Xiaomi introduced a plethora of products in an online-only event today, including the much-leaked Mi TV Stick and a new pair of wireless earbuds, but the company also launched a new lineup of budget phones, the Redmi 9 series. It consists of three devices costing between €100 and €170, the Redmi 9, the Redmi 9A, and the Redmi 9C. They all come with 6.53-inch screens and are powered by MediaTek silicon.
Redmi 9
On the front of the Redmi 9, you’ll find a notched 6.53-inch FHD+ display, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The power and volume buttons are on the right side, while the speaker, the USB-C port, and the headphone jack are on the bottom. On the inside, an octa-core MediaTek Helio G80 is supported by either 3 or 4GB of RAM, depending on if you choose the 32 or 64GB storage option. The 5,020mAh battery should last you a day, and if it doesn’t you can charge the phone with up to 18W (though there’s only a 10W charger in the box).
On the back, you’ll find a fingerprint sensor below the headlining four-camera array. The individual sensors aren’t too exciting, though: A 13MP wide-angle camera is joined by an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. With hardware this cheap, the question remains how well images will turn out.
The Redmi 9 checks a surprising amount of boxes, especially compared to flagship phones: It comes with dual-SIM 4G, has a headphone jack, an IR blaster, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and expandable storage up to 512GB, which should make it an interesting choice for people who value versatile I/O options above everything else.
The phone is launching in select European markets, starting at €149 for the 3GB+32GB version and maxing out at €169 for the 4GB+64GB variant. It’ll be available in Carbon Grey, Ocean Green, and Sunset Purple.
Redmi 9A and 9C
Redmi 9A.
Xiaomi has additionally introduced the Redmi 9A and 9C. The two phones share a lot of genes with the regular Redmi 9, though they also lose quite a bit: Their 6.53-inch screens have a lower resolution, they have fewer cameras on the back (three for the 9C, one for the 9A), and the processor is the weaker MediaTek Helio G25. They only support 10W charging, don’t have a fingerprint sensor, and come with microUSB. The 9C gets to retain NFC functionality and has a 3GB RAM option, but the 9A only comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Oddly enough, the 9C and 9A come with MIUI 12, while the 9 launches with MIUI 11. Check the full spec list on Xiaomi’s website.
The Redmi 9A will be available for €99, while the 9C will cost you €119 for the 2GB+32GB or €139 if you want 3GB+64GB. Storage is expandable on both phones. The 9A comes in Granite Gray, Peacock Green, Sky Blue while the 9C packs Midnight Gray, Sunrise Orange, Twilight Blue color options.
If you have the €50 to spare, I would recommend going for the Redmi 9 over the others in this lineup — it offers the best bang for buck. All three devices will certainly also find their way to India, but we haven’t heard anything about US or UK availability just yet.read more
Xiaomi reveals entry-level Redmi 9 with quad-camera array starting at just €150
