As we await the launch of several flagship phones from various brands, Xiaomi wants to bring the spotlight to them with the Mi 9. More than a successor to last year’s Mi 8, the Mi 9 steps things up with an all-new triple rear camera setup led by a 48-megapixel Sony IMX 586 sensor. Completing the triple rear camera array is a wide-angle camera with macro capabilities and a telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom.
It does not end there, as all three cameras come with a 6P lens for quality images and a close-loop motor for better autofocus accuracy. The triple rear camera does serious work, as the Mi 9 scored 107 in DxOMark, making it better than Apple’s iPhone XS Max and just behind Huawei’s P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro.
To protect one of the Mi 9’s key assets, Xiaomi equipped the rear camera module with sapphire glass to protect the lenses from the elements. The same goes for the front display, which is protected by Gorilla Glass 6. Speaking of the front panel, the Mi 9 has a slimmer bottom chin compared to its predecessor, resulting in an impressive 90.7% screen-to-body ratio.
Even the Mi 9’s finish is something worth talking about: described as a holographic design, the Mi 9’s rear panel underwent a nano-scale laser holography process, along with a double-layer coating.
Rounding up the Mi 9’s amazing set of features include Game Turbo performance-enhancing tech, 27W quick wired charging, 20W fast wireless charging, and a fifth-generation in-display fingerprint scanner.
Xiaomi Mi 9 specs
- AI-Powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor
- Adreno 640 GPU
- 6GB/8GB/12GB RAM
- 6.39-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display, 18:7.9 aspect ratio, support for DCI-P3, 60000:1 Contrast Ratio, Gorilla Glass 6 protection
- 128GB/256GB of non-expandable storage
- Triple rear camera setup: 48-megapixel f/1.75 Sony IMX586 main camera with 6P lens; 16-megapixel f/2.2 Sony IMX 481 ultra-wide-angle camera with 6P lens, 4CM macro mode; 12-megapixel f/2.2 Samsung S5K3M5 telephoto lens with 2X zoom, Dual Pixel and Laser Autofocus, dual-tone flash, AI scene detection, and AI portrait
- 20-megapixel f/2.0 front camera with 1.8um pixels, AI Portrait, AI Beauty
- Dual SIM, with 4G LTE, LTE-A
- Dual Frequency GPS, GLONASS
- WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
- In-display Fingerprint scanner, USB-C, Reading Mode 2.0, Game Turbo
- 3300mAh battery with 27W Quick Wired Charging and 20W Fast Wireless Charging
- Android Pie with MIUI 10
The Mi 9 is priced at CNY 2999 (~Php 23.3k) for the 6GB/128GB variant, CNY 3299 (~Php 25.6k) for the for the 8GB/128GB variant.
Aside from those three variants, there will be an Alita-themed Mi 9 Transparent edition that comes with a translucent back, 12GB RAM, and a better 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.45 aperture and 7P lens. The Mi 9 Transparent edition will retail for CNY 3999 (~Php 31k) for the 12GB/256GB model.