How To Use NFC On Xiaomi Note 8

Review Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, sample photos from a 64 megapixel camera

The Redmi line has been one of the most popular for many years. The Redmi Note 5, Note 6, Note 7 smartphones are breaking sales records, and the eighth series will not be an exception. Of course, the competition in the middle class is so strong that even the industry leader Xiaomi is forced to strengthen its smartphones, and Redmi Note 8 Pro is a good attempt to take the average phone to the next level, offering good hardware, cool cameras, a large battery and even NFC, which before in the Redmi Note line there has never been.

How To Use NFC On Xiaomi Note 8

As a result, the G8 received a new Helio G90T processor, a huge 4500 mAh battery, and a 4-module camera. In terms of performance, the device is quite comparable to the flagships of last year, but the camera here is very unusual, and it is it that becomes the highlight that attracts attention.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is one of the first phones with Samsung’s 64MP sensor. It is logical to expect an improvement in night mode and an improvement in the quality of photography in low light, but first things first.

Performance

The recently announced SoC MediaTek Helio G90T is made on a 12nm process technology. This is an upgrade over the 14nm Snapdragon 660 processor on the Redmi Note 7, but it is still a less power efficient and technologically advanced processor compared to Qualcomm 10nm chips.

Inside. 8 cores. These are two powerful Cortex-A76 units with a frequency of 2.05 GHz, as well as six energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores operating at a frequency of 2 GHz. Responsible for the graphics coprocessor Mali-G76 MC4. Plus, support for HyperEngine technology is announced, which in theory provides better gaming performance and improves wireless data transfer capabilities by combining Wi-Fi and LTE communication channels. In addition, it is possible to SIMultaneously connect to two Wi-Fi, which was previously impossible.

Benchmark performance test results compared with competitors:

Redmi Note 8 Pro Google Pixel 3 (Snapdragon 845) Samsung A60 (Snapdragon 675) Realme XT (Snapdragon 712)
AnTuTu 7 224759 233699 170102 185193
GFX 3.1 Manhattan graphics test (1080p offscreen) 29 57 fifteen 26
GFX 3.1 Manhattan Graphics Test (1080p onscreen) 24 55 13 23
GFX 3.1 Graphics Test Automotive Scene (onscreen) fourteen 33 7.3 13
3DMark SSE 3.1 2439 3647 1123 2284

As expected, the Helio G90T with its graphics lags behind the incredibly powerful Adreno 630 on the Snapdragon 845, but outperforms its direct competitors Snapdragon 712, Snapdragon 675, and that’s already good. Even at peak loads, Redmi Note 8 Pro remains warm, there is no strong heating, which indicates efficient heat dissipation.

Battery and autonomy

Xiaomi has managed to install a large 4,500mAh battery and a fairly energy efficient SoC, which means it makes sense to expect better battery life than previous Redmi Note smartphones. During testing, the smartphone showed good results:

  • Continuous 3G calls, screen off: 33:28 h
  • Web surfing on Wi-Fi, brightness set to 200 cd / m2: 15:06 h
  • Video playback, wireless off, brightness at 200 cd / m2: 15:25 h

Excellent results typical of smartphones with 5000 mAh batteries. However, the video playback time could have been longer, but the talk time is impressive. As for the charging speed, everything is boring here. The “native” adapter in the kit with a power of 18 W gives 39% in 30 minutes. The result is good, but there is no progress and no wow effect.

Display

Redmi Note 8 Pro features an LCD panel with a small notch on top; diagonal. 6.53 inches, resolution. 2340 × 1080. Above is Gorilla Glass 5 protective glass, HDR support is declared, which is rare in this segment.

Screen test results with 100 backlight:

  • White brightness: 460 cd / m2 in manual mode, 640 cd / m2 in automatic mode
  • Black luminance: 0.347 cd / m2 in manual mode, 0.486 cd / m2 in automatic mode
  • Contrast: 1326: 1 in manual mode, 1317: 1 in automatic

The brightness is excellent, the contrast is also quite decent. But in terms of color reproduction, the screen is weak. In the “default” mode, the DeltaE color rendition error was 6.8 with a maximum deviation of up to 12.7, the screen shows a pronounced shift to cold tones. When setting a “warm” preset, the error drops to 5.7, but it is still inaccurate.

In terms of brightness and contrast, the Redmi Note 8 Pro display is good, but in terms of color reproduction it is worse than competitors. However, most users will not notice a color problem, but you should be aware that it is.

Camera

A 4-module camera is a rarity in this class, but in fact, Redmi Note 8 Pro has only 3 modules, since the depth sensor is not a separate camera that cannot take pictures by itself. Plus, macro is also a dubious solution, and you most likely won’t use it. It turns out that the device has two useful cameras. This is a regular one and a wide-angle one.

In any case, the main feature is the new 64 megapixel Samsung 1 / 1.7 ”sensor with 0.8 micron pixels. It uses the technology of pixel combining, that is, 4 pixels on the matrix capture one color and thus create one pixel with a size of 1.6 microns, the image resolution drops to 16 megapixels, so it is logical to assume that the actual image size is exactly 16 megapixels.

The wide-angle camera is SIMpler. It is an 8 megapixel sensor with f / 2.2 aperture optics; macro camera. 2 megapixel optics f / 2.4. In front there is a front camera with a resolution of 20 megapixels and optics with an aperture of f / 2.

Features Redmi Note 8 Pro

  • Body: 161.4×76.4×8.8 mm, 200 g, plastic frame, Gorilla Glass 5 front and back.
  • Screen: IPS, 6.53 “, 2340 × 1080, 19.5: 9, HDR support, 395 ppi.
  • Rear camera: main: 64 megapixels, f / 1.9, sensor size 1 / 1.7 “, pixels at 0.8 microns, phase detection autofocus; wide-angle camera: 8 MP, f / 2.2, size 1/4 ″, pixels at 1.12 microns; macro camera: 2 MP, f / 2.4; depth sensor: 2 MP.
  • Camera functionality: shooting 4K video at 30 FPS, 1080p at 120 FPS, 720p at 960 FPS.
  • Front camera: 20 MP, f / 2, pixels of 0.9 microns, shooting 1080p at 30 FPS.
  • OS: Android 9 Pie MIUI 10.
  • CPU: 12nm MediaTek Helio G90T with 8 cores: 2xCortex-A76 2.05ghz 6xCortex-A55 2GHz Mali-G76 MC4 graphics.
  • Memory: 6 GB RAM disk 64/128 b, there is a slot for a microSD card
  • Battery: 4500mAh, Fast Charging MediaTek Pump Express and USB Power Delivery with 18W adapter (included)
  • Connection: Dual SIM, LTE Cat-12 / Cat-13, USB Type-C, Wi-Fi ac 5 GHz, 2-band PGS, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • Misc: rear fingerprint reader, bottom multimedia speaker, FM radio

Excellent specifications for a mid-range smartphone, it has everything: a headphone jack, a slot for a flash drive, a large battery and even a full charger included.

Sample photos

The main camera produces good photos during the day, with excellent detail, rich colors, accurate exposure, contrast. If you look closely, you will notice that the sharpness is higher than necessary, but this is a minor drawback.

5020 mAh!

The big advantage of Redmi Note 9 over many competitors from a SIMilar price category is the battery. The battery capacity of the smartphone is an impressive 5020 mAh.

For a week of using the smartphone, I charged it exactly once every two days. The exception is the very first day when all the tests were carried out and in general the load on the smartphone was much more than usual. In the following days, in the evening, up to 60% of the charge remained with normal daily use.

According to statistics from a smartphone, the operating time with an active screen is 8-9 hours.

You won’t need to charge such a capacious battery for a long time. The smartphone supports 18W fast charging. All fast charging accessories come with your smartphone. You don’t need to buy anything.

Another feature worth mentioning is the 9W reversible charging. From Redmi Note 9, you can charge other smartphones, wearable gadgets (the same Mi Band fitness bracelet) and other devices. In fact, Redmi Note 9 acts as a full-fledged power bank, of course, in a critical case, when there is no way to charge from anything else.

Review of Xiaomi Redmi Note 9. Well, they learned

Top again? Almost.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is the main budget smartphone of 2020, which Xiaomi quickly launched around the world, including Russia. The company did not hesitate with the global release of the model, realizing that, like the previous smartphones of the line, it would become a hit.

Did Xiaomi manage to make a hit out of Redmi Note 9 that would be worth buying? I walked around for a whole week with a new smartphone and found out everything in practice.

Skillful zakos under the flagships

It has long been clear that Xiaomi does not strive to make smartphones from the same line SIMilar to each other. Even if we are talking about models of two adjacent generations. Redmi Note 9, which has changed beyond the Redmi Note 8 beyond recognition, is a direct proof of this.

Redmi Note 9 has almost completely gone into the “flagship”. The device looks more like an expensive smartphone than a representative of the mid-budget line, to which, logically, it should belong.

True, belonging to the flagships is noticeable only externally. As soon as you pick up your smartphone, it immediately becomes clear that this is still not a flagship. The plastic back surface of the case “screams” about it, smoothly turning to the edge.

Not to say that this is a big minus, and many people like plastic cases much more than glass ones because of their practicality. However, it is important to be aware of this. In the photo, especially on the official ones from Xiaomi itself, the body of the smartphone may well seem glass.

In addition, I honestly admit that after more expensive smartphones, the cheapness of the plastic case of the new Redmi Note is felt.

Xiaomi would not be Xiaomi if it had not been marked with some kind of “trick”. There is it in Redmi Note 9. The body of the smartphone has a special “nano-coating”. It is invisible (convenient, right?) And serves to protect the case from minor scratches and splashes.

Nano-development is highly appreciated by Xiaomi. After almost a week with the smartphone, I had it thoroughly examined. I really didn’t find any mini scratches. And this is provided that he was wearing a smartphone without a case, which, by the way, comes with the device. The smartphone also fell under the fine spring rain. Drops rolled down the invisible nano-coating without problems and consequences.

It is important to know! The nano-coating protects only the back cover from drops and moisture. The smartphone does not have full water protection.

Almost the entire front surface of the case was occupied by the display. It has slim side and top bezels that are only 3.9mm thick. At the same time, the bottom bezel is noticeably thicker. “Chin” still remains in much more expensive smartphones, so its presence in the budget Redmi Note 9 is not a big surprise.

The front camera is built into a hole in the screen. An important design point. First of all, because thanks to this, the top frame is as thin as the side ones. There was no need to leave a platform for placing the front camera on the frame.

But the main thing is that the front camera located in the screen clearly distinguishes Redmi Note 9 against the background of its predecessors. In fact, the smartphone uses a technology that only recently reached the flagships of Xiaomi. And now it is used in the “state employee”.

The differences between Redmi Note 9 and last year’s Redmi Note 8 in terms of design do not end there. “Walk like that”, decided in Xiaomi and made radical changes throughout the body.

On the back of the smartphone, in the middle, there is a square block with four cameras. There is a fingerprint scanner underneath at a comfortable distance. The previous model did not have anything like it. The difference is like between smartphones from different lines.

Xiaomi clearly knows for whom it makes inexpensive smartphones from the Redmi Note line. Therefore, the set of connectors is expected: a tray for two SIM cards and a separate slot for a microSD card, an IR sensor, a 3.5 mm jack and a USB-C port for charging. In general, a complete set.

The fingerprint scanner has a fairly large area. Due to this, hitting it is easy. You don’t even need to aim. But best of all, thanks to this, the finger does not fall on the block with cameras. I never had to get them dirty, including in the first days of using the smartphone.

Redmi Note 9 is moderately compact against the background of modern smartphones.

Dimensions: 162.3 x 77.2 x 8.9 mm
Weight: 199g

There is one speaker on the bottom edge of the smartphone body. There is no stereo sound here. The speaker is loud, the sound is clear, without rattling, but also without frills.

The screen in Redmi Note 9 is impressive. Huge 6.53-inch LCD with quality IPS-matrix with a resolution of 1080 × 2340 pixels (Full HD). The screen is covered with a high-quality protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 5. There is a good oleophobic coating, which we are already used to in mid-budget Xiaomi smartphones.

The maximum screen brightness is 450 cd / m², which is normal. The brightness is enough to comfortably distinguish the image on the screen on a sunny day outside. The screen contrast is 1500: 1, the coverage of the NTSC color space is 84%. The picture is of high quality, the colors are transmitted correctly, the display is neither yellow nor blue.

A few words about the hole for the front camera. Does it get in the way? For me personally, not a drop. For several days of daily use of the smartphone from the hole for the front camera, there was no negative.

It is small and located in the very corner of the screen. In this regard, the content did not close, even in third-party applications from Google Play. Not to mention standard applications that are optimized for the “hole”.

Four cameras for all occasions

Xiaomi has long spared cameras for its mid-range smartphones. So Redmi Note 9 “got” decently. The smartphone is equipped with four rear cameras at once:

  • Wide-angle 48 MP with f / 1.79 aperture, six-element lens,
  • 8MP ultra-wide-angle with f / 2.2 aperture, 118 ° field of view,
  • 2 MP depth sensor with f / 2.4 aperture,
  • Macro camera 2 Mp, focal length up to 2 cm.

We have long been accustomed to the fact that the number of cameras and megapixels in Chinese smartphones does not necessarily mean high quality shooting. How things are with Redmi Note 9?

The smartphone shoots perfectly in good (even not ideal) natural light. The sharpness is high, the color rendition is correct, albeit not in 100% of cases.

When the lighting gets worse, the quality of the footage drops off decently. You can take normal photos, but you can’t count on the absence of noise and high sharpness.

The 13MP front camera supports face unlock. The option works stably in daylight. It feels like unlocking is even slightly faster than using the fingerprint scanner. Another thing is that you can use the face scanner only during the day. When the lighting deteriorates, then the function begins to noticeably dim.

NFC in place

The main thing is that Redmi Note 9 has NFC. Xiaomi still doesn’t equip every new smartphone with NFC support, so we have to emphasize this most important moment for buyers.

However, taking into account the trend of recent months, in the foreseeable future Xiaomi will leave only the most budget smartphones without NFC at a price of up to 10 thousand rubles. All other NFC models will finally get.

You can play, but be careful

As much as Xiaomi has been criticized for using MediaTek processors in its latest smartphones, the Chinese don’t seem to care. It is the MediaTek Helio G85 processor that is responsible for the performance of Redmi Note 9. This is a fresh processor that debuted in Redmi Note 9.

The 12nm chip has two high-performance Cortex-A75 cores at 2 GHz and six energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8 GHz. The chip has an embedded Mali G52 MC2 video processor with a frequency of 1 GHz.

The amount of RAM Redmi Note 9. 3 or 4 GB, depending on the configuration. Built-in memory. 64 or 128 GB, respectively.

However, for people with the ability to add a thousand or two rubles to buy a Redmi Note 9 with 4 GB of RAM, of course, I would advise you to take an improved version. As you know, there is never enough “RAM”.

The performance of the Redmi Note 9 is twofold. The smartphone works smartly with ordinary everyday applications. Applications start instantly, rarely when you have to wait for them to load for more than a couple of seconds (and this is when it comes to some “heavy” applications). From the point of view of normal use, there are no complaints about the smartphone. This is a great workhorse that is a pleasure to use.

But in games it is a little different. Xiaomi is promoting the Redmi Note 9 as a low-cost gaming smartphone. This is mainly due to the presence of the MediaTek Helio G85 processor in the device, which, in turn, is positioned by MediaTek as a “gaming” one. This is due to the presence of an integrated video chip in the Helio G85 with an increased frequency (by 50 MHz) compared to the Helio G80. Agree, weak justification for the title “game”?

In fact, Redmi Note 9 cannot be called a modern gaming machine. Yes, all current titles are running on it: Call of Duty Mobile, World of Tanks Blitz, Asphalt 9 and others, but you need to set low graphics settings. Even at medium settings, where possible, noticeable fps drops begin. It becomes uncomfortable to play, and strong heating of the case adds sadness.

Interestingly, at low settings in the listed games, overheating of the case is not very distracting. The case heats up noticeably, but within an adequate range.

Benchmark tests additionally confirm the real feel. In AnTuTu, the smartphone scored 201,975 points. In Geekbench 5. 357 points in single-threaded mode and 1231 in multi-threaded. For comparison, smartphones with a Snapdragon 710 chip (Mi 9 Lite, Mi 8) gain about the same.

The bottom line. Who should buy Redmi Note 9?

With the Redmi Note 9, Xiaomi has definitely made a proven model that will appeal to most. Nevertheless, in order to keep the smartphone inexpensive, several concessions had to be made. The plastic case is seemingly of high quality and nano-coated, but tactilely cheap. There is no water protection. The MediaTek processor is powerful but far from gaming. No stereo speakers either.

The rest of the smartphone is wonderful. It shoots well, works smartly and, what is important, for a very long time. If the listed disadvantages of Redmi Note 9 are not critical for you, then you can safely buy it. For several years, he will delight you with his stable work.