Redmi 9 Power review: Decent all-round budget phone

Brand: Xiaomi
Product: Redmi 9 Power
Key specs: Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, 6.53-inch FHD+ display, 6,000mAh battery, 48MP quad camera
Price: Rs 10,999 (starting)
Rating: 3.5/5

Xiaomi has a handful of budget smartphones and the latest to join is the Redmi 9 Power. As the name suggests, this phone’s highlight is its 6,000mAh battery. Redmi 9 Power also aims to offer an all-round experience with a quad camera, a FHD+ display, and a decent processor.

Redmi 9 Power starts at ₹10,999 for the base model where you get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also comes with 128GB onboard storage, and that one’s priced at ₹11,999. We’ve been using the Redmi 9 Power for quite some time now, and here’s what we think.

Design

Redmi 9 Power looks much like any other Android phone from the front with its notched display. The rear panel will allow you no such generalisations though, there is a very big ‘Redmi’ slapped on it. 

The phone also has a textured back and is available in three colours - blue, green and orange. Other than the Redmi logo standing out, there isn’t much to highlight about the phone’s design. Redmi 9 Power is also slightly big and heavy to hold and it does feel pretty sturdy.

Performance

When it comes to performance, Redmi 9 Power offers a smooth experience with no noticeable lag or hiccups. Heavy games like Garena Free Fire and Call of Duty Mobile are playable but there are some stutters while loading.

Redmi 9 Power packs a 6,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. Xiaomi ships a 22.5W charger with the phone. The smartphone can go on for a full day even with a good amount of gaming in between. On regular usage it should last you more than a day.

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The smartphone has a side-mounted fingerprint which unlocked the phone pretty fast. Another highlight of this phone is its stereo speakers which are great for when you’re watching videos, and playing games as well. It also has Widevine L1 certification so you can stream Netflix in HD.

The MIUI experience on Redmi 9 Power was rather unpleasant. There’s quite a lot of bloatware on the phone and the constant app recommendations are very annoying.

Cameras

Redmi 9 Power has a quad-camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra wide angle lens, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. The smartphone’s camera performance is satisfactory. In good natural light, its colour reproduction is pretty admirable. Portrait mode still needs to be worked on as there are still some corners of the subject that tend to be blurred. The smartphone does an ‘okay’ job in low light photography.

Verdict

Overall, the Redmi 9 Power performs as expected. You get good performance, display, decent cameras, and strong battery life. The software experience is unpleasant but if you can get past that then it shouldn’t be a problem. It almost touches all the corners for an all-round experience, and even exceeds in some areas.