The Mi 9T Pro has more in an already great device

• Faster charging, 4K 60fps video part of new inclusions
• Improved processor, cooling system makes it more gaming-centric

THE Xiaomi Mi 9T is a great device for its price range, but what it if it gets elevated into more premium status? Enter the Mi 9T Pro, an upgrade that gives the smartphone an innards makeover with a more powerful processor and improvements that make it a more appealing device for gamers.

Word of its arrival has been floating around since the Mi 9T’s launch, but it will now officially be available in Malaysia on Aug 30, 2019. Prices for the Mi 9T Pro start from US$380 (RM1,599), which puts it only slightly above the 128GB version of the basic Mi 9T, pricing at US$332 (RM1,399).  

“We know that our Malaysian Mi fans have been waiting for the Mi 9T Pro. That is why we are excited to announce that the Mi 9T Pro will finally reach Malaysian shores,” says Xiaomi Malaysia country manager Allen An.

“We have a strong and longstanding relationship with our Mi fans in Malaysia. We rely on them for their honest feedback and we always strive to fulfil their technological needs. At Xiaomi, listening to our Mi fans is a huge part of our philosophy.”

More powerful heart

The Mi 9T Pro retains most of the aspects of the base Mi 9T, so you’ll get the 6.39-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with no notch in sight, as the front camera is a 20MP pop-up selfie shooter that protrudes from the top when activated. Underneath is the in-screen fingerprint technology that should function as smoothly as the base device’s.

There’s also the 4,000mAh battery and a triple-rear-camera setup that is almost identical, except that the Mi 9T Pro now allows for 4K video recording at 60fps, thanks to updated UHD 4K software.

The significant upgrade here is in the processor. The original Mi 9T sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730, which is a powerful mid-range processor that’s suitable for its price range. The Mi 9T Pro, on the other hand, features the Snapdragon 855 platform similar to the one on the flagship Mi 9.

This consists of an octa-core CPU with a 2.84GHz max clock speed alongside the new Qualcomm Adreno 640 GPU. Xiaomi says that this setup allows for a performance increase of 45% and 20% respectively over the original Mi 9T.

A gaming powerhouse

What’s more interesting about the Mi 9T Pro is the inclusion of an eight-layer graphite-stack and bi-directional cooling system, which the company says works to dissipate heat generated during long-term use.

Combine this with the Game Turbo 2.0 feature, which optimises the Mi 9T Pro’s touch response rate to 180Hz while reducing click and touch response times by approximately 70 milliseconds, and this makes the Mi 9T Pro an upgrade catered towards gamers.

It does provide a solid gaming experience. In a media preview session for the Mi 9T Pro, I managed to play a session of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile. While the original Mi 9T was no slouch in gaming, the Pro’s more powerful processor does allow us to push the game’s settings to the highest and deliver a smooth performance with little to no hitches.

Despite the high settings, the Mi 9T Pro does indeed manage to stay cool without heating up. Granted, it wasn’t a particularly long gaming session (sadly, the improved phone performance doesn’t mean it’ll improve my own performance), but it does feel significantly cooler than the original Mi 9T when I played it for extended periods.

Another new inclusion to the Pro is 27W fast charging support, which Xiaomi says can charge the device to 58% in just 30 minutes, with a full charge in 73 minutes. It still doesn’t have the wireless charging support of the Mi 9, but it’s a good inclusion nonetheless.

The Mi 9T Pro will be available in two versions. The 6GB+64GB version will retail for RM1,599, while the 6GB+128GB version prices at RM1,799. Both versions will be available at authorised Mi Stores and Lazada and Shopee starting from Aug 30, 2019.