iPhone vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: detailed comparison on 10 criteria for informed choice

Choosing between the iPhone and Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is not just a matter of preference, but a strategic decision that will impact your digital experience in the next 2-3 years. Both brands are market leaders but are suitable for completely different categories of users. Apple offers a closed ecosystem with a long lifespan, and Xiaomi offers maximum flexibility and price/quality ratio.

Immediately it is worth clarifying: Redmi Note 9 was released in 2020, and for 4 years its hardware has become obsolete by the standards of flagships, but remains relevant in the budget segment. To compare it with the current iPhone 15/14 incorrect — it is more logical to take as a basis iPhone SE (2022) or used iPhone 11/12 models, which are in the same price category (15-25 thousand rubles).

It's important to understand that the choice between these devices depends not so much on the specifications, but on your priorities: some people are critically stable for 5 years, some people are critically important for the ability to change the battery for 500 rubles, and someone needs the best camera for minimal money. Let's understand what each option offers.

1. Performance and iron: who is faster in 2026?

On paper, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 with a MediaTek Helio G85 processor (12 nm) even loses the 2020 iPhone SE on the Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm) on all fronts. In benchmarks, the difference is huge: in Geekbench, the 5 iPhone scores ~ 1,300 points in a single-threaded test against ~350 in Redmi.

For everyday tasks — social networks, YouTube, instant messengers — both smartphones can cope without lag.

• 🎮 Games: Redmi Note 9 Starts Genshin Impact on minimum settings with fps ~20-25, while iPhone SE stable 30 In Call of Duty Mobile, the difference is even more noticeable – Xiaomi will have to reduce the graphics to “low".
• 📱 Multitasking: iPhone apps don’t get offloaded for months, Redmi Note 9 s 4 GB RAM begins to "kill" background processes after 5-6 open tabs in Chrome.
• ⏳ Durability: iPhone SE 2020 still gets iOS 17 updates, and Redmi Note 9 stopped at the end of the day. MIUI 14 (Android 12) and it won't be updated again. In a year or two, the performance gap will be critical.

But there’s a caveat: Redmi Note 9 supports MicroSD up to 512 GB, while iPhone SE is limited to internal memory. If you need to store a lot of photos / videos – this is a strong argument in favor of Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to use your smartphone for longer than 2 years, iPhone SE Redmi Note 9 in 3 years will turn into a "brick" for modern applications, and the iPhone will still be relevant.

2.Screen: AMOLED vs IPS - which is more comfortable for the eyes?

Here's Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 He's definitely losing. 6.53-inch IPS-resolution-screen 2340×1080 (395 ppi) looks dull next to 4.7-inch-retina HD iPhone SE (326 ppi, but only on paper:

Key observations:

• 🌞 The sun on the iPhone screen SE Reads better thanks to True Tone technology and anti-reflective coating.
• 🎨 Colors on Xiaomi can be customized under AMOLED in settings (Settings) → Screen. → Color mode, but they will still be less natural.
• 👁️ Reading and working with iPhone text SE More convenient – high pixel density and better color reproduction reduce eye fatigue.

The Redmi Note 9 is even less than the budget iPhone in screen quality, despite its large diagonal. If you care about comfort when watching videos or working with graphics, the iPhone is out of competition.

3.Camera: Can you save money without losing money?

Photos are one of the main arguments in the debate "which is better" On paper, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 will benefit from the quadruple camera (48+8+2+2 MP), but in practice it is different.

Main camera:

• 📸 iPhone SE (12 MPP, f/1.8): better-handling HDR, Natural colors, great detail in good light, loses at night due to lack of nighttime mode in the selfie camera.
• 📸 Redmi Note 9 (48 MPP, f/1.79): It's more megapixels, but the software processing is aggressively smoothing out the details, and at dusk, it's less noise than the iPhone, but the colors often twitch.

Video:

• 🎥 iPhone SE shoot off 4K@60fps with excellent stabilization, but without support HDR.
• 🎥 Redmi Note 9 limited 4K@30fps and suffers from overheating during a long recording.

Selfie:

• 🤳 iPhone SE (7 MPP, f/2.2): better color reproduction of the skin, but weak detail.
• 🤳 Redmi Note 9 (13 MPP, f/2.3): More megapixels, but software blurs textures.

⚠️ WARNING: If you’re shooting a lot of videos or posting photos on social media, iPhone SE The Redmi Note 9 will require manual processing in Lightroom for acceptable quality.

4. Battery and autonomy: who will live longer?

In terms of battery capacity, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 confidently leads: 5020 mAh vs. 1821 mAh in the iPhone SE. But the real autonomy depends not only on the numbers:

Key points:

• ⚡ Redmi Note 9 live on 30-40% longer in any scenario, but its battery degrades faster due to the large number of charging cycles.
• 🔋 iPhone. SE The battery lasts longer thanks to the optimization of iOS, but its replacement will cost you more. 5-7 thousand rubles (against) 1-1.5 thousands for Xiaomi).
• 🔌 Both smartphones support 18W fast charging, but iPhone charges faster because of a more efficient power controller.

If you need a smartphone “all day” without recharging – take the Redmi Note 9. If you are willing to sacrifice autonomy for the sake of durability – iPhone SE.

5. Software: iOS vs MIUI

The comparison here is not in favor of Xiaomi. iOS 17 on the iPhone SE runs smoother than MIUI 14 on the Redmi Note 9, despite the weaker hardware. Why?

The benefits of iOS:

• 🔒 Security: Security updates are released monthly 5-6 On the Redmi Note. 9 support ended in 2023 year.
• 📱 Optimization: iOS apps consume less memory and power. for example, Instagram on iPhone takes up ~150MB of RAM, on Xiaomi — ~400MB.
• 🎁 Ecosystem: Seamless integration with Mac, iPad, Apple Watch. Xiaomi will need third-party apps.

The benefits of MIUI:

• 🛠️ Flexibility: You can change the launchers, install them APK, You can customize the interface to your own needs. There's no such capability on iOS.
• 📲 Features: Built-in Game Turbo, Second Space (dual desktop), Quick Ball for navigation.
• 🌍 Localization: MIUI better adapted for Russia: built-in translator, support for two SIM + microSD.

The main disadvantage of Redmi Note 9 is advertising in MIUI. Yes, it can be turned off in the settings (Settings → Memory → Disable recommendations), but it will still skip in standard applications.

💡

On the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9, you can install custom firmware (such as Pixel Experience) for pure Android. But this voids the warranty and requires unlocking the bootloader.

6. Cost and Cost of Ownership: Which is Better?

At the time of writing (2026), the prices on the market are as follows:

• 💰 iPhone SE (2020, 64 GB): 18-22 thousand rubles (b/u in perfect condition).
• 💰 Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 (4/128 GB): 12-15 thousand rubles (new in the box).

But the real cost of ownership includes:

• 🔧 Repairs: iPhone SE: screen-replacement — 8-12 thousand, batteries — 5-7 Thousands of Redmi Notes 9: screen-replacement — 3-5 thousand, batteries — 1-1.5 thousand.
• 📉 Residual value: Through 2 iPhone SE sell for 10-12 min., Redmi Note 9 — post 4-6 thousand.
• 🔄 Updates: iPhone SE The Redmi Note 9 will last longer without brakes, in 3 years it will be almost unsuitable for modern applications.

Calculation for 3 years of ownership:

The Redmi Note 9 seems to be more profitable, but it's an illusion. iPhone SE will last longer, it's easier to sell, and it won't slow down in a year. If you count on 4-5 years of use, the cost difference is reduced to 20-30%.

💡

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 It is more profitable only with short-term use (1-2 For the long term iPhone SE economically justified.

7. Which smartphone is it for?

Identify the target audience for each device:

You will be able to use the iPhone SE (2020) if:

You will be able to use the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 if:

There are also universal scenarios where both options lose:

• 📸 Professional shooting: neither will replace the flagship. it is better to consider the iPhone 13 or Xiaomi 13 Lite.

FAQ: Frequent questions