UPDATE (March 12)

The following are the expected specs of the three Redmi Note 9 models likely to launch today. Note that these are based on the final set of rumors, leaks, and teasers.

Redmi Note 9

  • 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display 60Hz
  • Helio P75
  • 48MP quad cameras
  • 4GB + 64GB RAM base with MicroSD
  • 4500mAh battery with 18W fast charging

Redmi Note 9 Pro 

  • 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD 60Hz
  • Snapdragon 720G
  • 48MP + 8MP Ultrawide + 5MP Macro + 2MP depth
  • 16MP punch-hole selfie camera
  • 4GB + 64GB base variant with MicroSD
  • 5020mAh battery with 18W fast charging

Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

  • 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD 90Hz
  • Dimensity 800 chip
  • 64MP quad-cameras
  • 32MP punch-hole selfie shooter
  • 6GB RAM + 128GB with MicroSD
  • 5020mAh battery with 18W

 

Original story as follows. 

The Redmi Note series is Redmi’s (Xiaomi) best selling smartphone series. The Redmi Note 7 was one of the top-selling smartphones of 2019 according to Omdia while Canalys says the Redmi Note 8 is the No. 1 selling smartphone globally. The Redmi Note 8 Pro, on the other hand, was the No. 1 selling quad-camera smartphone in India for Q4 2019.

Xiaomi India has announced that a successor called the Redmi Note 9 will launch on March 12 in India. The teaser image has revealed only one key detail about the phone and that is it will have four rear cameras arranged in a matrix rather than vertically like on its predecessor. Alongside the Redmi Note 9, we also expect the Redmi Note 9 Pro. This post is a summary of what we expect from Redmi with the two new phones.

Redmi Note 9 Series

Redmi Note 9

Redmi India has created the hashtag #ProCamerasMaxPerformance ahead of the release of the Redmi Note 9 series. The hashtag hints at cameras and performance being the focus and those are what we will start with.

Cameras – The Redmi Note 9 will have four rear cameras like its predecessor but not only will the sensors be arranged differently, they should also be better than those of its predecessor.

The Redmi Note 8 launched with a 48MP + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP macro + 2MP depth sensor. We want to believe the Redmi 9 will have a 64MP primary camera 48MP camera while the other three cameras will likely be unchanged other three sensors getting slight upgrades.

Redmi will also most likely upgrade the selfie camera too and our guess is it will be a 32MP sensor like that of the Mi A3. However, it is also possible it may be a 20MP sensor like that of the Redmi K30.

Processor – The Redmi Note 8 has a Snapdragon 665 processor inside it but it will most likely be replaced with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset. Xiaomi already announced it will launch a phone with the new 8nm chipset when it was announced and there is no better device to feature the chipset than the Redmi Note 9.

The special page created for the Redmi Note 9 on Amazon India teases the phone will have a “beast processor” and “beast gaming”. The Snapdragon 720G ticks the boxes for both features.

Display – The Redmi Note 7 and the Redmi Note 8 both have a 6.3-inch screen with a notch. For the Redmi Note 9, we presume the notched screen will be replaced with one with a hole-punch. And since Redmi says the phone will have a “Pro Display”, we expect it will have a high refresh rate too.

The Redmi Note 9 may also come with a bigger display but we don’t think it will be bigger than the Redmi Note 8 Pro’s 6.53-inch screen. However, the screen will definitely be an LCD.

Battery – Redmi has bumped up the battery capacity of its phones starting with the Redmi 8A which has a 5000mAh battery capacity. The Redmi Note 9 should have a bigger battery capacity but it may not surpass 4500mAh.

In addition, fans of the series should expect it to have a faster-charging technology. The official Redmi India Twitter account already said the upcoming phone(s) will have the fastest charging ever on a Redmi Note device. Our guess is it will be 22.5W fast charging as a Xiaomi charger with that power rating received 3C certification last month.

Others – The Redmi Note 9 is expected to run Android 10 out of the box. It should retain the audio jack and the IR blaster but we won’t be surprised if the fingerprint scanner moves to the side. Both sides of the phone will have Gorilla Glass and the phone should have a splash-resistant coating.

Price – The Redmi Note 9 is expected to keep its sub ~$200/INR 15,000 price tag when it launches.

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi Note 7 Pro starts receiving Android 10-based MIUI 11 update

 

Redmi Note 9 Pro

The Redmi Note 9 Pro may also tag along and it should pack better specs than the standard version.

Cameras – The Redmi Note 9 Pro will also have a 64MP quad-camera setup like its predecessor but its primary sensor may have a larger aperture size. Redmi might also give it a 13MP ultrawide camera rather than an 8MP sensor. It may also feature a telephoto camera.

The selfie camera might also get an upgrade but since it the Redmi Note 8 Pro has a 20MP selfie camera, Redmi may decide to leave it that way.

Processor – The Redmi Note 8 Pro has MediaTek’s Helio G90T chipset. Up until now, it is still the only commercially-available phone with the gaming chipset. However, for the Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi will be switching to Qualcomm.

Snapdragon 720G

The Redmi Note 9 Pro appeared on Geekbench a few days ago with an octa-core Snapdragon processor. The identifier and base frequency matches that of the Realme 6 Pro’s Geekbench result. And since we already know that the Realme 6 Pro has a Snapdragon 720G processor, it means the Redmi Note 9 Pro is coming with the same chipset. The SoC is paired with 6GB of RAM but there should be other variants too.

Processor (China): Recent developments this week hint at the Redmi Note 9 Pro getting a different processor in China. This chipset is believed to be MediaTek’s Dimensity 800 5G processor. If this turns out to be true, it means the Chinese model of the Redmi Note 9 Pro will be a 5G smartphone.

Display – The Redmi Note 9 Pro may get a slightly bigger LCD display but it too may have a hole punch for the selfie camera. We also expect it to have a high refresh rate.

Battery – With a bigger display, we also expect a bigger battery capacity. So the Redmi Note 9 Pro may be the first Redmi Note to have a 5000mAh battery capacity. Like the non-pro model, this should also have 22.5W fast charge.

Others – The Redmi Note 9 Pro will run Android 10 out of the box. It should also keep the audio jack and infrared blaster. Both the display and the back should have Gorilla Glass and the phone should also have a splashproof nano-coating. The fingerprint scanner might also change position and move to the side.

Price – Xiaomi (Redmi) always tries to keep the price unchanged, so the Redmi Note 9 Pro should remain under INR 18,999 (~$259) for the highest configuration.

The Redmi Note 9 series will be unveiled online on March 12. It will be available first in India before launching in other countries.

UP NEXT: Redmi K30 sale exceeds 1 million units in China, reveals Xiaomi

 

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