Launched five months apart, the Redmi 9 and the Redmi Note 9 are two phones from the independent brand, for two years, from the Chinese giant Xiaomi, both very similar in terms of features and performance.
The Redmi 9 is a low-mid-range terminal that was presented in June 2020 and that arrived on the market to compete for face-to-face with brands such as Samsung or Realme. With a price of fewer than 200 euros, this is a very balanced smartphone in all its specifications, among which we can highlight its great autonomy.
For its part, the Redmi Note 9 went on the market in January 2020 to renew one of the most successful sagas within the Chinese giant’s mid-range. With a price very similar to that of its competitor, also below 200 euros, this terminal stands out for its performance and its photographic section, features that it shares with its predecessor, the Redmi Note 8.
Redmi 9 vs. Redmi Note 9: which one should you choose?
Which is better? What are their main differences? Which one should you buy? Do not worry because, in this comparison, we will tell you all the good and the bad of these two Xiaomi Redmi terminals so that it is easier for you to decide between one and the other.
Design and display: what differences do we find between the Redmi 9 and the Redmi Note 9?
As for the construction materials, these two devices have a body made of plastic and glass, and the main difference is found in the protection of the screen since the Redmi 9 has Gorilla Glass 3. At the same time, the Redmi Note 9 raises the bet on having a superior version, specifically Gorilla Glass 5.
Focusing on the design, both terminals have few upper and lower frames, although the Redmi Note 9 panel occupies 84% of the front, while in the case of the Redmi 9, this percentage is reduced to 70%.
The second big difference that we appreciate in the front of these two phones is the solution chosen to house the front camera, since the Redmi 9 opts for a drop-type notch, while its rival opts for a hole in the screen located in the corner. Upper left.
If we turn these two terminals around, we find, in both cases, a module with four rear cameras, a physical fingerprint sensor just below them, and the brand’s logo at the bottom, located horizontally.
The back of the Redmi 9 in its three available colors
However, in the Redmi 9, the cameras are located in a vertical structure surrounded by a slit in a circle. At the same time, in the Redmi Note 9, the photographic sensors are inserted in a rectangular module, in which the four cameras protrude a little. concerning the body of the mobile.
The dimensions of both smartphones are very similar, and there is hardly a noticeable difference neither in height, nor in thickness, nor in weight, where the Redmi Note 9 weighs only one gram more than its competitor.
A section in which they are identical is in the screen since both devices mount a 6.53-inch IPS LCD panel with Full HD + resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, a 19.5: 9 aspect ratio, and a density of 395 pixels per inch.
Cameras: which one takes better photos?
This is, without a doubt, the aspect in which we find more differences between the Redmi 9 and the Redmi Note 9, which we will detail below.
Both smartphones are equipped with a quadruple rear camera module of the same type of sensors: the main sensor, an ultra-wide-angle sensor, a depth sensor for portrait mode, and a macro sensor, but the only one of them that is the same. In both models, it is wide-angle, with a resolution of 8 megapixels and a focal aperture f / 2.2.
Starting with the main camera, the Redmi 9 is equipped with the 13 megapixels OmniVision OV13B10 sensor with a focal aperture f / 2.2, while the Redmi Note 9 bets on a sensor that has already proven its worth in other models of the Chinese manufacturer such as the POCO M3, the Samsung S5KGM1, which offers us a resolution of 48 megapixels and a focal aperture f / 1.79.
In the other two secondary cameras, the depth and the macro, we find that the four sensors have the same focal aperture, f / 2.4, but different resolutions. In both cases, the Redmi 9 has a higher resolution, 8 megapixels versus 2 megapixels in the case of the depth sensor for portrait mode and 5 megapixels versus 2 megapixels in the case of the macro sensor.
As for the camera modes of the rear lenses, we must emphasize that the Redmi Note 9 has a night mode to improve the photographs taken in low light conditions, a functionality that the Redmi 9 lacks.
Finally, we also find differences in the front camera since the Redmi 9 mounts an 8-megapixel sensor with an f / 2.0 focal aperture, and the Redmi Note 9 is equipped with a 13-megapixel sensor with an f / 2.25 focal aperture.
Battery: full equality
This is another of the points on which we will not be able to base ourselves to decide on one or the other terminal, since both have an outstanding autonomy thanks to a large battery of 5,020 mAh capacity and that, in both devices, comes accompanied by a fast charge of 18W.
Processor and memory: more power in the Redmi Note 9
Starting with the memory section, these two devices have the same versions of RAM, 3 or 4 GB. Still, they differ in their internal storage options because the Redmi 9 has two internal memory options of 32 or 64 GB, while in the Redmi Note 9, these are 64 or 128 GB, respectively.
At this point, we must emphasize that the technology used for the RAMs is the same, LPDDR4X, and, however, that of the internal storage is different since the Redmi 9 uses eMMC 5.1 compared to the Redmi Note 9 that it uses. UFS 2.1.
Both smartphones also have a triple tray to accommodate, at the same time, two nano-SIM cards and a microSD card to expand its internal memory if it falls short.
These two mobile terminals are equipped with a processor signed by the Chinese manufacturer MediaTek, the Helio G80 in the case of the Redmi 9 and the Helio G85 in the case of the Redmi Note 9. Due to this, we find a slight difference in power and performance in favor of the Redmi Note 9, although this is something that we will not notice on a day-to-day basis with few exceptions.
Connectivity: NFC and FM radio
In the chapter dedicated to connectivity, both devices are identical because both lack 5G connectivity, something common in this price range, but they do have dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a fingerprint reader located on the rear, FM radio, triple tray for two nano-SIM cards and one microSD card, USB-C connector and 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Other features to highlight
The complete design of the Redmi Note 9
Another detail that we must review of these two terminals is that both currently have Android 10 as an operating system, running under their layer of MIUI 11 customization. However, it is expected that, after several months of delay, both will receive in a few months Android 11 running under the latest version of its software layer, MIUI 12.5, due to a large number of bugs found in the previous version, MIUI 12.
It is also important to note that neither of these two smartphones has a notification led. If you usually carry your mobile silently, we recommend enabling the functionality that allows the screen to turn on every time a notification arrives.
What is the best option? The Redmi 9 or the Redmi Note 9?
As we mentioned in the comparison between the Redmi 9 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro, the price will not be a differentiating aspect when deciding to buy one or the other, because we can find both on Amazon usually for a price less than 180 euros, although at this time we have the option of acquiring either of the two for a lower cost, about 130 euros.
Given the great equality we have found when comparing the Redmi 9 and the Redmi Note 9, we will have to look at two key points to choose the model that best suits our needs: performance and cameras.
Thus, if for us the most important thing in a smartphone is its performance and the quality of its cameras, our choice should be the Redmi Note 9, but if we do not care so much about the quality of the photographs and what we value the most is having the greatest autonomy possible, even at the cost of lower performance, our choice should be the Redmi 9.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
