Redmi 9 Power review: Xiaomi's battery-centric smartphone for power users

Xiaomi has launched as many as eight phones in the Redmi 9 series in India and now, the company has launched an affordable Redmi 9 Power device with a massive 6000mAh battery.

 

 

The Redmi 9 Power is priced starting at Rs 10,999 for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and Rs 11,999 for the 128GB storage option.

The phone is offered in four colours -- mighty black, blazing blue, fiery red and electric green.

We used the 128GB variant in blazing blue colour option for around a week and here is what we think about the new budget device.

At the base, it features a Type-C port at the base with a mic on the right side and a single grille speaker on the other side.

At the top, it has IR Blaster along with a 3.5mm audio jack.

The volume rocker is on the right, with the fingerprint sensor which also doubles up as a power and display button just below it. There's a USB Type C port on the base.

The sole feature on the left side is the dual SIM card tray which has a dedicated slot for a microSD card.

The smartphone features a 6.53-inch Full HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels) resolution display with a waterdrop notch cutout for the selfie camera. The screen is topped with Gorilla Glass 3.

Additionally, it has TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification, meaning the device's display will not strain the eyes while reading or watching content for a long hour.

The display is quite good with proper brightness and decent view angles.

It has a quad-camera setup on the back with a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor.

In well-lit conditions, the phone can capture serviceable shots. However, in absence of proper light, there is a noticeable lack of fine detail in the images.

On the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera housed within the waterdrop notch. The phone captured some really good selfies. In terms of details and colours, the phone lived up to the expectations.

Video recording is limited to 1080p @30 fps or 720p @30 fps and was surprisingly good for a smartphone in this price segment.

The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor with an octa-core CPU and Adreno 610 GPU. This is paired with 4GB RAM and upto 128GB storage options to choose from. The Redmi 9 Power also offers storage expansion via microSD card for upto 512GB. This configuration is meant for routine and day to day work

During our review, the device was able to run most games at lower settings but if you are looking at serious gaming, this is not really the device for you.

Redmi 9 Power is perfect is the perfect smartphone for those who are looking for a phone that can handle routine tasks like messaging, social networking, playing the odd casual game as well as web browsing.

The Android 10-based MIUI 12 runs the device, which means that while you don't get Android 11 out of the box. The new software version brings a redesigned UI that is easier to get used to, it also brings an app drawer.

As far as the Redmi 9 Power's USP which is battery life, it scores really well. The battery differentiates the Redmi 9 Power from its peers and the competition.

The phone delivered nearly two days on a single charge on moderate usage as well as a day and a half during intensive usage.

The phone supports 18W quick charging and comes with a 22.5W charger in the box, and gets charged in a little over two hours.

Conclusion: Redmi 9 Power is a well-packed budget phone. It offers a bunch of useful features to make its competitors in the same price segment look a bit dull.

(Md Waquar Haider can be reached at waquar.h@ians.in)

--IANS

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