In July, the Mi A3 was released, which disappointed many, even though it wasn't a bad phone, it just had some minor and some major shortcomings.
Contrary to what was assumed at the time, the Mi A3 was not the Xiaomi CC9, but an "e" version of it, globalized with Android One, which came with compromises in exchange for a lower price.
The resolution of the display has been reduced compared to the previous model, which has made those who have been looking at the device less confident. Literally. While numbers are important, it's not necessarily a problem for everyone to have an HD AMOLED panel, but it's undeniable that it could have been FHD+ if it had been previously used in the Mi A series, and that's all it was.
News in mid-August said there was a chance of a Pro version, which would finally be the Xiaomi CC9, with Android One instead of MIUI. But that didn't happen. Time went by, and it was September when it was announced that the Mi 9 family would be joined by another member, the Mi 9 Lite, a one-off 'homegrown' edition of the Xiaomi CC9.
At the end of the Mi A3 test, I said it was worth waiting, because if the CC9 does arrive in Europe, it might be the perfect upper mid-range device.
Is it? That's yet to be answered, but now that everyone is up-to-date on Xiaomi history, I think we should start with this short tutorial!
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The Mi 9 Lite comes in a white box with a picture of the device in the front, although at first glance it's not clear what colour model is inside. If you want to find out without opening it, you'll also find information on the bottom of the box, this time instead of the back. The top of the box contains the user manual, the warranty card, a transparent silicone case, the SIM pin, and below that a USB Type-C data and charging cable, and finally a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3 fast charger! Yes, the 18 watt fast charger is included!
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I received the "Aurora Blue" variant for testing, and it is also available in white and grey. The front panel features a 6.39" Super AMOLED panel with 1080×2340 pixels, a drop-shaped notch for the front camera, a speaker above it, and a light and proximity sensor. The power and volume buttons are on the right, while the SIM tray is on the left.
The bottom of the device has the microphone on the left, the speaker on the right and the USB Type-C connector in between. At the top, on the right, there is a 3.5mm Jack connector, with the secondary microphone and the infra port next to it.
The excitement starts on the back, because in addition to the triple camera system, the Xiaomi logo has a surprise for us, LIGHT UP! It's actually a pretty interesting solution, but how much sense it makes is up to you to decide. I think it's good that there is a notification LED, which is coloured, but not in the best place, I have to say. A flashlight coupled with a silicone case produces a much more effective "effect" than a lighted logo. On the right side of the back cover there are pictograms and the inscription "Designed by Xiaomi".
So this is what the Mi 9 Lite looks like, from the outside. The test has begun, I'll be back with a detailed review soon, in the meantime, what are you curious about the phone? I'm looking forward to your questions here or in the comments section below the Facebook post, and I'll try to answer them in the test.
