Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 9T is an affordable 5G phone… if you can find one

The Redmi Note series is one of Xiaomi’s most successful family of devices, best known for offering plenty of fancy features in an affordable package. The company launched its latest phone, the next-gen Redmi Note 9T, on Friday, and it appears to be no different. 

The hefty budget handset has several premium features including dual stereo speakers, a 48-megapixel main camera, and fast charging (18W). The company says its 5,000-mAh battery has a “multiday” lifespan. Pricing details aren’t available at the time of writing, we do know that the Note 9 5G, the Chinese model of the device that launched late last year, started at 1,299 yuan (approximately $200, £150 or AU$ 260) for the variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Read more: 5G phones in 2021: iPhone 12, Pixel 5, Galaxy Note 20 and more

Also new to the Redmi Note line (for the world outside China, at least) is 5G. Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 9 5G line earlier, but that series was only available in China. With the Redmi Note 9T line, Xiaomi is expanding that affordable 5G experience to overseas shoppers. However, it’s unlikely these phones will arrive stateside, even though the company’s sales are growing quickly in parts of Europe and Africa.

The Chinese phone-maker is able to save on costs by building the 9T with an LCD display and a midrange processor in the form of the Mediatek’s Dimensity 800U chipset. The Redmi Note 9T also has dual-SIM capabilities and an IR blaster like its predecessor.

Alongside the Redmi Note 9T, Xiaomi launched the Redmi 9T (seen in the image above). It too offers high-end features including a huge battery and fast-wired charging for a price range that’s expected to be affordable. For specifics, take a look at the chart below.