Redmi 9 Prime review

Ready for prime time

Best in Class
(Image: © Aakash Jhaveri)

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Battery life

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
  • 5,020mAH battery
  • 18W fast charging

As with its more expensive siblings, the Redmi 9 Prime houses a big 5,020mAh battery. Add the lower-powered chipset to the mix, and we have a true battery champion. It will easily last you over a day on a single charge, with 7-8 hours of screen-on-time. 

It also supports 18W fast charging, which can take the phone from 0 to full in about 2 hours. The included charger has a rated output of 10W, which takes close to 3 hours for the refuelling. It’s not often we see such fast charging on phones in the sub Rs 10,000 segment, and even rarer is that happening over a USB Type-C interface. Considering that a first-party 18W charger costs only Rs 499, it would be a suitable eventual addition.

Camera

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
  • Quad-camera setup
  • No night mode

As with nearly every budget smartphone, the Redmi 9 Prime ships with a quad-camera array on the back. While they might not seem that great on paper, they resort to AI to fill the gaps and create surprisingly great results.

The primary camera is a 13MP f/2.2 camera, which produces good pictures in adequate lighting. We’d suggest turning on AI and HDR for better results across the board and to push the dynamic range further. The colours were accurate too but the temperature would suffer in darker scenarios. It degrades quickly when you start zooming in or move to dimly lit areas.

The ultra-wide lens, while fairly wide, isn’t great. The resolution, aperture and sensor size work against it, crushing details. Low-light photography will disappoint you further.

The macro lens has a resolution of 5MP. Finding the right focus distance will take time, but in the right conditions, the results can be pretty cool.

Should you buy the Redmi 9 Prime?

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a great all-rounder under Rs 10,000

The Redmi 9 Prime practically has no major issues. It does almost everything well -  big and sharp display, reliable battery life with fast charging, versatile cameras and above-average performance.

You consume a lot of media

The phone brings a big, bright and sharp display that is great for media consumption or even gaming. Add the great battery life and decent audio output, and you have a binge-watching monster.

Need all-day battery life

MIUI optimizations, combined with a fairly large battery make the Redmi 9 Prime a true all-day warrior and then some. The fast charging is the icing on the cake.

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Don't buy it if...

You can extend your budget by a bit

As basic as this may sound, raising your budget by Rs 2-3K will bring <a href="https://www.techradar.com/in/news/realme-6i-launched-in-india-as-the-cheapest-90hz-smartphone" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">significantly better options to choose from. 

You do not want a phone urgently

On the same lines, India gets great new affordable smartphones every month. If you can wait, you really should, as you’re guaranteed to get something equally great. The upcoming <a href="https://www.techradar.com/in/news/realme-c12-realme-c15-to-launch-in-india-on-august-18" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Realme C12 and Realme C15 are worth looking out for. 

MIUI is not your thing

Xiaomi’s MIUI does not have the best reputation these days. More than those issues, some find the skin to be a little too heavy or bloated. While that is the norm in this segment, there are <a href="https://www.techradar.com/in/news/best-budget-smartphones-in-india-phones-under-rs-10000" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">a few offerings which could serve you better. 

Aakash Jhaveri

Aakash is the engine that keeps TechRadar India running, using his experience and ideas to help consumers get to the right products via reviews, buying guides and explainers. Apart from phones, computers and cameras, he is obsessed with electric vehicles.