Xiaomi Mi 9T (Redmi K20) Quick Review: Possibly The Best Mid-Range Phone Available

The Xiaomi Mi 9T is pretty much the rebranded version of the Redmi K20 that launched in India earlier in the month. The handset is launched in the mid-range segment to take on the Realme X, ZenFone 6, Galaxy A50, and more. The Redmi K20 is currently retailed at Rs. 21,999 for the entry-level option with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, whereas its model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at Rs. 23,999.

The Xiaomi Mi 9T is available in three color variants - Carbon Black, Red Flame, and Glacier Blue. The unit used in this review is a Carbon Black variant.

Detailed specifications of the Xiaomi Mi 9T (Redmi K20)

- Display: 6.39 inch, Super AMOLED, Full HD +, 19.5:9

- Rear Camera: 48MP + 13MP + 8MP

- Selfie camera: 20MP

- Chipset: Snapdragon 730 SoC

- RAM: 6GB/8GB

- Internal storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB

- Battery: 4,000mAh With 18W fast charging solution

Xiaomi Mi 9T: What’s in the box

Xiaomi Mi 9T: Review

On the bottom of the box, there are some details of the Xiaomi Mi 9T

The comfortably curved back and the glossy metal rails help create a smooth yet slippery surface. It is no doubt that the phone looks gorgeous, but its back panel is prone to fingerprint, and you might lose grip since the glass is quite slick. Overall, it is still a massive improvement over the Xiaomi Mi 9.

You can see the logo "Xiaomi" with the line "Designed by Xiaomi" delicately depicted at the back. The phone also shows a carbon-fiber pattern from beneath its smooth glass back.

The red-colored power button & volume rocker are located on the right side of the phone while there is no button on its left spine.

At the bottom, there are a speaker grill, a SIM tray, a microphone, and a USB Type-C port.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi still keeps the headphone jack on the top of the handset along with the pop-up selfie camera.

On the rear, it comes with a triple camera setup, including a 48MP primary camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP depth sensor.

And to achieve the full-screen display, Xiaomi goes for the pop-up camera design.

This selfie camera features the same mechanism as that of the OnePlus 7 Pro. The brand claims that this module can continuously pop-up up to 300,000 times.

The Xiaomi Mi 9T packs a 6.39" Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Additionally, the screen is protected by a protective layer of Gorilla Glass 5. Overall, the display is large and sharp with plenty of pixels. Moreover, it is an AMOLED screen, that allows for infinite contrast levels, deeper blacks, more vivid colors, and brighter highlights.

There is a very thin bezel at the top

...  while its bottom chin is slightly thicker

For security, Xiaomi equips it with a fingerprint scanner embedded under the display. It feels pretty quick, and we didn't have any issues registering my fingerprint. Not just that, it is also one of the most reliable fingerprint scanners that I have ever used.

Here are some photos taken by the triple rear cameras of the Mi 9T. Overall, the images look quite natural and color accurate, which is quite rate for a cheaper phone like the Mi 9T. Even though the photos did not come out with incredible dynamic range or insanely sharp, but it did represent the tone and atmosphere of the scene accurately.

During my short time playing PUBG Mobile, I didn't find any lag or spike at all, even with the highest graphic setting. After 20 minutes of playing the game, the phone was only slightly warm as well. Yes, the Snapdragon 730 SoC is not as fast as the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 855 SoC, the Mi 9T is still a capable gaming smartphone. For non-gaming users, I doubt that there would be any issues using the phone for your daily tasks.

With the 4,000 mAh battery, the phone lasted all day without a hitch for the whole day that I reviewed the phone. However, you should expect the battery life to be shorter if you play graphic-intensive games like PUBG Mobile or Asphalt 9.

Xiaomi Mi 9T: Verdict

The Xiaomi Mi 9T is among the very phones that go against the stigma that smartphones under Rs. 25,000 have to sacrifice in battery life, camera, display, design, or performance. Overall, it is the smartphone that I would recommend for those who are looking for a well-rounded handset for a reasonable price.