Xiaomi Redmi 9 Power Officially Unveiled; A Zero-Compromises Budget Phone

The Xiaomi Redmi 9 Power Unveiled on schedule yesterday. It’s a mildly tweaked, global variant of the Redmi Note 9 4G that came out last month. The phone has solid internals and a best-in-class screen. Let’s talk about what it has to offer.

We start with the Snapdragon 662 chip at the heart of the Xiaomi Redmi 9 Power. The System-on-Chip came out earlier this year. And it’s joined by 4GB of RAM and 128GB/64GB storage options — expandable up to 512GB with a microSD card.

The entire setup runs on a massive 6000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging support (Xiaomi ships it with a 22.5W fast charger). Expect strong performance out of this hardware. 

The Redmi 9 Power has a 6.53” IPS LCD display, filling a 19.5:9 aspect ratio at a 1080P resolution. A notch bleeds into the screen to house the 8MP front-facing camera (which also powers the 2D face unlock feature). A reliable side-facing thumbprint reader sits on top of the power button. The Xiaomi new model's back has a texture to it, available in Black, Red, Green, and Blue colorways.

Xiaomi has modified the earpiece into a speaker for Hi-Res audio stereo speakers. You can also route your audio output through the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Plus, the Redmi 9 Power has rubberized, corrosion-proof ports and splash-resistance for enhanced durability. You’ll be hard-pressed to find these features at this price point.

On the back, we’re looking at a 48MP quad-camera system, featuring an 8MP wide-angle lens (with a 120° FoV) and two additional sensors for macro and software-enhanced portrait shots. Xiaomi’s image-processing allows for timelapse, color splash, and night mode features. 

The Redmi 9 Power will hit stores in India on December 22. And given Xiaomi’s typical launch timeline, it should land in Pakistan next. The phone starts from $150 (~ Rs. 23,999).