February 27, 2019, 5:04 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Xiaomi brought the new flagship smartphone Mi 9 to the Mobile World Congress 2019. TECHBOOK tested the affordable alternative to the Galaxy S10.
After Xiaomi had already introduced the new Mi 9 a week earlier, the company announced on Monday that the smartphone will be available worldwide. Like its predecessor, the Mi 8, it will also come to Germany.
Premium Components for Little Money
Actually, the 5G version of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, which was also presented at the MWC, is the flagship device of the Chinese company. However, the Mi 9 follows a similar path but at a significantly lower price. One reason for this is the omission of a 5G modem, which drives up the price of the Mi Mix 3 5G. Especially for backward markets like Germany, which will have to wait at least until 2020 to get the new 5G standard, the Mi 9 is even the better alternative.
Also interesting: Xiaomi Mi Note 10 – the 108-megapixel smartphone in review
Plenty of Power and Fast Charging
For the Mi 9, Xiaomi uses the currently fastest chip from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 855, which is also installed in other high-end smartphones such as the Galaxy S10, the LG G8, and the Sony Xperia 1. The super-expensive foldable smartphone Galaxy Fold also comes with the same chip. The processor is supported by six gigabytes (GB) of RAM, making the Mi 9 smooth and responsive in operation. Even demanding 3D games are no challenge for this performance package.
Xiaomi has saved a bit on the display, but you hardly notice it. The brilliant 6.4-inch Super AMOLED panel supports HDR10 and covers more than 85 percent of the smartphone’s front. However, it only has a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, which corresponds to the Full HD standard. Other high-end smartphones like the Galaxy S10 have a significantly higher 1440p resolution, but most users will not notice the difference. This is evidenced by the fact that the resolution on the Galaxy S10 is reduced to Full HD by default and must be increased in the settings.
The battery is relatively small for a 2019 flagship smartphone. The power storage has a capacity of 3,300 milliampere-hours (mAh), slightly less than the Galaxy S10 with 3,400 mAh and significantly less than the Galaxy S10+ with 4,100 mAh. However, the Mi 9 supports very fast charging with up to 27 watts of input power. Additionally, the smartphone can also charge wirelessly very quickly. With the appropriate wireless charging station, the battery can be charged with up to 20 watts.
Under the display is a fingerprint sensor that can be used for unlocking and for payments via Google Pay. Xiaomi does not specify whether it is an optical sensor like in the OnePlus 6T or a slightly better ultrasonic sensor like in the Galaxy S10.
The standard version of the Mi 9 offers storage options of 64 GB and 128 GB. The storage is not expandable. However, there is also the Mi 9 Explorer, which not only has a larger 512 GB storage but also comes with twice as much RAM–12 GB, to be precise.
https://www.techbook.de/special/mwc-2019/nokia-fuenffach-kamera
Triple Camera with Many Features
The camera setup consists of a 48-megapixel main camera, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with two times optical zoom. The photo experts at DxOMark have already extensively tested the cameras and rated the performance just behind the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Huawei P20 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S10+. This puts the Mi 9 ahead of the iPhone XS and XR as well as Google’s Pixel 3 XL. The Galaxy S10+ has a similar camera setup, but the sensors have different resolutions and focal lengths.
We preferred the app implementation of the triple camera in the Galaxy S10+ because all three modules can be controlled from one button, while the Mi 9 uses two. On the Galaxy, you can seamlessly switch between the three cameras with a two-finger zoom gesture, while on the Mi, you can switch between the main camera and two times magnification or between the main camera and ultra-wide-angle. However, a direct switch from ultra-wide-angle to two times magnification is not possible. With some luck, Xiaomi might fix this issue with a simple software update.
A special camera feature is the ability to record super slow-motion videos in Full HD resolution. Many other devices, including the Galaxy S10, can only record super slow-motion in 720p resolution.
The front camera is located in a small notch at the top of the screen–also called a teardrop notch–and has a resolution of 20 megapixels.
Also interesting: Samsung introduces smartphone with foldable screen
A Look Inside
The Mi 9 runs the current Android version 9 (Pie), overlaid with Xiaomi’s own MIUI 10 interface. MIUI visually stands out from the “normal” Android interface found in Google’s Pixel smartphones and Android One smartphones. The interface is more reminiscent of a Samsung smartphone, with many colorful icons in the menus. A few smart features like Game Turbo and the device optimization Mi Turbo are also integrated into MIUI.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 package includes the smartphone itself, a protective case, a power adapter with a USB-C cable, a USB-C to 3.5 mm jack adapter, and a SIM tool.
The display on the front is protected by the current Gorilla Glass 6, which according to manufacturer Corning, can survive even more and higher drops than Gorilla Glass 5. Like the Galaxy S10, the slightly rounded back is covered with Gorilla Glass 5. The two glass panels are wrapped around a thin frame made of 7000 series aluminum.
The Mi 9 Explorer is particularly interesting because it comes with a transparent glass back that reveals the internals of the smartphone. Xiaomi has previously offered a similar design with the Mi 8, but the design has been further refined in the Mi 9. Through the window, you can see illustrations of the components inside, such as the Qualcomm processor. However, this is not the actual motherboard, but a thin layer with glued elements that only serve an optical function. The actual components are underneath and not visible from the outside.
Smartphones kosten jetzt bis zu 2300 Euro
The 7 Best Smartphones Under 100 Euros
The 13 best smartphones under 150 euros at a glance
Price and Availability
The 64 GB version of the Mi 9 is already available for 449 euros, which is less than half of what Samsung charges for its Galaxy S10. The price for the 128 GB version rises to 499 euros. The Explorer variant with the transparent glass back is the most expensive at 599 euros, but you also get 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM. The Xiaomi Mi 9 will be released in March.
Data Protection
When using pre-installed Xiaomi apps, be sure to read the privacy policies carefully. The close ties between Chinese telecommunications companies and the Chinese government have previously led to allegations of espionage. In the worst case, your data could be collected and misused for advertising purposes. Xiaomi is known for deeply integrating advertisements into smartphone settings and other areas.