Even after separating itself from Xiaomi and becoming a sub-brand, Redmi didn’t stop in making great devices within a reasonable price.
For one, the Redmi Note 8 Pro easily became popular thanks to its powerful processor, great cameras, large display, and other features that are arguably a steal for the price.
But not long after its release in the Philippines, the Redmi Note 9S has also made its way locally.
The Note 9S wants to keep the legacy of its predecessors going. Unlike most of its competition, this device excels in a lot of categories.
Being the newer model, you’d think that the Note 9S is better than the former. But is that really the case? We’ll find out in our Redmi Note 9S versus Redmi Note 8 Pro specifications and features comparison.
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro | |
| Operating System | Android 10 MIUI 11 | Android 9 Pie MIUI 10 (Android 10 update coming soon) |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution ~394ppi 91% screen-to-body ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | 6.53-inch IPS 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~395ppi 91% screen-to-body ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core | 2.0GHz Mediatek Helio G90T octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB | 6GB/8GB |
| GPU | Adreno 618 | Mali-G76 MC4 |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 expandable via microSD | 64GB/128GB expandable via microSD up to 256GB |
| Front Camera | 16-megapixel Punch-hole 120fps slow-mo selfie | 20-megapixel f/2.0 |
| Rear Camera | 48-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) 5-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash AI Scene Detection Ultra Nightscape mode up to 4K@30fps up to 720p@960fps slow-mo | 64-megapixel (f/1.9, PDAF) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF 960fps @ 720p slow-mo LED flash |
| Audio | Headphone jack Single speaker | Single loudspeaker Headphone jack |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BDS, NavIC IR blaster USB Type-C | 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, BDS, Galileo, A-GPS IR blaster USB Type-C |
| Others | P2i splash proof | Splash resistant |
| Dimensions | 165.75 x 76.68 x 8.8mm | 161.4 x 76.4 x 8.8mm |
| Weight | 209g | 200g |
| Colors | Aurora Blue Glacier White Interstellar Black | Blue Red Black White |
| Battery | 5,020mAh 22.5W fast charging | 4,500mAh 18W fast charging |
| Price | 4GB/64GB: Php10,490 6GB/128GB: Php11,990 | 6GB/64GB: Php11,490 6GB/128GB: Php12,990 |
Well, newer doesn’t always mean better. As you just saw, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is still superior to the Redmi Note 9S.
You might argue that it’s not a fair game since the Note 8 Pro’s real successor is the Redmi Note 9 Pro. But considering that the Note 9S’s price is almost the same as the Note 8 Pro, we expect the Note 9 Pro to arrive in the Philippines with a higher SRP, thus competing in a different price segment.
Easily the biggest win of the Redmi Note 8 Pro is in the processor department. It comes with a MediaTek Helio G90T chipset and is even considered as the most powerful midrange smartphone in the market today.
On the other hand, the Redmi Note 9S uses the controversial Snapdragon 720G, which is actually the same chipset found on the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Pro Max. Benchmark tests and performance reviews claim that the Helio G90T is still more powerful than this one.
It’s no surprise that the Redmi Note 8 Pro also took the lead in the camera department. Its 64-megapixel main camera should take better images than the 48-megapixel camera of the 9S.
There’s also the 20-megapixel selfie snapper that should take brighter and more detailed images than the 16-megapixel sensor of its sibling. However, the Note 9S does have a 120fps slow-mo selfie, which could be fun to play with. Hopefully, it would arrive the the Note 8 Pro via a software update.
But if your budget is really limited and you can’t spend a few extra thousand pesos more, then settling with the Redmi Note 9S isn’t a bad idea either.
The Snapdragon 710G processor might be inferior to the Helio G90T, but it should still be powerful enough to run games at smooth frame rates under medium to high graphics settings.
As a bonus, you’re getting a larger 6.67-inch screen (vs. 6.53-inch). A cleaner look with the punch-hole for the selfie camera, and surprisingly, a larger 5,020mAh battery (vs 4,500mAh) with a faster 22.5W (vs 18W) charger included in the box.
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The Redmi Note 9S has a starting price of only Php10,490. That comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. For an extra Php1,000, you can already get the Redmi Note 8 Pro 6GB/64GB for Php11,490.
Personally, we’d pick the Redmi Note 8 Pro since the price difference is very trivial. If you’re already spending Php10,000 on a smartphone, why not stretch your budget just a tiny bit more and get the more powerful option?
SD 720G is clearly better than MTK G90T, moreso in the battery dept. This article makes no sense
redmi note 8 pro
For you which is more better the note 8 pro or the 9s