Xiaomi's Redmi brand of entry-level and mid-range phones are popular outside of the US, and the latest offerings, the Redmi 9T and Redmi Note 9T, include support for 5G while being powered by MediaTek processors.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T is a decent phone for the price. It’s fairly snappy in use, it has a nice design that fits snugly in the hand, and you’re getting 5G compatibility on a budget. It’s not perfect – the display isn’t as bright as it could be, and camera performance is uninspiring – but such limitations come with the price tag. It’s hard to recommend, though, with the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite offering better specs for the same price.

Relatively fast to use; Affordable 5G; Feels good in the hand;

Cameras are only ‘okay’; Lots of bloatware; Mi 10T Lite is the same price but has better specs

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T is a great affordable 5G option - but if you're not bothered about 5G then there are better budget phones out there.

5G on a budget; Decent performance; Long battery life;

Cheap rear design; Clunky fingerprint sensor; 60Hz refresh rate;

The Redmi Note 9T is a lot better than its bargain price suggests. With a turn of pace that matches handsets that cost twice the price, it’s a great way to access the growing 5G network without spending excess cash.

Great value Solid battery life Good camera quality

No ultrawide lens Middling display

Much like my wife's old redmi 7, the first unit we got had a major defect. The upper right corner had major discoloration, and quite often the touchscreen would not respond. While the exchange for a working (so far) unit was rather painless and swift, being the second time it has happened now, I'll...

Deal or no deal? The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T costs 230 Euros (~$279) in the smallest version and is already sold for less than 200 Euros (~$243) in some places. The special feature: The Redmi Note 9T is one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest 5G smartphone. Despite the low price, the remaining features also appear to be good. This is reason enough to take a closer look at Xiaomi's 5G smartphone.

With the Redmi Note 9T, Xiaomi puts together a compelling overall package that is especially interes...

5G and NFC; dual SIM, VoLTE, and VoWiFi; low SAR values; stereo speakers; IR blaster and audio jack; good daylight camera; very long battery life; fast mid-range SoC; fast charging at 18 watts;

no IP certification; only 4 GB of RAM; no wide-angle lens; only a 60 Hz display;

This phone is far superior to any Samsung or Motorola phone that I have ever owned. This is my Xiaomi that I have owned in many years and I am pleasantly surprised on the finger print reader and many other far superior comparable selling points of this phone.