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Redmi 9T: Should you buy it, and what are the alternatives?
What’s good about the Xiaomi Redmi 9T?
Good performance: You get good performance with the Redmi 9T considering the price of the device. The Snapdragon 662 processor is ably backed by 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of built-in storage. It handles day-to-day tasks really well and is a decent device for gaming as well.
Excellent battery life: Keeping everything running is a huge 6,000mAh battery, and that is one of this phone’s biggest selling points. It’ll comfortably give you at least two days of use with average usage. It also comes with 18W fast charging, but because it’s such a big battery, it will take a while to fully charge up. It also provides an excellent audio experience with stereo speakers and a headphone jack.
Solid cameras: It comes with a really good quad-camera setup, headlined by a 48MP primary shooter. You can get some good-looking shots with the Redmi 9T, and it’s one of the better smartphone cameras you can get in this price range.
Interesting colorways: The Redmi 9T is also a great option if you’re looking for a colorful phone. You get the standard black, of course, but colorways like Sunrise Orange, Twilight Blue, and Ocean Green are the way to go if you want to stand out.
Affordable: The Redmi 9T’s biggest positive is its price tag. The phone retails for €159 (~$195) for a 4GB/64GB model and €189 (~$235) for double the storage. You can also opt for the Redmi 9T NFC model if that feature is important for you. The 4GB/64GB NFC variant retails for €169 (~$210), while the 128GB option will set you back €199 (~$245).
Problems with the Xiaomi Redmi 9T
Performance issues: The Redmi 9T comes with a capable processor, but some users have faced problems with performance caused by MIUI 12. Software updates will likely address these problems, though.
Software: Even though it was released in 2021, the phone comes with Android 10 onboard. It will likely get upgraded to Android 11, but you’ll have to be patient. Additionally, the MIUI skin that sits on top of Android isn’t to everyone’s liking, although it has gotten better over the years.
No OIS: As good as the Redmi 9T is for photography, it’s not a great option for videos. The Redmi 9T doesn’t feature OIS, so there’s a lot of camera movement in videos.
What are some good Redmi 9T alternatives?
POCO M3: The POCO M3 is practically identical to the Redmi 9T. You get the same processing package and battery, more colorful options, and a similar price tag. The Redmi 9T tacks on an extra 8MP ultra-wide camera though.
Xiaomi Redmi 10: The Redmi 9T’s successor is an obvious alternative worth getting. It’s priced almost the same, and comes with a better camera setup, better processing package, and newer software, even if it is Android 11. The battery is smaller, but 5,000mAh is more than enough to last a couple of days.
Moto G Stylus 2022: If you’d rather stay away from international versions, the Moto G Stylus 2022 is one of the best cheap phones you can get in the US. It’s an impressive phone in this price range, with solid cameras, a cleaner software experience, and a stylus.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T: Should you buy it?
If you’re looking for a cheap but capable Android smartphone, the Xiaomi Redmi 9T is definitely up to the task. The phone features solid hardware, good cameras, and a huge battery that will last for days. There are a few worthy alternatives, though, because the Redmi 9T is more than a year old at this point. Xiaomi has already released its successor that brings improvements across the board and is priced almost the same. The Redmi 9T is a capable phone, but if you’re looking for an affordable smartphone in 2022, you should definitely opt for something new.