[Exclusive] Redmi 9 with MediaTek Helio G70 chipset to launch early next year

The Redmi 9 launch is not too far away. The successor to Redmi 8 series smartphones will break cover early next year, industry sources have informed 91mobiles. We have been told the Redmi 9 will be powered by MediaTek Helio G70 SoC and sport a 6.6-inch Dot notch display. It will at least in 4GB RAM and 64GB storage configuration, though there are likely to be more variants in the works. The Helio G70 SoC seems to be an upcoming chipset in MediaTek’s Helio G series, which was launched earlier this year. It seems the Helio G70 will be positioned below the G90 and G90T chips and aimed at 2020 budget offerings.

While the exact Redmi 9 launch date is not clear, the handset is likely to go official in Q1 in China, quickly followed by a release in India. The handset will have a slightly bigger form factor compared to its predecessor, which ships with 6.22-inch HD+ Dot notch display. as mentioned above, apart from the 4GB RAM + 64GB configuration, other Redmi 9 variants could be on the cards too.

Redmi 8 price in India, specifications

To recall, the Redmi 8 was launched with two RAM and storage configurations. Its base variant has 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, while the top-end features 4GB RAM + 64GB storage. The handset has dual rear cameras, which houses 12-megapixel primary sensor paired with a 2-megapixel secondary depth-sensing unit. The phone’s front camera features an 8-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling. At the Redmi 8’s core lies Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 SoC. The handset is driven by a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. The phone also houses a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and run Android 9 Pie-based MIUI 10 out of the box. The Redmi 8 price in India starts at Rs 7,999.

If anything, we can expect the Redmi 9 with a slightly improved camera setup, performance, and the latest software Android 11-based MIUI 11 running out of the box.

~with inputs from Keshav Khera