Xiaomi Mi 9 announced: Snapdragon 855, 48MP triple camera for under $500

Wang Xiang/Xiaomi

The Xiaomi Mi 9 has been teased for weeks now, but the company has finally launched the device in China. So what should you know about it?

First of all, the company has already shown off the rather unique holographic colorways, namely Lavender Violet, Ocean Blue, and Piano Black. But the Chinese manufacturer also confirmed that the Mi 9 has a dedicated button for Google Assistant.

The company also used the event to confirm that the phone is using a Samsung-made 6.39-inch AMOLED screen, complete with a waterdrop notch. Furthermore, the Xiaomi Mi 9 features an improved in-display fingerprint sensor. The firm is also using that AMOLED screen to deliver a dark mode, claiming it can reduce display power usage by up to 83 percent when on full brightness.

We already knew the device would be using the Snapdragon 855 chipset. But Xiaomi also revealed an Antutu score of 387,851 points, compared to the Mate 20 Pro’s 298,659 and the Mi 8’s 293,897.

Moving to the battery arena, Xiaomi is packing a 3,300mAh battery here. But it’s also delivered 27 watt wired charging via its Charge Turbo solution, claiming a full charge in roughly an hour. The faster charging doesn’t stop there, as it’s claiming a world first by implementing 20 watt wireless charging. The firm says this solution is even faster than wired charging on the Xiaomi Mi 8.

The 20 watt wireless charging pad will be available as a separate purchase for 99 yuan (~$14). But you can also pick up a wireless charging power bank (10,000mAh), coming in at 149 yuan (~$22). And if that’s not enough, Xiaomi is also selling a 20 watt wireless charger for your car, complete with a grip that automatically opens and closes when you reach for the charger. The car charger will retail for 169 yuan (~$25).

Xiaomi Mi 9 gets high DxOMark score

The Mi 9 indeed offers a triple rear camera combo, starting with a 48MP primary shooter (Sony IMX586, f/1.75). As for the other cameras, you can expect a 16MP ultra-wide snapper (117 degree field of view, f/2.2) and a 12MP 2x telephoto shooter (f/2.2). Much like Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro, the Xiaomi Mi 9’s ultra-wide camera can also be used for macro photography, with a focus distance of four centimeters (~1.5 inches). Selfies are handled by a 20MP sensor.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 is looking like a pretty flexible camera platform then, but it could deliver in the quality department too. Camera testing firm DxOMark gave it a score of 107 points, giving it 112 points for photos and 99 for video. This total score puts it in third place, two points behind the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and P20 Pro.

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Here are the best high-end smartphones that won’t break the bank

You don’t have to spend $1,000 or more to get a high-end smartphone. There are plenty of so-called flagship killers available for roughly half the price that come with a powerful chipset, as much as …

The new flagship starts at 2,999 yuan (~$446) for the 6GB/128GB variant. Need the 8GB/128GB model? Then you’ll be splashing out 3,299 yuan (~$491). Much like the Mi 8 launch, Xiaomi is bringing a transparent Mi 9 to the table as well, offering 12GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage for 3,999 yuan (~$595).

If you need something a little more modest, the company has also launched the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE. This model offers a Snapdragon 712 chipset, 5.97-inch OLED screen (complete with waterdrop notch), in-display fingerprint sensor, 3,070mAh battery, a 20MP selfie shooter, and a triple rear camera (48MP+8MP+13MP).

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