Review of Mi 9T Pro - the new flagship from Xiaomi with an outgoing selfie camera

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A smartphone with a capacious battery, a top-end processor and a camera at the level of market leaders.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Equipment
• Appearance and ergonomics
• Screen
• Sound
• Camera
• Performance
• Software
• Unlocking
• Autonomy
• Outcomes

Specifications

Colors	Carbon Black, Glacier Blue, Flame Red and White
Display	6.39 inches, Full HD + (1,080 × 2,340 pixels), Super AMOLED
CPU	7 ‑ nanometer Snapdragon 855 (4 × 2, 84 GHz Kryo 485 Gold + 4 × 1, 78 GHz Kryo 485 Silver)
GPU	Adreno 640
RAM	6 GB
Built-in memory	128 GB
Cameras	Rear - 48 MP (main) + 8 MP (telephoto) + 13 MP (ultra wide angle). Front - 20 MP
SIM card	Two slots for nanoSIM
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, GPS, NFC
Connectors	USB Type ‑ C, 3.5mm analog audio jack
Unlocking	By face, by fingerprint, PIN-code
Operating system	Android 9.0 + MIUI 10
Battery	4000 mAh, fast charging supported (27 W, Quick Charge 4+)
Dimensions (edit)	156.7 × 74.3 × 8.8mm
The weight	191 gram

Equipment

In the box we found a smartphone, a cable with USB connectors, USB Type ‑ C and a fast charging adapter, instructions, a hard plastic case and a paper clip.

Appearance and ergonomics

The gadget is sold in four colors: black, white, blue and red. We got the most discreet, classic version in black.

The back panel is non-tonal: the gray ribbed pattern on the back shimmers in the light. It looks interesting, but not flashy. After all, Mi 9T Pro is not one of those models that are usually called youth, but a serious flagship.

The camera module attracts attention. Xiaomi does not have many actual lines where it sits in the middle, and Mi 9T is one of them. On the one hand, there is nothing criminal in this, but on the other, the lower lens is now and then smeared with an index finger.

On the body of the smartphone there are a couple of red elements: the power button and the border of the top 48 ‑ megapixel lens. In addition, the outgoing front camera module is highlighted in red.

Positioned in the hand, the Mi 9T Pro is reminiscent of the Mi 9: it is the classic large flagship smartphone from Xiaomi.

Comes with a cover. It is tough and matte, transforming an externally interesting smartphone into an emotionless piece of plastic. The classic silicone version would have looked better.

Screen

Mi 9T Pro has an excellent Super ‑ AMOLED ‑ screen with Full HD + resolution. It is bright, detailed and high-contrast, accentuated by the default black and scarlet theme.

In the settings, you can adjust the brightness of the display in night mode (it turns on when you lower the slider and in low light), change the color tone, and also select one of 16 Always on Display screensavers.

All these outgoing cameras are needed, in fact, only for frameless competitions. Here Mi 9T Pro can be safely awarded a point: the lower edge is still thickened, but the display seems limitless.

Sound

Sounds good, but mono again. There are no headphones included. But there is support for Bluetooth with aptX, an analog mini-jack is also in place.

Camera

Mi 9T Pro received a set of three cameras: main, ultra-wide-angle and telephoto. The module is strange. One of the peepholes is located separately, next to it there is an inscription 48MP. But this lens is responsible for shooting with a zoom, and for frames in high resolution - the sensor under it. However, this does not affect the work in any way.

Such pictures are obtained during the day with all three lenses in automatic mode. In my opinion, everything is very good. Click on the images for a better view.

One of the characteristics that smartphone manufacturers compete in is the number of megapixels. By itself, it does not mean anything: the limited size of the camera sensor will not allow you to improve the quality of images by four times.

Capturing 48-megapixel footage is unnecessary in most scenarios. The difference between classic and HD photography can only be seen at high (about 10x) magnification and good light. In the images below: on the left - a snapshot in automatic mode, on the right - in the mode of creating 48-megapixel frames.

For the first time we tested multi-pixel cameras with Mi 9. Note that in Mi 9T Pro everything works much better: the 48MP mode button is located in a convenient place on the screen, and the frame does not require processing time when shooting.

At night, using the zoom is useless: the telephoto lens aperture is not enough for shooting. The main one turns on, and the image is simply cropped. Therefore, we show examples of ultra-wide angle and classic photography.

In poor light conditions, the "Night" mode helps. It not only stretches out the dark areas of the frame with a minimum of noise, but also neatly aligns the exposure. Light sources are clearly visible, do not merge into a single ball of light. In the images below: on the left - a part of the picture taken in automatic mode, on the right - in the "Night" mode.

A separate plus for portrait photography. Bokeh shots are gorgeous here.

Let's move on to another characteristic feature of the Mi 9T Pro - the front camera. First, about the pictures. Everything is good and boring: the selfies are excellent during the day, a little worse in the evening. Portrait mode works with a bang in any light.

The feature of the front camera is not in the specifications, but in the device. It is located inside the case and leaves with a characteristic sound and red backlight when activated.

The camera moves slowly. If you drop your smartphone while shooting, the module will not have time to hide in the body. Face authentication takes forever. We will keep silent about the unreliability of mechanical modules, the lack of dust and moisture protection, as well as the banal inconvenience.

The camera application of the Mi 9T Pro is laconic. Everything you might need is in plain sight, and unpopular functions are hidden in the context menu of additional settings.

Performance

The first conclusions about performance can be made by reading the specifications. There is a top-end Snapdragon 855 with a core frequency of up to 2, 84 GHz, 6 GB RAM and an Adreno 640 video chip. cameras (processing 48-megapixel frames takes the same amount of time as processing regular frames).

Here are the Geekbench benchmark results:

And here is AnTuTu:

We also ran the Mi 9T Pro through the 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme benchmark. The program reported that the smartphone bypasses 98–99% of competitors in various tests. Perhaps a little too optimistic, but close to the truth: Mi 9T Pro is a really powerful model that does everything perfectly. It is not yet displayed in the overall rating, but there is a Redmi K20 Pro - this is the same smartphone under a different name.

Software

The device runs Android 9.0 with MIUI 10. It moderately replicates the best features of iOS and supports tweaks.

You can customize the location and number of buttons on the Quick Access Toolbar. With the Split Screen function, you can use two applications at the same time.

The classic set of services from Xiaomi remained in place. We even refused to install them at the first start, but the system still met us to the eyeballs with AliExpress, Yula and Yandex. Taxi. Anything you don't need can be deleted.

In general, MIUI 10 works quickly and correctly. This is a convenient shell that anyone who has dealt with smartphones can handle.

Unlocking

Because of the inconvenient drawer, you will probably only use your finger. The sensor is hidden in the screen, it works quickly and correctly.

Autonomy

Battery capacity - 4000 mAh. This is enough for 1–1, 5 days of very active use. In addition, the charge is quickly replenished using a fast 27-watt charger. Adapter included.

Outcomes

The camera of Mi 9T Pro shoots at the level of the leaders of the smartphone market, the hardware pulls everything, and the screen attracts with its framelessness, colors and brightness. A strange solution with a front lens does not lead to a serious blunder, and some may even like it.

The Mi 9T Pro claims flagship status in any specification, but it feels like it lacks ambition and character. Xiaomi manages to make strikingly similar smartphones. And even tricks like sliding modules and visible boards under the cover give them more weirdness than individuality.

If you scrutinize the specs carefully to find the optimal model in terms of value for money, be sure to include the Mi 9T Pro in the comparison: it has a good chance. If you are looking for a top-end flagship, but do not want to pay extra for the brand, then you will love this model too. If you want to try something new and have already used the latest Xiaomi smartphones, look elsewhere.

According to preliminary data, the price of Mi 9T Pro with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of ROM will be a little more than 30,000 rubles.