[REVIEW] Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite is the ultimate lightweight version of the flagship. Peak price around 200 €

Packing surprises accessories

The phone comes to you in a relatively wide, but colorful box, with its traditional accessories. After unpacking, the smartphone itself is sealed with protective foil.

Below it is a paper envelope containing brief instructions, a SIM eject slot / microSD card slot, and a standard clear silicone case to protect your device.

On an imaginary lower floor, there is then a cable with a USB type-C connector for charging or connecting to a computer, as well as a charger with a European plug. It offers fast 18W charging directly in the package, which is definitely a welcome bonus. The manufacturer deserves praise for the contents of the package, also considering the price range of the smartphone.

Pleasant non-traditional illuminated logo of the manufacturer

Gradient and in our case the blue color processing of the phone will certainly impress at first glance, thanks to the play of light, which guarantees the back wall. The body of the smartphone is processed well and although it is a relatively standard glass-metal piece, even at this price we already have a high-tech device with a precisely made design.

The front wall is home to a large 6,39 ″ AMOLED display, which has thin frames, a delicate but indistinct "chin" and also a drop-shaped cutout. In the cutout there is a lens for the front camera and above it also a speaker for telephoning.

It also has a stereo function for the loudspeaker, but it is a very low sound performance, which is minimally noticeable in the final effect.

The top edge includes a standard 3,5 mm audio connector that will definitely please. There is also a secondary microphone for video recording. Another benefit is the infrared port for controlling home electronics (this sensor is also supplemented with software in the form of the application Mi Remote).

The bottom side includes a USB type-C connector, a primary microphone, and an average speaker.

The left side of the smartphone is relatively empty, there is only a hybrid slot for a pair of SIM cards or for one SIM and one microSD memory card (with a capacity of up to 256 GB). It is a rounded edge that fits very well in the hand.

Similarly, the right edge is processed, which includes volume control buttons and a power on / off button. Unfortunately, these buttons are not distinguished, but are conveniently located and pressing them is not a problem.

On the sides we can also see plastic strips for signal transmission from the metal body of the device. As far as the rear wall is concerned, it is dominated by three rear cameras that protrude from the body of the smartphone.

This package can solve the problem. Just below the lenses is an LED flash. Below are a few inscriptions, one of which is truly exceptional.

It is the manufacturer's inscription, the Xiaomi logo. It is located at the bottom of the rear wall and includes a LED backlight and even flashes in different colors when charging or notifying. It can also blink to the rhythm of the music, but only with the built-in system application Music.

The standard LED is not there because of the AMOLED panel, but this feature is practical and, in the case of notifications, complements the ambient display function.

Beautiful AMOLED panel

6,39 ″ The AMOLED display offers an aspect ratio of 19,5: 9 and a total resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels (Full HD +). Its fineness stopped at 403 ppi, covering almost 86% of the front wall. From the factory, it is tuned to warmer color tones, if you prefer a different display, you can adjust the settings.

Black in this case is really black and the viewing angles of the display are excellent. The maximum brightness of 600 threads is also sufficient in daylight, above standard in the price range.

The minimum brightness is very good and does not blind even in total darkness, while the display itself is also protected by the top Gorilla Glass 5.

Underlined and summarized, it is a very successful AMOLED panel, which the manufacturer placed in such a cheap device. The manufacturer deserves praise for the panel used, its color rendering and functionality.

Snapdragon 710 predetermines upper middle class

Inside, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 2-core processor (2,2 x 360 GHz Kryo 6 Gold + 1,7 x 360 GHz Kryo 10 Silver) is manufactured using 616 nm technology. This relatively popular processor predestines the smartphone to the middle, respectively. upper middle class, and is also complemented by the proven Adreno XNUMX graphics accelerator.

The performance of the smartphone is also sufficient for easier multitasking, mobile gaming players will not have wrinkles on the forehead at medium details and the phone will not just breathe easily. However, it should be borne in mind that this is not a flag processor.

Given the price, however, once again it is a sensible choice of manufacturer. You can view the performance results in the attached AnTuT tests.

6 GB RAM, up to 128 GB memory + microSD

The phone contains up to 6 GB of RAM, which certainly benefits the speed and smoothness of the system respectively. running the smartphone itself. Available in two versions, with 64 resp. 128 GB UFS 2.1 storage.

The first mentioned capacity should be sufficient, and the memory can be expanded with a microSD memory card (up to 256 GB) thanks to the hybrid slot, which is definitely a welcome plus. By default, the Android system and the manufacturer's extension will cut from a total capacity of less than 11 GB when you turn it on for the first time.

Modern reader under display

It is 2019 and this also means the arrival of the fingerprint reader, which is hidden under the display. This technology is getting into cheaper models and otherwise is not the case. The optical sensor reacts quickly, but there is a problem with wet fingers.

However, under standard conditions the speed is very good and the use of this sensor is not problematic or lengthy.

Android 9 Pie + MIUI 11

The device will offer a fairly up-to-date Android 9 Pie system, and users should not be upgraded to the latest Android 10.

The good news is the presence of security updates as of 01.10.2019. Only the November security package is missing and is likely to arrive in one of the following software updates.

The phone also includes a well-known graphic extension in MIUI version 11.3.3. Although the initial versions may have had problems with optimization, in the current version everything is fine and the smartphone responds really smoothly. The mentioned 6 GB RAM or application management, which the new MIUI contains, also helps.

New enhancements include design enhancements, including a new font font and full dark mode. In this case, we really recommend this because of the AMOLED panel used. Black, that is, pixels that go out, can even save some percentage of the battery.

Also "wide" on the back

Photographic equipment with a price of around two hundred euros is not bad at all. The back side offers a proven 48 MPx (f / 1.8) main sensor, 8 MPx widescreen sensor and 2 MPx background blur sensor. "Bokeh" effect.

There is no LED flash, HDR function or panorama mode. Video can be recorded in 4K (30 fps) or 1080p (60 fps) resolution. It will also please super slow motion video at 720p (960 fps), for which the manufacturer deserves a little praise.

The front camera will offer 32 MPx (f / 2.0) while being in the drop-shaped viewport. It also includes HDR functionality and offers 1080P video (30 fps). The camera control app is in-house by Xiaomi, a well-known version, with the ability to switch modes and resolutions in the top menu.

The software is debugged by way of example, and the camera has no tendency to hesitate in this case.

Daylight photos are great, especially from the standard mode, which captures a 16 MPx photo by quadrupling the pixels from the main camera. This sensor can be described as dominant, although in this particular case we were pleasantly surprised by the 8 MPx wide-angle sensor with good results.

Video is standard and 1080p has better stabilization. A little worse is the situation at night, somewhere just had to save money and just in this aspect of the flag model loses.

Full-size original photos are available at the following link.

In the gallery we bring you a preview of photos taken in daylight, photos taken in poor lighting conditions, full 48 MPx, but also wide-angle or "macro" photos.

Test video:

NFC for payments is included

The connectivity of the device is exemplary in this case, even for the needs of a European customer. There is no lack of full support for LTE networks, including the B20 band (800 MHz) used in our country, Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0 LE with support for aptXHD, GPS, GALILEO or GLONASS.

The sensors are represented by a standard gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor or compass. For the execution of payment transactions, for example via the Google Pay service, there is an NFC chip, an infrared port for controlling home electronics, an FM radio and a universal USB type-C connector.

4030 mAh battery and 18W fast charging

In terms of battery or charging, it offers a model Mi 9 Lite equipment that every upper-middle-class smartphone should offer today. It is a battery with a capacity of 4030 mAh, while not missing a fast 18W charging, with the charger, which is included in the factory packaging.

The endurance of the smartphone is very good, it can handle a full working day and it still has a reserve in the evening - about 30% of the battery capacity. Our full working day included active use of social networks, a display with a brightness of approximately 75%, hourly telephony, hourly watching of Full HD videos and occasional gaming.

Final evaluation: A clear "purchase" for 200 euros

Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite is the perfect lightweight version of the flagship model. It offers a solid processor, a very good Full HD + AMOLED display, gradient color processing and decent photos. There is a 4030 mAh battery or NFC chip, plus a low price.

With the Mi 9 Lite, Xiaomi has once again proved what it can do with affordable smartphones. This piece is of such high quality that it would be enough to turn the processor into a more powerful one and it could be a full-fledged flagship. We therefore recommend that you purchase this device using our discount coupon.