The latest phone from the Xiaomi Redmi Series, Redmi Note 9 Pro is finally here. The Note 9 Pro is the top-tier model in the Redmi Note 9 series of smartphones, here are the specs highlighting the differences between the 3 phones.
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 162.3 x 77.2 x 8.9 mm, 199 grams | 165.8 x 76.7 x 8.8 mm, 209 grams | 165.8 x 76.7 x 8.8 mm, 209 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.53 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | MediaTek Helio G85, octa-core 2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G, octa-core 2.3 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G, octa-core 2.3 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 10, MIUI | Android 10, MIUI | Android 10, MIUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Quad 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.3 front camera | Quad 48 + 8 + 5 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.5 front camera | Quad 64 + 8 + 5 + 2 MP f/1.9, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.5 front camera |
| BATTERY | 5020 mAh, fast charging 18W | 5020 mAh, fast charging 18W | 5020 mAh, fast charging 30W |
We did a review earlier on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S, you can read it here.
Design & Build
Just like the Note 9S, the Redmi Note 9 Pro comes with a Snapdragon 720G processor and up to 6GB of RAM + 128GB of internal storage. if you need more storage you can expand it further with a microSD card. The good part is it features a triple card tray so you can put two SIMs and a microSD card.
There are three official colors to choose from – Aurora Blue, Glacier White & Interstellar Grey. The model we have is the Aurora Blue base model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
While the design feels solid enough, Redmi went with a plastic frame again, but thankfully matte finish gives it a premium finish.
The phone uses Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and the back sides of the device and is splash-proof with its nano-coating (not IP-rated however). It has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the right, the scanner itself is precise and responsive.
At the bottom there’s a USB Type-C port, headphone jack and the speaker grille. On the left side of the phone is the dual SIM tray with and extra slot for a memory card.
Display
Although the screen on the Redmi Note 9 Pro cannot be compared to a phone with AMOLED display, it sports a sharp 6.67” IPS LCD panel offering Full HD+ resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate with good viewing angles.
With a 395PPI pixel density, the display has decent colors and contrast but when it comes to brightness, it’s not that great. While it is good enough for indoor use, you may find it difficult to view while outdoors even at full brightness.
The main difference from the Redmi Note 8 Pro is the new punch-hole camera design on the Redmi Note 9 Pro, instead of the notch. A dark mode is also available in the settings which turns compatible apps to black for more comfortable viewing and conserve battery power.
Most mid-range chipsets won’t actually support 90Hz in the popular games and it’s the same with this device. However, the Redmi Note 9 Pro has a bigger display that’s larger than its competitors which helps when it comes to gaming.
Camera
The main difference lies in the camera department. The Note 9 Pro boasts a better 64 MP main sensor, an ultrawide lens with an 8 MP resolution, a 5 MP macro camera, and a 2 MP depth sensor. The mid-end Note 9S has the same secondary sensors, but the primary lens is an inferior 48 MP sensor.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro uses a 64MP sensor from Samsung. By default, this sensor takes native 16MP images using pixel-binning technology and there is a dedicated manual mode to take native 64MP images. The main camera on the Redmi Note 9 Pro is a lot better than the 48MP camera on the Redmi, however, one 64MP photo takes up around 20MB.
Though the Note 9S offers a night mode, the resulting images are only moderately better than the standard photo mode
The macro camera is worthy of praise – under good lighting you can get some nice close up shots with a decent amount of detail, but when the lighting dips down a bit, it gets noisy. The macro camera also features autofocus, which is not something you often find even among flagship devices, and it definitely helps.
The ultra-wide camera offers only a fixed focus mode so you really can’t expect too much. However, the AI mode tunes up the colour if you’re not into editing your photos.
In terms of video capability, the Redmi Note 9 Pro can shoot videos up to 4K resolution at 30fps or 1080p video at 60 or 30fps depending on what you select. Though the device has EIS, the 1080p videos are more stable than the 4K mode videos.
The front camera is the same as The Note 9S as well, with a 16 MP resolution.
Specs
Compared to the Note 9, Redmi Note 9S and Note 9 Pro offer more premium components. Both are equipped with the Snapdragon 720G SoC, a better choice over the Helio G85 on the Note 9. They offer up to 6 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage compared to 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage on the Redmi Note 9.
Battery
Although the capacity is same as the entry level Note 9 at 5020 mAh, the battery life is better on the Note 9 Pro because of the better chipset built with a 8nm production process against 12nm. The Note 9 Pro is also better when it comes to charging thanks to the 30W charger.With heavy usage such as gaming, video calling etc., The Redmi Note 9 Pro will last for a solid full day.
