Xiaomi launched the Mi 9 and a 5G Mi Mix 3 on the eve (Feb 24) of Mobile World Congress at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya venue in Barcelona.
The 5G smartphone (below) will cost €599 and will be available in May in black and blue. Mobile News will update on a UK release and price when available. Three is confirmed to range the smartphone, alongside: Orange, Telefonica, TIM and Vodafone.
Xiaomi Global director of product management Donovan Sung made a 5G call through the Orange network on stage in front of over 1,000 audience.
Powering the smartphone is the Snapdragon 855 processor that enables a 5G connection. With a 5G mobile connection the Mi Mix 3 can download a 15-minute full HD (1080p) video in one second.
The Mi Mix 3 uniquely features a slider that hides the front facing camera. On the body is a Google Assistant button on the left of the metal chassis. The AMOLED display is 6.39-inches running at 2340 x 1080 pixels.
Bolted on the main camera is a dual camera system running with 12MP and 12MP. The front is a single lens at 20MP.
Mi 9
The follow up to the Mi 8 Pro will feature in blue, violet and black. Price starts at €449 for the 64GB versions and up to €499 for 128GB.
The body is four-sided curved and is 7.61mm thick and 3.5mm at the curved edges of the glass body. It weighs 173 grams and features a 6.39-inch display with a tear-drop notch and in-screen fingerprint sensor.
Powering the device is 6GB RAM and also the Snapdragon 855 processor but it cannot run a 5G connection.
Xiaomi employs a three-camera lens system integrated with AI running 48MP, 16MP and 12MP. Industry benchmarking website rates it at 107 placing it in second below the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and P20 Pro. It ranks first for video recording with a score of 99.
The battery is 3,300mAh but is capable of wireless charging at 20W. The battery can be charged this way to 100pc in 90 minutes. The wireless charger is sold separately.
Pre-orders are open in France, Spain and Italy.
