Review of Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S

A detailed review of Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S: it never happened, and here it is again.

Ordinary users are already dizzy from the variety of smartphones produced by Xiaomi. Only the Redmi brand completely renews its lineup twice a year. This speed allows the company to constantly be in trend, promptly introduce new developments and update the design.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S Global Version 6.67 inch 48MP Quad Camera 6GB 128GB 5020mAh Snapdragon 720G Octa core 4G Smartphone — Interstellar Grey on Banggood

It seems that just recently he was holding a new Redmi Note 8 Pro in his hands, and a new lineup is already on sale. I still consider Redmi Note 8 Pro a very cool smartphone which has good performance, camera and battery. The only complaint to the device from individual users was the processor from Mediatek — Helio G90T. Frankly, the processor is good, but the reputation of MTK, which previously produced hot and uneconomical “stones” for the battery, still stretches like a loop from the old days. And now the company is releasing the Redmi Note 9S model, which in terms of functionality and performance is analogous to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, but is now based on the Snapdragon chipset! Since both of these devices are relevant, I will periodically compare them.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S Global Version 6.67 inch 48MP Quad Camera 4GB 64GB 5020mAh Snapdragon 720G Octa core 4G Smartphone — Interstellar Grey on Banggood

I draw your attention right away that Redmi Note 9S is not equipped with an NFC module. If this is important to you, then your choice is the more expensive Redmi Note 9 Pro, which has an NFC module and an improved 64 MP main camera. In terms of hardware, performance, screen and other, these smartphones are identical, so even if you are interested in Redmi Note 9 Pro, this article will be useful.

Specifications Redmi Note 9S:

• Screen : IPS 6.67 “FullHD + 1080 x 2400, 450 nits brightness, HDR10, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Chipset : 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (2 Kryo 465 Gold cores @ 2.3 GHz + 6 Kryo 465 Silver cores @ 1.8 GHz), 8 nm process technology + Adreno 618 graphics accelerator
• RAM : 4 GB or 6 GB LPDDR4X
• Built-in memory : 64 GB or 128 GB UFS 2.1
• Quad camera: Main — 48 MP, f / 1.8, 26mm (wide), 1 / 2.0 “, 0.8µm, PDAF; Ultra wide-angle — 8 MP, f / 2.2, 119˚, 1 / 4.0”, 1.12µm; macro lens — 5 MP, f / 2.4, (macro), AF, auxiliary camera for determining the depth — 2 MP, f / 2.4
• Front camera : 16 MP, f / 2.5, (wide), 1 / 3.06 “1.0µm
• Wireless interfaces : WiFi 802.11 b / g / n / ac, dual-band 2.4 GHz / 5GHz, IR transmitter, Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX support, navigation using GPS satellites, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, A-GPS, FM radio
• Communication : 2G — 850/900/1800/1900, 3G — HSDPA 850/900/1700 (AWS) / 1900/2100, 4G — B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 / B20 / B28 / B38 / B40
• Optional : Side-mounted fingerprint reader, magnetic compass, infrared transmitter for controlling home appliances
• Battery : 5020 mAh
• Operating System : MIUI 11 based on Android 10 (MIUI 12 coming soon)
• Size : 165.8 x 76.7 x 8.8 mm
• Weight : 209 g

Packaging and equipment

The box did not change the style and remained the same size. On the front there is an image of a smartphone, on the side there is a model name. On the end there are imei numbers, information about the manufacturer and an indication of the color of the smartphone, as well as the amount of installed memory.

There are 3 colors available for sale: white, gray and blue. I liked the blue on the renders and I was not mistaken, it looks very nice live. Also, the smartphone is sold with 2 types of memory configuration: 4GB / 64GB and 6GB / 128GB. In the review, the younger version is 4GB / 64GB.

Includes: documentation, ejecting needle, type C cable, charger and silicone case. Everything seems to be as usual, but no. A bonus from the manufacturer in the form of a protective film glued to the screen. Glued smoothly, the finger glides well, there is even a light oleophobic coating.

About charger and charging speed

22.5W power supply with support for QC 3.0 fast charging mode. Compared to Redmi Note 8 Pro (18W), it has become more powerful, which is logical, because the battery capacity in Redmi Note 9S has increased. The following characteristics are indicated on the case:

• 5V — 3A
• 9V — 2.23A
• 12V — 1.67A
• 10V — 2.25A

Xiaomi’s chargers are of excellent quality as always. They do not heat up, do not emit extraneous sounds and give out even a little more than stated.

Consider the charging process. The smartphone is charged with a voltage of 6.5V — 6.7V and a current of more than 2.2A. The charging power reaches a maximum of 16W, i.e. the potential of the adapter is not fully used by the smartphone. Nevertheless, the smartphone is charging quickly enough:

• 15 minutes — 17%
• 30 minutes — 35%
• 45 minutes — 51%
• 1 hour — 63%
• 1 hour 30 minutes — 89%
• 2 hours 09 minutes — 100%

While charging, the smartphone does not heat up, feeling barely warm. If you want to use the smartphone while charging, please: the charging current will automatically rise from the standard 2.2A to 2.7A and as a result the smartphone will charge in the same 2 hours, but you can continue to use it.

Appearance and ergonomics

The smartphone is very beautiful, not least due to the bright colors, which can look slightly different depending on the lighting. The back of the smartphone, like its screen, is covered with a protective Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which without consequences endures such troubles as falling from a low height or carrying the smartphone without a case. Its surface is scratch-resistant, the smartphone can be safely carried in a bag or pocket. The plastic frame is the same as in the RN8 Pro.

The smartphone has slightly added to the diagonal of the screen, which is now 6.67 “, but this almost did not affect the physical dimensions, that is, the frames are quite thin, and the front camera is embedded in the screen. Nevertheless, the physical dimensions are already on the verge of convenience and in tight jeans or summer shorts, the smartphone is somewhat annoying, I want to put it in my bag.

The hole for the camera is made right in the screen, the first to set this fashion in Samsung. Personally, I don’t really like this solution, the same neat drop looks much more organic and is not so striking. Nevertheless, this is a matter of taste and opinions are radically divided here, the son of my friend said that I do not understand anything and, on the contrary, the smartphone looks unusual and cool. On my own I will add that after a week I stopped paying attention to the camera, and in applications it does not interfere in any way. In the most extreme case, the system has the ability to tear off the cutout, lowering the borders of the screen below its level.

The speaker is immediately on the frame, in fact, on the verge of two planes. Its quality is traditionally high for xiaomi. The speaker is covered with a metal mesh behind which a white LED is also placed — an event indicator. The indicator is very conventional and it is easier to unlock the screen than to peer at whether this tiny LED is blinking or not.

The smartphone feels solid and fits perfectly in the hand. The back looks great!

The main element of eye-catching is of course the block with cameras. The main sensor here is the Samsung S5KGM2 at 48 MP, and in addition to it, an ultra-wide lens, a macro lens and a depth sensor for portrait shots were installed. There is also a nice flash, which consists of a pair of LEDs giving light of different color temperatures. The block with cameras protrudes above the body, but does not interfere in everyday life, as was the case with Mi Note 10, where the block was installed on the edge and on a horizontal surface the smartphone simply lies skewed to one side.

If you are afraid to scratch or break the glass, then use the complete case. It perfectly protects the camera and screen with protruding bumpers. And there is also a USB plug to protect the connector from dust. The smartphone itself is coated with a p2i water-repellent nano-coating, which has already become the standard for the Redmi Note series.

There is also an alternative method of protecting the camera, this is a small protective glass on the lens. It is inexpensive, for example, here they ask for only $ 1.2 for a pair of glasses. Spending a penny you will reliably protect your camera from scratches!

But back to the smartphone. At the bottom there is an audio speaker, type C for charging and data transfer, as well as an audio output for headphones. Everything is standard here. As for the quality of the speaker, I can please you. Here, although it is not stereo, the sound is of high quality and loud sound: it is very comfortable to play and watch videos on a smartphone.

The upper edge meets with an infrared transmitter for controlling household appliances in the Mi app remote. You can also notice a small hole, behind which an additional microphone was placed, which acts as a noise suppressor. During a conversation, he catches extraneous sounds and cuts them off during voice transmission, which will make the interlocutor hear you well, even if you are in a noisy place.

And now about unusual solutions. The most attentive noticed that there is no fingerprint scanner on the back. Well, since we have an IPS matrix, the subscreen scanner is also excluded. Of course, there is a scanner and it is built into the lock button. It turned out to be incredibly convenient and ingenious to combine 2 functions: identification and blocking. I was afraid that due to the smaller area of ​​the button, the recognition would be less accurate and there would be false positives. Surprisingly, the speed and accuracy of recognition is no less than with a standard position on the back and much higher than with a scanner built into the screen.

The second pleasant feature awaits us from the opposite side. We are talking about a tray for SIM cards and memory cards, here it is not hybrid, but full-fledged.

You can use 2 SIM cards and a memory card at the same time, without being torn between benefits. The same RN8 Pro is equipped with a hybrid tray and for that alone, I would choose the Redmi Note 9S.

As you can see, the smartphone has changed for the better compared to its predecessor, having improved some parameters that affect usability and ergonomics. Well, outwardly, the smartphone is simply handsome, it looks bright and very summer-like!

Screen

The Redmi Note 9S has a good, modern IPS screen with pleasant colors, high details and contrast.

The colors are rich, blacks with good depth, there is support for HDR10.

Viewing angles are 178 degrees, there is no color distortion when tilted. The glow effect on black is present and is pronounced at an acute angle on the diagonal.

The screen shows its strengths outdoors, the maximum brightness is sufficient for outdoor use.

The uniformity of the filling of the white field is excellent, there are no highlights and areas with darker areas. The luxometer showed that the backlight brightness is uniform, only in the central part there is a slight increase of 8.66%, which is absolutely not noticeable to the eye. For comparison, in the sub-flagship Mi Note 10, the difference from the minimum to the maximum level is 7.25%, and in the Samsung S8 + 6.25%.

The uniformity of the black field is very good, especially considering that we have an IPS screen.

Well, surely everyone is aware of the main advantages and disadvantages of any IPS screens. Disadvantages: black, not as deep as in AMOLED and a glow effect appears at an angle. And the pros? The advantages are much more significant and significant, primarily for vision. It’s about flickering. In IPS screens (good ones, of course, not basement ones), flicker is much less than AMOLED. And in Redmi Note 9S, it is virtually absent at any brightness levels:

• maximum brightness — ripple ratio 1.3%
• 50% brightness — 1.3% ripple ratio
• 10% brightness — 1.3% ripple ratio

Only at the minimum level do pulsations appear — 8.6%, but even in this case they do not exceed the safe threshold of 10%. The smartphone is safe to use in the dark and with low screen brightness . In AMOLED screens, where there is no DC dimming function, the ripple reaches 150% and higher and can lead to rapid eye fatigue and headaches.

Software part

The smartphone runs MIUI 11, which is based on Android 10. In the very near future, the smartphone will receive MIUI 12, beta versions of the firmware are already available for download and installation, but I would still recommend waiting for the official global. In general, security updates and updates expanding the functions of the smartphone are released regularly and in the next couple of years the smartphone will have developer support.

In terms of software, the smartphone is no different from other models on MIUI 11. A set of applications and services from Google is preinstalled, there are branded applications from Xiaomi and a few preinstalled applications and games that are simply removed. Advertising is built into the shell and some system applications, but everything is easily disabled. You need to go to the settings of the application, where ads are displayed, find the item “get recommendations” and uncheck it.

This is how the curtain with shortcut buttons and the section with settings looks like.

• There is a dark mode, but only for visual pleasure, it will not give much power saving, because the IPS screen and black color still consume power (the backlight still works).
• There are settings for color rendering and color temperature, but by default everything is set up well and nothing needs to be adjusted.
• Hiding the cutout will lower the edges of the screen and visually hide the front camera, this is useful for those who are “annoyed” by the hole in the screen 🙂

• Smartphone control is carried out using on-screen buttons or gestures, this can be configured in the borderless screen section.
• In the sound settings, you can set a ringtone or set an alarm that will wake you up with different melodies depending on the weather or day of the week. I would like to say a few words about vibration, here the manufacturer used a new Z-shaped vibration motor and, compared to the RN8 Pro, the vibration has become different, more powerful and tangible, but without a nasty buzz.
• Another interesting feature is speaker cleaning. If you carry your smartphone in your pocket, then over time, the speaker mesh becomes clogged with dust. By clicking on cleaning, the smartphone will emit a very loud whistling sound and the wind begins to blow from the speaker, which blows out all the dust.

Communication, internet, navigation

The quality of communication from a manufacturer of this level can no longer be discussed, otherwise it will be just praises and praise, and then you will say in the comments that I have overpriced the smartphone. Therefore, let’s just go straight to the controversial points. From time to time, the proximity sensor did not work correctly for me, which is why the screen does not go out during a conversation and I can press something with my cheek. This moment upset me a lot, because such sores spoil the impression of the device. But then I began to understand and noticed that the factory film was glued with a slight offset relative to the front camera and a suspicion crept into my mind. It just happened once in my son’s Redmi 7A, when the crooked glass was glued. In short, I removed the film and the bug disappeared. Keep in mind, the optics are like that, the light is refracted almost like that and there may be glitches.

Smartphone internet works very well. Apparently because of the plastic on the edges, the signal penetrates better to the antennas, as a result of which my 4G internet speed on the street is better than many WiFi in the apartment. 53 Mbps and probably a personal record, I have not seen more speed for 4G in my city. In nPerf, the smartphone scored almost 94,000 points on the Vodafone operator.

For the premises there is WiFi 5, on my tariff plan it showed something around 90–95 Mbps. But this is certainly not about the maximum possible data transfer rate of a smartphone, but about my operator. Therefore, I made my own network inside the apartment, used a computer as a server, and connected a smartphone as a client via Magic iPerf. In the 5 GHz range, the download / upload speed was 220/219 Mbps on average, and in the 2.4 GHz range — 74/72 Mbps.

Snapdragon smartphones have never had problems with GPS navigation, and Redmi Note 9S is no exception. Literally right off the bat, the smartphone identified almost 4 dozen satellites, 14 of which were in active work. A magnetic compass helps positioning on maps to determine the desired direction.

I use Google maps very actively, the navigator always puts the route accurately, informing about turns in time, the connection with satellites does not lose. I recorded a small track: the accuracy is good, the match with the map is complete.

Performance and synthetic tests

The smartphone is based on the latest Snapdragon 720G chipset, which has very interesting characteristics and in some moments turned out to be even more productive than the Snapdragon 730G, which is installed in more expensive smartphones, for example, the Mi Note 10 camera phone. In fact, Snapdragon 720G and Snapdragon 730G are twin brothers and differ there are very few of them: the Snapdragon 720G has a higher clock speed of large cores, and the Snapdragon 730G has a higher frequency of the graphics accelerator. As a result, we have a solid mid-range processor with Adreno 618 graphics.

Such a bunch is gaining 273,000 points in Antutu .

Let’s compare the results with Redmi Note 8 Pro. The final result is very close — 278,000 points, so let’s look at the categories. The processor performance is slightly better in Redmi Note 9S — 101,000 versus 98,000, but in the graph it turned out to be a little weaker — 70,000 versus 80,000.That is, if you look at the test results, we can assume that the performance of these smartphones is the same, but for games there is even a slight edge on the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

But it’s not that simple. Snapdragon 720G is manufactured using a more modern 8 nm process technology, versus 12 nm for Helio G90T. For those who do not know — I will explain: the less the better. A more modern process technology means that the processor uses less power and generates less heat. First, about the warmth. As the smartphone heats up, it is forced to drop frequencies and eventually lose performance. Redmi Note 8 Pro with its Helio G90T copes with this task quite well thanks to liquid cooling, and drops the frequency slightly, showing a good result in the throttling test. But the Redmi Note 9S does a much better result, delivering consistent performance with no drops throughout the test. It does not heat up at all and, as a result, does not reduce the processor clock frequency, showing the best result “at a distance”. In simple words, the more powerful Redmi Note 8 Pro heats up under prolonged load and drops the frequency, showing as a result worse performance than the Redmi Note 9S, which will run smoothly throughout the entire time of use. Check out the throttling test results: Redmi Note 8 Pro started with a maximum performance of 147 GIPS, but quickly dropped to a minimum of 112 GIPS, while the Redmi Note 9S had performance at 148–163 GIPS throughout the test. As a result, Redmi Note 8 Pro under load shows 80% of its maximum performance, while Redmi Note 9S works without drawdowns. which will run smoothly throughout the entire time of use. Check out the throttling test results: Redmi Note 8 Pro started with a maximum performance of 147 GIPS, but quickly dropped to a minimum of 112 GIPS, while the Redmi Note 9S had performance at 148–163 GIPS throughout the test. As a result, Redmi Note 8 Pro under load shows 80% of its maximum performance, while Redmi Note 9S works without drawdowns. which will run smoothly throughout the entire time of use. Check out the throttling test results: Redmi Note 8 Pro started with a maximum performance of 147 GIPS, but quickly dropped to a minimum of 112 GIPS, while the Redmi Note 9S had performance at 148–163 GIPS throughout the test. As a result, Redmi Note 8 Pro under load shows 80% of its maximum performance, while Redmi Note 9S works without drawdowns.

Another significant plus of Redmi Note 9S is its economy: thanks to a thinner technical process, it will use up its charge more carefully, and if you take into account that it also has a physically larger battery capacity, then the increase in operating time will be very noticeable. But we will talk about autonomy a little later, and now I propose to evaluate the results of other tests. In Geekbench 5, the Redmi Note 9S scores more in both single-core and multi-core modes, showing an even higher score than the previously flagship Snapdragon 845 on which Poco F1 is based. Great processor, a real hit of the middle class!

Well, and a couple more tests, among which I would like to note Aitutu, where Redmi Note 9S scored 164,000 points, which is twice more than the RN8 Pro — 79,000. That is, artificial intelligence is much more advanced, and this will have a positive effect on the camera (definition AI scene and post-processing) and some other applications that use it.

Next is memory. The built-in storage here is UFC 2.1, so everything works lightning fast. Write speed — 191 MB \ s, read speed 524 MB \ s. The graphs are smooth, without speed drops when using large amounts of data.

RAM is also at the level, copying speed is more than 20,000 MB \ s

Game possibilities

The fact that the smartphone works with lightning speed and in performance is not inferior even to expensive flagships is a fact. Productivity with a margin and will last for at least a couple of years. But the Redmi Note 9S is also interesting in the game plan, because the axiom “if you want to play, buy the latest Redmi Note” works to this day. Only the flagships Redmi and Mi will be more powerful than the Note series for games, but the price tag there is already 2–3 times higher. And more often than not, if you buy yourself a top-end flagship, then you are already a solid guy and you have no time for games for a long time. Therefore, fans of mobile gaming, most often young people and teenagers, who have a lot of free time and most often they can only afford the middle class, which is our smartphone. Let’s evaluate its gaming performance on some top games, this will help megame benchmark Gamebench . Let’s also compare the gaming performance with the RN8 pro.

This time I played a large number of games, because playing on this smartphone is very pleasant and there is always a desire to try something else. In order not to stretch the review, I will only tell you the basics:

1) WoT Blitz. The graphics settings are high, the display of vegetation and the display of shadows are turned on. Anisotropic filtering and blurring are off. The average FPS is 59. On some maps it is stable at 60, on some there are drawdowns up to 48–50 in difficult moments and a large number of tanks in sight.

2) Forza Street. Arcade race. The average FPS in the game is limited to 30 and 94% of the playing time, we see this indicator, drawdowns are due to the loading of levels.

3) Dead by Daylight. A maniac game … But it loads the smartphone very heavily with its effects (fog, haze, play of light and shadow). Average fps 45, but it can go up to 60 (in buildings and premises), and go down to 35–40 (outside world). The lowest FPS was at the level of 30, it is quite possible to play. I can’t say that the game in graphics is straight wow, most likely the optimization is just lame.

4) Republique. Not a bad stealth game. It is limited to 30 fps and shows it 99% of the playing time.

5) World of Kings. Beautiful rpg with an open world and graphics of the level of game consoles. On average, it produces 60 FPS with high graphics settings, drawdowns of up to 40–50 occur with a large congestion of characters in one place.

6) Life After is an open world game where you have to build and survive. Very decent graphics. With high settings, it produces 48 fps on average.

Now let’s compare the gaming performance of the RN9S and RN8 Pro. The first Call of Duty Mobile game. Graphics settings are “very high”, shadows and blur are included.

Average fps at 59 (86% of game time), with rare drawdowns up to 50–55. CPU load from 6 to 18%. The RN8 Pro also has an average fps of 59, but already 80% of the playing time. Drawdowns also occur up to 50. The processor is loaded from 10% to 30%, the battery is consumed faster. As you can see here the advantage of Redmi Note 9S.

And another PUBG game. Graphics settings are limited to “high”, frame rates are high. 100% of the playing time we see the maximum fps of 30. But here the RN8 Pro has an advantage, because the graphics level “maximum” is unlocked for it in the settings and the game produces a higher fps of 40. But of course, this is just a software limitation and is not a smartphone problem …

Just install the GFX Tool for PUBG and remove the graphics restrictions completely. And with the graphics settings “maximum” we get an average fps of 55.

In general, the smartphone is perfect for games. Also, do not forget about the proprietary Game TURBO application, which allows you to assess the load on the processor and graphics, turn on or off the Internet, free up RAM, change the image settings (make it brighter or more saturated), take a screenshot or even record a video of the gameplay. You can even open a second window-like application, such as a messenger, and chat in parallel.

Sound

Many Xiaomi smartphones have been in my home laboratory and almost all of them sound good. Some models are even perfect, for example MI 9T and Mi Note 10. In the same cohort I will include Redmi Note 9S, which has a similar processor, which means it most likely uses the same Aqstic audio codec from qualcomm. The sound is balanced and detailed, and with the equalizer you can achieve the sound that suits you. Do you like powerful bass? He is here and heaps up be healthy. Want legibility? Not a problem either, just tighten the mid and treble sliders to the desired level or tighten the bass. If you prefer wireless audio, then you will appreciate the support for the high quality aptX codec.

In the sound settings, you can tweak the equalizer manually or select one of the ready-made presets by activating the MI sound enhancement. And it seems that Redmi Note 8 Pro has the same software capabilities, but it sounds much simpler. Not bad, of course, but in direct comparison, Redmi Note 9S loses outright. All the same, in terms of sound, MTK still plays the role of catching up …

Camera

Redmi Note 9S is not a camera phone, but it takes decent pictures and can replace a simple digital camera. If you haven’t thrown away your old soap dish yet, then it’s time to do it. The camera is always at hand and does not take up space, and the quality is in no way inferior to entry-level digital cameras. The main sensor here is at 48 MP, but the camera takes pictures in 12 MP resolution, combining information from 4 pixels in 1, thereby providing high clarity and detail. The site squeezes images quite a bit, so click on them for a higher resolution.

The application interface is clear and friendly. In photo mode, you can quickly turn on flash, HDR mode or AI enhancement. In the settings, you can set a timer, change the aspect ratio and, surprisingly, switch to macro. It would be more logical to bring this function to the main screen, especially if the smartphone has a separate lens for macro. It is also possible to switch to 48 MP mode.

Professional mode allows you to manually adjust white balance, focus, shutter speed, ISO and exposure. Pro mode is available for all lenses and even in video mode. In video mode, the camera can shoot at 1080P \ 30fps, 1080p \ 60 fps and 4K \ 30fps. There are modes of slowdown, acceleration and video clip.

Well, let’s see examples. During the day, the pictures are excellent the first time. Focusing is error-free and accurate, detail is uniform throughout the image, color reproduction is close to the original. The dynamic range is quite wide and even without HDR mode enabled, there is enough detail in the shadows in the picture.

Small objects come out well, even the foliage around the edges of the image is sharp.

Details, details, details. Very well. Here, by the way, evaluate the floor of the picture in the sun, the floor in the shade. HDR is off and everything is fine.

By the way, there is a 2-fold approximation, but since there is no telephoto lens here, it is achieved by a digital method.

Which is nevertheless useful. A simple example: my rat curled up amusingly in its old house, where it no longer physically fits. If you shoot with a conventional camera, you will see the grille.

And with a closer look, you can get such a pretty picture.

Move on. In addition to the main camera, there is an ultra-wide width, which is also quite adequate. We photograph a building from close range and it does not fit completely into the frame.

And it fits into the ultra-wide, and there is also a place in the foreground for the photo.

There is also an auxiliary sensor for determining the depth. Here, without question, the boundaries of the blur are clearly defined, separating the backdrop from the main subject.

Also, the main camera can shoot in 48 MP mode. This can be useful if you need to capture more detail. As an example, a snapshot in 12 megapixel mode:

Snapshot from the same location in 48 megapixel mode:

At first glance, the photos are identical, but if you zoom in, you will see the difference. The first picture is 48 MP and you can even read menu items and prices on it, in the second picture 12 MP and the names of drinks are more likely to be guessed.

A few more shots with the main camera. Everything is in automatic mode, without AI and HDR.

And a few words about shooting at night. The detailing of course drops a lot, halos and glare from bright objects appear. But in general, the quality is bearable.

There is a night mode and in some places it helps a lot. For example, here is a shot with bright objects — signs, lights. They naturally turned out to be overexposed.

Night mode noticeably improves the situation: the signs are readable, the lights look natural, and more details appear.

And yes, a Google camera is installed on a smartphone without any problems with all the benefits that come with it. This is for those who like to pick, bring to the ideal and experiment. You can download Gcam mods for this smartphone in the corresponding branch on w3bsit3-dns.com.

The front camera is simpler, but also at a fairly good level and will be useful for lovers of selfie photography.

Autonomy

The operating time of a smartphone from a full charge increases with each new generation. I always test the battery on the same rollers and therefore see real gains. Let’s play Youtube video in Full HD quality :

• Redmi Note 9S : at maximum screen brightness — 11 hours 24 minutes , if the brightness is reduced to 50%, the playback time increases to 22 hours 45 minutes ;
• Redmi Note 8 Pro: at maximum screen brightness — 8 hours 57 minutes, if you reduce the brightness to 50%, the playback time increases to 17 hours 51 minutes;
• Redmi Note 7: at maximum screen brightness — 7 hours 43 minutes, if the brightness is reduced to 50%, the playback time increases to 14 hours 59 minutes;

As they say, feel the difference!

Internal storage video, Full HD quality:

• Redmi Note 9S : maximum brightness — 11 hours 28 minutes , 50% brightness — 22 hours 45 minutes
• Redmi Note 8 Pro: maximum brightness — 10 hours 26 minutes
• Redmi Note 7: maximum brightness — 8 hours 40 minutes

The smartphone lasts for 2 days of active use or 3 days of moderate use, the average screen time is 6–8 hours. Sometimes even 10 comes out, but this is if without serious loads and more by reading Internet pages. For example, my last battery graph: the charge lasted for almost 3 daylight hours (until the evening 20% ​​should be enough), active use, but almost no games. Screen time 6 hours 30 minutes. The discharge is uniform, so that on the remaining 20% ​​I can still wind up 1.5 hours of the screen and calmly use the smartphone until the evening. Screen brightness during use: indoors about 40%, outdoors about 80% (manually changed).

In standby mode with 2 active SIM cards and WiFi enabled, the smartphone loses 3% in 11 hours.

Outcome

This has never happened, and now again! Another hit from Redmi and the new favorite of the public Note 9S. Xiaomi has set a very fast pace and so far copes well with it. There are definitely those who say — xiaomi is not the same, xiaomi is no longer a cake. But in my opinion, the company is following the right path, from year to year improving the quality of products and at the same time they try to remain at the peak of demand, offering users what is popular at the moment. As they say, demand creates supply! I will also note the progress compared to its predecessor, although it is not very aggressive. First of all, this is the transition to the popular Snapdragon platform + cosmetic changes. Let’s highlight the main positive points:

• Redmi Note 9S is like Redmi 8 Pro, only on Snapdragon
• Cool, striking design
• The scanner in the lock button is convenient!
• The smartphone does not heat up under load or throttles
• System, app and game performance
• Fast UFC 2.1 drive + fast dual-channel RAM
• Increased battery capacity and excellent autonomy
• Full tray for 2 SIM cards + memory card, now no need to choose
• High-quality sound in headphones
• Good IPS screen, no flicker or glare
• Good camera
• Silicone case included + protective film on the screen

Now let’s look for flaws. The first is a plastic frame, I would like a more noble metal. But this is not critical, especially since the Redmi Note 8 Pro also had plastic and nothing. The next point is the absence of NFC, but this is not a minus, but a feature, because the Redmi Note 9 Pro model comes with NFC. Is it worth overpaying for it? The question is individual. Well, the cutout in the screen. It’s not pretty for me, but someone likes it. In general, this is taste. And if you stop looking for flaws where there are none, the smartphone is almost perfect. Do you like its bright and summer design? To me — and I definitely recommend it for purchase.

That’s all, happy shopping!