Xiaomi Mi 9 Global - All information about the flagship smartphone

Xiaomi Mi 9

Earlier than expected, Xiaomi presented the new Xiaomi Mi 9 flagship smartphone. Like its predecessor, the smartphone came in an Explorer, standard and mid-range version. Xiaomi has kept the differences between the Explorer Edition and the standard model much smaller this time. Only the transparent back and a higher memory configuration have remained. The mid-range model (Xiaomi Mi 9 SE) is visually oriented to the two high-end variants, but differs in terms of hardware equipment.

Here you can buy the Xiaomi Mi 9 and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer Edition.

Drop Notch and AMOLED Display

The Xiaomi Mi 9 follows the trend of the notch in a pot look. Instead of a wide bar, there is only a tiny recess around the front camera. This leaves more space for the display, which is still of the AMOLED type, but is even larger at a full 6.39 inches. The resolution of the panel produced by Samsung is 2340 x 1080 pixels. The display brightness reaches up to 600 cd / m², so that nothing stands in the way of readability in the sunshine. Another feature of the display is the support of HDR playback material. The color accuracy of the panel is based on the DCI-P3 color space. The display is protected by hardened Corning Gorilla Glass 6. An anti-grease coating reduces unsightly streaks and fingerprints.

Various colors of the Xiaomi Mi 9

With dimensions of 157.5 x 74.67 x 7.61 mm, the smartphone is pleasantly slim. The weight is light 173g. The back of the Xiaomi Mi 9 is a real eye-catcher. Available in two holographic colors, the scratch-resistant glass back shimmers in different colors. The smartphone is also available in plain black. Xiaomi does without a fingerprint scanner on the back. Instead, an optical fingerprint scanner was integrated directly into the display.

Processor and memory

A flagship smartphone also needs high-end hardware. The built-in system-on-chip is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2018, which was presented at the end of 855. The chip manufactured in the 7nm process consists of a CPU with a total of 4 Kryo 485 Gold and another 4 Kryo 485 Silver processor cores. The cores are in turn divided into a high-performance cluster in which one core clocks at up to 2.84 GHz, a performance cluster with 3 cores clocking at up to 2.42 GHz and an energy-saving cluster with 4 cores clocking at 1.8 GHz. In the AnTuTu benchmark, the Mi 9 achieved an outstanding score of more than 387.000 points. But even in everyday life, the smartphone is guaranteed not to be a brake!

Xiaomi Mi 9 in holo blue

The processor graphics is the Adreno 640 GPU, which promises a 630% increase in performance compared to the Snapdragon 845's Adreno 20. Current mobile games are guaranteed to run smoothly with this CPU and GPU combo. The storage equipment is also impressive. The "standard model" offers an 8GB LPDDR4X 2133MHz dual-channel RAM. The Explorer edition relies on an even larger 12GB RAM. Regarding data storage, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is available with a 128GB UFS2.1 (standard) or 256GB UFS2.1 (Explorer). A memory expansion is not possible! 

Camera

main camera

The new triple camera of the Xiaomi Mi 9 is very promising. In the first test reports (e.g. DxOMark 107 points), the main camera made up of a 48 megapixel Sony IMX586, a 12 megapixel Samsung S5K3M5 and a 16 MP Sony IMX481 image sensor easily outshines the much more expensive competition.

The 48 megapixel main sensor uses an f / 1.75 aperture and promises excellent recordings even at night. The 12 megapixel secondary sensor uses a 2x optical zoom lens and enables loss-free zooming. The 16 megapixel image sensor uses an f / 2.2 aperture and is equipped with a 117 ° wide angle, which allows a significantly larger image area to be captured. A combination of laser focus, PDAF (phase detection) and CDAF (contrast detection) allows the main camera to focus at lightning speed. What the main camera unfortunately lacks is an optical image stabilizer (OIS)! 

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera function is also on board again. This enables a dynamic bokeh effect, image enhancement through scene recognition, as well as the automatic recognition and translation of business cards, currencies and other texts. The main camera records videos with maximum 4K resolution at up to 60 frames per second. Slow motion recordings are possible in full HD with up to 960 frames per second!

Front camera

The front camera uses a 20 megapixel image sensor. Various filters and AI effects (including Smart Beauty and Studio Light) artificially spice up selfies. Further features are an HDR recording mode, face recognition, a bokeh effect mode, a mirror function and a 1080p video recording function.

connectivity

 First of all: the Chinese Xiaomi Mi 9 surprisingly does not support LTE Band 20! A Xiaomi Mi 9 Global with extensive cellular support is expected to be announced at MWC 2019. The new 5G cellular standard is also not available. Here is an overview of your individual frequency bands of the Chinese model:

As a dual-SIM smartphone, the Mi 9 can be equipped with two nano-SIM cards. Each of the two slots is LTE-capable and VoLTE HD-compatible. For wireless data transmission, the smartphone is equipped with a Dual-AC 2x2 MU-MIMO WiFi module and a Bluetooth 5.0 module. The Bluetooth codecs AAC / LDAC / aptX / aptX-HD and the new aptX-adaptive codec are all available.

MIUI 10, dual GPS and others

The smartphone comes with MIUI 10, based on Android 9 Pie. The operating system has been visually revamped and numerous functions have been added. For example, smart home devices can be controlled directly via the smartphone and there are also interesting AI functions that make everyday life easier. Dual GPS enables even more precise location and navigation. In addition to conventional smartphone sensors, other sensors also include a barometer and an infrared transmitter. NFC is available and can be used for mobile payments. There is no 3.5 mm audio jack. 

The capacity of the (non-exchangeable) battery is specified by Xiaomi with 3300 mAh. With the Quick Charge 4+ fast charging standard (27 watts), the Xiaomi Mi 9 can be charged within a very short time. Wireless charging is possible with up to 20 watts. 

assessment

The Xiaomi Mi 400 is an excellently equipped flagship smartphone from around € 9. Initial test reports, such as the DxOMark camera test, are very promising and even place the Mi 9 well above the competition from Apple or Samsung. What testers from English-speaking countries mostly criticize is the lack of water resistance, the lack of OIS and the poor cellular support. There is hope, at least with regard to cellular communications. Xiaomi is expected to present a Xiaomi Mi 2019 Global at MWC 9! 

 As soon as we get test copies of the two Xiaomi Mi 9 models, the detailed test reports will follow!