And above all, should you buy it?
The Redmi Note series has been around for years launching with fantastic successors through the years. Starting from the Redmi Note 5 which was a sleek and overall great device, it has been a succession of great devices really and the Redmi Note 9S is no exception.
We recently held the Redmi Note 9s in hand and had a lot of thoughts, we know you do too and have questions like is the Redmi Note 9S waterproof and how much is it? That’s why we’ve made this post, but you know we can’t just talk about that without discussing other important factors about the device as well such as design, specs, features, and more.
If you’re thinking about getting this device, you’ll find the information in this article very useful.
Redmi Note 9S Design
If you’re very familiar with the design of this line over the years, you’ll know it’s improved for sure, and it is generally modern as the general smartphone design these days is heading towards an all-screen design with minimal bezels, chin, forehead, and so on.
The Redmi Note 9s spots a centered punch-hole selfie display design with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a combination of glass and plastic, glastic back like the Samsung Galaxy A51.
The Redmi Note 9S was announced in March 2020 and later increased in April, one thing to note is that the device weighs 209 g (7.37 oz), that’s quite a lot for a device in 2020, and unlike the other devices that have been released in this series. The Redmi Note 5, 6, 7, even 8 Pro we’re lightweight devices that are very easy to hold and pocket.
Moving on and talking about the display, it’s a gorgeous 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 display with a ~84.5% screen-to-body ratio, It an IPS LCD Panel, however, unlike the super AMOLED display, you’ll find on Samsung’s mid-rangers like the Galaxy A71.
Redmi Note 9S Quick Specifications
The Redmi Note9S is an attractive device, no doubt, with that body to screen ratio, the modern selfie punch-hole cut out and that back quad camera set up, is just cool.
Starting from the camera, the Redmi Note 9S has a quad-camera setup with a main 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.2, 119Ëš (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm, 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) and a AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) camera and can record videos in up to 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, with gyro-EIS.
Not a 64MP camera like the Redmi Note 8 Pro? The 64MP option is available on the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
The selfie camera on this device is a single 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06″ 1.0µm with HDR and panorama mode and can record videos up to 1080p@30/120fps. It does take nice photos, we’ll be back with samples.
The device runs on Android 10, MIUI 11 with the new Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G chipset. Kudos to Redmi for that.
Display-wise, how does a screen resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio sounds with up to 450 nits brightness, that’s quite a lot for a mid-ranger, and speaking of the memory space on this device, there are two versions, the 64GB 4GB RAM and the 128GB 6GB RAM version at different price points so feel free to pick up whichever works for you.
The battery on this device is a monstrous Non-removable Li-Po 5020 mAh battery with up to 18w fast charging that can definitely last you a full day and yes, the 18w fast-charging brick was included in the box, it’s a Redmi thing so you don’t have to spend extra on another charger cause you want to access fast charging.
Other notable features on this device include FM radio, Bluetooth 5.0, the type-c charging port, Gorilla glass on the front screen, an SD card slot, and some nice colors. That’s almost everything really.
Is The Redmi Note 9S Waterproof?
A lot of people ask this question about a smartphone they’re about to buy especially if they work near a huge body of water or visit the pool often.
The answer is No. The Redmi Note 9S has no IP waterproof certification hence is not waterproof, however, it does have a water-resistant feature to an extent and can withstand minor splashes but can’t be dunked into the water. The sim card slot area also has a Water-repellent coating, which helps a bit but best be careful with the device.
To save cost, and keep the phone at a cheap price point, phone manufacturers don’t add IP certification on these budget devices.
How Much is The Redmi Note 9S?
At the time of writing this post, the Redmi Note 9S is now available globally and is almost similar in pricing everywhere.
If you’re anywhere in the world, you can pick up this device for $215 on Amazon, and local stores in Nigeria can cost up to 95,000 NGN. The 6GB/128GB version should cost around $250 or less and not up to 129,000 NGN.
Bringing this article to a close, do we recommend this device? Absolutely, if you don’t mind the ridiculously bulky nature, the device looks solid like its predecessors and is worth the money.
Have any questions about the device? Please leave a comment below, we’ll do our best to answer them 🙂
