Here comes a new model for the Redmi 9 series, we heard of Redmi 9, Redmi 9a, and Redmi 9b (just kidding they don’t have 9b). But the 9 series are entry-level devices with a budget price. So question what you will get if you choose the Redmi 9C? First of all, the cheapest in the Redmi 9 series is the Redmi 9A next is the Redmi 9C then the Redmi 9. Redmi 9c offers a triple camera setup, a large 5000mAh, and a 64GB internal storage.
Specification
| Redmi 9c | |
| Design | 196g |
| Plastic back | |
| Midnight Gray, Sunrise Orange, Twilight Blue | |
| Display | 6.53″ IPS LCD |
| 720 x 1600, 20:9 ratio | |
| 269PPI, 81.1% STB | |
| Camera | 13MP f/2.2 (Main) |
| 2MP Macro | |
| 2MP Depth | |
| 1080p@30fps | |
| Selfie | 5MP f/2.2 |
| 1080p@30fps | |
| Performance | Mediatek Helio G35 (12nm) |
| Power VR GE8320 | |
| Android 10, MIUI 12 | |
| 2GB | |
| 32GB | |
| expandable storage (up to 512gb) | |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
| 10W Charging | |
| Features | Wi-Fi 802.11 |
| microUSB 2.0 | |
| 3.5mm Jack | |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| Fingerprint (rear-mounted) | |
| Face Unlock | |
| Price | P4,990 (2GB+32GB) |
| P5,990 (3GB+64GB) |
Pros
- Price is fair
- Large Display
- Huge Battery
- Interactive UI
Cons
- Less visibility outdoor
- Treble sound taking over
READ: Redmi 9 Full Review – It offers more than its price
Design and Build
The Redmi 9C comes in three different colors, Midnight Gray, Sunrise Orange, Twilight Blue. Our unit comes in Sunrise Orange with a curved line pattern embossed and a 3d curved back making the device easy to hole. The camera module consists of a triple rear camera and a single led flash they sit in a small square type compartment. The fingerprint scanner is also small but not a big of a deal. The back is made of polycarbonate plastic–a standard build for all entry-level phones.
On the frame, we get a clean button placement, power and volume rocker on the right, and a dual sim tray with expandable storage up to 512GB on the left. The 3.5mm headphone jack is located on top and underneath is just the microphone, MicroUSB, and the speaker grille. The design is pretty minimal with a simple hefty build.
READ: Massive discount coupon from Gearbest for Redmi 9
Display
Looking in the front panel, it has a larger bezel, especially in its chin. It has a dewdrop notch housing a 5MP front cam. Unlike the Redmi Note Series, the Redmi 9 Series display is in a 20:9 ratio which makes the phone taller. The screen boasts a 6.53 inches IPS LCD 720×1600 pixels with 269PPI density. The screen is visible outdoors but under direct sunlight, visibility will reduce. Talking about the quality of the screen, the contrast and colors are great it feels like an amoled panel but without a punchy color. Blacks are deep which feels premium. Sharpness though is a bit less because of the 720p screen. But expect that it was equipped with just a budget chipset then it means the screen will process less.
Camera
Redmi 9C consists of triple rear camera setup, a 13mp f/2.2 main cam, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth.
The quality of the main cam is acceptable, it has a good dynamic range, and good thing it does have an AI camera. All outdoor photos were shot at sunset time that’s why we get a warmer looking scene. This means that it can capture the real-time scene thanks to the AI. Shooting indoors, if we turned off the AI and colors are somehow pale but sharp, turning it on and we get a boost in the color reproduction though it gets quite soft.
Shooting on portrait mode, we get a nice delicious bokeh, and subject to background separation is at least 95% accurate. Color reproduction is the same as the main cam and we don’t have an option to adjust the blur. The overall quality though is acceptable.
Now shooting with macro lens, images are not impressive and it appears grainy and soft. Color-wise it outputs vibrant photos and exposure is on point. The macro lens only has a fixed focus so you need to adjust the phone manually to get a sharply focused subject. On video recording, we get a max 1080p@30fps quality and it can record videos using a macro lens.
Now switching to the selfie cam, shooting outdoors again the images are warmly looking because of the sunset scene, but shooting indoors we get a nice white balance contrast is a bit deep, but background separation is great we captured nice portrait shots. It outputs a max 1080p@30fps if you shoot in video mode.
For the camera features, it offers Timelapse, Pro mode with 32s Shutter and a max 3200ISO settings, and lastly, the short video mode with filters and Kaleidoscopic scenes that outputs 720p resolution.
READ: Realme C11 Full Review – Perfect for School and Gaming?
Performance
Under the hood, Redmi 9C is equipped with Mediatek Helio G35 12nm with 2GB ram and 32GB internal storage. It is also available in a 3GB+64GB configuration. The struggle here is the lack of internal memory. For us, 32GB isn’t enough in 2020 but the good thing though we still manage to install at least 5 demanding games plus benchmarking apps and with that being said, if you want to see the gaming performance of the Redmi 9c we have a gaming review that you can watch on our youtube channel by just clicking here.
Redmi 9c runs on Android 10.0 with MIUI 12 skin right out of the box. What we like about it’s UI is it feels interactive and informative it has cool animation and a little lighter compared to the MIUI 11. This version of their skin doesn’t have a performance mode nor game booster but it seems that it is on its high-performance core already. Multitasking is just good in a 2GB of ram but if you want more we suggest to get the 3GB variant
Battery
The non-removable 5000mAh battery of Redmi 9c is tough. The battery can last for a day or so with the typical daily usage, and if you play graphic-intensive games or casual games it will last 8hrs and 32mins. The 10W power brick can juice-up the battery for REdmi 9about 2hrs and 51mins. Battery performance is decent if you compared this to other devices with the same price range and with the same large battery capacity.
READ: Top 5 Features of MediaTek Helio G95
Audio
The sound is good and acceptable however bass sound isn’t that solid and I hear more treble. Though quality isn’t that bad nor great. We get acceptable quality as it will get distorted if you put it to max volume, but it is loud and can fill a small room. So leveling the volume will produce more quality but again high tones are more dominant.
Verdict
Overall it has decent power in casual gaming, multitasking, and will fulfill your day to day use. One of the perfect phones for homeschooling, zoom meetings, and casual gaming with just a budget price. MIUI 12 is something to look forward to. A new generation of skins to see and visualize the UI in an informative and interactive way. Good thing Redmi releases a variety of budget phones to choose, from Redmi 9 to Redmi 9a and this Redmi 9c. All are sub P10K smartphones with large battery capacity and a sharp, color-accurate display. You can get the Redmi 9C for P4,990 (2GB+32GB) and P5,990 (3GB+64GB).
