Online classes. Virtual meetings. Fulfilling orders and booking deliveries. All that can be done using a smartphone. But amid the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, not everyone can afford a decent one. And that’s what most people would assume.
Enter the Redmi 9A and 9C. These latest entry-level smartphones from Xiaomi are priced starting at P4,490. Pero kahit entry-level kung tutuusin, swak na swak ang lahat ng specs at features nito para sa mga estudyante, nag-o-online business, delivery riders, pati na mga TNVS driver. Xiaomi wants to make its products more accessible especially during these tough times, further lowering prices to upgrade the lives of everyone in the community with latest technologies in features-packed smartphones.
Xiaomi Redmi 9A
Contents of the Xiaomi Redmi 9A box
First launched mid-2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, the Redmi 9A and 9C sought to address the ever-expanding needs of the average consumer. From a battery with a big capacity, colorful and immersive display, to the latest software out of the box, kayang higitan ng budget smartphones na Redmi 9A at 9C ang expectation ng marami para sa ganitong price range.
Battery capacity
Equipped with a 5,000-mAh battery, both the Xiaomi Redmi 9A and 9C can last the whole day. These include a 10-watt charger with a micro USB cable that can fully charge a drained phone in around three hours. Based on benchmark tests on conventional use of the Redmi 9A and 9C, including scrolling through social media and web browsing, the phones can still get more than 15 hours of standby time. Perfect sa mga estudyante who are looking to research a bit further for their homework or unwind for a while after using their phones for online class. Xiaomi Redmi 9A and 9C’s impressive battery capacity also benefit those with a busy work schedule at mga palaging on-the-go as it equates to less frequent charging.
Battery optimizer feature of Xiaomi Redmi 9A & 9C
Big and bright screen
May vivid at immersive display rin ang Redmi 9A at 9C. Both variants come with a massive 6.53-inch IPS LCD drop dot screen with a 720×1600 resolution and up to 400 nits of brightness. Sa madaling salita, malaki at malinaw ang screen kahit sa ilalim ng sikat ng araw. At dahil mayroon ding automatic brightness feature ang Redmi 9A at 9C, hindi na kailangang i-adjust palagi ang liwanag ng screen as the phone does it for you. Mayroon ding tinatawag na sunlight mode for those who have the automatic brightness disabled, a helpful feature that allows the phone to still adjust the brightness on its own when it detects that you’re under the sunlight.
Home screen | Auto brightness and sunlight mode features
Latest software powered by Google
Another feature of the Xiaomi Redmi 9A and 9C that will probably catch tech enthusiasts by surprise is that both units come with the MIUI 12 straight out of the box. It’s the newest UI of Xiaomi based on the fairly recent Android 10. The gestures are intuitive, the look is refreshing at madaling gamitin. There’s also the option to switch to full screen gestures instead of the on-screen buttons. Swipe right to go back, left to go forward, up to go back to the home screen and even the same gesture to pull up the app switcher.
Aside from the usual Google apps like Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps, both the Xiaomi Redmi 9A and 9C also come packed with useful features like the security scanner, battery optimizer and storage cleanup tool. Gone are the days when you would have to manually check and clear the cache of every app that’s hoarding your phone’s storage. Mas pinadali na rin ang pag-extend ng battery life kung kinakailangan. A single tap can optimize settings that would ensure more hours for your phone. Mababawasan din ang pangamba dahil sa built-in scanner na gamit ang virus definitions ng kilalang antivirus company na Avast.
Storage cleaner | Security scanner powered by Avast
Where to buy
Interested? Head on over to the official Xiaomi store on Lazada or Shopee. You can also visit the nearest Xiaomi store, if current pandemic restrictions allow it. The Xiaomi Redmi 9A (2GB+32GB) is now made affordable at P4,490 while the two variants of Redmi 9C cost P4,990 (2GB+32GB) and P5,690 (3GB+64GB). The GBs in the parentheses refer to RAM and storage, respectively.
Key differences
Pero ano nga ba ang pinagkaiba ng Xiaomi Redmi 9A at 9C? Aside sa letter, may ilang hardware features at specs na unique ang dalawang phone sa isa’t isa. The Redmi 9A comes packaged with the MediaTek Helio G25 processor while the Redmi 9C is fitted with the slightly better MediaTek Helio G35. Both are octa-core CPUs with the former capable of up to 2.0 GHz and the latter up to 2.3 GHz. The two models, meanwhile, have the same PowerVR GE8320 GPU.
May isang 13 MP camera naman ang Xiaomi Redmi 9A sa likod nito habang ang 9C may dagdag na 2 MP macro camera at isa pang 2 MP depth sensor. Both units have a 5 MP camera at the front perfect for taking selfies. Below are some sample photos.
Shot with Redmi 9C’s 13 MP back camera
Sample of Redmi 9C’s portrait mode
Selfie using the 5 MP front camera
Shot indoors with fluorescent light
Another noticeable difference between the two is that the Xiaomi Redmi 9C has a fingerprint scanner at the back while the 9A doesn’t. It can be used to unlock the phone, although both models have the option for a face unlock feature. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the full list of specs of the two phones.
Xiaomi Redmi 9C
So alin ang para sa’yo? While the Xiaomi Redmi 9A is more affordable, it’s important to factor in the unique features of both models to your needs. The bigger RAM capacity of the Xiaomi Redmi 9C 3GB+64GB variant means a smoother overall experience and is generally better for multitasking. But the 9A holds up quite well already for an average user especially at its excellent price point.
