Xiaomi Mi 9: 5 things you need to know about the new flagship smartphone

Xiaomi Mi 9 is one of the world’s first smartphone to launch with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor. A premium edition of the phone comes with a transparent back, and a 48-megapixel camera.

Xiaomi Mi 9 global variant will be launched at MWC on February 24. (Xiaomi)

Xiaomi on Wednesday launched its flagship Mi 9 series in China. The latest lineup features three smartphones - Mi 9, Mi 9 Explorer Edition and Mi 9 SE.

Xiaomi will launch the new phone at its pre-MWC event on February 24. The company is expected to provide more details on Mi 9's global availability at the event. The latest flagship phone, which competes with the likes of Samsung Galaxy S10, features high-end specifications and refreshed design. Here are five things you need to know about Xiaomi Mi 9.

Xiaomi Mi 9: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor

Xiaomi Mi 9 is the first smartphone to launch with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chipset. Xiaomi beat Samsung by a few hours as the South Korean giant also launched Snapdragon 855-powered Galaxy S10 series. Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer Edition also offers up to 12GB of RAM.

Xiaomi Mi 9: 48-megapixel camera

Xiaomi Mi 9's triple-camera setup at the rear features a 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor paired with a telephoto lens, and an ultra-wide angle lens. Xiaomi Mi 9 also supports slow motion video recording up to 960 fps. There's also a 'Super Night Scene' mode which is expected to enhance low-light photography.

Xiaomi Mi 9: Transparent back

Similar to last year's Mi 8, the Explorer Edition of Mi 9 also features a transparent back. However unlike the Mi 8's real transparent panel, the Mi 9 has a fake one. The transparent panel on the Mi 9 is a 0.3mm aluminum sheet which shows a PCB including a dummy chipset and circuits.

Xiaomi Mi 9: MIUI 10 with dark mode

Xiaomi Mi 9 will ship with MIUI 10.2 based on Android 9 Pie. The latest MIUI on Mi 9 brings dark mode on the smartphone. Dark mode on smartphones can save battery life even with maximum brightness by up to 63% on OLED panels. Google is also expected to release in-built dark mode on Android Q later this year.

Xiaomi Mi 9: Design

Xiaomi continues the gradient colour design with the Mi 9 but in a more refined way. The smartphone comes in three colour options of 'Lavender Violet', 'Ocean Blue' and 'Piano Black'. Mi 9 also has a 'S' curve effect on its rear panel when viewed with different angles.