Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro 6GB/64GB Interstellar Grey (UK VERSION)

I needed to upgrade from my Samsung S6. I also wanted to buy a handset and get a sim only deal to reduce my monthly costs. So, with some trepidation I did my research on handsets available from on line suppliers like bangood/Alibaba? I settled on this handset but chose to buy with my credit card through Amazon so I had some comeback if it turned out to be rubbish. Buying this phone was one of my better decisions. Battery life is exceptional - 48 hours minimum from new though I think it is reducing very slightly over time. Upshot is that you will NEVER worry about battery life with this phone. In all other respects it is at least the equal of my Samsung phone - it also has masses of memory - I still have 50% free memory. All apps work perfectly. It also has built in maintenance apps to maintain performance. This (or any later model by Redmi) is highly recommended.

The battery life is excellent which is really what I was most after, having previously had Samsung Galaxy S7 and S9 which had terrible batteries. The MIUI is not great, but it can be mostly changed to meet preferences. They sell the phone cheap and make money back through the use of ads which are built in to a lot of stock apps, but these can all be disabled using an online guide - but otherwise you can just ignore them and they don't get in the way. The notifications are a bit of a pain point, as indicated in YouTube reviews - for some reason they don't all show on the lock screen and I haven't found a way round this. Can be annoying if your phone vibrates and you check and there's nothing there. But its not a show stopper - you just need to drag down and it shows them all (or maybe what it deems less important). MIUI also applies battery and other 'optimisations' which can cause problems with some apps, but this can also be disabled so no problem, but as an average user you might not notice it. The hardware is all great - I've been pleased with the camera; the performance is good (I play games), and the display is good for its price. I did have a manufacturing fault with the screen whereby when certain colours show I can see something underneath the corner of the screen, and although Amazon were happy to replace, I accepted a 10% discount from Amazon as compensation. So overall if you want a good value phone (a fraction of the cost of a premium phone but similar specs!) and don't mind tinkering with a few settings to get it to your liking (or otherwise aren't bothered!) then I'd recommend this phone to you.

Positives- Excellent value for money. A fraction of the cost of flagship models but for someone who doesn't game or expect flagship level images, why pay more?- No faults, no reliabiltiy issues.- Battery life remains solid. I charge once a day whilst sleeping and rarely dip below 50% during a days usage. Note. I'm not a heavy user nor do I partake in much social media shenangians.- Most of my usage is productivity, MS Office, conferences, Web browsing, YT videos and a few misc apps.- Having jumped over from IoS I don't miss it in the slightest. The MIUI is pretty sleek once you have customized it to your taste.- It has survived a few drops using the supplied clear case and a tempered glass protector on both screen and camera. 0 damage sustained. Note. On average I go through 2 smart phones a year through damage whilst at work. A driving consideration for buying a cheaper phone this time.- 5G is mega.Negatives- MY biggest one. AndroidAuto. This worked fine earlier in the year before the MIUI received a significant update. Since then I have found Auto to be sluggish and glitchy. I no longer use it and have it disabled. Instead I rely on BT connection with my car for music and the on device maps to navigate. I have explored many potential fixes including hard factory resets. I will remain patient for AAs replacement when Google and Mi release it.- Adverts. MIUI by default includes some bundled adware which is annoying. It CAN be disabled after some fettling with the settings and I no longer see any ads within MIUI.- Thats it. Nothing else of any concern to me. I appreciate there are negative politics behind these phones amongst other brands, but I honestly don't have time to pay this any mind, so long as my device works.5/5 rated against bang-for-buck.

Had this phone for a couple of days now. I also own a oneplus 8 pro and I'm starting to wonder why I paid so much for it after putting this Xiaomi phone through its paces. Its very impressive considering its cost. The operating system is a slightly modified version of Android but its very easy to find your way round. It's quick enough for most purposes. Scrolling speed is more than adequate and app opening is as fast as any other phone I've owned. Screen definition is good for everything I've used it for including HD video. I'm not a game player so I can't comment on how good it is for games but it does have a dedicated game mode so I can only assume it will be OK. Two sim slots and a memory card slot are a bonus. Camera is good as is taking video. The settings menu is slightly different to other phones I've owned but not that different that you can't figure it out. I've knocked of one star because clicking on the cast button doesn't find my TV. I had to go into the settings menu and select WIFI direct. That found the TV straight away but its a minor irritation that needs correcting. Battery life so far has been good. It comes with a fast charger that's really quick to charge. If your not a brand junkie then I would seriously think about the cost of the major brands against the cost of this phone. If you NEED 5G then this hasn't got it but if, like me, you live in a non 5G area, then its well worth considering.