Xiaomi Redmi 9 will come as a successor to the Redmi 8 sometime early next year. According to a new leak, the Redmi 9 is said to be powered by the unannounced MediaTek Helio G70 chipset. The Helio G70 will be part of MediaTek's all-new Helio G series. For the unaware, MediaTek announced Helio G90 series of chips earlier this year and the first and only phone to feature the Helio G90T chipset is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro. Xiaomi turning to a MediaTek chip for the budget segment will not surprise many as Qualcomm did not announce an entry-level and budget range chipset for nearly a year now. For instance, the Snapdragon 429 and the Snapdragon 439 are the last chipsets from Qualcomm aimed at the entry-level and budget smartphones.
Xiaomi Redmi 9 With Helio G70 SoC: Does it Make Sense?
When Xiaomi went with the MediaTek Helio G90T chipset for the Redmi Note 8 Pro, everyone was pleasantly surprised considering how vital the Redmi Note series is for Xiaomi in India and global markets. Now, a report from 91mobiles suggests that the upcoming budget phone from Xiaomi, the Redmi 9 will feature MediaTek's Helio G70 chipset. The Helio G90T is the powerful chipset available in the mid-range segment right now and it comfortably beats the likes of Snapdragon 730G, Snapdragon 730 and the Snapdragon 712 mid-range SoCs from Qualcomm.
The Xiaomi Redmi 8 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 chipset and there are no rumours on whether the chipmaker is planning to introduce any successor to the same. So in the current scenario, it makes complete sense for Xiaomi to choose a MediaTek chipset for the Redmi 9.
MediaTek's Helio G series is aimed at the gamers and the Helio G90T is an example for the same. Titles like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile run absolutely fine on the Redmi Note 8 Pro and we're expecting the Helio G70 to deliver great performance under Rs 10,000 price point. Other leaked details of the Redmi 9 include 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, like the Xiaomi Redmi 8.
The Redmi 9 will likely flaunt a 6.6-inch display with a teardrop notch on top. The Redmi 8 features a 6.22-inch HD+ display and the Redmi 9 is already said to have a bigger display than its predecessor. Besides the processor change, we're expecting Xiaomi to upgrade the cameras on the Redmi 9. As for the launch date, the Redmi 9 is said to debut in Q1 2020 in China.
MediaTek Becoming a Major Rival to Qualcomm
For years now, MediaTek was under the radar thanks to the overheating chipsets. However, the chipmaker dominated the smartphone market in 2018 and 2019 as well. MediaTek's Helio P60 chipset marked the company's return into the game as the chipset delivered exceptional performance even on budget smartphones. Later on, MediaTek introduced entry-level and budget chipsets like the Helio A22 and Helio P22 which were preferred by a lot of brands like Xiaomi, Realme, Samsung and even HMD Global.
With Qualcomm betting heavily on Artificial Intelligence and leaving the budget and entry-level markets entirely, it's the best time for MediaTek to make the segments its own. The Redmi Note 8 Pro had changed MediaTek's perception in India with the Helio G90T chipset as the phone was preferred by many over the competitors like Realme XT, Realme 5 Pro, Vivo Z1x and so on.
