Xiaomi Releases New Flagship Mi 9 with Snapdragon 855 and 48MP Camera

Xiaomi officially announced today the Mi 9, the company’s latest flagship that combines great performance with stunning photography.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi 9 Review – Should You Buy it?

 Xiaomi Mi 9 launch event
Xiaomi Mi 9 launch event

Exterior

The flagship phone features a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with full HD+ resolution and a water drop notch design. The 40 percent reduction in chin size compared to the Mi 8 gives it a 90.7 percent screen-to-body ratio on top of a fully curved glass back. It houses an in-display fingerprint sensor, a Type C USB port but no headphone jack.

Xiaomi Mi 9 with 6.39-inch AMOLED display
Xiaomi Mi 9 with 6.39-inch AMOLED display (photo source: Xiaomi)

Color

The phone comes in two gradient color designs; Lavender Violet and Ocean Blue. Xiaomi states that the back has a “holographic” effect achieved using nano-level laser engraving and dual-layer nano-coating. It basically means that when viewed at certain angles, the Xiaomi Mi 9 gives off a colorful shimmer and reflects light. Should one prefer a more subtle design, the phone also comes in black.

Xiaomi Mi 9 comes in three colors: Lavender Violet, Ocean Blue, Black
Xiaomi Mi 9 comes in three colors: Lavender Violet, Ocean Blue, Black(photo source: Xiaomi)

Specs

The Mi 9 runs on MIUI 10.2-based Android 9 Pie and is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset with either 6 or 12 GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage. It is one of the earliest smartphones on the market to come with a Snapdragon 855. However, more phones with a Snapdragon 855 configuration is expected to be released in the next few months. The device supports various LTE networks but is not compatible with 5G .

Xiaomi Mi 9 powered by Snapdragon 855
Xiaomi Mi 9 powered by Snapdragon 855 (photo source: Xiaomi)

Charging

The Mi 9 sports a 3,300mAh battery, a tiny step down from the Mi 8’s 3,400mAh battery. Nonetheless, no one can complain about the fast charging. The 27W wired charging enables the Mi 9 to charge to 70 percent in just 30 minutes, and to full in 60 minutes.The company also claims that the Mi 9 has the fastest wireless charging on the market, and can charge to full in 1.5 hours. The wireless charging efficiency and stability has been raised to hit 20W at its peak.

Mi 9 has the fastest wireless charging
Mi 9 has the fastest wireless charging (photo source: Xiaomi)

Camera

The new flagship sports a new AI triple camera setup featuring Sony’s 48-megapixel IMX586 sensor: a big step up from its predecessor that had a mere 12MP main sensor. The Mi 9’s remaining two camera sensors constitutes a 12MP telephoto lens that can provide a 2x zoom and a 16MP ultra wide-angle sensor that makes it easier to take great landscape and group photos.

SEE ALSO: Best Camera Phones in 2019 for Every Need and Budget

Xiaomi Mi 9 AI triple camera
Xiaomi Mi 9 AI triple camera (photo source: Xiaomi)

Price

As for price, the Mi 9 starts at 2,999 yuan (~$450) for the 6GB /128GB model. For more storage, one can opt for the transparent version of the phone that has a whopping 12GB of RAM and 264GB of storage and is priced at 3,999 yuan (~$595).

Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphone
Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphone (photo source: Xiaomi)