Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S, launched on April 30, 2020, is a mid-range device aiming for a balance of features and affordability. It measures 165.8 mm in height, 76.7 mm in width, and 8.8 mm in depth, weighing a substantial 209 grams.

Build Quality

The Redmi Note 9S features a robust build, albeit with a heft that might be noticeable to some users. It incorporates Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, providing scratch resistance, and has a 2.5D curved glass screen. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button, a practical design choice for accessibility. The phone is available in Aurora Blue, Glacier White, and Interstellar Gray.

Screen Quality

The device features a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 395 ppi. The screen supports HDR10 and has a typical brightness of 450 nits. While it lacks a high refresh rate, the panel offers a contrast ratio of 1500:1 and is TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort certified, aiming to reduce eye strain. It also has an 84% NTSC color gamut. The display includes a hole-punch notch for the front-facing camera and LED notification capabilities.

Camera Performance

The Redmi Note 9S boasts a quad-camera setup on the rear. The primary camera is a 48MP Samsung S5KGM2 ISOCELL sensor with an f/1.79 aperture and 0.80µm pixels (1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel using pixel binning). It is supported by an 8MP Omnivision OV8856 wide-angle lens, a 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 depth sensor, and a 5MP Samsung S5KE9 macro lens. Video recording capabilities include 4K at 30fps, 1080p up to 120fps and 720p at 960fps, all with electronic image stabilization (EIS). The selfie camera is a 16MP Omnivision OV16A1Q sensor. The camera features include autofocus, touch focus, HDR, face detection, and night mode, along with a LED flash.

Software Experience

The phone launched with Android 10 and is upgradable to Android 12. It does not feature NFC. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset, an octa-core processor with 2x2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold and 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver cores, paired with an Adreno 618 GPU. The device comes in 4GB or 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM. The storage uses UFS 2.1 with 64GB or 128GB options. It achieved a score of 303,263 on the AnTuTu benchmark version 9.

Battery Performance

The Redmi Note 9S is equipped with a 5020 mAh Li-Polymer battery, which should provide a full day’s use for most users. It supports 18W fast charging, though it does not feature wireless charging. The battery is non-removable.

Value for Money

As a mid-range device released in 2020, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S aimed to offer a strong set of features at a competitive price. Depending on the configuration (4GB/64GB or 6GB/128GB), pricing ranged from approximately $119 to $448 USD at the time of review. The phone is available in global and Japanese variants, but the specifications remain the same. Connectivity options include dual SIM (Nano), 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS with GLONASS, Beidou, and NavIC. The USB Type-C 2.0 port supports OTG.