Xiaomi Mi 9 goes official w/ Snapdragon 855, triple-camera, 20W wireless charging, $445

Ben Schoon | Feb 20 2019 - 6:31 am PT

Following some teasers in the past few days, Xiaomi has today officially launched its first flagship of 2019, the Xiaomi Mi 9. The new device doubles down on competitive pricing, offering specs we simply don’t see at the same price point anywhere else. Here’s what you need to know.

At the core of the Xiaomi Mi 9 there’s a Snapdragon 855 chipset. That processor is the same one we’ll see in Samsung’s Galaxy S10 when it launches later today, and probably in just about every other Android flagship for the next several months. The new 7nm chip should put the Xiaomi Mi 9 well ahead of the Mi 8 it succeeds. As Android Central points out, it’s not even been a year since that device hit the scene.

Backing up that chipset is 6GB, 8GB, or a whopping 12GB of RAM paired with 128GB or 256GB of storage. Up front, there’s a 6.39-inch display which has a small teardrop-style notch to house the 20MP selfie camera. That display is a FHD+ AMOLED panel which has Gorilla Glass 6 and an in-display fingerprint sensor.

The hardware on the outside gets a makeover too. As previously teased, Xiaomi is using a gradient pattern which changes colors based on the available lighting. Primary colorways include blue, black, and a violet color too. There’s also a transparent version which exclusively ships with the 12GB/256GB tier.

Xiaomi Mi 9’s transparent edition has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage

There’s also a triple-camera setup along the rear. The primary sensor is a 48MP shooter at f/1.75. That’s mixed with a 16MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP telephoto lens. It should prove to be a capable setup, and durable thanks to the sapphire glass covering those sensors. The Xiaomi Mi 9 has already picked up a DxOMark score of 107, putting it in company with the Huawei P20 Pro and iPhone XS Max.

Another notable addition to the Xiaomi Mi 9 is wireless charging. Not only does the device support the Qi standard, but it can work with speeds up to 20W. Xiaomi claims that can charge the Mi 9 and its 3,300 mAh battery in roughly 90 minutes, and the capable charger costs just 99 yuan, $15.

Alongside the Xiaomi Mi 9, the company has also launched an “SE” model which cuts down on the price. As Engadget notes, this device runs on top of the Snapdragon 712 processor, has a smaller 5.97-inch display, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and an in-display fingerprint reader. There’s another triple-camera here too, but the 48MP primary is paired with 8MP telephoto and 13MP wide-angle lenses. The device gets a similar paint job to the standard Mi 9 and comes in the same colorways.

Xiaomi Mi 9

All of these new devices will be launching in China on February 26th, and pre-orders are already open. There’s no word just yet on international availability, but pricing makes us hope that will be the case. The Xiaomi Mi 9 in its base, 6GB/128GB tier will cost 2,999 yuan, just about $445. The 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB tiers cost 3,299 yuan and 3,999 yuan respectively. The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE, on the other hand, costs just 1,999 yuan, or roughly $300.