Towards the end of last month, we found evidence that Xiaomi was planning to rebrand the Redmi 9C as the POCO C3 for the Indian market. The upcoming POCO C3 was spotted in a Bluetooth certification listing with the model number M2006C3MI, which is precisely the same as the model number for the budget-friendly Redmi 9C. Now, leaked renders of the upcoming Redmi 9 (Indian variant) have surfaced online, suggesting that it's also based on the same device.

The leaked renders of the Redmi 9 were shared by leaker Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414) and they reveal that the Indian variant of the Redmi 9 looks nothing like the Redmi 9 international variant that was launched earlier this year in June. The device in the renders closely resembles the Redmi 9C, with a square camera module and a capacitive fingerprint scanner on the back. However, there's one well-concealed difference.

At first glance, you'll notice that the Xiaomi Redmi 9 renders showcase a device with a triple camera setup, much like the Redmi 9C. However, on close inspection, you'll see that one of the three camera sensors on the back of the device is just a blank space. This means that the Indian variant of the Redmi 9 won't feature the same triple camera setup found on the Redmi 9C. This detail has been corroborated by another renowned leaker, Ishaan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24), who noted that the renders of the Redmi 9 India variant are that of the Redmi 9C NFC variant that was launched in Europe earlier this year, except for the missing third camera sensor.

The leaked Xiaomi Redmi 9 renders are accompanied by specifications of the device, which further confirms our suspicions. The Redmi 9 India variant is expected to feature a 6.53-inch HD+ LCD display, a 13MP+2MP dual camera setup on the back, and a 5MP selfie shooter over on the front. The device will be powered by MediaTek's Helio G35 chip, coupled with a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support.

We've also learned that the Xiaomi Redmi 9 India variant will go by the codename cattail, and it will be part of the Redmi 9C (codename angelica) family, despite the difference in codename. Thanks to XDA Senior Member Deic, we can also confirm that the upcoming POCO C3 will go by the codename angelicain, and it's expected to be a closer copy of the Redmi 9C.

As mentioned in a previous post, POCO shares a centralized product R&D with Xiaomi, and all of its devices are based on existing Xiaomi phones. For instance, the POCO F1 was loosely based on the Xiaomi Mi 8, the POCO X2 was a rebranded Redmi K30 4G, the POCO F2 Pro was a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro 5G, and the POCO M2 Pro was based on the Redmi Note 9 Pro. Irrespective of that, POCO maintains that it's a separate brand that differentiates itself in other aspects like its go-to-market strategy and sales. According to POCO General Manager C. Manmohan, the brand's strength lies in the community and its feedback, which is where its team works to improve its devices.

Xiaomi is expected to launch the Redmi 9 in India on August 27th, as per teasers shared by the company. As of now, we don't have any information regarding the launch timeline for the POCO C3.