a wide 128 GB storage.

It also has an external memory card slot and a USB OTG feature as back-up.

It uses 4G LTE data network connection which is the best possible since 5G is not fully supported in the Philippines.

It has a GPS feature to capture location even without data. Sadly the phone does not have a barometer installed so GPS cannot take altitude data using it.

The phone is 209 grams which is on the heavy side of smartphones and raising it to take pictures for a long time might be sore if not used to doing exercise.

It has a good enough battery capacity of 5020 mAh for travels. But is it still recommended to bring a power bank just in case.

It features a high 30W fast charging, which is good for intensive use of the device. Though frequent charging of a device will also deteriorate the battery quickly.

As for its camera, it has a decent camera resolution but it does not have stability features which should be able to help minimize blurriness from small shaking.

It does not have an optical zooming feature as well so you can’t enjoy taking shots on faraway subjects.

As for taking videos, it is equipped with a gyro-EIS stability feature for less shaking while on the move.

Lastly, the device has a compass sensor that can help when travelling in a forest or mountain.

Work and Business

Having a premium phone used for work or business will be great but expensive. Specs wise, it will be above requirements.

Processing, memory, storage wise, the device is perfect for work needs.

Redmi Note 9 Pro for office employees in business is a luxury. Even if it is for employees that are required to take videos and pictures, this device will be a little bit expensive for a camera without an optical zooming feature.

It has the best supported network in the Philippines. Again it is because 5G is not yet fully supported in the Philippines so having 4G LTE is still the best and practical choice.

It has features such as a fingerprint scanner that can provide an additional layer of security for the device.

Its front camera feature is great for video conferences and any other video call.

Education

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is expensive if bought only for educational purposes.

Though specs wise, it is equipped with above the requirements for home learning.

It has a very wide screen which is helpful for previewing school materials and attending video calls.

And with a decent quality front camera, video quality will be great.

General Use

Phones for general use are usually bought just for communicating, some social media access and some internet browsing.

All in all, it does not need to have high specs and having so is a bit luxurious.

Redmi Note 9 Pro is a mid-range phone with quite high specs so buying this phone and not maximizing its usage would be a little bit of a waste.

Though if you don’t mind spending a little bit much and like to have a quality device, this device will never be a bad investment especially if you will only have this for general use.

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