XIAOMI Redmi Note 9 4GB+128GB, 6.53" DotDisplay, MTK Helio G85, 5020Mah Large Battery, Midnight Grey, Official UK Version

I got this phone for the bargain basement price of £99 new in June '21 (a Prime offer). One of the best 2 purchases I've made in the past decade, & I think it's probably worth the current price tag (£199 new). It's stuck on Android 12 forever now, but it still receives system apps updates (last one was 3 weeks ago - 15th April '26). I also have a Samsung (S20 5g 128 gig) that was only ever used for a maximum of 6 months before it was passed onto me following my cousin's death from Covid. IMO, this phone's far superior to it (much better battery life & antenna; & other functions seem at least equal if not better in some cases), so it's still my everyday phone - the Samsung's just lying in wait as a backup if needed (not that the Redmi shows any signs of slowing down or quitting on me - it's as reliable as it ever was. I'd never heard of this brand before I actually bought my Note 9, but it seemed to have good specs. I'm very glad I took a chance on it!

For what most people would call a budget phone this is excellent. Although I bought mine five months ago for £139 I would say it still represents very good value at the current price (£199) This display is, to my eyes, crystal clear and plenty bright enough outside. Plenty of built in memory which can be easily and cheaply increased. Others have remarked that the camera quality is very good with a nice sharp picture. Battery life I would also rate as very good although I don't live on my phone day and night. Part from calls, I mostly use mine to run Waze navigation app and a Garmin fitness app plus browsing the internet. The operating system hasn't presented me with any problems, it just works. It pairs faultlessly with a Garmin fitness watch via bluetooth. Downsides? So far not much at all. Sure its quite large but I knew that before I bought it and it still fits in a jeans pocket - the upside is a decent screen size. Battery life is more than adequate but like many modern phones the battery itself cannot be removed and replaced at will. Overall I am very pleased with it. It has exceeded my expectations and even at the current price if I lost it or damaged it beyond repair it wouldn't be a financial disaster. It has a two year guarantee but I cannot comment on how good Redmi will be at honouring it. That said, you hear tales of premium brands quibbling over the warranty small print. Would I still buy the same 'phone again today? Almost certainly, yes. It has been reliable and does everything I would expect of a phone at a very good price relative to the premium brands. If like me you are not bothered about the latest mobile phone fad and regard a phone as a tool, pair this up with a decent SIM only plan and you won't go far wrong.

For the price this phone is excellent I am coming from an iPhone 11 that had to go in for repair. I've not used android for a while and was gritting my teeth but needed a cheap backup to tide me over. Android has come on leaps and bounds and this phone exceeded my expectations. It's fairly intuitive and has fingerprint scanner and face Id. The latter works well in anything but low light and the scanner is great. The screen is a good size with a tiny hole for the camera on it . There are so many good things I like about the device it's literally got everything I ever need on it. Battery can last up to two days, built in radio, headphone jack, reasonable camera that is well placed, dual SIM plus micro SD expansion to 512gb, free case inside, ir blaster for remote control of telly, I could go on. Coming from apples walked garden is breathtaking. I can load what I like and I've got films and books galore. The only drawback is a lesser quality screen compared to my iPhone and the single speaker is a bit underwhelming but it's a fraction of the price, does more, lasts longer and for that I can live with the LCD type screen and who listens to music on a phone speaker? In all seriousness when I get the iPhone back I have to question whether I want to go back to that tired restriction despite the device quality.

I would have never considered a smart phone which didn't have a well known name, such as Samsung.. Nokia.. the list goes on. However after reading the reviews on here, and watching reviewers on you tube giving honest reviews on a selection of unknown makes, this make always seem to be the example of quality they referred back too. So far it's 100 percent better than any well known make smart phone I've ever had! Easy to navigate if you are familiar with Android phones. The camera amazing, giving sharp clear images each time. The apps open quickly, with no fuss, and internet pages smoothly with no lags. I'm glad I gave this brand a chance, and will be advising others to do also, if they want a budget phone, but with all the perks of a high end device. An all round Fantastic deal! Happy happy happy!