Smartphone Battles: Poco M2 Reloaded v/s Redmi 9 Prime

Welcome to another episode of smartphone battles, been a long time since I did one.

What I feel is that the Poco M2 Reloaded is pretty similar to the Poco M2, but is less expensive. They both have the same FHD+ display, 13MP quad cameras, a 5,000 mAh battery and a mediatek helio G80 gaming SoC. If your usage is pretty basic and your daily routine involves the use of some social media apps, messaging, calling, and more, the Poco M2 Reloaded is an apt choice for you.

Poco M2 Reloaded is cheaper than the Redmi 9 Prime. It costs Rs 9,499 in India, a full Rs 500 cheaper than the Redmi 9 Prime’s Rs 9,999. In the sub-Rs 10,000 segment, every Rs 500 matters, so the M2 Reloaded automatically becomes a value proposition compared to the Redmi 9 Prime.

The M2 Reloaded has a 6.53-inch FHD+ display with a waterdrop notch that houses an 8MP selfie camera module. Under the hood, we get a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage that is further expandable via a microSD card slot. It draws power from a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast-charging support. The smartphone runs on Android 10-based MIUI 12.

At the back, it gets a quad-camera with a 13MP primary camera, an 8MP wide-angle lens, a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. Other connectivity options include 4G LTE, 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, IR Blaster, GPS, and a USB Type-C port.

These specs are identical to the Redmi 9 Prime and the two phones also look similar in terms of design. The only difference between the two is the colour. The M2 Reloaded comes in Greyish Black and Mostly Blue colour options, whereas the Redmi 9 Prime comes in Matte Black, Mint Green, Space Blue, and Sunrise Flare colours. The Redmi 9 Prime offers more appealing colour options and you will need to decide whether that is worth spending Rs 500 extra on.