Xiaomi Mi 9

Key Specifications

6.39-inch AMOLED screen
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile chip
48-megapixel main camera with f/1.75 aperture
16-megapixel ulltra wide-angle camera
12-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom
3.5mm thick at slimmest point; weighs 173g

Xiaomi Mi 9 – Design

The Xiaomi Mi 9 may not be as interesting to look at as the slideable Mi Mix 3 or the Galaxy S10 line, but it’s still unquestionably a tastefully styled device.
Xiaomi has subtly tweaked the form factor of last year’s Mi 8, granting the Mi 9 what it calls an “all curve” back. The rear of the Mi 8 sported rounded edges but a flat back. The curve of the Mi 9’s Gorilla Glass 5 rear is continuous on all four sides, meaning it sits more comfortably in the palm – a trick Sony similarly pulled with its updated design of the Xperia XZ2.

With a thickness ranging from 7.6mm down to 3.5mm at its thinnest point, the Mi 9 feels deceptively slender for a device that’s around the same size and dimensions as the hefty iPhone XS Max.

Battery life

The Mi 9’s 3300mAh battery is slightly smaller than its predecessor’s, but the improved efficiency of the Snapdragon 855 processor more than compensates for the difference.
Xiaomi says the Mi 9 delivers all-day battery life – the base standard for most smartphones nowadays. In practice, though, I actually think that’s a conservative estimate.
I consistently finished most days with around 40% charge remaining. As such, I’d say only prolific smartphone users should expect a day’s use from full to empty, while standard use should more closely mirror what I achieved.
The efficiency of the Snapdragon 855 became apparent in more in-depth testing, with a 6% drop after 15 minutes of intensive 3D gaming and a 3% drop when streaming Full HD HDR content at half brightness.
A 30 minute charge from the in-box 18W wired charger refilled the battery from flat to 55%. A full charge took 1hr 10mins – a tad longer than Xiaomi’s promise.
One of the big omissions from the Mi 8 – and even the Mi 8 Pro – was wireless charging. Thankfully, Xiaomi has rectified that with this year’s Mi flagship. You can power the Mi 9 back up wirelessly using any Qi-compatible charging pad, which in testing gave me 20% charge following a 30-minute charge.
To up the ante, the Mi 9 actually supports impressively fast 20W wireless charging, made possible by a new fan-cooled charging pad that Xiaomi is selling separately. I expect it will charge the phone equally as fast as the lower-wattage – but more efficient – in-box wired method, which is a pleasing way to throw the feature into the (Mi) mix.

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