Redmi has been the mid-ranger king of the smartphone market due to its Note series. And for 2020, two mid-rangers, the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max were recently launched in an event in India. As usual, we are hoping to see some aggressive pricing from Xiaomi Nepal soon enough. For now, let us look at their specs.
Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max: Specifications
| Redmi Note 9 Pro | Redmi Note 9 Pro Max | |
| Display |
6.67-inch 60Hz IPS LCD 2400×1080 (20:9) Gorilla Glass 5 |
6.67-inch 60Hz IPS LCD 2400×1080 (20:9) Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Dimensions |
166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm 209g |
166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm 209g |
| Chipset |
Snapdragon 720G 2 x 2.30GHz A76 6 x 1.80GHz A55 Adreno 618 8nm |
Snapdragon 720G 2 x 2.30GHz A76 6 x 1.80GHz A55 Adreno 618 8nm |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB | 6GB/8GB |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB | 64GB/128GB |
| Operating System |
Android 10 MIUI 11 |
Android 10 MIUI 11 |
| Rear camera | 48MP, f/1.79 Dual Pixel PDAF, 4K at 30fps 8MP wide-angle 119-degree FoV 5MP macro lens 2cm to 10cm focus 2MP Portrait Lens | 64MP, Dual Pixel PDAF 4K at 30fps 8MP wide-angle 119-degree FoV 5MP Macro Lens, 2cm to 10cm Focus 2MP Portrait Lens |
| Front camera | 16MP, AI Beautify | 32MP, AI Beautify |
| Connectivity |
Wi-Fi ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 NavIC, A-GPS, GLONASS |
Wi-Fi ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 NavIC, A-GPS, GLONASS |
| Audio |
3.5mm jack Single speaker |
3.5mm jack Single speaker |
| Battery |
5020mAh Non-removable |
5020mAh Non-removable |
| Charging |
USB-C 2.0 18W |
USB-C 2.0 33W |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint | Side-mounted fingerprint |
| Colors | Aurora Blue, Glacier White, and Interstellar Black | Aurora Blue, Glacier White, and Interstellar Black |
Design and Display:
Redmi Note 9 Pro
Both smartphones come with a 6.67-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD single punch-hole display which the company is calling; the dot display. Sadly, unlike the Poco X2, these only have a 60Hz display. They have a triple layer of Corning Gorilla Glass protection on the front, back and on the cameras along with P2i protection for minor splashes of water. This time, the fingerprint sensor has been moved from the back to the right side just below the volume buttons. Interestingly, the 3.5mm headphone jack is still present along with the USB-type C, IR blaster and a single downward-firing speaker. Sensors like accelerometer, ambient light, proximity, gyro, and compass are present on both.
Performance:
The main controversy here is that the processor used on both is the latest Snapdragon 720G Octa-core processor with Adreno 618 GPU which is not an upgrade over the MediaTek G90T of Note 8 Pro. Since the company claims it to be better, I will let you all know once I have the device on hand. The 6GB RAM variant or higher coupled with UFS 2.1 storage will make multitasking a breeze, I hope.
New Features:
So, what’s new and interesting on these phones? According to the company, there’s a new z-axis vibration to make the haptic feedback of flagship-level on the Redmi Note 8 Pro Max. Both these phones have 2×2 MIMO for Wi-Fi along with better features of the new Qualcomm processor to reduce lag for gaming. They also have NavIC support which is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system developed by ISRO.
Camera:
Talking about the cameras, there are differences but not that major. The lower-end variant Redmi Note 9 Pro has the newer 48MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM2 primary sensor and a single 16MP selfie sensor while the Pro Max has the 64MP Samsung’s GW1 primary sensor seen on the Redmi Note 8 Pro and a 32MP selfie shooter. The other 3 sensors remain the same on both and they are 8MP ultra-wide sensor with 119-degree FOV and fixed focus, 5MP macro sensor with 2cm minimum focusing distance and the usual 2MP depth sensor for portraits. I will be doing a thorough camera review once I get to test it myself as one shouldn’t be captivated yet by the beautiful samples shown in the company’s event.
Battery:
In terms of battery, there’s a major upgrade with a battery capacity of 5020 mAh on both smartphones. Despite the bigger battery, both phones weigh only 208 grams. But the Pro Max supports 33W fast-charging while the Pro variant has the usual support of 18W. I am happy to know that both phones ship with their max supported fast-charger in the box.
Redmi Note 9 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max Price and Availability in Nepal:
Both phones come in three color options: Aurora Blue, Interstellar Black, and Glacier Black. Let’s look at the Indian Pricing and Expected Pricing for Nepal of both smartphones.
Redmi Note 9 Pro Price in Nepal (Expected)
- 4GB/64GB: INR 12999 (Expected NPR. 22000)
- 6GB/128GB: INR 15,999 (Expected NPR. 29000)
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max Price in Nepal (Expected)
- 6GB/64GB: INR 14999 (Expected NPR. 26000)
- 6GB/128GB: INR 16999 (Expected NPR. 30000)
- 8GB/128GB: INR 18,999 (Expected NPR 33000)
Conclusion:
I wish I could tell you without any hesitation to wait for the Redmi Note 9 series if you were about to get a Redmi Note 8 Pro right now but I can’t seem to find enough upgrade, at least spec-wise. Maybe it is because I got addicted to a faster refresh rate panel. Haha. Anyways, when this lineup will arrive in Nepal, I am hoping that Xiaomi Nepal will surprise us once again with some aggressive pricing.
