Xiaomi Mi 9

Chinese phone manufacturer Xiaomi is selling their flagship 4G Mi 9 phone via their online Australian store. What makes the Mi 9 really special is its wireless fast charging capabilities. Xiaomi state that this is the first handset to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor that is built with 7nm process technology.

The back of the device has a curved design and is finished in what Xiaomi describes as a holographic colour scheme that doesn’t just show a single colour but displays a blend of metallic reflection and rainbow hues.

The Mi 9 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor combined with Adreno’s 640 GPU and 6GB of RAM running at 2133MHz. The handset is available with either a 64GB or 128GB of storage. The operating system is Xiaomi’s MIUI 10, which is a customised version of Android. MIUI is an abbreviation of Me You I and is pronounced “Me You I”.

Xiaomi has used a 6.39 inch Samsung AMOLED screen that has a resolution of 2340 x 1080 and FHD+ 403 PPI in for the Mi 9.

There is a fingerprint sensor which is located under the screen display and this Xiaomi states will unlock the device 25% more quickly than the last generation Mi phone.

The Mi 9 is Xiaomi’s first phone to feature Sony’s IMX586 48MP ultra wide-angle AI triple camera configuration. This has a 48MP sensor combined with a 16MP ultra-wide angle & macro, as well as 12MP telephoto sensors. As well as delivering ultra wide angle shots and superior nightime/low light level shots using Xiaomi’s Night mode experience. The rear camera setup is able to record 4K and 1080p recording at 60fps or 30fps, 720p at 30fps and 1080p and 720p slow motion recording at either 120fps, 240fps or 960fps.

The front facing selfie camera is a 20MP unit that has AI Beautify and AI portrait modes  and is capable of 1080p and 720p video recording at 30fps.

The battery has a 3200mAh capacity and Xiaomi announces that this is the world’s first handset that supports 20W wireless charging which is due to significant innovations in the handset’s wireless charging architecture. You can view a range of wireless chargers here.

The device will also charge at 27W using the device’s QC4+ wired capability, and this allows the Mi 9 to charge the 3300mAh battery to 70% full with a half an hour charge. The device will charge fully around 60 minutes.

There is Bluetooth 5.0, Wifi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, NFC (with Android support) and GPS. Headphones plug into the phone via the USB Type C port. Along with QC4+ support there is also 18W Quick Charge 3 support. View USB C chargers here.

The 64GB version is currently priced at $829 with the 128GB costs $879. Colours available are Piano Black, Lavender Violet and Ocean Blue colour. Check out Xiaomi’s website for more information on the Mi 9.