Xiaomi has had quite a year! They have been launching new phones back to back in Nepal. The latest iteration is the brand new Redmi 9 Power. It sits in the Rs 20,000 and focuses largely on catering to the power user in the budget segment. We have been using the phone for almost two weeks now. And during the time we put the phone through its paces. Here is everything we found out about the phone.
Redmi 9 Power Review
Multi-media Experience
The Redmi 9 power is a great multi-media device. For the price, I am amazed by its picture quality. The images are crisp and have a punch to them. I honestly appreciate the vibrancy boost that the phone packs. And hey, if you like a more color-accurate panel, you can easily go into the settings and revert the colors to standard. But trust me, the saturated option looks so much better.
For the nerd squad, the panel has a Full HD resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels) with a screen size of 6.53 inches. It also has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and touts a peak brightness of 400nits. The visibility indoors is not an issue at all while I did struggle a bit looking at the display in direct sunlight. For the average user, this should not hamper your day-to-day usage.
Besides the usual of browsing through social media and watching some YouTube videos, I also did a fair amount of gaming. Well, it is no 120Hz display but the experience was smooth for the most part. I did not notice any significant frame drops or lags during my escapade. The overall gaming experience was really good for the price.
Photography Experience
The Redmi 9 Power packs a rear quad-camera setup made by an f/1.8 48MP wide, f/2.2 8MP ultra-wide, f/2.4 2MP macro, and an f/2.4 2MP depth sensor. Redmi definitely went all out on this one! The combination of 4 cameras took some amazing pictures. I was pleasantly surprised by how sharp the images were. Most phone at this price range tends to take soft images. But this was no issue with the Redmi 9 Power.
The images, however, could use some additional amount of vibrancy. Don’t get me wrong, the images look good with a color-accurate tone. But I, as you might have guessed, prefer a more vibrant outcome. But hey, I can always quickly edit the photo and share it on my favorite social media site.
Talking about the selfie camera, the phone packs an f/2.0 8MP sensor. This is one area I believe Redmi could have done a lot better. Selfies are soft and a bit flat for my taste. There is also a lot of beautification going on which I am not a huge fan of. I know, I can turn it off, but even when I do, there was still a bit of slight processing going on in the background. The low light is another area that Redmi needs to improve upon. That said, expecting great low-light capabilities on a phone below Rs 20,000 is a bit ludicrous. I definitely understand that, but hey one can expect right. If anybody is going to do it, it is definitely Redmi!
Day-to-Day Experience
The day-to-day experience of the Redmi 9 Power is great. Even though coming from a flagship, I didn’t feel the need to immediately ditch the phone. That is saying a lot about the phone. Everything from the way the phone looks to how it performs, the overall experience is amazing.
It also has some amazing inclusions like a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, storage expansion via micro-sd card, dual sim capabilities, and 18W fast charging capabilities. These features combined make up for a great user experience. And to the selling point of the phone, “the power”. The 6000mAh battery of the phone was fly through all my necessities. I was getting multiple days of usage out of the phone. I am also pleasantly surprised by the ideal run-time of the phone. The large battery combined with a power-efficient SoC and optimized software does wonder for the battery life. Overall, the phone offers amazing battery life and truly deserves the word “Power” in its name.
That said, one area in the day-to-day experience that I believe Redmi 9 Power could improve upon is the feel of the device. Don’t get me wrong, the plastic back with the textured finish looks great and is by no means cheap. But I am not a huge fan of the texture itself. The rough patterned-texture while holding the phone gives me chills every time. It got so uncomfortable that I had to slap in a case. Thank god, a basic jelly cover comes stock with the phone. I know it is a personal preference, but I had to mention it.
This definitely is the first time something like this has happened. Although for many, this should not be an issue at all as you most likely are going to use a cover anyway. But for the phone nudists out there, this feeling is going to be a bit uncomfortable. Or is it just me? Let me know your experience of feeling this material in the comments down below.
Software Experience
If you have been following us for the past few years, you will definitely know that I am a huge fan of Redmi’s software. It is one factor that differentiates it from the rest of the competition out there. MIUI 12 based on Android 10 is absolutely amazing to use. The UX is clean and the animations are ever so smooth. Everything from opening an app to scrolling through home screens is an enjoyable experience. MIUI also brings a lot of nifty tricks and customizability. I have said it before, and I will say it again, the software is the strongest suit of any Redmi smartphone. Period.
Redmi 9 Power Review: Verdict
The Redmi 9 Power is one of the best phones you can buy at the Rs 20,000 price bracket [Rs 18,999 (4/64GB) & Rs 20,999 (4/128GB)]. The phone ticks a lot of right boxes that make up a great smartphone. It also truly deserves its name. The Redmi 9 Power is really a powerhouse of a smartphone. Anyone looking for an all-rounder phone with great battery life, the Redmi 9 Power is an amazing choice. We highly recommend it.
Thank you for reading! For more coverage of the Redmi 9 Power Review, like our Facebook page and subscribe to our Youtube channel. If you have any questions or confusion, please feel free to ask them in the comments down below. We will answer them as soon as possible.
