Xiaomi delivers a solid phone that takes the fight to Realme and OnePlus in the budget market. Find out more in this Redmi Note 9T review.
The Redmi Note 9T is the latest low-cost Xiaomi phone to reach the market and it packs a double 5G punch. It may be a simple phone, but it covers the right bases in just the right ways. Find out if this phone is for you in Android Authority‘s Redmi Note 9T review. About this Redmi Note 9T review: We tested the Redmi Note 9T review unit over a period of seven days. The phone was running Android 11 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 12. Xiaomi supplied the phone to Android Authority for the purposes of this review. The Redmi Note 9T is an affordable phone released in Europe that packs a capable camera, a nice screen, and a massive battery into a lightweight chassis. With a price point of €229 (~$281), it competes with devices from Realme, OnePlus, and other brands with budget offerings. It’s also up against the multi-verse of similarly-named phones from Redmi itself. See also: The best Xiaomi phones you can buy Taking a spin around the hardware shows us that Redmi isn’t pushing any boundaries when it comes to design. The face is nearly all display, save for a slight chin at the bottom. What bugs me about the front is that the display glass is set into a plastic sub-frame. This cheapens the overall look of the phone. The frame stands out plainly from the polycarbonate unibody chassis that makes up the rest of the outer shell. The unibody design also means the sides and rear of the phone are a single piece of plastic. It cannot be removed. The overall shape of the phone, however, is decent. The sides have a smooth surface and are pleasantly rounded. Xiaomi gave the Redmi Note 9T a mostly flat rear panel, though it narrows a bit as it reaches the side edges. The top and bottom edges of the phone are flattened, but not so much that it can stand on-end. It’s comfortable to stuff into your pocket. It’s a solidly built piece of hardware. Despite the plastic, which has a distinct pattern, it feels tight and well put together. The Redmi Note 9T comes across as robust, though not exactly rugged. Functionally, the controls are about what you’d expect from a modern phone. You’ll find the volume toggle and power button on the right edge of the phone. The toggle offers snappy feedback. I also like that the power button doubles as a fingerprint reader. It was easy to train and use, and I found it to be very quick. A tray tucked into the left edge accommodates two SIM cards and a microSD card at the same time. On the bottom, you’ll note the USB-C port,3.5mm headphone jack, and downward-firing speaker. The camera module is the most distinct element of the design. It is encapsulated in a large circle near the top edge of the phone’s rear. Three lenses and a flash form a quadrangle of circular points. It’s raised slightly and can catch your skin when reaching for it in your pocket. The Redmi Note 9T comes in Nightfall Black or Daybreak Purple. We have the black colorway, and because it’s more of a steely gray I’d call it appealing.
