Redmi Note 9 Pro Review: Best Smartphone Under 30k in Nepal?

Xiaomi has recently launched a brand new phone to its most loved Note Series lineup, the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The phone is the successor to last year’s Redmi Note 8 Pro which had gathered quite the attention for being one of the best budget picks. In a time when the prices of phones are ever-increasing with OnePlus also bringing a bit higher priced phones to the market; the catch here is that Redmi has still maintained its pricing to the budget end while improving the specs of its phones.

So, does the Redmi Note 9 Pro live up to the expectations of being one of the best budget phones? What are the standout features of this phone? Does it still provide value for money like the old Redmi phones? We try to answer all these questions and more in this article with our experience with the phone.

Redmi Note 9 Pro: Specs

Redmi Note 9 Pro Price in Nepal

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is priced at a budget price of Rs. 29,999 for the 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage version.

Design

In terms of design, the Redmi Note 9 Pro doesn’t really look like a budget phone by any means. The design is pretty solid and it has a premium feel to it. On the back, there is a nicely fitted quad-camera setup with neat finishing whereas on the front you get an almost edge to edge display with just a small camera notch at the top middle of the phone.

On the bottom of the phone, you’ll find a type C-port, speakers and importantly for some users the headphone jack. Also, something noteworthy on this device is the fingerprint scanner is actually placed at the side in the lock button instead of having it on the back or on screen. This is quite a unique addition and it might take a while for you to get used to it.

Display

The Redmi Note 9 Pro flaunts a 6.67-inch full HD+ display with 2400*1080p resolution. The display seems nice and easy on the eye. It is pleasant for everyday use, video streaming, and gaming. If you’re not a fan of the camera notch on the screen then you may not fancy it as much but it isn’t much of a problem otherwise. Also, you get a system-wide dark mode feature that you can enable on the phone. This is a really attractive addition for those who are used to enabling the Dark mode in just about every app.

Performance

Redmi Note 9 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor with Adreno 618 GPU. The phone runs MIUI 11 based on the Android 10 OS. There are two variants available: 4GB RAM/ 64GB Storage and 6GB RAM/ 128GB Storage. If you have used Xiaomi phones in the past then the user interface is pretty much the same.  The phone has been termed as the performance beast and doesn’t disappoint. It is slick to use with considerably quick responses and also handles multitasking fairly well.

The user interface might be a bit tricky to use at the beginning due to the MIUI if you’re not used to it but once you get hold of the device and adjust it to the settings you like you’ll find it running smoothly. The phone handles gaming fairly well without any noticeable lags but it might not be your typical gaming device. However, you’ll be able to enjoy most games like PUBG, COD without any problems.

Camera

One of the most impressive features of the Redmi Noted 9 Pro is its camera. Over the years Redmi has made huge progress in the camera department of the Note Series. The quad-camera setup in the Redmi Note 9 Pro further proves that. The Redmi Note 9 Pro comes with a 48MP primary rear camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, a 5MP macro, and a 2MP depth sensor.

The phone is able to capture superb images with crisp detail. Especially the macro lens camera stands out with top-notch images. Further adding to that, the night mode camera of this phone is just as impressive with the images coming out really smooth. The 16MP selfie camera on the front is also fairly nice and you’ll have a liking to it if you’re into images that are a bit more processed and fixed by AI. All in All, for this price range the camera of the Redmi Note 9 Pro is an absolute steal.

Camera Samples:

Normal, Zoom, Ultrawide

Selfie, Portrait Shots

Night Shots

Macro Shots

Battery and Storage

Another impressive feature about the Redmi Note 9 Pro is its battery. Long-lasting battery life is something we come to expect from Redmi phones. It has surely been one of the main highlights of their phones too. The Redmi Note 9 Pro is packed with a 5020mAh battery complemented by an 18W fast charger. From our usage, we were able to get through hours of gaming, web-surfing, video, and music streaming without any problem. The battery life will easily get you through your day without any problem.

Then of course something that bugs a lot of us in our phones these days is the lack of storage. However, this is no problem with the Redmi Note 9 Pro as it comes with 128GB of internal storage and expandable storage up to 512GB. So, you can download all the games you want, store endless images and videos without the fear of running out of storage. There is also a 64GB variant available of the phone but we would recommend spending the extra bucks for the 6GB/128GB variant.

Verdict

Although there is a lot to like about the Redmi Note 9 Pro, the standout features of this phone for me is surely its stunning camera, quality battery life, and massive storage. Besides that, you get a powerful processor, a slick design, and display which makes this phone a complete package. All this at a price of just Rs.29,999 is quite a steal. This makes it one of the best value for money phones out there in the market right now.