There’s a much cheaper version of the Xiaomi Mi 9 coming to the UK
Xiaomi has announced that the Mi 9 SE will be coming to the UK from June 6, and it might be a great solution if you’re looking to avoid splashing out on a huge phablet.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE claims to have the form factor of a 5.1-inch ‘classic’ phone, while actually having a 5.99-inch AMOLED screen.
Rather than defying the laws of physics for a starting price of £349 ($445), we expect that this discrepancy can be explained by a less prominent bezel above and below the screen. The Xiaomi Mi 9 scored 5/5 in our review, so we’re expected big things to come from this small package.
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The Mi 9 SE has quite a few compromises in comparison in comparison to its big brother, though. Firstly, the processor is a Snapdragon 712 rather than the flagship Snapdragon 855. The battery is also a bit of a downgrade, going from 3300 to 3070 mAh, and lacking the 27W Quick Charge 4+.
The screen might have the same sharp 1080×2340 resolution, but the new device has Gorilla Glass 5 rather than 6. None of these are dealbreakers, and it makes sense that some specifications have been reined in for a lower price point.
Both have a triple rear camera and share the same Sony IMX586 main camera, which has a 48-megapixel camera and f/1.8 aperture, but have differing secondary and tertiary lenses. While the Mi 9 has a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor and a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens, the Mi 9 SE has an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens. We praised the Mi 9’s camera for its performance and versatility but we’ve yet to see whether its small will emulate this performance on a budget.
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The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is available now (June 6) on the mi.com website, costing £349 (~$445) for the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant, and £399 (~$500) for 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.