Class-leading camera performance isn’t Xiaomi’s strong suit — until today, that is. The Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro — specifically the Premium Edition — ties with the Huawei Mate 30 Pro for the highest overall camera score of 121, according to DxOMark’s testing.

(Update, November 6: The international variant has been launched! Read Official: Xiaomi Mi Note 10, global version of Mi CC9 Pro.)

When it comes to photos, the Mi CC9 Pro scored two points lower than the Mate 30 Pro at 130 versus 132. But it still manages to beat out other devices like the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

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The just-launched handset leads in the zoom sub-category with a score of 109, thanks to the two different focal-length telephoto cameras. And when it comes to videos, it surpasses all smartphones with the highest score ever recorded on the image-quality ratings site. With a score of 102, it outscores even the Google Pixel 4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G.

DxoMark’s video: Review of the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition’s camera image quality

Xiaomi has its penta-lens camera setup to thank for the high scores. The Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition specifically has an f/1.7 8P lens, which the company claims is a world first.

The rear camera setup consists of the following:

1. a 5-megapixel telephoto lens, which can handle 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, and 50x digital zoom;
2. a dedicated 12-megapixel depth sensor that you can use for portraits;
3. the Samsung-made 108-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and 4-axis OIS [optical image stabilization];
4. a 20-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a 117-degree field-of-view; and
5. a dedicated 2-megapixel macro sensor that can get you as close to 1.5cm to a subject.

Assisting the five cameras is a dual-LED flash unit. The selfie camera, on the other hand, is a 32-megapixel shooter with an f/2.0 aperture. It’s optimized for vlogging and is placed in the waterdrop notch at the top of the phone’s screen.

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro pricing and availability

Xiaomi offers the Mi CC9 Pro in two standard versions: the 6GB RAM/128GB storage configuration and the 8GB/256GB model. They are priced at ¥2,799 (around P20,165 or $400) and ¥3,099 (P22,326 or $443), respectively.

The Premium Edition goes for ¥3,499 (P25,209 or $500) and comes in an 8GB/256GB configuration. It doesn’t offer storage expansion.

The Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro will be available in Magic Green, Ice Aurora, and Phantom Black color variants. The smartphone goes on pre-sale today in China, and on November 11, it will be available for purchase in its home country.

As for the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro’s other features…

The rest of the information on the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro doesn’t stray far from the leaks. It will still be called Xiaomi Mi Note 10 internationally, and it will be launching in Spain tomorrow, November 6. The company is keeping the CC9 branding exclusive to China.

The Mi CC9 Pro features a 6.47-inch curved edge-to-edge FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The company says the latter is the world’s first ultra-thin optical in-display fingerprint scanner, which has a larger fingerprint recognition area and works with dry or wet fingers.

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Xiaomi also introduces a Breathing Light display feature, which has the sides of the device blinking when you get a notification.

The Mi CC9 Pro runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor and Android 9 Pie-based MIUI 11 user interface. It offers Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, and dual 4G VoLTE support.

The device comes with a hefty 5,260mAh battery, which on-the-go power users will appreciate. And thanks to a USB-C port, this handset gets 30-watt fast charging, too, which can completely charge the phone in 65 minutes. Xiaomi claims its charging tech has been thoroughly optimized, which means it’s faster than the 40-watt high-speed chargers of its competition.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi Watch is an affordable Apple Watch lookalike

And for those who still live and die by their wired headphones or earbuds, take note that the Mi CC9 Pro keeps its 3.5mm audio jack. If you want to blast out music, it has a 1CC large loudspeaker, which is designed to produce up to 2x loud sound output. It also still has an IR blaster.

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro specs

• 6.47-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, 2,340 x 1,080 resolution
• 8nm Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor
• 6GB/8GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB storage
• Penta camera: 108MP, f/1.7 main; 20MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle; 8MP, f/2.0 telephoto with 5x optical zoom, up to 50x digital zoom; 12MP telephoto/portrait with 2x optical zoom; 2MP macro
• 32-megapixel, f/2.0 front camera
• Quad flash
• Fingerprint reader (in-screen)
• 5,260mAh battery with 30-watt fast wired charging
• MIUI 11 based on Android 9.0 Pie

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