Umidigi G9A Review: Features, Price, and Performance

Umidigi G9A

• Network Technology: GSM, HSPA, LTE
• Launch: Announced September 2024, Released September 2024
• Body:
  • Dimensions: 167.2 x 77 x 7.9 mm (6.58 x 3.03 x 0.31 in)
  • Weight: 189 g (6.67 oz)
  • SIM: Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM

Display:

• Type: IPS LCD
• Size: 6.75 inches, 110.0 cm² (~85.4% screen-to-body ratio)
• Resolution: 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~260 ppi density)

Platform:

• OS: Android 14 (Go edition)
• Chipset: Unisoc SC9863A (28 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (4x1.6 GHz Cortex-A55 & 4x1.2 GHz Cortex-A55)
• GPU: IMG8322

Memory:

• Card Slot: microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)
• Internal Storage:
  • 64GB 4GB RAM

Main Camera (Dual):

• 13 MP (wide)
• 2 MP (depth)
• Features: LED flash
• Video: 1080p@30fps

Selfie Camera:

• 8 MP (wide)
• Video: Yes

Sound:

• Loudspeaker: Yes
• 3.5mm Jack: Yes

Connectivity:

• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth: 4.2, A2DP
• Positioning: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
• NFC: No
• Radio: FM radio
• USB: USB Type-C, OTG

Features:

• Sensors: Accelerometer, compass, Virtual proximity sensing

Battery:

• Type: 5000 mAh
• Charging: 10W wired

Miscellaneous:

• Colors: Space Black, Lake Green

The Umidigi G9A is a feature-packed smartphone that offers solid performance and a great user experience at an affordable price. As part of Umidigi's expanding lineup of entry-level devices, the G9A aims to provide a comprehensive experience, targeting users who want key features like a large display, great camera performance, and great battery life, but who also value affordability. Let's take a closer look at the design, display, performance, camera, and other key features that set the Umidigi G9A apart.

Design and Finish :

The Umidigi G9A features a sleek, modern design that reflects its affordable price tag. The back is made of glossy polycarbonate, which gives it a clean look, but doesn't feel as premium as phones with glass or metal backs. The back is fingerprint-resistant, so the device stays pristine all day. Overall, the phone is lightweight and easy to handle, and can be used comfortably with one hand, especially considering the 6.53-inch display.

The front of the phone features a teardrop-shaped notch that houses the front-facing camera, allowing for a more immersive display experience. While it doesn't have the ultra-thin bezels of higher-end devices, the G9A's bezels are relatively narrow considering its price range. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor offers convenient biometric authentication and is well-placed for easy access, making unlocking the phone a breeze. The device also has face recognition capabilities.

In terms of durability, the Umidigi G9A is made of standard materials that provide adequate protection, but it may not be as drop-resistant as premium smartphones. The phone comes in a variety of colors, including blue and black, which adds a touch of glamour to the overall aesthetic.

Display: Good Visual Experience :

The Umidigi G9A comes with a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution (2340 x 1080 pixels), which offers good clarity and vibrant colors for the price. Although it doesn't offer the extremely high contrast of AMOLED displays, the screen quality is more than enough for everyday tasks such as browsing the web, watching videos, and scrolling through social media. The 19.5:9 aspect ratio offers an impressive full-screen experience when viewing content, and a teardrop-shaped notch at the top houses the front camera without taking up too much screen space.

The display is fairly bright, but may struggle a bit in direct sunlight, so you'll need to adjust the brightness settings. Colours are vibrant and sharp, though they may not be as vibrant as displays on higher-end models. For a budget phone, the G9A's display still offers good value for money, especially with its Full HD+ resolution, which is an improvement over the usual 720p resolution found on many entry-level devices.

The phone supports basic display features such as Night Mode, which reduces blue light emissions, making it comfortable to use in dark environments. Overall, the screen quality of the Umidigi G9A is not a flagship display, but it is more than enough for everyday use and occasional multimedia consumption.

Performance: Budget-friendly but powerful :

Under the hood of the Umidigi G9A is the Unisoc T610 chipset, a budget processor that balances performance and efficiency. With 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, it offers plenty of resources for general use. For example: social media browsing, video streaming, light multitasking, etc. For users who need more storage, the phone comes with a microSD card slot that supports up to 256GB of additional storage, which is a handy feature for users who want to store a lot of photos, videos, and apps.

The Unisoc T610 chipset may not be able to compete with premium processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 and 800 series, but it is designed to handle everyday tasks and simple games without significant slowdown. The phone can run casual games pretty well, but demanding 3D games might result in poor performance or require lower settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

The Umidigi G9A runs on Android 11 and has a clean user interface without a lot of extra software. This ensures a relatively smooth and responsive experience, especially for budget-conscious users. The phone also offers handy customization options through the Umidigi UI, allowing users to tweak settings to their liking.

While the performance might not be amazing, the Umidigi G9A offers solid features for the price and handles everyday tasks without any major issues. It's perfect for users who don't need the best performance but still want a phone that gets the job done.

Camera: Functional, but not particularly outstanding :

The camera system on the Umidigi G9A is fairly basic, but should be enough for most regular users who want to take photos every day. The phone has a 13MP main camera on the back, which takes decent photos in good light. Photos are generally clear and have enough detail, although colors can be a bit muted compared to more expensive devices. The camera works well in sunlight, but can struggle in low-light conditions, where noise and loss of detail are noticeable.

The 2MP depth sensor adds versatility to the camera system, making it easy to take portraits with blurred backgrounds. However, the effect is not always perfect and it is not on par with high-end phones when it comes to portrait photography. There is also a macro lens, but it is very basic and is mainly suitable for close-ups of small objects, although the details are limited.

The Umidigi G9A has an 8MP selfie camera on the front. It takes decent selfies, but the image quality is not spectacular. Like the rear camera, it works best in bright lighting but can struggle in dim environments where the image lacks clarity and sharpness. The phone supports 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second, but again, it's a basic implementation. The footage looks good for everyday use, but it lacks the stability and smoothness of higher-end smartphones with more advanced camera systems.

Overall, the camera setup on the Umidigi G9A is functional but won't win any awards. It's perfectly fine for users who want to take simple photos and videos, but it might not suit those who value advanced photography features.

Battery Life: Long-Lasting Performance :

The Umidigi G9A has a 5150mAh battery, which is quite large for an entry-level device. The relatively low power consumption of the Unisoc T610 chipset and the energy-efficient IPS LCD display give this phone great battery life. Users can easily perform moderate activities such as browsing the web, sending messages, and watching videos for a whole day on a single charge.

For more demanding users, the device may be subjected to more intensive use such as: For example, when doing heavy tasks such as gaming and streaming, the battery will last for about a day, but heavy tasks will drain the battery faster. The phone supports 10W charging, which is quite slow, but is expected at this price point. It does not support fast charging, which means charging times will be longer compared to more expensive phones.

Additional Features and Connectivity :

The Umidigi G9A offers some handy features that aren’t available on many modern smartphones, such as dual SIM support, NFC, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 for reliable connectivity.

For navigation, GPS, AGPS, and Glonass are included, ensuring solid location tracking in apps like Google Maps. The device also comes with an FM radio, which is a nice touch for users who still enjoy traditional radio broadcasts.

Conclusion :

The Umidigi G9A is a solid choice for users looking for an affordable smartphone that offers an overall decent experience without breaking the budget. While it doesn't offer flagship-level performance or features, it offers great value for money with a large display, decent camera setup, and good battery life. Clean software, expandable storage, and a functional design make this phone a practical choice for budget-conscious buyers. If you're looking for an entry-level phone that can handle the basics, the Umidigi G9A is a great candidate worth considering.