Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Review

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro is Xiaomi’s mid-range follow-up to the Redmi Note 8 Pro. This review covers the Redmi Note 9 Pro across its design and build, display, performance and software, cameras, and battery, noting what carries over from the previous model and what changes. Some parts are revamped and some are inherited, so the sections below take each in turn.

Design & Build

The Redmi Note 9 Pro uses a split design on the back. The upper part is covered with a solid color, while the lower part carries an embroidered pattern. The back surface continues the Aurora design concept, is made of glass, and is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, the same protection used on the predecessor. The edges use a plastic frame.

The clearest change is the camera area. Where the Note 8 Pro places the camera in the middle but vertically, the Redmi Note 9 Pro uses a square camera setup.

The fingerprint sensor is combined with the power button on the side edge. This placement avoids the previous layout, where reaching for the rear sensor on the Note 8 Pro could smudge the cameras, and it is easier to locate. The sensor responds quickly and unlocks the phone fast. Face recognition is also available as a second method and works under low light; it is not the fastest, but it registers a face reliably.

The body uses curved lines toward the edges and balances well in the hand. It measures 8.8 mm thick and weighs 209 grams, which is on the heavy side. Along the bottom sit a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, and a single speaker. There is no stereo speaker, so audio comes only from the bottom; the loudspeaker reaches maximum volume without distortion, which suits occasional video and music playback. Bluetooth 5 handles wireless headphones.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro has dual SIM support with a dedicated microSD slot, so two lines and a microSD card work at the same time. An infrared sensor sits on the top edge, and the volume buttons are on the right.

Display

The screen measures 6.67 inches at 1080×2400 pixels, a resolution common among mid-range phones. Pixel density is 395 ppi, the same as the predecessor, and the panel is an IPS LCD. Brightness reaches an average of about 570 nits, which makes the display readable outdoors. The front camera moves from the Note 8 Pro’s drop notch to a hole-punch cutout in the screen.

Performance & Software

The Redmi Note 9 Pro runs Android 10 with the MIUI 11 interface. The processor changes from the Note 8 Pro’s MediaTek Helio G90T to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G. The Snapdragon 720G is an 8-core chip: two main cores run at 2.3 GHz, and Kryo 465 Silver cores at 1.8 GHz assist with efficiency. The review unit has 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, and a 128 GB variant is also sold.

The two processors perform close to each other. The Helio G90T’s GPU runs at a higher frequency than the Adreno 618, which shows in game performance, while the Snapdragon 720G is more power efficient, which supports longer battery life. Developers also optimize games for the Snapdragon platform more often.

The benchmark scores are as follows.

Test	Result
AnTuTu	273,048
Geekbench (single-core)	570
Geekbench (multi-core)	1770

In practice the phone feels fluent in general use, though there are slight misfires while navigating the interface and some delay in the intermediate transitions. Web pages load quickly. Games such as PUBG and Asphalt 9 Legends run smoothly, with the frame rate capped at 30 FPS. Temperatures stay normal in use: the phone reaches about 38 degrees under maximum load and sits around 25 to 26 degrees in normal use.

Camera

The rear setup is largely carried over from the predecessor, with only the macro camera updated. The main camera is 64 MP with an f/1.9 aperture and a 0.8 micrometer lens with phase detection autofocus. Shooting at full 64 MP is enabled from the camera interface, and switching between the cameras is done from the points at the bottom of the interface.

The wide-angle camera is 8 MP with an f/2.2 aperture and a 119-degree field of view. A 2 MP depth sensor and a 5 MP macro camera complete the array; the macro camera was 2 MP on the Note 8 Pro. The front camera is 16 MP with an f/2.5 aperture, a change from the Note 8 Pro’s 20 MP sensor, and the aperture is narrower.

In daytime and good light the Redmi Note 9 Pro produces pleasing photos, and colors look more vivid with AI mode enabled. The 64 MP format captures a good level of detail. In low light the images show grain and blurring, though the phone lifts quality under artificial light where it can. Portrait and macro shots meet the needs of this class, and the front camera takes good selfies, with the narrower aperture reducing its low-light result. The rear camera records 4K video, and the front camera records Full HD.

Battery

The Redmi Note 9 Pro carries a 5020 mAh battery, larger than the Note 8 Pro’s, and it consumes less energy than the predecessor both under load and when idle, which reflects the Snapdragon 720G’s efficiency. In practical use the phone lasts about 1.5 days, and a milder use pattern extends that further. Specific figures come to about 20 hours of web browsing, about 19 hours of continuous Full HD video, and about 5 hours of use under load.

Charging is faster than on the Note 8 Pro, with 30W fast charging support. Because the battery is large, a full charge takes about 2 hours.

Another Xiaomi review on this site: Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite.

Who Is Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro For?

The Redmi Note 9 Pro fits users who want a mid-range phone with a strong price-to-performance balance. The large 6.67-inch screen and clean bright panel suit multimedia, the Snapdragon 720G handles daily tasks fluently, and the 5020 mAh battery lasts around a day and a half. The dual SIM slot with a dedicated microSD tray suits users who need two lines and expandable storage together.

The single bottom-firing speaker is fine for occasional listening rather than heavy stereo playback, and the 30 FPS cap makes the phone less ideal for high-frame-rate gaming while remaining comfortable for everyday titles. The 16 MP front camera and its narrower aperture are a step down from the predecessor for low-light selfies. For users whose priorities are a big display, dependable daily performance, and long battery life, the Redmi Note 9 Pro is a solid fit.