Xiaomi Mi 9 vs CC9: Appearances Can Be Deceptive!

Xiaomi and its sub-brands are on a roll this year. After Redmi launched a brand new K20 series a month ago, Xiaomi revealed its new CC series yesterday. With the sheer amount of Xiaomi phones in the market, readers are often confused about how they all differ from each other. In fact, on first glance, the new Xiaomi Mi CC9 looks identical to the Xiaomi Mi 9. But don’t be deceived, they differ in more ways than you can imagine. So, in this article, let’s take a deeper look at Xiaomi Mi 9 vs CC9 comparison and why they differ quite significantly.

In order to understand how both the phones differ and why they are priced differently, let’s take a look at them in detail down below.

Xiaomi Mi 9 vs CC9: Design

This is one department where both the phones are the most similar. They both share a similar form factor mainly due to the fact that their displays are identical. Both the phones feature a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED 2340 x 1080p display up front with a waterdrop notch. The notch sizes are also very similar. Coming to the back, both the phones feature a triple camera setup in an identical vertical arrangement. All these factors contribute to their similar looks.

However, their similarities end here, even in their design. To make things simple, I’ll list down the differences in the design below.

• Dimensions: Mi 9 – 157.5 x 74.67 x 7.61mm vs CC9 – 156.8 x 74.5 x 8.67mm
• Weight: Mi 9 – 173g vs CC9 – 179g
• Mi 9 – Special AI button vs CC9 – No AI button
• Mi 9 – No headphone jack vs CC9 – 3.5mm Headphone Jack
• Mi 9 – Special highlight on the first camera lens vs CC9 – No highlight on any camera lens
• Mi 9 – Horizontal Mi logo on the back vs CC9 – Vertical Xiaomi logo on the back
• Mi 9 – Piano Black, Ocean Blue, Lavender Violet vs CC9 –  White Lovers, Dark Blue, and Black

Thanks to CC9’s colors, the phone looks more vibrant and colorful than the Mi 9. And that’s exactly what Xiaomi wants. It’s aiming to portray the Mi CC9 as the smartphone for the youth, while the Mi 9 is placed as the true flagship at a bargain price. The similarities in their looks mean Xiaomi didn’t have to worry too much about coming up with a revamped design. This also makes mass production of these new models much easier.

In fact, to prove this point, just take a look at how many Xiaomi phones share this basic design and form factor – Xiaomi Mi 9, Mi 9 SE, Mi 9 EE, Mi 9 Roy Wang Limited Edition, and now Mi CC9, Mi CC9e, Mi CC9 Meitu Edition.

 

Xiaomi Mi 9 vs CC9: Hardware Specs

This is where Mi 9 and CC9 differ significantly. Let’s take a look at the specs one by one.

 

The Xiaomi Mi 9 is a true flagship with Snapdragon 855 on board, while the Mi CC9 is a mid-ranger at best with Snapdragon 710 on board. Further, the Mi 9 has a better rear camera setup with a set of telephoto lens for optical zoom. The Ultrawide mode should also be better on the Mi 9, thanks to a larger 16MP sensor. Unlike the Mi 9, CC9 also doesn’t support 4K 60fps video recording or 960fps slo-mo recording at 1080p. The Mi 9 flagship has an advantage in the number of LTE bands supported, adding worldwide LTE support as well.

• Editor’s Pick: Full review: Xiaomi Mi band 4, the superstar in wearables market

But the Xiaomi CC9 isn’t without its own set of unique features. For example, the phone has a larger 4030mAh battery to keep you going for an entire day. It also features a seventh-generation screen fingerprint sensor as opposed to the fifth-gen. one on the Mi 9. Another major difference is the presence of the headphone jack on the CC9. The Xiaomi Mi 9 had to ditch this port to make room for better specs.

Xiaomi Mi 9 vs CC9: Conclusion

As you can see, the Xiaomi Mi 9 and CC9 are different in more ways than you would have imagined. The Mi 9 is targeted at users who are looking for an affordable flagship smartphone with top-end specs. On the other hand, the Xiaomi CC9 is targeted at a younger crowd who don’t want to spend a lot but are looking for a better value for money. That explains why Xiaomi decided to retain a headphone jack on the CC9 (wired headphones are cheaper) and add a better 32MP selfie camera on the front.

So if you were confused about the differences between the two models, I hope this article helps in clearing your doubts.

 

UP NEXT: Xiaomi launches the Marvel Avengers: Endgame Iron Man Mk50 Robot priced at $286