The Xiaomi Mi 9 was formalized with the company’s first triple camera and the fastest wireless charging of all phones. The star of the camera is the 48MP module, a Sony IMX586 with Bayer quad filter. It’s a large 0.8 “pixel 1/2” sensor that can be summed up to 1.6 μm super pixels, note that the Redmi Note 7 sub-brand uses the Samsung 48MP sensor instead.
The Mi 9 also features an ultra-wide 16-megapixel camera with a field of view of 117 °. It has 1.0 μm pixels and a 1: 2.2 autofocus lens that can capture macros at a distance of 4 cm. The Mi 8 did not have an ultra-wide camera. There was a 12 MP 2x telephoto lens, but the Mi 9 won with a brighter aperture (1: 2.2).
The screen has risen to 6.39 inches, but is still a super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1080p +. Xiaomi claims that the screen-to-body ratio is 90.7%, due in part to the lower impact. The high brightness mode of the screen can reach 600nits. Dark mode can also be used to reduce power consumption by up to 83%. The Always On display now supports colorful patterns to enhance the look of the phone.
The smaller notch required modifications to the 20 MP selfie camera (1: 2.0, 0.9 μm). In some areas it is possible to unlock faces using an AI. Artificial intelligence is also used to reduce the distortion of the ultra-wide camera. You’ll be asked to switch from one camera to another if you think you’re getting a better picture.
The other option for biometric unlocking is the integrated fingerprint reader. It can be used with Google Pay over NFC connectivity. There is also a GPS with two frequencies and an IR blaster.
Back on screen, she is protected with Gorilla Glass 6 for a while. The back has Gorilla Glass 5 and the triple camera is even better protected thanks to a sapphire crystal cover. If the Mi 9 has no protection, this is the water resistance.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 brings a significant improvement in fast charge. The company calls it Turbo Charge and can deliver up to 27W on USB-C. However, the standard retail package comes with an 18 watt charger (equivalent to Mi 8).
There’s a fast, wireless charger – up to 20W, the fastest we’ve seen so far – and a 27W charger. A wireless 20W car charger will also be available. Incidentally, the Charge Turbo was certified by the TÜV. It therefore corresponds to the security solutions from Huawei. Overall, the capacity of the 3,300 mAh battery is substantially the same (it is 100 mAh lower than that of Mi 8).
Xiaomi opted for the Snapdragon 855 chipset to power the Mi 9, no surprise. It’s connected to 6GB of RAM and you can choose between 64GB and 128GB of storage. Game Turbo mode optimizes the processor and graphics processor for a quieter gaming experience.
There will be a transparent version (you will see the decals and not the real components). This model contains 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. This will initially only be available in China. In addition, only phones in China use Xiao AI instead of Google Assistant.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 Standard will be available in purple lavender, ocean blue and black piano. The price for the 6/128 GB variant is 2,999 CNY or about 395 US dollars. The 8 / 128GB option costs 3,299 CNY ($ 490 / € 430), while the Transparent option with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs 3,999 CNY ($ 595 / € 525).
