We put the Xiaomi Redmi 9T to the test, and came back pretty impressed with this long-lasting 48 MP smartphone!
Take a look at the Redmi 9T, and find out why we gave it our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Launch Presentation
The Redmi 9T is Xiaomi’s latest entry-level smartphone with a 48 MP camera, and a massive 6,000 battery.
Confusingly, it is the 4G little brother of their Redmi Note 9T – perplexing nomenclature, indeed!
For those who did not catch the official launch presentation, you can take a look in this video :
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Specification Comparison
To help you differentiate between the Redmi 9T (4G) and the Redmi Note 9T (5G), here is their specification comparison.
| Specifications | Redmi 9T | Redmi Note 9T |
| Display | 6.53-inch IPS – 1080 x 2340 pixels, 395 ppi, 400 nits |
|
| Protection | Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass 5 |
| OS | MIUI 12 (based on Android 10) | |
| Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 |
MediaTek Dimensity 800U |
| Memory | 4 GB / 6 GB | |
| Storage | 64 GB / 128 GB microSD (Up to 512 GB) |
|
| Front Camera |
8 MP camera (f/2.05) | 13 MP camera (f/2.3) |
| Rear Cameras |
48 MP wide (f/1.79) 8 MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) 2 MP macro (f/2.4) 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4) |
48 MP wide (f/1.79) 2 MP macro (f/2.4) 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4) |
| Connectivity | 4G / 3G / 2G WiFi-AC (2.4 + 5 GHz) Bluetooth 5.0 USB 2.0 Type C |
5G / 4G / 3G / 2G WiFi-AC (2.4 + 5 GHz) Bluetooth 5.0 USB 2.0 Type C |
| GPS | GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Fingerprint Sensor |
Yes, Side-Mounted | |
| IR Emitter | Yes | |
| Audio | FM radio (with earphones) Dual speakers (Hi-Res Audio certified) 3.5 mm audio jack |
|
| Battery | 6,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 18 watt wired | |
| Width Height Thickness |
77.3 mm 162.3 mm 9.6 mm |
77.3 mm 161.2 mm 9.1 mm |
| Weight | 198 g | 199 g |
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Price + Availability
Xiaomi will offer the Redmi 9T in four colour options – Carbon Gray, Twilight Blue, Sunrise Orange and Ocean Green.
It will be available for purchase, in two variants :
- 4 GB + 64 GB : RM 599 (approximately US$148 / £109 / A$191 / S$196)
- 6 GB + 128 GB : RM 699 (approximately US$173 / £128 / A$223 / S$229)
And here are some online purchase options :
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Unboxing
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T comes in a simple white cardboard box. Once you fully unbox it, this is what you will find inside :
- Xiaomi Redmi 9T smartphone
- Xiaomi Redmi 9T clear TPU bumper case
- Xiaomi Redmi 9T user guide and warranty card
- Xiaomi MDY-11-EP power adaptor (22.5 watt)
- USB Type A to USB Type C power and data cable
- SIM tray pin
Next Page > Xiaomi Redmi 9T Key Features
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Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Key Features
Here is a quick run-through of the Xiaomi Redmi 9T’s key features.
6.53-inch FHD+ Dot Drop Display
The Redmi 9T sports a large 6.53-inch Dot Drop display, with a FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.
This display has a pixel density of 395 ppi, and a maximum brightness of 400 nits.
It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and is TUV Rheinland-certified for low blue light.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
The Redmi 9T is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 – a mid-range mobile SoC released in early 2020.
It has an 8-core processor, with four high-speed Qualcomm Kryo 260 Gold cores running at 2.0 GHz, and four low-power Qualcomm Kryo 260 Silver cores running at 1.8 GHz.
In addition to the Qualcomm Adreno 610 GPU, and 3rd Generation Qualcomm AI Engine, it offers 4G LTE and WiFi-AC connectivity.
Memory + Storage Options
Xiaomi is offering two memory and storage options – 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage.
It also comes with a microSD card slot, in a triple card tray that also supports two nano SIM cards.
This is a big advantage for those who need additional storage, as well as the ability to support two SIM cards.
Five Cameras
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T has an 8 MP selfie camera, with a f/2.05 aperture, hidden in a teardrop notch. A decent front camera at this price point.
At the back, it has a camera system that consists of :
- a 48 MP main camera, with f/1.79 aperture and 4-in-1 Super Pixel capability
- an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, with f/2.2 aperture
- a 2 MP macro camera, with f/2.4 aperture, and
- a 2 MP depth sensor, with f/2.4 aperture
- a single LED flash
This is really a triple camera system since the depth sensor does not capture any images, only provides depth data for better software bokeh effects.
Fingerprint Sensor
While many entry-level smartphones do not come with a fingerprint sensor, Redmi 9T has one on the side – an FPC102x sensor.
It is actually built into the Power button, which is more useful than a rear sensor if you attach it to your car’s dashboard.
Power + Charging
Powering all that is a massive 6,000 mAh battery, which supports 18 watt fast charging.
Oddly enough, it comes with a 22.5 watt Xiaomi MDY-11-EP charger in the box, so that’s a nice “freebie”.
Audio Port + IR Emitter
Those who are still hanging onto their wired earphones will be happy to learn that the Redmi 9T comes with a 3.5 mm port at the top.
In addition, it also comes with an IR emitter that lets you use the Redmi 9T as a remote control.
Next Page > Camera Performance + Photo Samples
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Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Camera Performance + Photo Samples
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T’s 48 MP main camera takes 12 MP photos by default, with a resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels.
The 48 MP sensor basically combines four pixels into one large “virtual pixel”, for better image quality and low-light performance.
The Redmi 9T produces pretty good photos with more than enough detail at 12 MP, unless you are planning to print large format photos.
There are three issues with this camera though, which we will go through below. In the meantime, take a look at three of the better photo samples we took.
Very Narrow Depth Of Field
First – its large f/1.79 aperture makes for better low-light performance, but has very narrow depth-of-field.
If you take a look at the these photos, you can see how only a small segment is in focus.
This is great for portraits, giving you a nice bokeh for the background. However, if you do not frame and focus properly, you will end up with an out-of-focus photo.
Long Minimum Focus
This camera has a rather long minimum focus, which makes for tricky close-up shots. It doesn’t help that the Redmi 9T won’t tell you when the camera cannot focus properly.
If you take pictures of close-up objects, you will more than likely end up with a bunch of out-of-focus photos.
Post Processing Issues
Finally – its AI post-processing sometimes can wipe out details.
If you look at this photo, you can’t really tell the yellow flower petals apart because the saturation boost just wiped out the detail and contrast.
Next Page > Battery Life + Recharging, Performance
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Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Battery Life
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T comes with a massive 6,000 mAh battery.
To test its battery life, we turned off Automatic Brightness, and set its display brightness to 50%.
Why 50%? That is actually slightly higher than the average indoor brightness level of 40% during the day, and is what we usually use in all our mobile battery life tests.
It is important to fix the brightness level, to make sure the screen brightness does not change as the ambient brightness changes.
We then ran the PCMark Work 2.0 battery life test until its battery capacity dropped to 20% several times, and this was the best result we obtained :
| Work 2.0 | Redmi 9T | Black Shark 2 Pro |
Galaxy S20 Ultra |
Galaxy Note10+ |
Note20 Ultra |
| Battery Capacity | 6,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 4,300 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Battery Life | 19 hrs 50 mins |
12 hrs 25 mins |
11 hrs 32 mins |
10 hrs 32 mins |
10 hrs 9 mins |
| Battery Utilisation (per min.) |
4.03 mAh | 4.30 mAh | 5.78 mAh | 5.44 mAh | 5.91 mAh |
| Review Links | Review | Review | Review | Review | |
| Price Check | US Malaysia Singapore Australia |
UK Malaysia Singapore Australia |
US UK Malaysia Singapore Australia |
US UK Malaysia |
US UK Malaysia Singapore Australia |
Will you look at that? Almost 20 hours of battery life, and this was based on running work apps non-stop!
This is incredibly long battery life – almost twice as long as the Galaxy Note20 Ultra!
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Recharging Speed
Take a look at how fast it recharges its 6,000 mAh battery.
| Galaxy S20 Ultra |
Galaxy Note10+ |
Note20 Ultra |
Black Shark 2 Pro |
Redmi 9T | |
| Battery Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 4,300 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 6,000 mAh |
| Charger Output | 25 watts | 25 watts | 25 watts | 27 watts | 18 watts |
| Recharging Time | 57.5 mins | 63 mins | 66.5 mins | 67 mins | 184 mins |
| Recharging Speed (per minute) |
69.6 mAh | 54.6 mAh | 54.1 mAh | 47.8 mAh | 26.1 mAh |
| Review Links | Review | Review | Review | Review | |
| Price Check | US UK Malaysia Singapore Australia |
US UK Malaysia |
US UK Malaysia Singapore Australia |
UK Malaysia Singapore Australia |
US UK Malaysia Singapore Australia |
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T may support 18 W charging, and even comes with a 22.5 watt fast charger, but it sure is slow at charging.
It takes over 3 hours to fully recharge its 6,000 mAh battery from 20% – almost twice as slow as the next slowest smartphone – the Black Shark 2 Pro!
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Work Performance
We tested the Redmi 9T using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
| Work 2.0 | Note20 Ultra |
Galaxy Note10+ |
BS 2 Pro | Galaxy S10+ |
Redmi 9T |
| Mobile Platform | Exynos 990 |
Exynos 9825 |
SD 855+ |
Exynos 9820 |
SD 662 |
| Performance Score | 10523 | 8981 | 8384 | 7846 | 5986 |
| Web Browsing | 8865 | 8293 | 6768 | 8583 | 5844 |
| Video Editing | 6232 | 9166 | 5948 | 5524 | 3423 |
| Writing | 11112 | 9579 | 9226 | 9076 | 6657 |
| Photo Editing | 30789 | 19376 | 17595 | 10710 | 12031 |
| Data Manipulation | 6825 | 6155 | 6339 | 6450 | 4799 |
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 is a mid-range mobile SoC released in early 2020. So it isn’t surprising to see that it’s only about half as fast as a flagship SoC like the Exynos 990.
Even so, it offers pretty good work performance at this price point. Unless you are comparing smartphones side-by-side, you probably won’t notice the difference.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T Gaming Performance : 3DMark
For gaming, we first tested the Redmi 9T using 3DMark, with these results :
| 3DMark | Note20 Ultra |
B Shark 2 Pro |
Galaxy Note10+ |
Galaxy S10+ |
Redmi 9T |
| Device | Exynos 990 |
SD 855+ |
Exynos 9825 |
Exynos 9820 |
SD 662 |
| Sling Shot Extreme (OpenGL) | 6642 | 6258 | 5037 | 4470 | 1174 |
| Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) | 5722 | 5386 | 4794 | 4314 | 1098 |
| Sling Shot | 8128 | 8127 | 4883 | 4343 | 1844 |
Needless to say, the Xiaomi Redmi 9T is no speedy Gonzales, when it comes to games.
On average, it only offers about 20% the gaming performance of a flagship chip like the Exynos 990, which powers the Galaxy Note20.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T Overall Performance : AnTuTu
We then tested the Redmi 9T using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
| AnTuTu | Note20 Ultra |
B Shark 2 Pro |
Galaxy Note10+ |
Galaxy S10+ |
Redmi 9T |
| Device | Exynos 990 |
SD 855+ |
Exynos 9825 |
Exynos 9820 |
SD 662 |
| AnTuTu Score | 522735 | 434168 | 348397 | 330549 | 173559 |
| CPU | 146783 | 126170 | 101187 | 100272 | 64505 |
| GPU | 215205 | 188158 | 156700 | 149930 | 31734 |
| Memory | 89376 | 65052 | 72051 | 68188 | 40377 |
| UX | 71371 | 54788 | 18459 | 12159 | 36943 |
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 has decent CPU and memory performance, but falls short in the graphics department.
It’s good enough for work and the average mobile game. But don’t count on it to push the envelope when it comes to gaming.
Next Page > A Quick Wrap, Verdict + Award
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Xiaomi Redmi 9T : A Quick Wrap
When we first received the Xiaomi Redmi 9T, we didn’t think much of it. But after a few weeks of trying it out, we came away pretty impressed with a few aspects.
But we also had some concerns, so let’s do a quick wrap…
Fantastic Battery Life
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T has seriously great battery life. This is a smartphone you can count on for a full day’s work without a power bank.
We have actually gone 2 days without recharging, so most users will probably never have battery anxiety with this phone!
Nice Large Display
The large 6.53-inch IPS display is pretty nice, especially at this price point. You would expect a 720p display without protection, but no, this is a Full HD+ panel with Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
It is not particularly bright though, with 400 nits of maximum brightness. So don’t be disappointed if it appears a little washed out in bright sunlight.
Small Niceties
There are a couple of small features that could be very important, and yet are no longer available in other smartphones :
- 3.5 mm audio port
- IR emitter
- Triple card tray with microSD card slot
Pretty Decent Camera
Forget about the 48 MP marketing. It’s really a 12 MP camera. And it’s a nice camera at this price point.
Just watch out for the narrow depth-of-field, inability to take close-up photos and potential over-processing.
Not For Serious Gaming
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 is a pretty good processor at this price point, and offers decent work performance.
However, it has a rather weak GPU. Perfectly fine for those playing simple mobile games, but not for serious gamers.
Slow Charging
Xiaomi may quote a 18 watt charging capability, and even pack a 22.5 watt fast charger in the box. But this baby sure takes its time recharging.
Fortunately, its long battery life ensures that you really don’t need to keep it plugged more than once a day.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Our Verdict + Award
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T offers a lot of decent features and a very long battery life, at a great price point.
There are very few smartphones at this price point that would offer you a large Full HD display, a decent processor and camera system, with a large battery.
This is why we believe it deserves nothing less than our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
Xiaomi Redmi 9T : Where To Buy?
The Redmi 9T is available for purchase, in two variants :
- 4 GB + 64 GB : RM 599 (approximately US$148 / £109 / A$191 / S$196)
- 6 GB + 128 GB : RM 699 (approximately US$173 / £128 / A$223 / S$229)
And here are some online purchase options :
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