78 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 71
Each also feature a Dot Drop (waterdrop-style)
notch to maximize the available screen space and
house the selfie camera, which is more obvious on
Mi 9 with its larger 20Mp sensor (Redmi Note 7 has
a 13Mp front camera). There’s also a blink-and-you’ll-
miss-it slit at the extreme edge between the screen
and frame for the earpiece.
Around the back you’ll find some more obvious
differences, however, with a dual- rather than triple
lens camera on the Redmi Note 7, the Redmi rather
than Mi logo, and a physical fingerprint sensor. All
members of the flagship Mi 9 family now use an
in-display fingerprint sensor.
Arguably physical fingerprint sensors typically
work better than these early in-display versions,
and though it might be a fancy new feature to
have the omission is not a game-changer.
We tested the Black version so were unable to
enjoy the gradient finish of the Blue model, but in
pictures it looks gorgeous. With a glass back and
front the Redmi Note 7 has a premium design for
a phone at this price point, and is only fractionally
thicker than Xiaomi’s flagship family at 8.1mm, though
you will notice that glossy frame is plastic rather
than metal. That extra space inside the case enables
it to include a capacious 4,000mAh battery, too,
matching the specifications of the Mi 9T.
Something you won’t find on Mi 9 phones (save for
the Mi 9T) is the Redmi Note 7’s 3.5mm headphone
jack, which sits on the top edge of the phone
alongside another increasingly rare feature: an IR
blaster. While phone makers are rapidly making the
