Review of smartphones Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

In the spring of 2020, mobile phone manufacturers have replenished the market with interesting and stylish new products, flagship and budget. Among them, two Xiaomi models of the Redmi series should be noted: Note 9 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max. The new Redmi Note 9 Pro is already presented on March 12, 2020, the release of Redmi Note 9 Pro Max has been postponed to April. How are the models identical? What are the differences? Let us consider in detail the technical characteristics, advantages, disadvantages of both options and compare them with each other.

Chinese brand Xiaomi

Xiaomi equipment has been known to the Russian buyer for five years. In terms of sales, the company ranks 4th in China and 6th in the world. In our country, the goods are officially sold by the Svyaznoy chain of stores.Since 2016, a line of Redmi smartphones has been launched and is constantly being improved. Devices with a capacious battery, long battery life and high technical capabilities are offered at an affordable cost and are budget. The remaining smartphones of the company are also produced according to the principle of high quality - average price. A feature of Xiaomi devices is the use of proprietary MIUI firmware - the styles of Samsung TouchWiz and Apple iOS coexist perfectly in it. There are two types of devices on the market: on a pure Android operating system and on Android using the MIUI shell.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro and Pro Max

Appearance and design

Both models have a classic monoblock look. The displays look similar: the frames are almost invisible, the chin is slightly wider than the top and side frames, a neat round eye of the front camera is installed in the center of the screen at the top. The dimensions of the Pro Max case are 165.5 x 76.7mm, the dimensions of the Pro are similar: 165.8 x 76.7mm. Ergonomics is good - the devices fit comfortably in a medium-sized hand. The properties of the matrices and the capacity of the battery do not allow making a device with a small thickness, therefore the thickness of the models is the same and amounts to 8.8 mm. The weight of both devices is 209 grams. Cases and frames of devices are plastic.

The 5th generation Gorilla Glass protective glass is installed on top of the screens and cases. It protects smartphones from water and splashes, it is considered waterproof, but if used carelessly, scratches, cracks and other mechanical damage may appear on top of the glass. For the greatest protection of devices, in order to avoid the appearance of matte fingerprints on the surface, it will be more convenient to put a silicone case on smartphones.On the left side there is a slot for cards, on the right side there are power, volume buttons and a fingerprint sensor. Both devices will hit the market in three colors: Aurora Blue, Ice White Glacier White and Black Interstellar Black. The cost of Pro Max is indicated from 180 euros.

Screens and matrices

Each model is characterized by touch displays with IPS LCD matrices, with liquid crystal indicators. Capacitive displays with multi-touch function reflect 16 million shades and colors. According to the manufacturer, the brightness of the screens ranges from 450 units. IPS-matrix does not allow you to install a fingerprint sensor inside the screen. The sensor is mounted on the right side, where the power / lock and volume buttons are located. Products are made with the same diagonal displays - 6.67 inches. The total useful area of ​​the screens is 107.4 sq.cm. The ratio of horizontal to vertical screen dimensions is identical and standard, equal to 20:9, the screen-to-body ratio of the smartphone is 84.6% for the Pro Max, and 84.5% for the 9 Pro. As for the number of pixels per inch of area, they are also equal: for both models, the manufacturer indicates a density of 395 units per 1 inch. The resolution of both screens is the same and equal to 1080 x 2400 pixels, the output is FullHD +.

When watching movies, you get the feeling of being at the screen of a large LCD TV. IPS-type liquid crystal matrices have high contrast, realistic hues and natural color reproduction. The picture is smoothed, it is visible in any conditions: both in the dark and in bright sunlight. This is the main advantage of the IPS matrix.Among other pluses, one can note the viewing angles of the display - they show the picture as much as possible without distorting it. An important aspect is the transmission of deep blacks. Of the minuses, it is worth noting the screen response time - for IPS it is the least of all modern cool matrices such as AMOLED and Super AMOLED. It is not noticeable to the human eye. Liquid crystal matrices are characterized by the installation of capacitive batteries, which provide energy saving and long autonomy of devices.

Processor and Memory

With multimedia shooting, you get a photo and video of a large volume. To hold and process such information, a good amount of RAM is required. Therefore, the Pro Max smartphone has 6 and 8 GB of RAM, while the Pro has 4/6 GB. The cameras are of lower resolution. Powered by octa-core octa-core processor with Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G chipset on 8nm process technology, with powerful Adreno 618 GPU graphics. The accelerator is responsible for smooth operation when scrolling through menu pages and the Internet. The architecture of the cores is as follows: two Kryo 465 Gold cores with a frequency of 2.3 GHz, six Kryo 465 Silver cores operate at a frequency of 1.8 GHz. There are Pro Max models on the market with UFS 2.1 memory for 64/6, 128/6, 128/8 GB, Pro models with 64/4, 128/6 GB. The new products have a dedicated slot for installing a microSDXC card with additional memory up to 512 GB. The Android 10.0 operating system used is decorated with its own development - MIUI 11. The shell is similar to the joint solutions of IOS and Android, includes an accessible easy menu, native applications, and improves device performance.

Technologies wired and wireless

Smartphones work on three main network technologies - 2G GSM, 3G HSPA, 4G LTE; data transfer is carried out at a speed of HSPA 42.2 / 5.76 Mbps. The slot accepts one or two Nano-SIM SIM cards operating in dual standby mode. Among the wireless technologies there are Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11, with an access point and Wi-Fi Direct, an infrared sensor. Antennas are built inside for listening to FM radio, it has a recording function. The search is carried out using GPS navigation systems, with A-GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, NavIC. Among wired communications, there is a USB 2.0 connector, a reversible Type-C 1.0, a mini-Jack with a diameter of 3.5 mm for connecting a headset.

Battery

A non-removable Li-Po battery with a capacity of 5020 mAh ensures long autonomy of both devices. According to the manufacturer, fast charging with a power of 33 W will charge devices from zero to 50% in half an hour. You will have to check the information only after purchasing one of the devices.

Multimedia and macro cameras

The novelties have single front cameras under the display and tetra-blocks on the rear panel with the main cameras. Cameras provide high quality, excellent detailing of photos and videos in different lighting conditions and in different shooting modes. The manufacturer presented new items, focusing on the professional capabilities of lenses. Pro Max main unit contains: 64MP Samsung GW1 main module with 1.9 aperture and autofocus mode, 8MP ultra wide lens, 5MP macro camera with 2.4 aperture and 2MP depth sensor for portrait filming. The cameras have HDR high-quality shooting modes, panoramas and LED flash.The output is a video of the following sizes: 2160px x 30 fps, 1080px x 30/60/120 fps, 720px x 960 fps. The EIS stabilizer captures the movement of the device in three planes, making the image clearer and more stable.

The smartphone saves photos in uncompressed RAW format. The format contains raw information that comes directly from the camera's sensor. Further, with the help of photo editors, you can carry out any processing of images. If you just want to take a high-quality photo and send it immediately, for example, to Instagram, there is a Pro Color function that makes photos more detailed and vibrant.

The ultra-wide camera captures a 119-degree field of view. Pictures through it are brighter and more detailed than on smartphones from other companies.

A macro camera will allow you to photograph an object at a distance of 2 - 10 cm. Portrait photography is done with the Bokeh effect, when the face looks clear, and the picture around is blurred, and the frame seems animated. The front camera has a 32 megapixel lens, with support for artificial intelligence, provides the ability to shoot HDR, panoramic mode. It can shoot video clips of 1080 pixels x 30 frames per second. The cameras in the Pro model are identical except for two modules. The main camera on the main unit has a resolution of 48 megapixels, the selfie camera is 16 megapixels. The rest of the lenses work with the same features and modes as the Pro Max. The video format and capabilities are the same in both devices.

Additional functions

Smartphones have built-in standard sensors: accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, stabilizer. A fingerprint sensor is mounted on the side.

Comparative characteristics of smartphones

• classic appearance;
• good ergonomics;
• price-quality ratio;
• excellent multitasking;
• large screen;
• affordable cost;
• high capacity battery;
• high-resolution cameras and their number;
• waterproof case;
• protective glass is installed on the screen and on the case cover;
• photographs with high detail;
• FullHD+ resolution;
• the ability to shoot at different times of the day, with and without lighting;
• wide viewing angle and high color rendering;
• the screen does not shine in the sun - the picture is completely visible;
• strong loads do not heat the device;
• long battery life;
• large amount of RAM and built-in memory;
• device memory can be increased by installing a card;
• there is an infrared port;
• there is a 3.5mm headset jack;
• built-in radio with recording function.

• glass is subject to mechanical damage and scratches;
• there is no case included;
• plastic frame;
• there is no NFC chip to pay for purchases without a bank card.

Conclusion

Comparing the cameras of both models, the cooler lenses on the Pro Max should be noted. Accordingly, the RAM of the devices is also different. Other features, built-in functions, battery size, autonomy are similar. Smartphones have professional cameras and maximum performance. With flagship parameters, the cost of devices is low, they are available to every buyer.