Does the Redmi 9A reveal too many compromises in the test compared to the Redmi Note 9?!

In our test, the Redmi 9A presents itself as a successful low-budget smartphone that can be purchased already for significantly less than 100 Euros (~$118). The workmanship is good, the battery life very long, and the equipment is convincing for a very affordable smartphone. In addition, the IPS panel offers solid viewing angles and a good color reproduction.

However, compared to the Redmi 9 and Redmi Note 9 sibling models, you have to accept some compromises. While customers in China have the choice between various models with up to 6 GB of RAM, in this country (Germany) users have to be content with the Redmi 9A with the small amount of working memory. In this regard, the Redmi 9 and Note 9 are able to score with twice as much RAM, which becomes positively noticeable in everyday usage. In addition, Xiaomi has equipped its low-budget smartphone with a fairly weak MediaTek processor, the new Helio G25.

The system of the 9A model does not always run smoothly and there are often some delays. Due to the slow eMMC storage, the load times are also significant. Particularly the Mali-G52 MP2 of the Helio G80 or G85, which is inside the Redmi 9 and Note 9 sibling models, offers significantly more GPU performance and ensures considerably more gaming fun and higher frame rates in combination with the 1080p panel. 

So you have to take a critical look at the question whether the slightly lower purchase costs of the Redmi 9A are worthwhile when possibly using it for several years. A Redmi 9 or Redmi Note 9 would offer a noticeably better overall package for the extra amount of currently 20 or 40 Euros (~$24 or $47) respectively.

If you would like to get a more detailed impression on the Redmi 9A, we recommend our review of the Xiaomi smartphone.