After publishing the first comparisons with the new Mi CC series which included Xiaomi Mi CC9 and Mi CC9e, it is time to talk a bit about the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition. A special version of the new line-up released in partnership with Meitu, the luxury phone manufacturer which was recently acquired by Xiaomi. It is the most powerful and expensive variant of the new series, that is why we think it is perfect to compare it with the base variants of the main line-ups from Oppo and Huawei’s sub-brand Honor. We chose Oppo Reno and Honor 20 because they are among the most important devices on a similar price range and they might become the main rivals of the new Mi CC9 Meitu Edition. But let’s discover who is the best together.

 

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition vs Oppo Reno vs Huawei Honor 20

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition Oppo Reno Huawei Honor 20
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 156.8 x 74.5 x 8.7 mm, 179 grams 156.6 x 74.3 x 9 mm, 185 grams 154.3 x 74 x 7.9 mm, 174 grams
DISPLAY 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, Super AMOLED 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, AMOLED  6.26 inches, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 412 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz
MEMORY 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD slot 6 GB RAM, 128 GB  – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB 6 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE Android 9 Pie, MIUI Android 9 Pie, Color OS  Android 9 Pie, EMUI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Triple 48 + 8 + 2 MP f/1.8
32 MP front camera f/2.0		 Dual 48 + 5 MP f/1.7 and f/2.4
16 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Quad 48 + 16 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4
32 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 4030 mAh, fast charging 18W 3765 mAh, fast charging with VOOC 3.0  3750 mAh, Fast Charging 22.5W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot

Design

Which design you should choose? It really depends on your tastes, in each case you get impressive premium aesthetics. The Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition has a stunning glass back which creates different effects depending on the reflection, but it comes with a notched display. Honor 20 and Oppo Reno’s back covers are less impressive (according to my tastes), but they do not feature a notch and they come with much more interesting solutions. While the former has a shark fin pop-up camera, no bezels, and no display interruption, the latter comes with a punch-hole display. Note that Honor 20 is also the most compact and the most lightweight.

 

Display

On the paper, Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition seems to come with the best display. It is the only to support the HDR technology, despite it has a less strong Gorilla Glass protection than the Oppo Reno (Gorilla Glass 5 vs 6) and it has a waterdrop notch instead of a true full screen display. Oppo Reno takes the second place with its AMOLED display boasting a high DCI-P3 coverage, while Honor 20 does not convince me with its midrange-class IPS panel.

 

Specs & Software

There is no challenge here: while Xiaomi Mi CC9 and Oppo Reno are powered by a midrange chipset, Honor 20 has the best Huawei’s flagship SoC. We are talking about the Kirin 980 which is a lot faster and smoother than the Snapdragon 710 by Qualcomm. Honor 20 does not have a variant with 8 GB of RAM, but the superiority of its SoC wins everything. Right after, there is the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition with its 8/256 GB memory configuration and expandable internal storage through a micro SD slot.

 

Camera

It is hard to pick the best camera phone of this trio. Xiaomi Mi CC9 has an amazing triple camera on its back which includes an ultrawide sensor too, and it can record super slow motion videos up to 960 fps. There is also an amazing 32 MP camera which supports the awesome camera algorithms developed by Meitu. These algorithms are able to enhance selfie quality by relying on AI for beautification and more. They are the main reason why Xiaomi acquired Meitu. But for now (at least until we personally test the Mi CC9) it is a draw with the Honor 20 as it also comes with a pretty amazing setup: a quad camera including a 16 MP ultrawide lens and a dedicated macro camera.

 

Battery

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition is equipped with a big 4030 mAh battery and it will probably last a lot more than its opponents on a single charge, in most of the scenarios. It even features an efficient AMOLED display, unlike the Honor 20. But until we tested it thoroughly, we cannot confirm our opinions about Xiaomi Mi CC9’s battery life in a definitive way.

 

Price

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition debuted with a $378/€425 price tag in China, while Oppo Reno and Honor 20 start from €500/$560 worldwide. Due to its amazing camera performance, wider display than the Honor 20, bigger battery, a better display, and more internal storage, I prefer the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition. But for people who want the highest performance, Honor 20 is the best.

 

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition vs Oppo Reno vs Huawei Honor 20: PROs and CONS

Huawei Honor 20

PROs

  • Good cameras
  • Flagship performance
  • Compact
  • Faster charging

CONS

  • Worse display

 

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Edition

PROs

  • Amazing design and builds quality
  • Great cameras
  • Nice display
  • Big battery

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Oppo Reno

PROs

  • Innovative design
  • Worldwide availability
  • Good performance
  • Nice display

CONS

  • Less impressive cameras

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR