New Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is cheapest 5G phone so far

At an event in Beijing, China, Xiaomi announced a bunch of new products including a refreshed Mi 9 dubbed the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G. It will launch with MIUI 11 based on Android 10.

As the name implies, the phone has a 5G modem, which will allow it to use 5G services where available. 5G, in case you’re not familiar, is the latest mobile standard that promises even faster speeds — up to 20x faster, in theory — than what existing 4G networks offer. It will also deliver much lower latency levels, which will be a boon for mobile gamers.

Featuring a download speed of up to 2.02Gbps (lab) and 1.78Gbps (field test), #Mi9Pro5G is 10 times faster than standard #Mi9. pic.twitter.com/fhr9kPWly3
— Xiaomi #MiMIXAlpha (@Xiaomi) September 24, 2019

The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is 10 times faster than the standard Xiaomi Mi 9

At 196 grams, Xiaomi claims the Mi 9 Pro 5G will be the lightest 5G handset once it hits the market. In addition, the phone sports a specially tuned 6.39-inch AMOLED screen, which is said to be more color-accurate than the displays on the OnePlus 7 Pro and Huawei P30 Pro.

The general design of the device, which comes in Titanium Black and Dreamy White colors, hasn’t changed, though. It still has three rear cameras arranged in a vertical line and a dewdrop notch up top that houses the selfie camera.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, bringing most of the same specs as the latest flagship Android smartphones to a lower price. There’s also a redesigned vapor-chamber cooling system inside that can decrease CPU temperatures by up to 10.2 degrees. That’s good to know because using 5G tends to heat up a smartphone rather quickly.

#Mi9Pro5G has a special, customized L shaped vapor chamber cooling system, compared to the standard #Mi9, the processor’s core temperature can be reduced by 10.2 °C. pic.twitter.com/1xoGr9uckF
— Xiaomi #MiMIXAlpha (@Xiaomi) September 24, 2019

Good to know because using 5G tends to heat up a smartphone rather quickly

The other banner feature of the Mi 9 Pro 5G is charging. The unit offers some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen on any smartphone — 40 watts wired charging; 30 watts wireless charging; and 10 watts wireless reverse charging — for when you need to charge other Qi-compatible devices in a hurry.

Xiaomi says the Mi 9 Pro 5G can be charged from zero to full in 69 minutes wirelessly. A 50% charge can be done in 25 minutes. We probably don’t need to tell you how impressive those claims sound. The handset will also ship with a 45-watt power brick than can juice up the latest Apple MacBooks and other USB-C laptops.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G will come with the following prices in China:

8GB + 128GB storage: ¥3,699 (around P27,163 or $521)
8GB + 256GB storage: ¥3,799 (P27,898 or $535)
12GB + 256GB storage: ¥4,099 (P30,101 or $577)
12GB + 512GB storage: ¥4,299 (P31,569 or $605)

Yes, those prices make the Mi 9 Pro 5G the cheapest 5G phone announced so far. Xiaomi has not yet revealed international availability details for the handset, but it will go on sale first in its native country from October 31. Hoping to get more information for the Philippine market soon.

Here is the summary of the #Mi9Pro5G, which upgrade will you go for? pic.twitter.com/Id7xSGhOK1
— Xiaomi #MiMIXAlpha (@Xiaomi) September 24, 2019

A summary

Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G specs

6.39-inch AMOLED display, 2,340 x 1,080 resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
7nm octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor with 5G
8GB/12GB RAM
128GB/256GB/512GB storage
Triple 48MP, f/1.75 main camera, 16MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, 12MP, f/2.2 telephoto camera
20-megapixel, f/2.0 front camera
Face unlock
Fingerprint reader (in-screen)
40-watt fast wired charging, 30-watt fast wireless charging, 10-watt reverse wireless charging
MIUI 11 based on Android 10

Learn About This Author

Ramon Lopez

Reviews editor: Ramon "Monch" Lopez has 16 years of professional experience creating and editing content for print and digital publications such as Yahoo. He headed the gadgets-merchandising division of one of the Philippines’ largest retail operators somewhere in between.