Xiaomi Mi 9 now in Malaysia: Top specs, honest pricing

Xiaomi’s much-anticipated flagship smartphone—Mi 9—has landed on Malaysian shores. It’s the most affordable Snapdragon 855-powered smartphone to date, and the second such device to hit the Malaysian market after the Black Shark 2.

The Mi 9 comes in two configurations: 6GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage. The powerful phone is available in two colour options: Piano Black and Ocean Blue. Xiaomi says a Lavender Violet option will be made available later.

In terms of specs, it’s as top notch as it gets. It sports a 6.39-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a tiny teardrop notch and protected by Gorilla Glass 6. The phone comes with a new optical-based in-display fingerprint sensor that Xiaomi claims is 25 percent faster than its predecessor.

As mentioned, the device boasts the best from the Qualcomm stable—the 7nm Snapdragon 855, with a max 6GB of RAM.

Traditionally strong in the camera department, this latest Mi flagship doesn’t disappoint. It features a triple-camera setup comprising a 48MP f/1.75 main camera, a 12MP f/2.2 telephoto shooter with 2x optical zoom and a 16MP sensor with an ultra-wide angle f/2.2 lens.

On the front is a 20MP f/2.0 selfie shooter.

Pretty impressive camera system, and in fact, the Xiaomi’s best smartphone camera according to DxOMark Mobile, scoring 107 points overall, two points behind the Samsung Galaxy S10+.

The Mi 9 integrates an average 3,300mAh battery that supports 27W wired charging via USB-C. That aside, it supports 20W fast wireless charging. Speaking of which, Xiaomi’s 20W Wireless Fast Charger is a world’s first, able to wirelessly fully charge the Mi 9 in just 90 minutes. Impressive.

In case you were wondering—no, the Mi 9 still doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, and disappointingly, no microSD expansion either.

Design-wise, the Mi 9 features an all-curved glass back that has a holographic rainbow spectrum. The rear is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

The Mi 9 runs MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie.

Pricing and availability

The Mi 9 is priced as follows

• 6GB RAM + 64GB storage – MYR1,699
• 6GB RAM + 128GB storage – MYR1,999

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You can purchase the 64GB version exclusively from the official Xiaomi store on Lazada Malaysia on 6 April.

The 128GB model will be available at Mi authorised retail outlets, with pre-orders kicking off on 6 April onwards. Stocks are expected to arrive on 13 April. The first 1,000 customers will receive a 20W wireless charging set for free. You’ll also be able to buy the device on contract from Maxis.

The wireless charger will also be available as a separate purchase at a price of MYR129.

Photos: Hanif Azrai | SoyaCincau – BM