For those not yet familiar with the Xiaomi stable, the Redmi Note series has been offering some of the most incredible mid-range smartphones on the market, with over 110 million Redmi Note units sold across the globe. The recently launched Redmi Note 9S graced our review desk not so long ago.

Let’s have a look at the Note 9 first, it brings photography to the forefront with a 48MP main camera and 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. Its 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor complete the quad-camera setup while a 13MP camera is positioned in-display to allow for maximum front screen display size.

Its powered by a 5020mAh (typ) battery with 18W fast charging support. A MediaTek Helio G85 processor helps power everything.

Meanwhile, on the Note 9 Pro you’ll find impressive quad-camera setup in the rear consisting of a 64MP main lens, 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor.

On the front, Redmi Note 9 Pro sports a 16MP in-display camera for high-quality selfies. Its also powered by a 5020mAh battery alonside the all-new Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 720G processor and up to 2.3GHz.

Of course, the Redmi Note 9 and Note 9 Pro aren’t exactly competing in anything but sales and attention. The Redmi brand has always been known for its mid-range and affordable phones and, despite all the hype, those are exactly what these two are. The Redmi Note 9 is available in stores starting at R3 999 while the Note 9 Pro starts at R5 999.

And in case you can’t wait, we’ll be featuring the most pertinent highlights about the device, the things you’re likely to want to know before you make the plunge — both good and bad. And, make no mistake, there are a lot of things to like about this mid range device. Like what, you ask? Read on to find out.

It’s (mostly) everything you want in a smartphone

Value for money is a key selling point for the Redmi Note series of devices. The Redmi brand has always been known for its mid-range and affordable phones and, despite all the hype, that is exactly what the Note 9S is.

If flat-out performance at a low price is what you want, the Redmi Note 9S delivers the best bang-for-the-buck.

You might just forget that its in your hands

When it comes to holding the Note 9S in your hand you’ll find that the fingerprint reader is integrated into the power key and is rather extremely fast at unlocking the phone. The button is intuitively placed and very easy to reach, even with a single hand. So is the unsegmented volume rocker. It is placed too perfectly so that reaching it is perfect with one hand.

Overall, the Redmi Note 9S is a conservative, but pleasant step forward as far as aesthetics are concerned.

The design is impeccable

For those familiar with the brand, you would’ve noticed that the Redmi Note 9S is a direct extension of the design language introduced with the Note 7 Pro, and then further iterated upon with the Note 8 Pro.

The most distinctive, and different, design element has to be the back panel of the phone. Gone is the gradient and instead, you get a brilliantly glossy pane of Gorilla Glass 5. We have the Interstellar Grey variant and at the right angle, it could double up as a mirror in a pinch. Of course, this makes it a fingerprint and scuff magnet. Using the included case is almost necessary if you don’t want to constantly clean up smudges. It’s a shame really since the phone somehow manages to stand out despite the myriad iterations on similar design principles.

It has a massive battery

One could say that Huawei pioneered the trend of slapping large 4,000mAh batteries in phones, for Xiaomi the Note 9S takes it a step forward. This time around, the phone has a 5,020mAh battery that is more than enough for a long day of heavy use and even a little bit more.

You’ll love the camera

The quad-camera setup on the Note 9S includes an 8MP ultrawide sensor, a 2 MP depth sensor as well as a rather questionable 5MP macro sensor. The primary shooter this time around, however, is a 48MP Samsung GM2 sensor.

The Remdi Note 9S 4+64GB Interstellar Grey retails for R4 699 while the 6+128GB version in either Aurora Blue or Glacier White retails for R5 299.