Theta Android News: Redmi 9 series could bring major upgrades to low-end phones

Monday, June 1, 2020

Redmi 9 series could bring major upgrades to low-end phones

Xiaomi's low-end Redmi phones are usually among the best devices in the sub-$150 tier, with recent Redmi phones offering big batteries and several other neat features.

Now, frequent leaker Sudhanshu has revealed apparent Redmi 9 series details on Twitter, and they say we'll see four phones in the family. These four phones are said to be the Redmi 9A, Redmi 9C, Redmi 9C with NFC, and the Redmi 9.

Updated specs with pricing https://t.co/CF5YZOCYGr pic.twitter.com/gMEG4vrlWp

— Sudhanshu (@Sudhanshu1414) May 31, 2020

Starting with the Redmi 9A, Sudhanshu reports that the phone will be equipped with an unannounced MediaTek Helio G25 processor and Mali-G31 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, and a single 13MP rear camera. Other purported details include a 6.53-inch 720p screen, and a €100 to €120 (~$111 to ~$134) price tag.

Moving to the Redmi 9C duo, it's believed that these phones will offer an unannounced Helio G35 chipset with Mali-G31 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. However, the leaker's spec table points to the standard model offering a triple rear camera setup (13MP+5MP+2MP) while the model with NFC purportedly offers a dual camera setup (13MP+2MP). This could be a mistake, but in any event, the Redmi 9C phones are tipped to offer a €130 to €150 (~$145 to ~$167) price.

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The Redmi 9 is looking like the most capable device in the family, and it's said to be equipped with a Helio G70 processor (seen in the Realme C3), 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, and quad rear cameras (13MP+8MP+5MP+2MP). You're also said to be getting a 5,000mAh battery and 6.53-inch FHD+ screen, while pricing is tipped at €160 to €180 (~$178 to ~$200).

All the Redmi 9 series phones are apparently coming with a 5MP selfie camera, IR blaster, USB-C connectivity, 3.5mm port, and fingerprint scanner. The latter would be a pretty big deal for the Redmi 9A, as its predecessor (the Redmi 8A) doesn't have this feature.

It's also worth noting that we haven't heard about the Helio G25 or G35 processors before. MediaTek's Helio G series is marketed as a gaming-focused range, and its Helio G70, G80, and G90T SoCs all seem to punch above their weight on paper. We're expecting the unannounced processors to be a significant step below other Helio G chips though, but hopefully they still bring good performance to the sub-$150 tier.