Xiaomi to launch Mi 9 today: Here's everything to know
What's the story
As the successor to its Mi 8 flagship, Xiaomi will launch the Mi 9 in China today. So far, in the run-up to the launch, the company has teased several key features of the phone, highlighting its waterdrop notched display, triple rear cameras, in-screen fingerprint sensor, and top-of-the-line internals. The event would also be live streamed in India. Here's our roundup.
Design & Display
Mi 9: At a glance
According to official teasers, Mi 9 will come with a waterdrop-like notched display with an ultra-slim bottom bezel to boast of a 90.7% screen-to-body ratio. On the back, it will feature a triple camera array and a reflective gradient design. Further, Mi 9 will sport a 6.4-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection and an improved in-display fingerprint sensor.
Camera
For the shutterbugs and selfie lovers
The Mi 9 will come with a triple rear-camera setup comprising a 48MP (f/1.75) Sony IMX586 main sensor, paired with a 16MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide angle sensor and a 12MP (f/2.2) telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom. Up front, the phone will pack a 20MP selfie snapper that will support several AI beautification features.
Internals
Under the hood
The Mi 9 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset that is expected to be backed by 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of expandable internal storage. Under the hood, the phone is said to run Android Pie-based MIUI 10 and pack a 3,500mAh battery. Xiaomi has also teased multi-function NFC, dual-frequency GPS, and dedicated Google Assistant button among other features.
Unofficial
Pricing: Expected to start at around Rs. 35,000
While Xiaomi will announce the official pricing in some time from now, a previous leak claimed that Mi 9 will come at a starting price of CNY 3,299 (approximately Rs. 34,700) and go up to CNY 3,699 (approximately Rs. 39,000) for the top-end model. Moreover, the company is also likely to launch Mi 9 Explorer Edition for CNY 4,999 (approximately Rs. 52,700).