Review: The Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro’s Features and Performance
The Xiaomi Mi 9T Review stands out with its impressive big battery, flagship processor, and sleek all-screen display. Despite costing just £399, this phone offers many high-end features, including a headphone port and a pop-up camera, making it an enticing option for those seeking a solid device without breaking the bank. What’s even more interesting is how the Mi 9T Pro improves on the older Xiaomi phones like the Mi Mix 3 and Mi 9 SE by fixing issues like the annoying ads that used to appear in the UI. After spending just one day with it, it’s clear that the Mi 9T Pro does an excellent job of balancing performance and features.
Notably, the Mi 9T Pro lasts longer than the Mi 9, thanks to its upgraded battery, and it’s great to see that Xiaomi has ditched the notch for a more modern design. However, some features, like wireless charging and water-resistance, have been removed, which is a trade-off to keep the price affordable. But with the Mi 9T Pro providing such strong performance at a reasonable price, these omissions hardly take away from its overall excellence. It’s a solid phone, and unless you absolutely need those premium features, it’s hard to find something better at this price point.
Design and Screen: A Slick Beefcake
The Mi 9T Pro looks stylish, with a bit of a chunky feel. It’s not the thinnest phone out there, but it sits comfortably in the hand, thanks to its solid build, smooth curved glass back, and buffed aluminium frame. It’s heavier than the Mi 9, weighing in at 191g compared to 173g, and a bit thicker at 8.8mm versus 7.6mm. This extra size is mostly because of the additional 20% extra battery Xiaomi has added, along with the return of the headphone jack. The design is simple but special, with the black version featuring a nearly reflective kevlar pattern under its glass, accented with a touch of red that pops in the right light.
The 6.39in Super AMOLED screen on the Mi 9T Pro offers stunning visuals, much like the Mi Mix 3 display. With its 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 403ppi sharpness, it delivers vibrant, deep colors, typical of OLED screens, and can be customized to your preferences in the settings. Although it may not match up to premium phones like the Samsung Galaxy S10 or OnePlus 7 Pro in display quality, it still offers excellent viewing angles and brightness. It’s strong enough to handle outdoor use, even in most bright conditions. Protected by Gorilla Glass 5, the phone feels sturdy, though it lacks water and dust resistance, so it’s best not to take it for a swim.
Interface: Imperfect, But Improving
The Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro runs on Android 9, which is the latest widely available version of Google’s operating system. Although there have been some past issues with MIUI 10, a lot of them have been addressed, making the interface smoother. When you first use the phone, the layout will feel familiar, especially if you’ve used an iPhone before. Your apps are displayed across home screens and can be organized into folders, which helps keep everything neat. If you prefer a more organized layout, you can always install a third-party launcher to have an apps tray instead.
The good news is that bloatware has been reduced compared to older Xiaomi phones, and annoying ads that appeared while scanning apps for viruses have been removed. Though MIUI 10 still isn’t perfect, it’s clear that Xiaomi is moving in the right direction. The interface is now stable, zippy, and customisable. You can even disable most of the frustrating elements, like enabling iPhone-esque gestures for easier, button-free navigation. Overall, while the Mi 9T Pro might not have the perfect interface out of the box, it’s certainly easy to customize to suit your preferences.
Camera: Pop-up Pixels
The Mi 9T Pro has a triple camera setup that’s similar to the Mi 9 and the Samsung Galaxy S10. It includes a 48MP wide camera, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a 13MP ultrawide camera, covering all the basic shooting needs like auto, portrait, panorama, and pro mode. The phone performs excellently for anyone who just wants to point and shoot. It captures sharp details in every photo. Before you start clicking away, make sure to turn off the Xiaomi watermark and enable Auto-HDR to enhance shots in tricky lighting. If you need a little extra help, use the smart scene detection feature, which makes your images pop with more impact.
Even in low light, the night mode helps bring out more detail, though it may not match the likes of the Pixel 3 or Huawei P30 Pro. Still, it competes well against phones like the iPhone XS Max and OnePlus 7 Pro, offering great performance for a phone priced under £400. The 4K video capture at 60fps is impressive on paper, though the image stabilisation struggles at higher frame rates. At 30fps, it looks fantastic even when shooting handheld. The 20MP selfie camera pops up with a fun jingle and light, offering features like smart scene detection and auto HDR, which make selfies look good even with backlighting. Plus, in low light, the screen acts as a flash, brightening things up nicely.
Performance: Flagship for Less
The Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro brings flagship performance at a surprisingly affordable price. Powered by the Snapdragon 855 chip and paired with 6GB RAM, it offers a smooth and powerful experience. Even with heavy gaming, like playing Darkness Rises or Injustice 2, the phone handles it without getting hot, delivering smooth performance. Despite being more affordable, the Mi 9T Pro benchmarks better than the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Exynos version), offering solid performance at a lower cost. With 128GB storage and no microSD card slot, it still provides ample space for your apps and media, and the dual SIM support ensures you can manage multiple networks.
One of the standout features is the impressive battery life, with a 4000mAh battery that easily lasts a full day under heavy use. Thanks to 27W quick charging, you can get a full charge from 0-100% in just over an hour using the included 18W charger. While there’s no wireless charging, this is a minor trade-off considering the great performance and value. The in-screen fingerprint scanner works well, though it can be a bit slow at times. Face unlock works well when paired with it, making the phone convenient to unlock quickly. For the price, the Mi 9T Pro truly offers flagship performance and features without the premium price tag.
For £100 less than the OnePlus 7, the Mi 9T Pro provides a well-rounded package. While it doesn’t have stereo speakers or the smoothest UI, it certainly delivers more than enough for the price. If you’re after an affordable flagship that doesn’t skimp on key features, the Mi 9T Pro is a strong choice, now leading our list of recommendations.
conclusion
In conclusion, the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro proves to be an exceptional option for those seeking flagship performance at a more affordable price point. With its impressive Snapdragon 855 processor, a 4000mAh battery, and a triple camera setup, it offers a solid balance of power, design, and value. While it lacks some premium features like wireless charging and water-resistance, these are minor trade-offs