I purchased the Redmi Note 9T 5G (2021) 3 weeks ago and have been delighted with this product. During this time I have explored the attributes of the phone and camera. It is quick to respond in both wi-fi and data modes. I have had relatively low-cost phones of well-known brands over the past ten years. None of them came up to the standard of the Redmi Note. I have no hesitation in recommending this phone. I purchased the Redmi Note 9T 5G (2021) 3 weeks ago and have been delighted with this product. During this time I have explored the attributes of the phone and camera. It is quick to respond in both wi-fi and data modes. I have had relatively low-cost phones of well-known brands over the past ten years. None of them came up to the standard of the Redmi Note. I have no hesitation in recommending this phone.

This phone had a fault straight out of the box with screen freezing, phone shutting down and then restarting only sometimes. Took it back in the first week but PB say that can't find the reasons why so won't resolve it. I provided videos showing the fault but no joy from them. Won't buy again from PB tech. This phone had a fault straight out of the box with screen freezing, phone shutting down and then restarting only sometimes. Took it back in the first week but PB say that can't find the reasons why so won't resolve it. I provided videos showing the fault but no joy from them. Won't buy again from PB tech.

I bought this phone on special (and would not have purchased it full-price).
I was waiting for Apple to release a new iPhone that appealed to me, but it became clear that this is not likely until 2023, so I bought this to last me until then.

I received the phone around a week ago and I like it a lot, but the device does have some drawbacks which relate to the out-of-box experience and to pre-installed bloatware from the manufacturer.

I spent days uninstalling bloatware, deactivating unwanted manufacturer processes, changing settings, and customising the interface. Having done this tedious work, the device is now looking great and worki...view more I bought this phone on special (and would not have purchased it full-price).
I was waiting for Apple to release a new iPhone that appealed to me, but it became clear that this is not likely until 2023, so I bought this to last me until then.

I received the phone around a week ago and I like it a lot, but the device does have some drawbacks which relate to the out-of-box experience and to pre-installed bloatware from the manufacturer.

I spent days uninstalling bloatware, deactivating unwanted manufacturer processes, changing settings, and customising the interface. Having done this tedious work, the device is now looking great and working perfectly.

Ensure that you install system updates ASAP - there are several required, and these include Android security updates.

Recommend replacing the stock launcher with Microsoft Launcher and would recommend installing Google Wallpaper and never using the Xiaomi Wallpaper or Theme apps.

The screen is beautiful, the fingerprint scanner is quick and accurate (the placement of the scanner is well thought-out), and the device is responsive with no noticeable lag.
Have not encountered any glitching.

Battery life is excellent (I can go two days on a single charge with light usage). Could not imagine running out of charge on a single day even with heavy usage.

WiFi reception is decent (but not as good as the iPhone 6 Plus that this device replaced).

Note: I do not game on this device, so am unable to comment upon gaming performance.

- Would not recommend this phone to anyone who is not comfortable with tinkering and customising.
- Would recommend this phone to anyone who is after a great bargain, is tech-savvy, and is willing to invest the time to make the device work for you.
- In terms of hardware and performance, I do not think there is a better bargain available right now.

If you want the performance and features this phone offers without the terrible out-of-box experience and the bloatware, then buy a Samsung A52 instead (or an A32 if you are on a budget).

If you do buy this phone, ensure that you purchase the matching Spigen case that PB sells - believe me when I tell you that you do not want to use the case that comes with the phone.

I bought this phone as an upgrade to my old phone mainly because it has 2 things :
- 5G connectivity
- Android 10 which enables me to download more recent apps (like the NZ Covid Tracer)

My review will be in comparison to my 6-yr old Huawei smartphone of the same price.
Take note that I mainly use it for browsing, music and video streaming (Spotify/Youtube/Netflix), and the occasional online banking.
I mainly use about 10 apps tops, do not multitask, and do not play games or take a lot of photos or videos.

THE GOOD :
* more bang for your buck. For the same price, I got 4GB RAM + 128GB built-in storage whereas I only got 2GB+16GB ...view more I bought this phone as an upgrade to my old phone mainly because it has 2 things :
- 5G connectivity
- Android 10 which enables me to download more recent apps (like the NZ Covid Tracer)

My review will be in comparison to my 6-yr old Huawei smartphone of the same price.
Take note that I mainly use it for browsing, music and video streaming (Spotify/Youtube/Netflix), and the occasional online banking.
I mainly use about 10 apps tops, do not multitask, and do not play games or take a lot of photos or videos.

THE GOOD :
* more bang for your buck. For the same price, I got 4GB RAM + 128GB built-in storage whereas I only got 2GB+16GB back in 2015.
* better battery life at 5000mAh, can easily last me 3 days of frequent use even with a larger screen, whereas my old phone could barely last me 2.
idle time without any connection (data or wifi) consumes about 2% charge per day.
* faster charging. it takes 2 hours to go from 5% to 100%, so you roughly get +1% for every minute it's plugged in.
* better camera. has an "HDR" and "Pro" mode where you can make adjustments to the shutter settings like you will on a normal camera.
Not that it will make professional level pics haha, and nowhere near quality of iPhone/Samsung flagship phones, but definitely takes better pics than my old phone.
Takes crappy photos under poor lighting just like other budget phones. Front camera is also crappy, but not much for selfies so not an issue.
* better WiFi reception. my 2-yr old tablet lags at 5G WiFi streaming when too far from the router, but connection is good on Redmi Note 9T.
* screen brightness can be adjusted to super low brightness. perfect for watching stuff to sleep.
* has Face-unlock & Fingerprint-unlock option.
* comes with a pre-installed screen protector and a clear silicone case.
* has handwritten input functionality. perfect for searching up unknown Japanese/Chinese characters, and is mostly accurate.

THE BAD :
* TOO MANY BLOATWARE and UNWANTED SETTINGS out of the box!!
Had to uninstall a lot of apps that came pre-installed, and undo DOZENS and DOZENS of default settings that consume considerable memory/power in the background.
Still haven't figured out how to turn off a setting that keeps putting "Promoted Apps" into my folders even though I keep deleting them. So frustrating!
* Poorer video quality during streaming.
For a phone with 2340x1080 resolution, streamed video quality is worse than my old Huawei which only has 1920x1080.
It has better display for still pictures or videos saved in the phone, but for streaming, there is noticeable blurring even with videos of 1080p resolution.
Colors are a bit more dark/saturated too compared to my 4 other devices (people appear sunburnt! Maybe that's why it's called REDmi), and no amount of tweaking settings could improve this.
Very disappointing for me who watches a lot of videos online.
* Screen is less sensitive that my previous phone, especially in locked mode.
I could be swiping up 3 or 4 times before the password entry screen comes up.
* VERY BUGGY Radio app. Turns itself off at random while I'm listening, refuses to function at times which is frustrating because I use it a lot.
Radio recording function also does not work, though might be because I messed with so many settings.
* Other reviews online say the phone has a tendency to overheat during intense gaming, so you might wanna think twice if you're buying this for gaming.

TIPS!
* During initial set-up, DO NOT connect to your WiFi straight away!
Remove all the apps and settings you don't like first, and disable auto-updates to save you a lot of heartache later down the road.
Not all updates are improvements, and the phone's constant checking for updates uses considerable resource that just contribute to processor/battery wear-and-tear.
* Modify all the access permissions you want your apps to have, and restrict them to bare minimum.
There are apps that could be accessing your location, messages or private photos/contacts by default that you don't even know about, and sending info online.
China-brand phones are notorious for this, so beware! Take the time to change those default settings.
* Only when you're happy with all your settings do you finally connect to WiFi and start downloading new apps.
* Phone will be a bit laggy for the first couple of hours because it will be updating, but will work fine afterwards.

Overall, the phone is a good value for money, but I would think twice about buying it again.
Had it for 3 weeks of regular use and performance was good and haven't had any major problems.

Got this to replace samsung Note 9, thought it looked like a similar spec at lower cost and reviews were good. Set up was easy and got it going OK, I use it for work and some things are just a lot more difficult and buggy with Work Apps. After about 4 or 5 months started going slow and then couldnt play some games and now sometimes just unusable so have to reboot every couple of days. Ready to go back to Samsung now. Probably a good cheap option for someone who just wants a phone and low usage but I am going back to Samsung as soon as I can.
...view more Got this to replace samsung Note 9, thought it looked like a similar spec at lower cost and reviews were good. Set up was easy and got it going OK, I use it for work and some things are just a lot more difficult and buggy with Work Apps. After about 4 or 5 months started going slow and then couldnt play some games and now sometimes just unusable so have to reboot every couple of days. Ready to go back to Samsung now. Probably a good cheap option for someone who just wants a phone and low usage but I am going back to Samsung as soon as I can.
Has some real annoying things like the phone App will disappear and you cant answer the phone, just dum bugs like that which are frustrating as heck

I bought this to replace my Xiaomi Mi3 and I don't regret it so far. Good for its price. I bought this to replace my Xiaomi Mi3 and I don't regret it so far. Good for its price.

The phone had to be returned due to it getting stuck in a boot loop and then completely shutting down. It's now been with the returns team for nearly 3 weeks and I've heard nothing back from them. Up until the point of the phone completely shutting down, it was a good phone for the price. Unfortunately the 1 star review is due to how the returns team has handled the issue and I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through this. The phone had to be returned due to it getting stuck in a boot loop and then completely shutting down. It's now been with the returns team for nearly 3 weeks and I've heard nothing back from them. Up until the point of the phone completely shutting down, it was a good phone for the price. Unfortunately the 1 star review is due to how the returns team has handled the issue and I wouldn't want anyone to have to go through this.

First day using this phone Netflix was glitchy and laggy. Also WiFi kept dropping out. Within the first few days I requested a return.
Had Bluetooth issues when connected to my UE Boom 3 speaker, always cutting out.
Very gutted as I had high hopes for this phone. I have since returned it, waiting for money back. Will invest in more expensive quality product.
Battery charge and life seemed decent though. First day using this phone Netflix was glitchy and laggy. Also WiFi kept dropping out. Within the first few days I requested a return.
Had Bluetooth issues when connected to my UE Boom 3 speaker, always cutting out.
Very gutted as I had high hopes for this phone. I have since returned it, waiting for money back. Will invest in more expensive quality product.
Battery charge and life seemed decent though.

Does all I need and more. Excellent value. Does all I need and more. Excellent value.

Purchased after seeing positive reviews and comparisons online. Have been using for a month or so. Boots up and operates fast. Good camera. Fingerprint lock working well. Great battery life. Purchased after seeing positive reviews and comparisons online. Have been using for a month or so. Boots up and operates fast. Good camera. Fingerprint lock working well. Great battery life.

Been using it for a month now. I am not disappointed. Though it can lag like every other phone, it is still pretty fast. Front camera is in a weird place at the top left corner but not a big deal. Been using it for a month now. I am not disappointed. Though it can lag like every other phone, it is still pretty fast. Front camera is in a weird place at the top left corner but not a big deal.

For under $400 the value of the hardware here is undeniable. 5G capable, a 48MP main sensor and a very decent screen for the price. While the entire build is plastic that makes the phone feel somewhat cheap, it make sense Xiaomi would do this considering the specs. The main drawback of this phone is the UI. While it has gotten better over the years and is stacked full of features such as a heart rate sensor and compass, it is often unintuitive especially when dealing with the Xiaomi cloud. Dealing with the Xiaomi cloud was one of the worst experiences I've had on any smartphone - ever. But in the end once it was sorted, and I disabled the...view more For under $400 the value of the hardware here is undeniable. 5G capable, a 48MP main sensor and a very decent screen for the price. While the entire build is plastic that makes the phone feel somewhat cheap, it make sense Xiaomi would do this considering the specs. The main drawback of this phone is the UI. While it has gotten better over the years and is stacked full of features such as a heart rate sensor and compass, it is often unintuitive especially when dealing with the Xiaomi cloud. Dealing with the Xiaomi cloud was one of the worst experiences I've had on any smartphone - ever. But in the end once it was sorted, and I disabled the cloud, the experience has been pretty great other than it being a little laggy with too many apps open at a time. Overall, if you have a decent amount of tech experience, and you are willing to disable the UI-ads, the cloud and sort out any other kinks in Xiaomi's MIUI you really can't argue with the specs at this price and this is a really good value phone. Though, if you do not have much tech experience I would recommend a Samsung A12 as it has a more streamlined user experience in terms of software, though the specs are lacking compared to the Note 9T.

(I have been using the phone for around 3 weeks).