The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is finally available in Malaysia bringing along with it a new player in the premium mid-ranged market. The Mi 9 SE is a smaller version of the regular Xiaomi Mi 9 – the SE sports a 5.97-inch dot drop display, meaning it’s great for one handed use.
Like the regular Mi 9, the SE comes with a triple-camera setup, but its lenses push lower resolutions than the flagship – think 48MP wide-angle lens + 8MP telephoto lens + 13MP ultra-wide angle lens for the SE; while the regular Mi 9 pairs the 48MP lens with 12MP telephoto and 16MP ultra-wide angle lenses. Over on the front is a 20MP selfie shooter for the Mi 9 SE.
Image credit: Xiaomi
As a mid-ranged device, the Mi 9 SE is powered by a Snapdragon 712 chipset, which is a massive downgrade from the regular Mi 9’s SD 855 – but hey, it’s a mid-ranged phone, what can you do. In terms of memory configurations, the SE comes with 6GB RAM and your choice of either 64GB or 128GB internal storage.
There is also a 3,070mAh battery that’s charged via USB-C. The phone supports fast charging and coms with an 18W charging brick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support wireless charging like the Mi 9, but like its bigger brother, the SE also packs an in-screen fingerprint scanner; which is rare for a mid-ranged phone to get, so that’s a plus.
Image credit: Xiaomi
The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is available from May 4 and is priced at RM1,299 for the 6GB+64GB variant and RM1,499 for the 6GB+128GB variant. With only RM500 separating the top variants of both the SE and regular Mi 9, we reckon many would still opt for the flagship model since it comes with the much more powerful Snapdragon 855; but if you’re on a tight budget, the Mi 9 SE could be a decent daily driver too.
