Xiaomi Redmi 9A Review; The Return of the King
INTRODUCTION:
Xiaomi is one of the first, if not the first, brands that always comes to mind of consumers regarding budget-friendly yet capable smartphones and other devices. The Redmi series, in particular, has always been on top of the list by many buyers. With the recent release of six Redmi phones in the local market, including the Xiaomi Redmi 9A, their options got much bigger.
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| Xiaomi Redmi 9A Review; The Return of the King |
The Redmi 9A is being advertised as the return of the true entry-level king by Xiaomi Philippines. But what features can it offer to be dubbed as such? Let's all find out in this Xiaomi Redmi 9A review!
Get yours now - https://bit.ly/xiaomiredmi9a.
PHYSICAL:
The Xiaomi Redmi 9A is closely related to the Redmi 9C. Both devices offer a 6.53-inch IPS DotDrop display with HD+ resolution, which is 1600 x 720 pixels and has a small notch up to wherein the 13MP front camera is located. There is no mention of Corning Gorilla Glass or any kind of protection, and the retail unit does not come with pre-installed plastic film. So, if you want to save the screen from usual scratches and dings, you better head to the nearest shop and have a protective film installed immediately. Moreover, if you can buy a phone case for it, that is much better, as there is also no free case in the retail box, probably to lower the production cost.
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| 6.53-inch IPS HD+ DotDrop Display |
Speaking of the display, it has 400 nits of typical brightness and offers automatic adjustment. It also has a Sunlight Mode, which adjusts the brightness to intense ambient light when the automatic brightness is off. This means that, unlike auto mode, which adjusts brightness levels in bright and dark environments, the Sunlight Mode only does it when the ambient light is really bright. Reading Mode, Colour Scheme, and Dark Mode are other display tweaks available.
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| Textured Back Design, Granite Grey |
Going at the back, it has a textured design with a column at the left that stretches from the top holding the 13MP camera down to the bottom, where the Redmi logo is located. Xiaomi said the texture prevents fingerprints, but it is not the case based on our experience. It is still a fingerprint and smudge magnet. It is available in three colors, Peacock Green, Sky Blue, and the one we have for review Granite Grey.
At the top is where the 3.5mm audio jack is located; the right side holds the volume keys as well as the power button; the bottom has the loudspeaker, the MicroUSB port, and the microphone; the left holds the card tray. It is a triple-slot card tray, which can accommodate two Nano-SIM cards and a MicroSD card for storage expansion.
Xiaomi Redmi 9A Unboxing and Hands-on
The retail box contains the unit itself, paper documents, an ejector tool, a 10W charger, and a MicroUSB cable. There are no earphones, protective case, and, again, no pre-installed plastic film. To learn more about its physical appearance, among other things, please watch the above Xiaomi Redmi 9 Unboxing and Hands-on.
See Also: Xiaomi Redmi 9 Review; 9 for Outstanding
SOFTWARE:
Out of the box, the Xiaomi Redmi 9A runs on the latest MIUI 12 based on Android 10. This is quite surprising because the more expensive Redmi 9 still runs on the MIUI 11. The MIUI 12 features several UI, visual, and other improvements over its previous iteration. These features include new animations, wallpapers, gestures, revamped dark more, improved security, enhanced privacy, and many more.
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| Software |
However, these changes are not really drastic that users would actually feel the difference. Of course, there are several items that you would quickly notice. One good example is accessing the notification and quick settings. In MIUI 11, these are combined in one window and can be accessed by swiping anywhere from the top of the screen downward. Now in MIUI 12, they are totally two separate things. To access notifications, you still need to swipe down from the top, but this time around, users should swipe from the left half of the screen. This is because swiping downward from the right side will bring down the control center.
We won't prolong the discussion of MIUI 12 because Xiaomi has a more detailed explanation about it, which you can read by merely visiting https://en.miui.com/.
PERFORMANCE:
The Xiaomi Redmi 9A is powered by the new MediaTek Helio G25 gaming chipset, which sounds very enticing to the ears. However, Helio G25 is just a repurposed MediaTek Helio P22, except that it now has HyperEngine Technolgy, which optimizes and helps improve performance according to MediaTek.
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| CPU-Z Info |
Both chipsets have a 2GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 processor and PowerVR GE8320 graphics. It is paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage, which is the only configuration available for this handset.
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| Benchmark Scores |
Unlike the Huawei Y6p with Helio P22, we can run other benchmarking applications besides Anutu with the Redmi 9A, namely PC Mark and Geekbench. Sadly, 3DMark did not run at all, while Geekbench Compute. Nonetheless, this scenario at least proves that there's an improvement from Helio P22 to G25.
In real life, it is generally good for essential to moderate tasks, such as calls, texts, web browsing, watching videos on YouTube or streaming apps, online meetings, and very light gaming. Yes, this is not for gaming, but you can still use it to play non-graphics demanding titles. Actually, we can play Mobile Legends and Call of Duty, albeit at the lowest settings and with some hiccups.
CAMERA:
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| 13MP f/2.2 PDAF Rear Camera with LED Flash |
Xiaomi equipped the Redmi 9A with a 13MP f/2.2 rear shooter with phase-detection autofocus, while a 5MP f/2.2 module is mounted in the front to take care of selfies and video calls. Yes, it is not as fancy as other devices and does not even have a dual-camera setup. But remember, this is an entry-level budget-oriented smartphone. So, please do not look for more camera modules.
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| 5MP f/2.2 Front Camera |
If photography is your main interest in a phone at this price range, check out the Xiaomi Redmi 9C instead.
Camera Samples:
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| Swing, Day, Normal |
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| Swing, Day, HDR |
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| Catwalk, Day, Normal |
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| Catwalk, Day, HDR |
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| Buildings, Day, Normal |
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| Buildings, Day, HDR |
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| PedXing, Dusk, Normal |
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| PedXing, Dusk, HDR |
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| Playground, Night, Normal |
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| Playground, Night, HDR |
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| Selfie |
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| Portrait Selfie |
As you can see in the above samples, the images are still very much usable, especially with HDR mode. In fact, for its asking price, we can say that the camera output quality is above average.
CONNECTIVITY:
The Xiaomi Redmi 9A offers basic connectivity features, which include 4G LTE for mobile data, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n for home connection, Bluetooth for pairing accessories such as earbuds, MicroUSB 2.0 port that supports OTG, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Sadly, it has NO IR blaster, which we always look forward to with Xiaomi devices. Also, the MicroUSB port is like a one-step backward since its predecessor, the Redmi 8A, already had USB Type-C.
BATTERY:
The Xiaomi Redmi 9A has a massive 5,000mAh battery, which is the same size as the Redmi 9C and is just 20mAh shy of the Redmi 9. It supports 10W fast charging, and a 10-watt charger is included in the package. For comparison, the Redmi 8A has the same battery capacity, albeit it supports faster charging at 18 watts.
Using the supplied charger, it needs about 3 hours to be fully charged from 0%. We tried to run the PC Mark Battery test twice, but both tests didn't push through. In actual day-to-day usage, it lasts more than a day, even when used heavily.
FINAL WORDS:
The Xiaomi Redmi 9A offers features that cover more than the basic needs of smartphone users. It has a good build quality that does not feel cheap, a huge display with HD resolution that is great for binge-watching or homeschooling, a new chipset with dependable overall performance, the latest software that offers intuitive experience, and a massive battery that gives more than a day of usage in a single charge.
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| Xiaomi Redmi 9A |
Is it the new entry-level king? Well, with its asking price in the equation, we can say it is. At Php4,690, it is tough to beat, even with some of its shortcomings. However, if you can spare a few hundred pesos more, there are better options in the market now, including Xiaomi's very own Redmi 9C.
How much is the Xiaomi Redmi 9A in the Philippines?
- The Xiaomi Redmi 9A Price Philippines is Php4,690.
- Get yours via Lazada at https://bit.ly/xiaomistorephil or via Shopee at https://bit.ly/xiaomiofficialstorephs.
When will be the Xiaomi Redmi 9A available in the Philippines?
- The Xiaomi Redmi 9A will be available in the Philippines this coming March 11.
Xiaomi Redmi 9A Specs Philippines:
- Dual SIM, dual stand-by, supports 4G/LTE connectivity
- 6.53-inch IPS HD+ (1600x720) capacitive touchscreen display, 20:9 aspect ratio
- Dimensions: 164.9mm x 77.07mm x 9.0mm
- Weight: TBC
- MIUI 12 based on Android 10
- 2GHz 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU, PowerVR GE8320 GPU, MediaTek Helio G25 chipset
- 2GB of RAM
- 32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via MicroSD, uses a dedicated slot
- 13MP PDAF primary camera with LED flash, 1080p video recording at 60fps
- 5MP FF f/2.2 front camera
- Multimedia player
- FM Radio
- 3.5mm audio jack
- GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz
- Bluetooth v5.0
- MicroUSB 2.0 with OTG function
- Sensors: accelerometer, light, proximity
- Battery: 5,000mAh, non-removable, support 10W charging
- Colors: Granite Grey, Peacock Green, Sky Blue
- Xiaomi Redmi 9A Price Philippines: Php4,690