A new budget phone is in the Philippines and it’s the Redmi 9 which is the successor to the Redmi 8/8A. Xiaomi, however, made a big leap in display quality, performance, as well as the camera experience. Redmi 9, through Lazada’s Xiaomi Mall, is selling for P7,350 for the 3GB/32GB, with the 4GB/64GB for P7,990. It’s available in purple, gray, and green colors, much like the Redmi Note 9s. Although you’re getting the global version, the product ships from China and will take some time to reach you in case you will order.
Compared to Redmi 9’s predecessors, the IPS LCD now outputs FHD+ resolution and can now reach around 450 nits of brightness. The screen is significantly larger at 6.53″ but the teardrop notch is still here alongside a 16MP selfie camera. Speaking of, the main cameras are now four instead of two — featuring 13MP sensor, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth lenses. However, video recording is still capped at FHD@30fps.
Redmi 9 is now using a more capable Helio G80 chipset which is perfect for budget gamers out there. As for the battery, you still get the same 5020mAh with 18W fast charging via USB-C. The very competition of Redmi 9 is Realme 6i which features the same SoC but with a 720p display. However, it’s been proven and tested that gaming on a higher-resolution makes the fps number suffer. Other than gaming, Redmi 9 is looking like an excellent phone.
READ: Redmi Note 9 vs Realme 6i – Which is Better in Gaming?
Xiaomi Redmi 9 specs, price, availability in the Philippines
- Display: 6.53-inch FHD+ IPS LCD, 450 nits typical, teardrop, Gorilla Glass 5
- Design: Gorilla Glass 5 for the front and back, polycarbonate frame
- Dimension and Weight: 163.3 x 77 x 9.1 mm, 198 g
- Chipset: Mediatek Helio G80 (12 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
- GPU: Mali-G52 MC2
- RAM: 3GB/4GB
- Memory: 32GB/64GB expandable storage via dedicated microSD slot
- Main Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 28mm (wide), 1/3.1″, 1.12µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.2, 118Ëš (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm
5 MP, f/2.4, (macro)
2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) | video recording up to FHD@30fps - Selfie Camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide)Â | video recording up to FHD@30fps
- Connectivity: LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi ac, GPS, audio jack, USB-C, Infrared blaster, FM radio
- Security: rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, face unlock
- Battery: 5020mAh (18W)
- Audio: mono speaker
- OS: Android 10.0; MIUI 12
- Colors: Carbon Gray, Sunset Purple, Ocean Green
- Price: P7,350 and P7,990
- Release date: March 27, 2020 (Redmi K30 Pro in China), May 2020 (Global), June 11, 2020 (Philippines)
