It’s the season of smartphone releases. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen brand new devices — from low-end to high-end ones.
But today, we’ll be taking a look at two new competitors in the midrange category. First, we have the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. Xiaomi is one of the biggest names in the Chinese tech industry, and their new release is expected to be another hit.
Sitting in the sub-Php13k category, the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is facing a lot of competition. Especially from its Chinese fellows.
One of them is Huawei, who just launched the new Huawei Nova 7i. Just like the former, this sits in the oversaturated below-Php15k price segment.
With a lot of options available in this category, our Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max versus Huawei Nova 7i specifications and features comparison shall help you narrow down your choices. Let’s start!
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max | Huawei Nova 7i | |
| Operating System | Android 10 MIUI 11 | Android 10 EMUI 10.0.1 (No GMS) |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby (Hybrid) |
| Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution ~394ppi ~90.6% screen-to-body ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | 6.4-inch FHD+ LCD 2310 x 1080 pixel resolution ~398ppi ~90.6% screen-to-body ratio |
| Processor | 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core | 2.27GHz Huawei Kirin 810 octa-core |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB | 8GB |
| GPU | Adreno 618 | Mali-G52 MP6 |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 expandable via microSD up to 512GB | 128GB UFS 2.1 expandable via NM card up to 256GB |
| Front camera | 32-megapixel Punch-hole 120fps slow-mo selfie | 16-megapixel Punch-hole |
| Rear Camera | 64-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) 5-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash Ultra Nightscape mode AI Scene Detection 4K video recording Portrait mode [email protected] slow-mo | 48-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra wide) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash AI Scene Detection 4K video recording Portrait mode Slow-mo |
| Audio | Headphone jack Single loudspeaker | Headphone jack Single loudspeaker |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, VoLTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BDS, NavIC USB Type-C | 4G LTE, VoLTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, Galileo USB Type-C |
| Others | P2i splash proof | n/a |
| Dimensions | 165.75 x 76.68 x 8.8mm | 159.2 x 76.3 x 8.7mm |
| Weight | 209g | 183g |
| Colors | Aurora Blue Glacier White Interstellar Black | Sakura Pink Crush Green Midnight Black |
| Battery | 5,020mAh 33W fast charging | 4,200mAh 40W Huawei SuperCharge |
| Price | 6GB/64GB: INR14,999 (~Php10,400) 6GB/128GB: INR16,999 (~Php11,700) 8GB/128GB: INR18,999 (~Php13,100) | Php13,990 |
The Huawei Nova 7i is one of the most interesting midrange releases that Huawei had — probably after the Nova 5T.
But as you just saw, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max easily takes the win on this one. It has some of the newer features that we expect to see in more midrange smartphones this year. And of course, the lack of GMS support in Huawei devices.
For one, there’s the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor. Which, as per a lot of benchmark apps and performance reviews, can deliver better performance than the Kirin 810 of the 7i.
Xiaomi’s offering also has better camera features. There’s the 32-megapixel selfie shooter, with a cool 120fps slow-mo video recording. A unique selfie video mode which originated from the iPhone 11 series.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro also gets to have a 64-megapixel primary shooter. That’s obviously better than the 48-megapixel on the Huawei Nova 7i. The former also comes with a sharper 5-megapixel macro camera, versus the lower-resolution 5-megapixel sensor on the competition.
Xiaomi is also proud that the device is P2i splashproof. It may not be as good as any IP-rating that other smartphones have, but it’s better than having nothing like the Nova 7i.
Related
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro vs Note 9 Pro Max: What’s the difference?
- Samsung Galaxy M31 vs Huawei Nova 7i: Specs Comparison
- Redmi Note 9 Pro vs Realme 6: Specs Comparison
As a cherry on top, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max comes with a 5,020mAh battery, which is obviously bigger than the 4,200mAh capacity of the Nova 7i.
But to Huawei’s credit, the Nova 7i does come with a 40W Huawei SuperCharge support — which we only used to see on Huawei’s flagship offerings. The Xiaomi device then settles to a 33W fast charging support.
Still, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max’s bigger screen, newer and faster processor, better cameras, splashproof body, bigger battery, cheaper price tag, and of course, GMS support — makes it the winner over the Huawei Nova 7i.
Local pricing and availability are yet to be announced, so stay tuned for that. On the other hand, the Huawei Nova 7i will be available before March 2020 ends for a price of Php13,990.
