The Xiaomi Redmi 9T is a very affordable smartphone with a price tag of around 149 to 169 euros. But if you search carefully, you will undoubtedly come across it for a lower amount. You can read exactly what you get for that price in this review. Do you like a phone with a large battery? Then the Redmi 9T has a good chance with you.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T
MSRP From 149 euros
Colors Red
OS Android 10 (MIUI 12)
Screen 6.53 inch LCD (2,340 x 1,080, 60 Hz)
Processor Snapdragon 662
RAM 4 GB
Storage 64 GB or 128 GB
Battery 6,000 mAh
Camera 48, 8 and 2 (and 2) megapixels (rear), 8 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 4G (LTE), bluetooth 5.0, wifi 5, gps, nfc
Format 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm
Weight 198 grams
Other Infrared sensor, IP53 splash-proof
Website www.xiaomi.com 8 Score 80 
- Pros
- Large battery
- Stereo speakers
- Splash proof
- Negatives
- Large logo on the back
- Camera system
- Software is outdated
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T is a large smartphone with a robust appearance. It lies comfortably in the hand and has a matte and non-slip back, which emphasizes the camera module in a nice way. With the right light, rays appear around the module.
The device has two easily accessible buttons on the right. That’s the volume rocker and the fingerprint scanner, which also serves as the power button. At the front is a large screen with an almost old-fashioned notch in the shape of a water drop at the top. Together with the thick edge on the bottom, the device looks a bit everyday, while that is not always necessary in this segment.
Also striking is the large Redmi logo on the back. That logo does not look very nice and it really feels like you are advertising the brand. Finally, it is good to know that the device is splash-proof and offers space for a micro-SD card. The slot for this is on the left side of the device.
Nice big battery
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T has 4 GB of RAM, at least 64 GB of internal storage and a Snapdragon 662 processor, which is now a year old. This is a capable octacore processor, even though you sometimes notice that the device responds a bit slowly to input. Unlocking can sometimes take just a little too long and when you have some apps open, you will notice a delay in opening and switching applications.
However, that’s fine at this price point, as you’re below the midrange segment with the Xiaomi Redmi 9T. Just like with the design, you hand in something, but you shouldn’t really expect much more. The type of working and storage memory is also not of the fastest type, and here too this is to be expected. The device has WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5, NFC, infrared, radio and GPS and has a USB-C port at the bottom. You are therefore fully equipped and can therefore go a lot with the device.
The showpiece here is really the battery with a capacity of 6,000 mAh. This sample is charged at a speed of 18 watts. In this case it takes about three hours for the device to be fully charged from one to one hundred percent. Within thirty minutes you will get about a quarter of your energy back, so you can quickly refuel some energy in between. The phone charges relatively slowly, but that is also because the battery is so large. After all, phones with the same speed and a smaller battery are charged faster.
How long the battery in this device lasts, of course, depends on use. But after making some phone calls, checking emails, replying to messages and following socials, we didn’t have to grab the charger until after day two. Two days with you can fill with such a large battery.
Screen with water drop notch
The screen has a size of 6.53 inches. The resolution is 1,080 by 2340 pixels. The aspect ratio is 19.5 by 9. A quick calculation shows that the pixel density therefore comes down to about 395 pixels per inch (ppi). A rule of thumb is that all PPIs above 400 deliver a sharp image and that is also what we observe with the Xiaomi Redmi 9T. The screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, so that it does not get scratches and the like very quickly. At the top of the screen is a water droplet notch containing the front camera.
Although there is little to criticize about the color reproduction, as well as the sharpness of the photos and videos, we still see that images differ slightly. The images look quite cool. Two color schemes are available: saturated and standard. Saturated leaves the images a bit bluer and a bit greener by default than you are used to. The automatic mode, which automatically changes colors based on exposure, does not change that. You can still play around with the color temperature, but the comment above still stands.
Furthermore, no high refresh rate is offered and the maximum brightness, with 400 nits, is also not great. It’s often fine if you’re indoors, but when you’re out in the sun, that brightness can be a problem. The viewing angle is not very large: if you want to show a photo or video to someone, it is important that they hold the device straight in front of them.
Another unique element of the Xiaomi Redmi 9T is the stereo speakers. We do not come across this very often on devices in this segment, so that the sound is immediately taken to a higher level. Is the audio quality special? No, not – but it does sound great. You understand conversations well and sound effects in videos come out quite well.
Three cameras on the back
The Xiaomi Redmi 9T has the same camera setup as the Poco M3. The main camera has a 48 megapixel lens. There is also an 8 megapixel wide-angle lens, with a viewing angle of 120 degrees, as well as a 2 megapixel lens for macro photography. Finally, there is secretly a fourth camera lens, but you cannot use it manually. This is a two megapixel depth lens that can be used for portrait photography.
The camera app is no different from other Xiaomi devices and therefore offers all kinds of useful functions, such as a Pro mode and high dynamic range support. So you can manually adjust photos before you press the button. But by using artificial intelligence, the phone can also take the work off your hands.
Whether you want that is of course another matter. In general, such pictures look beautiful – at first glance. But when you take a closer look, you will soon notice the irregularities in the shape of artifacts. So take into account some noise, which never completely disappears when you use the standard application. If you install the GCam, the results will be considerably better. So if you have a spare time on the weekend, check whether that app works better for you.
Despite that, you can take decent photos with the Xiaomi Redmi 9T. The images are reasonably sharp and show a lot of detail. The wide-angle camera shows known problems (the edges look a bit strange at times), while the evening mode is somewhat disappointing. Light areas in dark photos are overexposed, while details in dark areas are cut out due to the lack of light. Details are sometimes also somewhat obliterated, but in many cases you can still see exactly what you are taking a picture of. Finally, the macro camera does not take the sharpest photos, unfortunately.
Still not Android 11
Despite the fact that Android 12 is just around the corner, we see that Xiaomi still cannot offer its own version of Android 11. The Xiaomi Redmi 9T runs on Android 10, with MIUI 12 on top. This skin, which is overlaid on Android, changes a lot of parts, such as the menu structure and the appearance of the app icons. As a newcomer, this really takes some getting used to, but as an avid Xiaomi user, it feels like a warm bath. Plus points are the clear system menu and the dark mode, even though this device of course has no OLED screen – nevertheless it is pleasant for the eyes, whether it is day or evening.
Unfortunately, the device comes with a lot of apps. And by that we do not only mean the apps from Google (that is mandatory) and Xiaomi, but also just games that you probably do not want. You can remove most of the pre-installed apps, but that requires an extra action from the user. This is undoubtedly a way in which Xiaomi can earn some extra from its cheaper smartphones, but despite that it remains an annoying aspect. Finally, it remains unclear what exactly Xiaomi’s update policy is.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T: conclusion
In general, we are nevertheless satisfied with the Xiaomi Redmi 9T. The fact that a device is cheap does not mean that we should not be critical, of course. The big pluses of this device are the stereo speakers, the large battery and the cool design on the back (apart from the big logo). The phone also has all kinds of great connectivity options and the camera performs well, considering the price point of the device.
On the other hand, the device is sometimes a bit slow. You notice this when you have many apps open and want to switch apps. The system is sometimes delayed. In addition, the camera system as a whole disappoints. It is better to avoid the wide-angle and macro lenses. The same goes for the standard camera application. With a little skill you can install GCam and take much better photos than before, although the hardware is of course largely responsible for that. It is also a pity that Xiaomi is so vague about the update policy.
Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi 9T is a great all-round smartphone for around 149 euros. An alternative is the aforementioned Poco M3, which resembles the Redmi 9T on many points. The M3 does not have a wide-angle camera and also lacks the NFC chip, but otherwise the devices are the same. The price of that device has dropped nicely now and is therefore a great alternative. Otherwise, you can consider the OnePlus Nord within the same segment, which offers a nice and smooth Android experience with its 90Hz display. The splash-proof coating is also fine.
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