Today, Xiaomi has released its latest affordable phone, the Redmi
Note 9S. This is a global launch phone with initial sales for global buyers
being on AliExpress starting at $249 USD for the 4GB +64GB variant while the
6GB+128GB version will be available for $279.

Redmi Note 9S = Note 9 Pro

Xiaomi has a bad habit of using different names for the same phone in different regions, and this is almost the case here. The phone is the same as the Redmi Note 9 Pro which launched a few days ago. They have the same chipset, design, cameras, they are identical.

Redmi Note 9S vs Realme 6 Pro

Both Redmi and Realme have recently announced phones based on the Snapdragon 720G, and these will likely be two of the best options on the market for under £250, but which one is best?

RAM and Storage

The Redmi has either GB or 6GB of RAM while the storage
options are 64GB and 128GB, respectively. You can expand that via the microSD
card slot.

The Realme starts off with 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage, then
there are options going up to 8GB/128GB. It can also be upgraded via microSD

Display & Design

The Redmi Note 9S is built around a 6.67-inch IPS LCD panel
with 1080 x 2400px (20:9 aspect ratio) resolution. Like many phones this year
it has a punch-hole selfie which is located in the centre of the display.

The Realme 6 Pro has a 6.6 inch IPS LCD display running at
1080 x 2400 pixels with (90Hz refresh rate and 120Hz touch sensing. It has a
dual punch-hole selfie on the upper left and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
This also has a punch-hole selfie, but it houses two cameras so is quite large,
and this one is located to the left of the display.

Both phones use an IPS display with Redmi claim 450nit
brightness while Realme has 480, both phones then have their fingerprint
scanner mounted on the side.

Camera

The Redmi Note 9S has:

• 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm,
  PDAF
• 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″,
  1.12µm
• 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro), 1.12µm
• 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)

Then the selfie is a 16 MP f/2.5 wide lens.

The Realme 6 Pro has:

• 64
  MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF
• 12
  MP, f/2.5, 54mm (telephoto), 1/3.4″, 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom
• 8
  MP, f/2.3, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm
• 2
  MP, f/2.4, 22mm (macro), 1/5.0″, 1.75µm

Then on the front it has a dual punch hole featuring:

• 16
  MP, f/2.1, 26mm (wide), 1/3.1″, 1.0µm
• 8
  MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm

Battery

The Redmi has a massive  5020 mAh battery which should easily keep you
going for a couple of days, this then has 18W fast charging.

The Realme is a bit smaller at 4300 mAh but has 30W charging.

Price

The official price of the Redmi Note 9S is $249 USD for the
4GB +64GB variant while the 6GB+128GB version will be available for $279, both
via AliExpress

The Realme 6 Pro has only launched in India so far, at rs.16
999 which works out as £178. It will officially launch in the UK/EU next Monday
so we will get correct pricing then. I would expect them to be about the same. Though
Redmi Note 9S maybe cheaper as it is via AliExpress rather than an EU based
supplier.

Which is best?

I have not used the Redmi Note 9S but I am reviewing the Realme 6 Pro, however, we don’t know the UK pricing of that yet.

As it stands, on paper and assuming the Realme is about the
same price, I am inclined to say the Realme is the best choice.  You have a more versatile camera, dual camera
selfie, better base config and a superior 90Hz display.