Xiaomi had an event today where it announced a bunch of products. At the launch, it unveiled its new flagships – the Mi 9 and the Mi 9 Transparent Edition. Both phones don’t disappoint in terms of specs and even surprise us with their prices.
Mi 9
The Mi 9 packs a 6.39-inch 2340 x 1080 AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch that houses the selfie camera. As Xiaomi revealed a few days ago, the display is supplied by Samsung and is covered with Gorilla Glass 6.
Under the hood of the Mi 9 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor and it is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also an 8GB RAM variant with 128GB of storage too. Sorry, there is no 64GB version this year or rather Xiaomi didn’t announce one today.
The Mi 9 is Xiaomi’s first triple camera phone and it doesn’t disappoint. The first camera with the holographic ring around it (red on the transparent edition) is actually the telephoto lens – a 12MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K3M5 sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and 2x optical zoom. Beneath the sensor is the laser-focus module.
The next sensor is the primary camera – a 48MP Sony IMX586 f/1.75 sensor with a 6P lens. There is also a 16MP Sony IMX481 f/2.2 sensor for taking wide-angle photos and macro shots. It has a 117° viewing angle. All three sensors are covered with sapphire glass. The selfie camera is a 20MP sensor The Mi 9 can record 960fps slow-motion, record videos using the wide-angle camera, has a bunch of modes including AR avatars and an integration with TicTok.
Xiaomi also revealed the phone’s DxOMark score at the event. The Mi 9 scored 99 in video recording, making it the best phone for video recording at the moment. Its overall DxOMark score is 107, putting it behind the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Huawei P20 Pro.
The Mi 9 has an in-display fingerprint scanner which is 25% faster than the previous generation. It has NFC with NXP’s new SN100T chip for faster transaction speeds, a dedicated AI button, Bluetooth 5.0 dual-frequency GPS for better positioning, an infrared port for controlling electronics in the home, and a USB Type-C port. It also supports face unlock.
The phone packs a 3,300mAh battery with support for Xiaomi’s 27W fast-charging which allows you to charge the phone from empty to 70% in just 30 minutes. Xiaomi says it also supports Quick Charge 4+. The fast-charging technology is certified as safe by TÜV Rheinland.
The Mi 9 runs Android 9 Pie based on MIUI 10. It has a dark mode and also comes with a Game Turbo Mode.
Mi 9 Transparent Edition
The Mi 9 Transparent Edition comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Its primary 48MP camera also has an aperture size of f/1.47 and has a 7P lens. Unlike the Mi 9, it has a see-through body which is pretty gorgeous.
Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi Mi 9 is priced at ¥2999 (~$447) for the 6GB+ 128GB version while the 8GB RAM version is priced at ¥3299 (~$491). The Mi 9 Transparent Edition with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will sell for ¥3999 (~$595).
The phones will be available for pre-order starting tonight at 6 PM local time. The first sale is scheduled for February 26.
