Xiaomi is betting a lot on the Mi 9 series by releasing several variants. In case you missed our posts in the last days, we recently learned that the next ones will be the Mi CC9 and the Mi CC9e. A lot of variants means more choice for consumers, but also a lot of confusion for those who are not familiar with Xiaomi line-ups and its complicate naming schemes. That is why, after the Xiaomi Mi 9T (the global variant of the Redmi K20) debuted in the global market, we decided to make a comparison between the most wanted variants of the Mi 9 (which are also the ones mostly creating confusion). So here is a complete specs comparison between the Mi 9T, the vanilla Mi 9 and the Mi 9 SE.
Xiaomi Mi 9T vs Mi 9 vs Mi 9 SE
| Xiaomi Mi 9T | Xiaomi Mi 9 | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 156.7 x 74.3 x 8.8 mm, 191 g | 157.5 x 74.7 x 7.6 mm, 173 g | 147.5 x 70.5 x 7.5 mm, 155 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED | 5.97 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 730, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 712, octa-core 2.3 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB, 128 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | Android 9 Pie, MIUI | Android 9 Pie, MIUI |
| 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 + 13 + 8 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4 and f/2.4 | Triple 48 + 12 + 16 MP, f/1.8 and f/2.2 and f/2.2 20 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Triple 48 + 8 + 13 MP, f/1.8 and f/2.4 and f/2.4 20 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4000 mAh, fast charging 27W with Quick Charge 4.0 | 3300 mAh, fast charging 27W with Quick Charge 4.0 | 3070 mAh, fast charging 18W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
Despite it is not the most expensive handset of this trio, Xiaomi Mi 9T has the most attractive and innovative design. It sports a full borderless display with no holes, neither a notch, thanks to its pop-up front camera. It even has a beautiful rear side with a liquid finish and amazing gradient hues. Xiaomi Mi 9 and Mi 9 SE share a pretty similar design with a waterdrop notch and the same color variants, but they have an important advantage in terms of aesthetics. The former comes with a better build quality thanks to a 7000 series aluminum frame and a Gorilla Glass 5 glass back, while the latter has a more compact and thinner body. Xiaomi Mi 9 is as thin as the Mi 9 SE, but it is bigger than its toned down variant.
Display
When it comes to the quality of the display, Xiaomi Mi 9 wins the comparison with a higher-end AMOLED screen that sports a better color reproduction. If you had all of these devices on your table, you probably wouldn’t notice a huge difference, but it is worth noting that Xiaomi Mi 9 has higher DCI-P3 coverage and it is HDR10-compliant. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE comes with smaller display size, so it is easier to use with one hand. Each of these devices integrates an in-display fingerprint reader and the Gorilla Glass protection, but Xiaomi Mi 9 is the only one with Gorilla Glass 6.
Hardware/Software
The hardware side is what really makes the difference here. With the Xiaomi Mi 9, you get a much more powerful chipset, that is the best Qualcomm’s flagship SoC of 2019. We are talking about the Snapdragon 855 running at a max frequency of 2.84 GHz. Xiaomi Mi 9 is also the only to be available with up to 8 GB of RAM. At the second place of the ranking, we put the Xiaomi Mi 9T which is powered by the best chipset from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7xx series: the Snapdragon 730. Each handset is equipped with Android 9 Pie out of the box, customized by the MIUI 10.
Camera
If you are searching for a very affordable camera phone, then grabbing a unit of one of these three devices is among your best choices. But which one shoots the photos in the best way? Xiaomi Mi 9 is the best on the paper, and it manages to click amazing shots in every light condition. It has higher resolutions for the secondary sensors and even a laser autofocus mechanism. Last but not least, it is able to record 4K videos at 60 fps.
Battery
Battery life is the weakest point of both the Xiaomi Mi 9 and the Mi 9 SE, while it is a strong point when it comes to Xiaomi Mi 9T equipped with a big 4000 mAh battery. It lasts one day in almost every scenario, but it does not feature wireless charging, unlike the vanilla Mi 9.
Price
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE starts from €280/$314, Xiaomi Mi 9T costs €300/$336 in its base variant and Xiaomi Mi 9 starts from €450/$505. The best choice for me would be the Xiaomi Mi 9 due to its higher performance and better cameras, as well as wireless charging. But for those who want to save some money, Xiaomi Mi 9T is the best, it should be definitely better than Mi 9 SE for most people.
Xiaomi Mi 9T vs Mi 9 vs Mi 9 SE: PRO and CONS
Xiaomi Mi 9
PROS
- Higher performance
- Great cameras
- Compact design
- Amazing build quality
CONS
- Average battery
Xiaomi Mi 9T
PROS
- Affordable
- Very original design
- Good cameras
- Big battery
CONS
- Nothing particular
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE
PROS
- Compact design
- Great cameras
- Affordable price
- Good display
CONS
- Smaller battery
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