Before other OEMs take up the spotlight with their own highlight releases of the year, Xiaomi has gone on to announce the Xiaomi Mi 9 at a launch event in China. While the Mi 9 was soft-released by Xiaomi themselves through their social media channels in the days building up to the launch, Xiaomi did pull manage to pull off a surprise by announcing a second device at the event. Meet the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE, the first device with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC.
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE Specifications
|
Specification |
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|---|
|
Display |
5.97" AMOLED; 19.5:9, water drop notch;90.47% screen-to-body ratio |
|
Dimensions and Weight |
70.5mm wide x 7.45mm thick;155g |
|
SoC |
10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 712:2x 2.3GHz Kryo 360 (Cortex-A75)6x 1.7GHz Kryo 360 (Cortex-A55);Adreno 616 GPU |
|
Storage and RAM |
6GB (LPDDR4x) + 64GB (UFS 2.1);6GB + 128GB |
|
USB |
Type-C |
|
Battery |
3,070 mAh; fast charging up to 18W |
|
Fingerprint Scanner |
Yes; In-display |
|
NFC |
Yes |
|
IR Blaster |
Yes |
|
Rear Camera |
48MP Sony IMX586 main sensor +8MP telephoto +13MP 123° super wide angle |
|
Front Camera |
20MP |
|
Price |
6GB + 64GB: CNY 1999 ($297);6GB + 128GB: CNY 2299 ($342) |
|
Availability |
March 1, 2019 at mi.com |
The Xiaomi Mi 9 covers the needs of the consumers who want a flagship device, so the Mi 9 SE picks it up for users who do not necessarily need all the features of a flagship, or who just want a smaller yet competitive device. The Mi 9 SE is roughly the same size as the Mi 6, but is lighter and has a bigger display. Its smaller form factor is comparable to the Apple iPhone XS, a comparison that also speaks a lot about Xiaomi's product strategy against one of its main competitors in China.
The 5.97" AMOLED display on the Mi 9 SE comes with a water drop notch as well as an in-display fingerprint sensor. Despite the existence of these features, the main standout point of the Mi 9 SE is that it is the first device with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC, which Xiaomi claims is powerful enough to serve the needs of "99% of users". When combined with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and options of 64GB and 128GB for internal storage (UFS 2.1), we are inclined to believe that Xiaomi's claims are true.
The Mi 9 SE also sports a triple rear camera setup, comprising of the 48MP Sony IMX586 main sensor, a 13MP sensor with super wide angle lens of 123° and a 8MP telephoto sensor. The phone also features other standard features such as a USB Type-C port, 1 3070 mAh battery with up to 18W fast charging, an IR Blaster and NFC. The phone does not come with a 3.5mm headphone jack; but you do get the latest MIUI 10 on it.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE goes on sale in China from March 1, 2019. The device will cost CNY 1999 ($297) for the 6GB + 64GB variant, while the 6GB + 128GB variant will cost CNY 2299 ($342). We expect to hear more about the device's availability outside of China, in the coming days.
What are your thoughts on the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE? Do you think the device is worth its price? Let us know in the comments below!