Today we have on review one of the cheapest smartphones from Xiaomi – Redmi 9A. This smartphone is aimed at the very initial segment, from Aliexpress. Naturally, one should not expect anything outstanding for this money, although the previous Redmi 8A model was more attractive in this regard, but at the same time, the main Xiaomi chips are present here.
First, a little about the box and packaging. The box is in the style of other phones from the Redmi 9 line, but the kit was deprived of a silicone case, it’s worthless to spend money on it, right Xiaomi? And besides the phone, the set includes:
- Box with a paper clip and waste paper
- 5V 2A charger
- MicroUSB charging cable
Well, it’s worth saying that, for example, a protective film was immediately glued to the screen on the Redmi 9, but in the budget version they didn’t even leave such pleasantness, all for the sake of economy.
In this regard, I do not want to do a standard review, because there is not much to talk about here. I’d rather tell you straight away what I liked and what I didn’t like. And of course some tests, let’s go!
Let’s start with the advantages, there are few of them, but they are there and let’s start with the main thing – this is the price, we will build on this.
- Design. Despite the inexpensive case materials, Redmi 9A looks very decent. The back cover is made of plastic with a radial pattern, does not slip in the hand, and is generally pleasant to the touch. Under the camera module, there is a stylish strip that adds a little recognition to the smartphone, nothing more.
But the side frame is asking for a case, look at this protrusion on the edge
- MIUI 12. No matter how someone treats Xiaomi, they are closely involved in their system, because the only thing that unites several brands and dozens of models of their smartphones is the MIUI shell. And, recently, they are quite actively engaged in its support and updates. It looks really good, especially the curtain with switches and the settings menu, now even a beginner will be very clear and easy to scour in search of the desired setting. By the way, one update has already arrived with improved stability and speed
- 5000 mAh battery. What can I say, state employees have always been distinguished by good autonomy, Xiaomi Redmi 9A is the best proof of this – two or even three days of work from a full charge can be pulled out, unless of course you do not play toys all day
Of the obvious advantages, I can’t single out anything else, but the disadvantages are more like justifying the price than obvious jambs of the phone. But still, I’ll tell you about what I didn’t like and what I shouldn’t have saved so much on:
Screen. Although they put a huge 6.53 ”display here, like in older models, but with a resolution of HD + or 1600 by 720 pixels, it’s not the resolution that will bother you in everyday use, but the low brightness. In the sun, you will hardly peer to see something against a dark background. Xiaomi Redmi 9 had the same problem 
- Performance. The smartphone has a new chip from Mediatek – Helio G25. This is the weakest chip in the new G line, so you can’t expect high performance from it. When performing any task, there are no brakes, but everything happens slowly, with long delays. And it will be completely invisible to a person who has not used powerful smartphones, the difference is only visible in contrast.
It is quite possible to play on Redmi 9A, but only in simple games, some heavy games at low settings are also quite playable. You can watch small clips of the gameplay in our video review at the top of the page 
- Deprecated interfaces. Yes, Xiaomi Redmi 9A is a budget model, well, was it really so expensive to put here not a MicroUSB connector, but Type-C and add support for Wi-Fi 5 GHz AC, but at least Bluetooth 5.0 was not spared
- Cameras. There are only 2 of them, front and back, which is good, without unnecessary useless modules for marketing. Rear camera with an unknown 13 MP sensor and a poor ƒ/ 2.2 aperture.
See what you can squeeze out of this camera:
The front camera is represented by a 5 MP sensor, the quality is also not so hot, it will do for video calls
Having listed all the main advantages and disadvantages of Xiaomi Redmi 9A, you understand that it is clearly in its place. Yes, of course, you always want the best performance for little money. But who wants to buy a more expensive model, if there is a cheap and cool one, so the manufacturer deliberately makes such sacrifices.
Despite most of the notable drawbacks, the phone can still be a great option for a child or an elderly person who does not need to spend a lot of money on a smartphone. And all the functionality of Redmi 9A already performs, moreover, not bad.
The main line of criticism comes from the previous generation Redmi 8A, in which the camera was better and Type-C was installed and the processor from Qualcomm, so what is Xiaomi’s progress?
