Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G: Killer specs, fastest wireless charging yet, from $520

Here comes the latest flagship from Xiaomi: the Mi 9 Pro 5G builds up on the foundation of the Mi 9 series, adding the fastest processing package around, 30W wireless charging, and an improved camera.

Announced today in China, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus processor, an improved version of the omnipresent Snapdragon 855 that offers a 15% increase in graphics performance.

Memory and storage are top notch. The phone is available in 8GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB, 12GB+256GB, and 12GB+512GB configurations.

The big deal about the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is it supports 5G, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. In true Xiaomi tradition, the base version of the phone is very affordable, at 3,699 yuan (~$520). That’s way cheaper than any other previous devices supporting 5G. Xiaomi says the phone can download data at up to 1.78Gbps in its field tests, though the usual caveats related to network availability apply.

To help dissipate the heat generated about the beefy processor and the 5G data transfers, Xiaomi installed what it claims is “the industry’s most efficient vapor chamber,” as well as a graphite-based heat dissipation system.

Xiaomi is one-upping HUAWEI, which just announced 27W wireless charging support for the Mate 30 Pro. The Mi 9 Pro 5G is capable of 30W wireless charging, as well as 10W reverse wireless charging. The 4,000mAh battery will charge up wirelessly in just 69 minutes, using Xiaomi’s new actively cooled wireless charging pad. Nice.

The wired charging system is plenty fast too, supporting up to 40W power. It can achieve 100% capacity in just 48 minutes.

The camera on the Mi 9 Pro 5G appears to be similar to the Mi 9, and consists of a 48MP main shooter (Sony IMX586), a 16MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto. While the hardware remains the same, Xiaomi has added new software features, like AI ultra-wide shots, moon mode, and AI Skyscaping.

The Mi 9 Pro 5G is also supposed to offer much better haptic feedback, thanks to a newly developed linear motor.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G will be available in China for:

• 8GB+128GB: 3,699 yuan (~$520)
• 8GB+256GB: 3,799 yuan (~$535)
• 12GB+256GB: 4,099 yuan (~$575)
• 12GB+512GB: 4,299 yuan (~$605)

Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G price and availability in global markets has not been disclosed.

The new phone will run MIUI11, the latest version of Xiaomi’s proprietary Android skin. The new version delivers a brand new font, dynamic font scaling, an improved always-on display, new sound effects, and new built-in office apps.