Today in Barcelona, Xiaomi have announced two new exciting devices for the European Market, and with it bringing in the era of 5G.
Fitst of all there is the new Mi 9 which is an impressive upgrade to the already amazing value Mi 8 which we reviewed last year.
The Mi 9 brings with us a triple camera setup complete with the new 48 megapixel Sony sensor which should really make it stand out when it comes to photography.
Then we have the 5G device called the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G and is the first 5G smartphone by the company which will launch in the UK.
The 5G version packs in the new Snapdragon 855 processor and features the same impressive dual AI 12 megapixel cameras found on the original Mix 3. We are currently reviewing this and it’s got that awesome slide technology to hide the selfie camera.
The Mi 9 will be available shortly for around £450 at time of launch, and the Mi Mix 3 5G will launch in May, with a confirmed UK price to be announced nearer the time.
Xiaomi launches flagships Mi MIX 3 5G and Mi 9 in Barcelona
Available in May, Mi MIX 3 5G features the latest 5G wireless technology, unrivalled performance and a unique full screen display design.
Barcelona, Spain, 24 February 2019 –Global technology leader Xiaomi today announced its first 5G-ready smartphone, Mi MIX 3 5G. To be available in May, Mi MIX 3 5G brings 5G wireless technology to Mi MIX 3, using the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855 Mobile Platform with the Snapdragon X50 modem for unleashing transformative 5G experience. Following shortly after the announcement in Chinese Mainland, Mi 9 has also been announced for other global markets. Mi 9 is Xiaomi’s latest flagship, featuring an AI triple camera, class-leading 20W wireless charging and unimaginable performance powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform. Mi 9 will first be available in Western Europe starting from €449.
Xiaomi’s road to 5G
Xiaomi set its sights on a 5G solution as early as in May 2016 by establishing a team to deep dive on 5G standards and to start exploratory research. As a major participant of 5G trials organized by China Mobile, Xiaomi successfully tested n78 signal connection in September 2018, and completed mmWave (millimeter wave) signal test one month later. By that time, only a handful of smartphone manufacturers in the world had successfully conducted such testings.
With a mission to innovate, Xiaomi first developed numerous strategic 5G partnerships with key service providers across the globe, such as 3, Sunrise, TIM, Vodafone and many more. The next step was to make 5G devices available to consumers, and to achieve that Xiaomi had been working tirelessly with some of these carriers since the early stages of Mi MIX 3 5G development. With the official announcement of Mi MIX 3 5G, Xiaomi is now one of the first smartphone manufacturers to produce a 5G phone for commercial use. At the launch event, Xiaomi demonstrated the readiness of Mi MIX 3 5G with a live demo, made possible using the 5G network provided by Orange Spain.
“Xiaomi has spent tremendous efforts developing a 5G smartphone solution and Mi MIX 3 5G represents Xiaomi’s quest to create innovative products for everyone,” said Wang Xiang, Senior Vice President of Xiaomi. “We are also delighted and honored to be working with our partners to make 5G a reality for even more users all over the world.”
Mi MIX 3 5G—A performance beast ready for the next-generation mobile network
Integrating the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X50 5G modem, Mi MIX 3 5G can connect to sub-6GHz signal that has gigabit-class download speed, which is tens of times faster than 4G network. Besides, the phone is one of the earliest adopters of the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, sustaining a long, stable peak performance thanks to a newly designed hybrid cooling system.
Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform and advanced cooling
Inside Mi MIX 3 is the newly crowned Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform, built using the latest 7nm process. The Qualcomm Kryo 485 CPU incorporates eight cores for a great balance between performance and power efficiency. Single core performance is up to 45% faster, a great leap from the previous generation. The Qualcomm Adreno™ 640 GPU see increased performance by 20% compared to the previous generation, and the fourth-generation Qualcomm AI Engine provides up to three times faster AI performance.
“We are thrilled to continue our long-standing collaboration with Xiaomi to help bring deliver unprecedented 5G speeds and transformative user experiences to consumers through their latest flagship smartphone, Mi MIX 3 5G,” said Cristiano Amon, President, Qualcomm Incorporated. “Powering the new Mi MIX 3 5G and Mi 9, the Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform features the 4th generation Qualcomm AI Engine to make your phone the ultimate personal assistant, the world’s first announced Qualcomm Spectra Computer Vision ISP to capture cinema-grade photography, and Snapdragon elite gaming to transform your premium smartphone into a powerful gaming machine.”
To support applications requiring high-levels of device performance during extended periods of time, such as advanced multi-player gaming, Xiaomi has also developed a highly-advanced hybrid cooling system for Mi MIX 3 5G. The Rogers®HeatSORB™ thermal material implements a phase change effect that quickly captures heat generated by the device under demanding scenarios and delays temperature increases. Then, a passive heat pipe composed of six layers of graphite disperses heat at a speed three times faster than a typical dual graphite sheet.
World-class photography
Mi MIX 3 5G inherits the same 12MP AI dual camera from Mi MIX 3, which received a DxOMark photo score of 108, and features all the AI features users have come to expect from Xiaomi smartphones, including 960 fps slow-motion video capabilities. For selfies, Mi MIX 3 5G offers a 24MP + 2MP dual camera setup, making great use of Sony’s IMX576 sensor to capture more detail. The camera is managed by the Qualcomm Spectra™ 380 ISP for a speedy and power efficient camera experience so you can get more shots per charge.
Sliding design enables improved Full Screen Display
Mi MIX 3 5G uses Xiaomi’s patented magnetic slider, offering a great tactile experience and wide array of customizations. Users can set the slide to perform functions such as answering calls or starting up the camera app. Thanks to the slider design, the bezels are extremely thin, achieving an extreme screen-to-body ratio. What you notice is only the screen, which is a 6.39” 2340 x 1080 FHD+ Samsung AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.
Mi MIX 3 5G will be available in May, with a starting price of €599, in Onyx Black and Sapphire Blue.
Mi 9—AI triple camera flagship
Mi 9 is Xiaomi’s first flagship with an AI triple camera, with the main camera utilizing the latest 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 1/2″ sensor. Users can choose to shoot high-resolution 48-megapixel images, or in low-light conditions, take even clearer and brighter photos as Mi 9 will combine four pixels to one, resulting in very sensitive 1.6μm large pixels. The AI triple camera combination of the main camera, 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera gave Mi 9 a score of 107 by the authoritative DxOMark website, giving it the second highest score of all tested smartphones. In addition, a video score of 99 puts it at number one on DxOMark for video capture.
Dressed to the nines
Mi 9 has an all-curved back cover design, allowing it to fit comfortably in the hand. An advanced back cover color process gives Mi 9 a stylish holographic rainbow spectrum, so it looks different every time it is picked up.
The all-curved design is inspired by the works of famed architect Antoni Gaudi, and has been certified by The Gaudi Academia of Knowledge.
“Inspired by the works of Antoni Gaudi, Mi 9 beautifully combines the reflection of light, seamless curves, and the use of natural elements to create a masterpiece of art”, says Carlos Canals Roura, President of The Gaudi Academia of Knowledge, “A maximum expression of beauty”.
On the front, Mi 9 sports a 6.39-inch 19.5:9 Samsung AMOLED Dot Drop display. Under this display is a new and improved in-screen fingerprint sensor that unlocks the phone up to 25% faster than the previous generation.
World’s first 20W wireless charging; TÜV safe quick charging certification
Inside the Mi 9 is a large 3300mAh battery, featuring a fast charging solution for both wired and wireless charging. This solution has received certification from renowned German institution TUV Rheinland for safe quick charging.
The 27W wired charging supports Qualcomm’s QC4+ standard, and enables Mi 9 to safely charge to 70% in just 30 minutes, and fully charge in 60 mins. When used with the new 20W version of Mi Wireless Charging Pad, Mi 9 can fully charge in just 90 min, as fast as some wired solutions.
Mi 9 will be available in Europe from 28 February, retailing from €449 for the 6GB+64GB version, and from €499 for the 6GB+128GB. It is available in Piano Black, Ocean Blue, and Lavender Violet.
Mi LED Smart Bulb
Xiaomi also announced Mi LED Smart Bulb during its product launch. Featuring 16 million stunning colors and adjustable colour temperature and brightness, users will be able to control the lights remotely with Mi Home app. Compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa at the moment, Mi LED Smart Bulb will also support Apple Home Kit in Q2 2019.
Mi LED Smart Bulb is currently available in Europe for €19.99.
Mi Explorers
As one of the most user-centric company in the world, Xiaomi developed a unique community culture with Mi Fans from all over the world. The Mi Explorers program is one of our most important Mi Fan initiative. Selected Mi Fans are granted with exclusive access to the latest devices, while Xiaomi collects valuable feedback from them and works on improving products. This time, Xiaomi selected twenty Mi Fans from Spain, France, UK, Italy, Poland and Ukraine, providing them with Mi 9 preview access, and brought them to participate Xiaomi’s global launch in Barcelona, Spain, as well as Mobile World Congress 2019.