With the final quarter of the year serving as a prelude to the gift-giving holiday season, many brands and companies are in a hurry to get a windfall before 2020 comes to a close.
Smartphone players likewise do not exempt themselves from the hustle and the bustle, and this is manifested by the consecutive launches of handsets in recent months that target different market segments.
The most cutthroat of these segments, of course, is the entry-level market. Interestingly, some smartphones that were launched even during the preceding quarter remain competitive when you put them side by side with the newer models. A case in point: Xiaomi's Redmi 9.
Launched back in June, the Redmi 9 is a smartphone that comes with an ample 6.53-inch FHD+ Dot Drop display with 2340 x 1080p resolution, providing you with immersive visual experience, thanks to its durable, nearly bezel-less screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The phone itself is a sight to behold clad in Carbon Grey, Ocean Green, and Sunset Purple color schemes.
Above the display, the Redmi 9 carries an 8-megapixel (MP) selfie camera backed by a 1/4" sensor and 4P lens with f/2.0 aperture. The rear, meanwhile, carries a quad camera system consisting of a 13MP wide-angle camera, 8MP ultra wide-angle camera, 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.
Under the hood, the Redmi 9 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 octa-core chipset clocked at 2.0GHz, promising to deliver longer battery life, smoother gaming, and secure face unlock. OS-wise, the phone runs on MIUI 11 based on Android 10.
This Redmi's stamina is further prolonged with the help of a 5020mAh built-in battery which makes it remain charged for an entire day of heavy usage. The phone also features 18W fast charging, and supports OTG reverse charging and Quick Charge 3.0.
Apart from having a stunning display, the Redmi 9's Mali-G52 GPU works with the CPU and RAM of up to 4GB to deliver smooth graphics for mobile gaming. Installing games or storing large files like high-resolution photos and high-definition videos on the phone should never be a problem, thanks to its ample built-in storage that can go up to 64GB. If this is still not enough, simply insert a microSD card to expand storage to 512GB.
Along with all of the features mentioned, the Redmi 9 offers an array of connectivity options. The dual-SIM phone supports dual 4G standby mode, Bluetooth 5.0, and Wi-Fi, and comes with a 3.5mm audio jack and USB Type-C port.
The Redmi 9 comes in two variants based on RAM and ROM combination: 3GB RAM+32GB ROM (P6,990) and 4GB RAM+ 64GB ROM (P7,490). Weighing on these prices points, together with the features and specifications, Xiaomi's Redmi 9 is certainly still a relevant contender in the sub-P10,000 smartphone category, despite the presence of newer offerings from other brands.