"Redmi 9T" review! Large screen smartphone with stable camera and performance even in the late 10,000 yen range
Redmi 9T. Two colors are available: carbon gray and ocean green. I tried carbon gray this time.
Among Xiaomi, which has a good reputation for cospa, the Redmi series is the lowest-priced series. Redmi 9T is the most affordable introductory model among Xiaomi smartphones for Japan, with a mass retailer price of around 17,500 yen including tax.
Goo Simseller and BIGLOBE mobile have this model that you can get at a campaign price close to 0 yen when you contract a SIM card at the same time. However, despite its low price, it also has attractive elements such as a large screen, fingerprint authentication, and a 4-lens camera. Let's see your strength.
SIM-free, cheapest introductory smartphone
The display is equipped with a 6.53-inch, full HD + resolution TFT liquid crystal. HDR is not supported. Although it is a TFT liquid crystal, the change due to the viewing angle is small, and at least it can be displayed brightly to the extent that it does not become a machine when held by hand.
There are two built-in speakers, and when set to maximum volume, the volume will be loud enough to resonate outdoors. However, since it is a monaural speaker, the sound quality gives the impression of being flat. Equipped with a 3.5mm earphone jack, it also supports FM radio function.
It measures 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6mm and weighs 198g. With a large screen that is not too long, it is just the right size for enjoying videos and e-books. On the other hand, the front side protrudes beyond the width of the left and right bezels, so you may feel that the frame is large for a recent smartphone.
The body is made of resin, but it doesn't feel cheap. The camera on the back is engraved with waves, giving it a unique luster. This engraving also serves to make fingerprints less noticeable.
It looks a little thick when you look at it as a whole, but the back has a shape that draws a gentle curve from left to right, so you don't have to worry about the thickness when you hold it. Since the main body itself is also thick, the 4-lens camera unit has a protrusion of less than 1mm.
The main feature is the 4-lens camera. Equipped with super wide-angle and macro
The main feature of Redmi 9T is the 4-lens rear camera. The combination of 48 million pixels (main) + 8 million pixels (ultra wide angle) + 2 million pixels (depth sensor) + 2 million pixels (macro) covers the ultra wide angle range with other cameras, centered on a high pixel sensor of 48 million pixels or compensate for weaknesses in the depth of field and macro range to support shooting in any scene.
The 48-megapixel sensor not only captures high resolution, but in dark scenes it combines four pixels to act as a bright 12-megapixel sensor. In addition, it is useful in that you can cut out with digital zoom and leave a sense of resolution.
The pictures you can actually take are good enough considering the price range of about 17,500 yen. Not only can you shoot indoors, but you can also shoot brightly in dimly lit scenes in the evening.
The night view is not that strong, but you can shoot with sufficient brightness even in the dim hours of dusk. Even in HDR shooting, it does not overly brighten the image, resulting in a natural look that does not feel out of place.
It also has a macro lens, so you can take beautiful pictures of small objects. When you zoom in, you get the impression that the details are a little soft, but considering the price, the image is more than adequate.
Equipped with an 8-megapixel in-camera in the waterdrop-shaped notch on the front. When taking pictures, the beauty function works to smooth out the skin.
The feeling of use is good, even in situations where you are worried about getting caught
Equipped with a Snapdragon 662 chipset. Qualcomm's latest generation mid-range chipset. On the other hand, the memory is 4GB and the storage is 64GB, both of which are modest levels for Android smartphones in 2021. As for storage, it can be supplemented to some extent by inserting a microSD card, but it seems that memory is likely to be insufficient for long-term use.
As a feature of Xiaomi smartphone, it is equipped with its own UI "MIUI". Although it is a full-featured Android that can be used with Google Play, it has its own unique color, such as the design of the setting menu, notification sounds and alarm sounds that use the sounds of nature as a motif.
Preset apps are also substantial, and QR code scanner, screen recording tool, compass, etc. are installed as standard. In order to achieve a low price, some apps display ads, such as when a cleaner app consumes smartphone memory.
The feeling of use is generally good, and if you mainly use SNS, phone calls, emails, and web searches, you will be able to use this smartphone well enough.
However, if you use it for a while, you will start to worry about the details of its operation. For example, when loading the news list on the home screen, it takes about 1-2 seconds to load the image, and it takes 3-4 seconds to start the camera.
One of the reasons for the operation delay may be that the number of running applications is increasing and the memory is being used. MIUI's boost function was effective in such scenes. If you start it when the operation is heavy, you can release the memory with one tap and improve the perceived speed.
The game depends on the genre, but you can play comfortably to some extent. However, if you want to play titles that require particularly high processing performance, such as 3D action games, it would be safer to avoid this smartphone.
I tried playing "Genshin", one of the titles that puts a lot of load, but if I select "low" in the image quality setting, there is no problem with playing. On the other hand, when the image quality was raised to "Normal" or higher, the drawing delay was noticeable, and it was not a situation where you could play comfortably.
The fingerprint sensor and large-capacity battery are nice
For biometric authentication, the power button on the side has a fingerprint sensor. With the increasing number of opportunities to use biometric authentication for account auto-entry, etc., I have a good impression that even low-priced smartphones have been well covered.
In addition, the battery has a large capacity of 6,000mAh. I could use it for two whole days without worrying about charging, even if I repeatedly watched videos and took pictures. Supporting 18W fast charging is an important point because it is a large capacity battery. It's also nice that it comes with a 22.5W USB charger (this charger can also charge the MacBook Air).
The mobile network supports 4G LTE/3G. In Japan, it is compatible with NTT Docomo network and Softbank network. It is a specification that supports dual SIM, allows simultaneous standby of two lines, and can use two nanoSIM cards and microSD at the same time. Wi-Fi supports up to Wi-Fi 5 (IEEE802.11ac).
Unlike Softbank's exclusive "Redmi Note 9T" announced at the same time, Redmi 9T does not support Osaifu-Keitai. It does not support waterproofing, but it claims to be drip-proof.
In addition, as a unique feature, it is equipped with an infrared communication unit, which is rare in recent smartphones. Not for exchanging contact information, it supports infrared for use with remote controls for TVs and air conditioners. You can set up a lot of home appliances with the standard "Mi Remote" app, but there are not many types of manufacturers sold in Japan. I was able to register both Fujitsu and Daikin air conditioners at my home, but the Hisense TV did not have a working signal.
Summary: The large screen, camera, and battery life are more than the price
Redmi 9T is an affordable entry-level smartphone with a price of about 17,500 yen, but it is a model that covers orthodox functions. In particular, elements such as a large screen display, a 4-lens camera, and battery life make you feel high cost performance. If you can tolerate the weight of 198g and the fact that it is not waterproof, you will not feel any problems in everyday use.
However, there were times when I felt that the movement could not keep up when I used it severely in games. Considering the price, this area may be an unavoidable part.
Due to the LTE frequency, it is not suitable for use with Rakuten Mobile, but if you combine it with NTT Docomo's "ahamo" or a cheap SIM from the Docomo Softbank network, you can fully demonstrate the goodness of cost performance. I guess.
Main specifications of Redmi 9T
Author: Toru Ishii
Toru IshiiFreelance writer specializing in mobile. He covers a wide range of the latest technologies, such as 5G and AI, with a focus on smartphones. Smartphone purchase history is over 100 units. We have contracted smartphones with 3 carriers and are trying to secure a communication environment anywhere.
Click here for a list of articles by this author
