Smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 9C NFC It has become one of the most popular budget devices due to its balanced performance and affordable price. AI-The camera is a technology that promises to improve the quality of images through artificial intelligence algorithms. But what really lurks behind this marketing term? How exactly does the AI in the camera of a budget smartphone work, and should we expect professional results?
In this article, we will discuss in detail what functions artificial intelligence performs in the Redmi 9C NFC camera module, how it affects photos in different scenes (portrait, night shooting, macro), and what settings will allow you to maximize the potential of the device, and we will analyze the limitations of technology in the budget segment and give practical tips for improving images without buying expensive equipment.
If you’ve just purchased this smartphone or are planning to buy it, the information below will help you avoid the frustration of expectations of “magic AI” and learn how to use the camera effectively. And for power users, we’ve prepared a section with hidden camera features that are not written about in the official instructions.
What is it? AI-camera in Xiaomi smartphones?
term AI-The Artificial Intelligence Camera refers to an image processing system where some of the processes are automated by machine learning algorithms. 9C NFC It is not about physical optics improvements (for example, adding lenses or increasing the size of the matrix), but about software optimization of images after they are created.
Artificial intelligence in the camera performs several key tasks:
- 🔍 Scene recognition – determines what you are photographing (portrait, landscape, food, text, etc.) and selects the optimal settings for exposure, white balance and contrast.
- 🎨 Improve color reproduction – adjusts shades to make them look more saturated and natural (for example, makes green grass brighter and the sky bluer).
- 👤 Portrait processing – blurs the background (boke effect) and smooths the skin, even if the smartphone does not have a separate telephoto lens.
- 🌙 Night photography – combines multiple frames to reduce noise and increase detail in low light conditions.
It's important to understand that AI doesn't replace hardware constraints. The Redmi 9C NFC has a modest module with a 13 MP main camera (f/2.2) and 2 MP assistive sensors (macro and depth), and AI plays the role of "cosmetic repair" - it tries to compensate for iron deficiencies programmatically, but does not work wonders.
⚠️ Attention: In budget smartphones Xiaomi AI-The camera often only works in standard shooting mode, and if you choose manual settings (Pro-mode), all smart functions will automatically shut down.
How to turn on and set up AI-camera 9C NFC
By default. AI-camera 9C NFC It's activated, but you can fine-tune it or shut it down completely:
- Open the Camera app.
- Touch the icons ⚙️ (Settings) in upper right corner.
- Go to section. AI-camera.
- Activate or deactivate the Scene Recognition Switch.
You can also configure:
- 📸 AI HDR — Improves dynamic range (turn on for shooting against light).
- 🌈 AI-color - increases saturation (useful for landscapes, but can spoil portraits).
- 👥 AI-portrait – automatically blurs the background when shooting people.
If you want to turn everything off AI-functions, do the following:
Camera settings → AI- Camera → Disable "Scene Recognition" and "AI HDR"Turn it off. AI-color|Turn it on. AI HDR landscape|Turn it off. AI-group-portrait|Use manual mode for macro-->
Comparison of photos with AI and without: real examples
To understand how noticeable the impact of artificial intelligence, we conducted a test: took a series of images in the same conditions with the AI on and off. The results are presented in the table below (clickable previews from the original photos).
| The scene. | AI. | Without AI | What changed AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait on the street | 📷 (bright colors, blurred background) | 📷 (pale tones, sharp background) | Increased contrast, added bokeh, smoothed the skin |
| Night photography | 📷 (less noise, lighter) | 📷 (dark, grainy) | Increased exposure, reduced noise due to the combination of personnel |
| Macro (flower) | 📷 (saturated) | 📷 (squirrel) | Enhanced the green and red channels |
| Food (plate) | 📷 (mouth-watering) | 📷 (greyish) | Added a warm filter, increased saturation |
As the examples show, AI-redmi camera 9C NFC It actually improves the imagery, but it's not always natural. For example, when you take portraits, AI can over-smooth the texture of the skin, making the face plastic.
Use it. AI-camera|Turning off all filters.|I'm shooting in Pro mode.|Ignore the settings.-->
Hidden functions AI-What does Redmi do with cameras? 9C NFC, but
In addition to the standard options, Redmi 9C NFC has a few useful features that few people know about:
- AI-Document scanner: In Document Mode (Tab More), the camera automatically aligns perspective and improves readability of text. Useful for scanning receipts or pages of books. How to save scans in the text PDF After the document is taken, click on the icon. 📄 lower-right → Select "Save How" PDF" → put the folder in.
- AI-Age recognition: In Face Portrait Mode, the camera can determine the approximate age of a person (the function does not always work exactly, but is interesting as an experiment).
- AI-Video stabilization: When recording video in 1080p It activates software stabilization to compensate for the tremors in the hands. → Video → Stabilization → Turn it on.
Feature of the model: in Redmi 9C NFC AI-The camera can recognize up to 27 different scenes (including sunsets, snow, pets, and even fire) and the full list can be seen by clamping your finger on the screen in shooting mode, and a hint will appear with the name of the current scene.
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If AI-The camera is constantly mistaken with recognition (for example, taking a dog for a cat), try to update the camera app through Google Play.
Limitations AI-Cameras: what budget AI can not do
Despite marketing promises, AI-camera 9C NFC There are a number of significant limitations that you should be aware of:
⚠️ Attention: The AI algorithms in budget smartphones are optimized for standard scenes. If you take pictures of something unusual (such as abstract art or scientific experiment), the camera can go crazy and distort colors beyond recognition.
Major shortcomings:
- 🚫 No. AI In video, the improvement works only for photos. The video is shot without intelligent processing.
- 🚫 Poor movement – if the subject is moving quickly, AI does not have time to adjust the settings, and the pictures are blurred.
- 🚫 Limited recognition – the camera does not always correctly identify complex scenes (for example, it can mistake a statue for a living person and apply portrait mode).
- 🚫 Dependence on lighting – in too dark or too light conditions, the AI turns off, and the pictures are worse than on flagships without AI.
Another nuance: AI-If you notice that the smartphone is warming or slowing down when shooting, try turning off scene recognition, which will reduce the load on the processor.
How to improve photos on Redmi 9C NFC without AI
If you're not happy with the results of artificial intelligence, you can get better pictures by hand. Here are some practical tips:
1. Use Pro mode (More → Pro):
- 📏 Set up. ISO 100-400 for daily shots (the lower the noise, the less noise).
- ⏱️ Set the shutter speed. 1/1000(c) for moving objects, or 1/30static.
- 🎯 Manually focus by touching the screen at the right point.
2. RAW shooting:
In Pro mode, you can save the image in RAW format (settings → file format). This will give more options for post-processing in Lightroom or Snapseed, but the files will weigh 3-4 times more.
External annexes:
Apps like Google Camera (with ported modules for Xiaomi) or Open Camera often handle better than a regular camera, but they may require unlocking the bootloader.
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Professional photographers recommend using AI-camera only as a "draft" - for the final result it is better to finalize the picture in the graphic editor.
Frequent problems with AI-camera and their decisions
Redmi users 9C NFC Sometimes they have problems with work. AI-Let's look at the most common ones and how to eliminate them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| AI doesn't recognize scenes | Failure of the Camera app | Clear the cache: Settings → Apps → Camera → Memory → Clear the cache |
| The pictures are too bright. | AI HDR turned on in excess light conditions | Turn off HDR or shoot manually with -1.0 exposure correction |
| The camera thinks long before shooting | Weak processor (Helio) G35) fails AI-treatment | Turn off scene recognition or reboot your smartphone |
| Colors are distorted (for example, green grass turns blue) | An algorithm error AI-flower-colour | Turn it off. AI-Color in the settings or remove in Pro-mode |
If none of these methods worked, try resetting the camera settings to factory:
Settings → System → Additional → Resetting settings → Resetting application settingsIn extreme cases, you may need to update the firmware – sometimes bugs in the work of AI are fixed in new versions of MIUI.