Xiaomi is known for its value for money flagships and the tradition continues with its new launch, the Xiaomi Mi 9. The phone is one of the best looking Xiaomi smartphones in recent times, as the company has refined the phone’s design as compared to its predecessor and is offering it in a number of different color variants. We got the blue color variant for this hands-on and it looks really premium. If you thought that Xiaomi phones didn’t look or feel premium before, then know that this phone does take things up a notch.

Since we are on the topic of notches, yes, the front does feature a notch, but it’s pleasant to the eyes because of its water drop design. There’s still some bezels below the display, so it’s not quite the new age notch-less and bezel-less phone, say like the Galaxy S10+. But it sure does look good.

The back of the Xiaomi Mi 9 is made out of glass and it’s protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The front comes with Gorilla Glass 6 protection. The blue color on the back looks beautiful and the color is said to be sprayed below the curved glass. The sides of the glass at the back is curved, which makes it really comfortable to hold. The grip feels natural and it’s pretty easy to hold the device even with one hand. But note that the glass makes the phone quite slippery and you’d probably end up covering the phone with a case for an added sense of security.

Also, let’s talk about that camera bump. The triple camera module, which includes a 48MP camera sensor, protrudes quite significantly from the back. Know that it will be the first part of the phone that touches the surface, which means it will be subjected to some rough conditions. However, Xiaomi has ensured that the camera lens will remain scratchless by using sapphire glass. Still, personally, I would look for a case that evens out the back. By the way, we might not have to endure such protruding camera models. OPPO’s upcoming 10X Zoom camera is said to have a flat triple camera setup. It comes with a 48MP camera too!

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Overall, if you match the phone’s styling and the hardware inside, not to mention the amazing price tag, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is definitely the smartphone to look out for this year. It features the new Snapdragon 855 processor with up to 12GB of RAM (on the transparent edition), a solid triple camera setup (48MP main + 12MP telephoto + 16MP wide angle), 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, and a decent 3300mAh battery with 27W fast charging and 20W fast wireless charging as well. Except for the average battery, I personally feel, the Mi 9 does well in all other aspects. For a starting price tag of around $450, it’s definitely a steal!

It’s worth mentioning that the Xiaomi Mi 9 is likely to be the last flagship from Xiaomi that’ll start under 3000 Yuan ($450). The company’s CEO recently revealed that it would like to increase the prices of its flagships, albeit slightly, to offer better components to its users in the future. But right now, at this price, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is definitely the smartphone to beat.

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