Towards the end of the Trump administration, Xiaomi was added to a Department of Defense blacklist similar to fellow Chinese company, Huawei. The Chinese technology company finds itself on the blacklist due to claimed ties and dealings with the Chinese Military. The company has since denied the allegations. In a statement to Android Authority, Xiaomi stressed that “The company has been in compliance with law and operating in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations of jurisdictions where it conducts its businesses. The company reiterates that it provides products and services for civilian and commercial use. The company confirms that it is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with the Chinese military“.
In the weeks since the announcement, we’ve also been able to clarify what has actually happened. Unlike Huawei, Xiaomi is on a different blacklist – one that doesn’t bar it from doing business with U.S. companies like Google. However, U.S. based companies and entities are barred from investing in Xiaomi. To that end, companies who have invested in the technology manufacturer are required to divest that interest by 11 November 2021. This could affect the company’s stock value and liquidity when it comes into full effect. Since the initial report, Xiaomi has initiated legal proceedings against the U.S. Government citing the blacklisting is unconstitutional and can cause “imminent, severe, and irreparable harm” to the company.
Even more recently, rumours have begun surfacing that Xiaomi may be facing the same fate as Huawei when it comes to Google’s Mobile Services. The rumour started in Xiaomi’s Community interaction channels and has since garnered more attention. Xiaomi has since taken to Weibo to refute and clarify the claims.
Original weibo posting by Xiaomi. Source: SoyaCincau
In its statement, it clarified that domestic models in China will still support GMS. However, like many other companies in China, they also has models which do not run GMS. Xiaomi is no longer allowing users to sideload or self install GMS on these models. That said, they will be releasing GMS models in China to fulfill customer demand.
When it comes to international models, Xiaomi stresses that they will remain unaffected by the change. They will continue to launch with the Google Mobile Services pre-installed. So, rest assured, if you’re planning to pick up a phone from Xiaomi, POCO or Redmi, they will come with a complete version of Android with GMS. This includes the recently announced Mi 11.
If you were looking for the one stop shop to everything the market has to offer but with an affordable price tag, the Xiaomi POCO M3 might be the way to go. It has a robust build, triple cameras, a full HD screen display, excellent battery life for only RM 599 in Malaysia.
Released in November 2020, it should be noted that POCO is actually an independent brand from Xiaomi. Shocked? We were too, but keep in mind that the confusion is there for many since Xiaomi still manufactures everything you see in the POCO. Nonetheless, everything designed is meant to be exclusively for the POCO brand and not a cookie cutter phone copying Xiaomi’s existing devices.
When you buy the POCO M3, you get a yellow outer box encasing the phone along with your typical treats. Along with the SIM eject tool, the USB cable as well as the 22.5W QC3 charger, buyers also receive a transparent silicon case and a screen protector.
Design
As mentioned, the POCO M3 has its own unique design and offers more than you’ve bargained for. The overall build of the device is robust and sturdy. Although made of plastic, the faux leather backing and weight of the phone gives the user the feel of a premium quality design. It also makes it easy to grip and looks a lot cleaner than your regular plastic as it seems to be fingerprint resistant.
The front of the device is a full screen from top to bottom without an inch to spare. It shows off a 6.53” 1080p IPS LCD screen. The front facing 8-megapixel camera is placed dead centre at the top for the best angled selfie. The Gorilla Glass 3 reinforces the build of the phone which easily passed an accidental drop test from the table (Oops! Rest assured, no device was harmed during the writing of this review). Right above the selfie camera, there is a thin grill that serves as the earpiece during calls. The corners of the POCO M3 are curved and the bezels are relatively slim.
On the sides, you have the fingerprint sensor for convenience and the volume button on the right. The fingerprint sensor also acts as the power button. The triple card slot is located on the left side of the device.
The POCO M3’s stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio jack and microphone are housed at the top of the device. The other stereo speaker is found at the bottom along with the mouthpiece and the USB-C port.
Flip the phone on its back and you’ll find quarter of the back covered in dark glass that protects the triple camera and also boasts the POCO logo. The glass makes the design jut out but not in a way that throws the phone off balance and makes it wobble when placed on a table.
The POCO M3 comes in 3 variety of colors – POCO yellow, Cool Blue and Power Black. You can choose to buy the 64 GB or 128 GB variant. It weighs 198 grams and measures in at 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm.
When it comes to the feel of the POCO M3 in hand, it feels sturdy and has enough heft to weigh it down. The heft and size can be a little unwieldy. Maneuvering the phone with one hand can be a task with its weight making things that much worse. That said, the faux leather finish does give it a little more grip.
Hardware
When it comes to hardware, the entry-level POCO M3 isn’t going to blow you out of the water. However, it does come with a more powerful Snapdragon 600 series processor which should give it an edge over some of its competition. However, that really depends on the software optimisations that Xiaomi has built into the POCO M3. As we already know, MIUI 12 is packed with features that are processor intensive. We’ll see how it performs later on.
Other than the processor, the M3 also comes with a pretty respectable setup when it comes to cameras and even memory. However, it’s on par with the competition when it comes to RAM – something that Xiaomi and POCO could have upped for the longevity of the phone.
The POCO M3 comes with MIUI 12 based on Android 10. This makes it equipped with a streamlined interface. It brings fresh and cool animations and a few new features compared to its predecessor the MIUI 11.
As usual with MIUI, it comes with an array of downloadable themes where you can customize ringtones, fonts and so on.
The home screen provides you the usual folders, widgets and so on that you get from any phone running on Android. The MIUI 12 offers you an app drawer that automatically categorizes the apps into categories such as Entertainment, Business and Tools. Feel free to customize the categories or if you hate the feature, simply disable it.
MIUI 12 comes with the new feature of having a floating app. For example, I can open my messaging app on top of the video I’m currently watching. If you don’t want the app to be floating, then split the screen. The one feature that annoyed me was the holding down and slowly having to slide up on the right to open the feature to close or stop all opened apps when clearing your phone. It’s a double swipe up. First swipe is the menu and second is to close apps. I did not have the patience to learn how to overcome this correctly so it might have been a user issue rather than the device itself.
The UI comes with new privacy options which is always welcomed. Users can remove location and device info when sharing photos and videos. There is also a security app that among others scans the phone for malware and helps clear up space to keep the phone running on optimum level.
The fingerprint scanner that is mounted on the right side of the phone is quick and convenient to unlock the phone with your thumb. For a side mounted scanner, it is impressing in terms of accuracy. However, we advise that you activate the Press recognition method offered by Xiaomi so as to avoid accidentally unlocking the device. This unfortunately happened to me and I sent my boss some questionable gifs via WhatsApp because of it.
Performance
The phone is powered by the latest Snapdragon 662 chipset. The GPU is Adreno 610. The SoC has an octa-core CPU and holds either 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB UFS 2.0 internal storage or 4 GB RAM with 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. Both storage expandable via microSD.
We noticed that there was a slight lag when switching in between tasks which makes us believe that the CPU performance could be bogged down by the optimisations and graphically intensive processes in MIUI 12. However, it is more likely that POCO could have afforded to increase the RAM in the POCO M3 to accommodate its MIUI. The issue is exacerbated if you decide to game on the device.
Gaming
When it comes to gaming, the POCO M3 is a drag – literally. Even though the display boasts a high resolution, there will be significant lags if you set your game above 720p. However, this is expected with the price you pay for an entry-range device. That said, POCO was touting this phone as a go to entry device when it comes to gaming – so there is a little bit of a draw back there. The only highlight here is that the phone does not heat up.
Battery Life
The POCO M3 has a massive 6,000 mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging. We’d recommended that you use the fast charger that it comes with it. If you don’t, a slow or normal charge would take quite a while to completely charge this bad boy. In our time with the phone, the battery life was its main highlight; even with 12 hours of full on usage, the battery lasted for 2 full days on a single charge.
Speakers
You will find stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the device, providing users with a balanced audio experience. Due to this, the loudness of the phone is proven when you play YouTube videos or when you take a call with your Asian mom and put her on loudspeaker. The sound quality does not disappoint.
Display
The POCO M3 has a 395ppi density thanks to its extended resolution at 2340 x 1080 pixels. For being on a budget, the M3, which has a large 6.53-inch display, is a cut above the rest in its price category when it comes to display resolution. If you’re a clumsy individual, fret not, the device is equipped with Gorilla Glass 3.
The display is easy to manoeuvre with the brightness level setting being placed at the normal drop down menu. If you’re stuck in the sunlight the whole day, switch on Sunlight Mode for a brighter display.
Camera
The POCO M3 has a triple camera setup for its main camera. The main sensor is 48-megapixel which is complemented bys a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. This triple camera set up is accompanied by a single LED flash. Before you get too excited, the camera is quite basic even though it attempts to hop on the latest trend bandwagon.
The main rear camera is 48-megapixel with f/1.8 lens, 0.8µm pixels and PDAF with night mode available. The macro camera does not have auto-focus but has f/2.4 aperture with 1.75µm pixels. On the front, you will have your 8-megapixel selfie camera with a fixed focus and f/2.1 lens. When you access the camera app, there is a flash mode, HDR mode, AI toggle and beauty effects and filters for the user to play with.
The pictures are nothing out of the ordinary and we didn’t expect them to be. The camera naturally captures and edits the photos with a soft touch but manages to keep the details needed. Overall, the camera tends to make the colours warmer than in real life.
In its different modes, the portrait seems to be more detailed than the regular setting and the 48-megapixel setting compared to the default 12-megapixel captures more detail. However, The AI tends to make the photos captures a bit off through its high contrast setting.
The camera seemed to work best with natural lighting but failed to impress when we tried to use it at night. It doesn’t capture as much details as compared to when used in the daytime. This became better with night mode on but once again, doesn’t compare to natural lighting.
There’s nothing to boast or say much about the front facing camera. It did the job without any issues but other than that, it seemed to be just a basic selfie camera.
In terms of video captured, there isn’t any 4K or 60fps. All videos are captured at 1080@30fps without stabilization. The colours was average at best and nothing out of the basic ordinary.
A Cut Above but Still Bang for Your Buck Comes With Some Sacrifices
The POCO M3 offers more than its competitors in the market with an affordable price tag. It has quite an impressive array of hardware and built in features that make the RM 599 price tag worth it. Trust and believe that you are getting your money’s worth but the phone is not without its flaws and with that price tag, you cannot expect it to be. It’s not the best phone for gaming but runs smoothly if you adjust some in app settings for a good experience. If you’re on a budget or just cannot see yourself spending four figures on any phone, the POCO M3 may just be your best bet right now!
It is January 2021 and we are back for another episode of Tech & Tonic podcast, the very first one for 2021 and it came from our own houses because Malaysia is under a second lock down (Movement Control Order). The global pandemic did not stop CES 2021 from happening though. Although everything is happening online.
The year kicked off with a bang though because Xiaomi now joins HUAWEI and DJI in the United States banned entities. Xiaomi does not have an official presence in U.S. though. They only stateside link they have is the Operating System they use (Google’s Android), their processors (Qualcomm), and few other components. In that case, what will happen to Xiaomi? We discusses a little further on this topic on the podcast.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series just launched last week too. The renders look exactly the same as the actual device except that the device looks even more impressive. The Samsung Galaxy S21 flagship series packs Samsung’s latest Exynos with 5G capabilities. The Galaxy S21 Ultra even sports S Pen compatibility and up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. All of these comes with a price though. The Samsung Galaxy S21 starts at MYR 3,699 and tops out at MYR 5,899.
It is also the first Samsung Galaxy S21 series that sells without a charger out-of-the-box too. With all the shade that was thrown to Apple’s decision to not include a charger for ‘ecological’ purpose, we start questioning the motive behind not including chargers in smartphone boxes. We also discuss a little further on the fact that the S Pen now lives on in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, a sign of death in the family of Samsung. All this and more on Tech & Tonic Podcast.
Xiaomi is at it again. Hot off the company’s announcement of their Mi 11 flagship, the company is announcing not one, but two, entry-level devices which make up their new entry-level line up: the Redmi 9T and the Redmi Note 9T. Both come with specifications that make them contenders for your attention if you are looking to purchase a smartphone on the cheap.
Redmi 9T – A non-5G Device for the in-between
Not all devices need to be 5G enabled – that is a truth that is hard to deny as we are squarely in the transitional time between 4G LTE and 5G. Xiaomi is acutely aware of this and continues to provide options for their consumers. The Redmi 9T is the latest in their 4G LTE devices.
The Redmi 9T comes equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662. The Octa-core processor comes with 4 cores clocked at 2.0GHz and a supplemental 4 cores at 1.8GHz. The processor is complemented with the Adreno 610 graphics processor. The combination of which should be able to handle most, if not all, tasks that you can throw at it. In fact, it should be able to handle most high-end games (you’ll have to wait on our review for a full breakdown).
Complementing the formidable internals of the Redmi 9T is a 6.53-inch IPS LCD panel sporting a Full HD+. The display comes with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It should be large enough to provide a sufficiently immersive experience. It comes with ample space coming in both 64GB and 128GB. This is complemented with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM.
On the camera front, the main camera setup of the Redmi 9T is a quad-camera setup. The main sensor is a 48-megapixel sensor with a 1/20-inch sensor size and 0.8µm pixel size. It has an f/1.8 aperture and wide-angle with 26mm focal length; equipped with phase detection auto-focus (PDAF). This sensor is complemented with a 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor; and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Up front is an 8-megapixel wide sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.
Redmi Note 9T – MediaTek Powered 5G
Together with the Redmi 9T, Xiaomi also announced their new entry to the Redmi Note series: the Redmi Note 9T. The new entry to the Redmi Note is also the first commercially available smartphone running on the new MediaTek Dimensity 800U processor. The new processor is an entry level processor equipped with 5G technology. It comes with 2-cores clocked at 2.4GHz complemented with 6-cores clocked at 1.8GHz. 4GB of RAM complements the processor in addition to 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.
The Redmi Note 9T comes equipped with a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. The smartphone is powered by a 5,000mAh lithium polymer battery which supports 18W fast charging.
On the camera front, the Redmi Note 9T is equipped with a triple sensor main camera setup. It comes with the same 48-megapixel sensor found on the Redmi 9T complemented with a 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Up front is a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.3 aperture.
Pricing & Availability
Model
Variant
International Pricing
Malaysian Pricing (Official)
Availability
Redmi 9T
4GB + 64GB
4GB + 128GB
6GB + 128GB
€159 (USD$194.30/MYR783.48)
€189 (USD$230.96/MYR931.30)
n/a
MYR599
n/a
MYR699
January 9, 2021 (International)
January 15, 2021 (Malaysia)
Redmi 9T (NFC)
4GB + 64GB
4GB + 128GB
€169 (USD$206.52/MYR832.75)
€199 (USD$243.18/MYR980.58)
n/a
n/a
February 2021 (International)
Redmi Note 9T
4GB + 64GB
4GB + 128GB
€229 (USD$279.83/MYR1,128.40)
€269 (USD$328.71/MYR1,325.50)
n/a
January 11, 2021 (International)
Exchange rates used are taken at 6:15pm on January 10, 2021 from xe.com; 1 EUR = 4.92752 MYR & 1 EUR = 1.22198 USD
Xiaomi is one of the most popular Chinese manufacturers producing not only smartphones but also earphones, power banks, smart TVs and other products. In fact, according to IDC, in the smartphone category alone, the company has successfully become the third most popular brand by shipments in the world; beating the likes of Apple, OPPO, vivo and more. Looking to push the envelope further, the company has announced the Mi 11, their latest flagship smartphone equipped with 5G connectivity. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, they revealed only ONE flagship smartphone; something we haven’t seen from manufacturers in a while!
New Aspirations with a new Flagship
The Mi 11 isn’t just a new flagship from Xiaomi, it marks the company’s move to push boundaries and start taking on giant brands like Samsung and Apple. Most obviously, Xiaomi has its software aspirations fixed squarely on Apple. With the announcement of their new flagship, the company also announced a new update to their signature MIUI interface: MIUI 12.5. The updated MIUI interface continues to focus on user experience with new features focused on increasing performance, reducing load times, optimizing app compatibility, and improving security.
Xiaomi’s focus on creating a performance centric flagship doesn’t wane when it comes to the Mi 11. It’s the first commercially available smartphone equipped with Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor the Snapdragon 888. The processor is equipped with 5G connectivity on both mmWave and Sub5 spectra with a new 1+3+4 architecture which promises better performance and battery life. The Mi 11 is also equipped with faster UFS3.1 storage for and faster 4600MHz LPDDR5 RAM. In addition, the new Mi flagship also comes with a 4,600 mAh battery that supports 55W fast charging, 50W wireless fast charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 has a 4-curve design with AG coating which the company claims to make it more ergonomic and easier to handle. The flagship has also been given a sleeker design coming in at only 8.06mm thick and weighing only 169g. In addition to this, the Mi 11 comes with a 2K AMOLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 480Hz touch sampling. The panel comes with E4 OLED technology which allows Xiaomi to fine tune the colour accuracy with a ΔE value of about 0.4. The display employs the latest Gorilla Glass Victus when it comes to shatter- and scratch-proofing.
It’s All in the Details from Camera setup to Content Immersion
The Mi 11 comes with a brand-new triple camera setup which Xiaomi claims brings all the features you need to get great video and pictures. The setup comes with a large 1/1.3” 108-megapixel main sensor paired with a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 5-megapixel telemacro sensor. While it may seem like Xiaomi has opted to not have optical zoom on the Mi 11, their inclusion of a telemacro lens allows users to get some optical zoom while also enabling the camera to capture the finer details.
MIUI 12.5, which debuts on the Mi 11, focuses on immersion with features that help make the user experience more immersive than ever before. One of these features is a huge improvement to the haptic engine of the Mi 11. The enhancement allows users to experience more discerning features when it is utilized. Xiaomi touted the many different surfaces the engine can emulate during their presentation. In addition, the company has also added touch sensors which detect how the phone is being held to prevent unwanted screen rotations. Xiaomi is also upping the ante when it comes to sound with a partnership with Harman/Kardon. The Mi 11 comes with stereo speakers calibrated by Harman/Kardon for a more immersive sound experience.
Pricing & Availability
The Mi 11 is available in three colours: Blue, Black, and white. There are also two special Eco Leather editions available in Khaki and Mist Purple. It goes on sale in China starting on January 1, 2020 with prices starting at CN¥3,999 for the 8GB+128GB configuration. The Mi 11 doesn’t come with a wall wart in the box. However, Xiaomi is making a bundled deal available with a 55W GaN charger for the same price (for now). The bundle is originally valued at CN¥4,098.
Configuration
Price (CN¥)
Price (USD$)
Price (MYR)
8GB RAM + 128GB Storage
3,999
611.83
2,478.25
8GB RAM + 256GB Storage
4,299
657.32
2,664.17
12GB RAM + 256GB Storage
4,699
718.48
2,911.59
The Mi 11 is also available in an extremely limited edition made with Scodix Crystal and signed by CEO, Lei Jun which will be available during a special live stream on TikTok (known in China as DouYin).
Xiaomi subsidiary, Redmi just launched the new wireless earphones in India. The new offering was initially launched in Nepal last month. Since its initial launch, the Redmi SonicBass wireless earphones have become known as the affordable true wireless earbuds.
Source: Xiaomi India
The Redmi SonicBass Wireless Earphones come with a neckband designed to give extra grip around the shoulders. The neckband is a relatively flat cable whicht you can double-tap to trigger your assistant of choice (Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri). It comes with Bluetooth 5.0 support for connectivity and is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices.
It has dual microphones along with ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation). ENC technology allows better call quality by suppressing any ambient noise. It is equipped with IPX4 splash and sweat resistance – an important feature for those looking to use it while exercising. In addition, it has a multifunction button to quickly access various multimedia controls. It also comes with antiwax silicone tips with magnetic earbuds.
The Redmi SonicBass Wireless Earphones are touted to last for up to 12 hours on a single charge, thanks to its 120mAh battery. The standby time is listed to be about 200 hours and it weighs only 21.2 grams. Bluetooth connectivity on the earphones ranges to about 10 metres of operating distance.
The Redmi SonicBass wireless earphones are now available in India for Rs.999 (MYR56.49/USD$13.65).
When Xiaomi introduced the Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro last year, the device became a sensation. It was one of the best value-for-money buys that you can make in the year 2019 and it was something that really caught our attention. It performed admirably too, definitely one of the best smartphones to come out of 2020. Then comes the big question. How do you follow up from such a smartphone?
Last night was Xiaomi’s answer to that question of replacing the Xiaomi Mi 9T series. The answer was a plain and simple Xiaomi Mi 10T series. Of course, the series branches out into three devices to cover three different market segments.
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
Source: Xiaomi
The most powerful device in the series is obviously the ‘Pro’. It is quite expected at this point, with that naming moniker. Obviously as well, the device packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 System on a Chip (SoC), the most powerful Qualcomm SoC before the Snapdragon 856+ launched.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is a rather powerful chip still though. That powerful SoC with Adreno 650 GPU combined with 8GB of RAM is sure to make the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro the most powerful smartphone the Chinese manufacturer has seen in their stables. All that power will be accentuated by the write and read speeds of the 256GB (up to) UFS 3.1 memory module.
Source: Xiaomi
This Android 12 with MIUI 12 device runs on a large 5,000mAh battery to keep everything running from morning to night, and even more. If not, the Xiaomi Mi 10T super-fast charges at 33W. All that is wrapped in a mix of glass body and aluminium frame.
The front of the device is mostly plain Corning Gorilla Glass 5 housing the large 6.67-inch TrueColor DotDisplay. At 144Hz the Full HD+ display feels smooth and snappy, a real difference in experiencing MIUI 12. Yes, you read that right; 144Hz, not 120Hz.
Source: Xiaomi
That super-fast gaming-centric display is not just fast though. It is a properly pretty display with P3 colour gamut and TrueColor for more accurate colours. They also understand that not all contents are displayed at 144Hz, so the display also comes with AdaptiveSync and Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation (MEMC) technologies to match framerates and make it seem like your 60Hz videos play at 120Hz or even 144Hz.
At the corner of the display is a 20-Megapixel front facing camera to ensure your selfies look good. Of course, that is not the only camera that the device has. It is a modern flagship after all. Out the back then is a large 108-Megapixel sensor supported by a 13-Megapixel ultra-wide camera and 5-Megapixel macro camera. No telephoto nonsense here. That 108-Megapixel shooter gives the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro the ability to shoot videos at 8K resolution.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Xiaomi Mi 10T
Source: Xiaomi
A step down from the Pro is the regular Xiaomi Mi 10T. Technically, there is not much in difference between the Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro. The Xiaomi Mi 10T packs the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC as the Mi 10T Pro.
You can even get it with up to 8GB RAM arrangement with 128GB of memory in tow too, comparable to the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro. Both packs the same sized display with the same refresh rate and colour calibration. Both also pack the same battery size at 5,000mAh.
The difference is out the back of the device. The Xiaomi Mi 10T also still has the same smaller 13-Megapixel Ultra-wide shooter and 5-Megapixel macro camera at the back. But instead of the powerful 108-Megapixel camera, it is a 64-Megapixel sensor in place. This could be the next best value device of the year, we think.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Mi 10T Lite
Source: Xiaomi
If you are looking for something that is more considerate for your wallet, then there is the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite. As its name suggest, this is sort of the baby Xiaomi Mi 10T. Of course, you cannot expect it to be anywhere near as powerful as the bigger brother, the Xiaomi Mi 10T and the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro too.
It packs the power of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC for big performance at a budget. The 750G also packs 5G capabilities for good measure, in case you want a taste of it when it is available. But it is also still powerful enough to run your PUBG Mobile smoothly.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G that is paired with 6GB of RAM space is powerful enough to power MIUI 12 based on Android 11 on the 120Hz 6,67-inch Full HD display. The display is nicely protected against weather and other abuse via a Corning Gorilla Glass. Under that same glass at the top of the display is a 16-Megapixel front-facing shooter.
Source: Xiaomi
Out the back, you also find a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to house a 64-Megapixel main shooter. That main shooter is paired with an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-Megapixel Macro lens, and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor making it a quad-camera set-up effectively.
Keeping everything running all day long is a 4,820mAh battery. While that is still smaller than the Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro, it is a decent battery size. If you need to get it charged, the 33W charger in the box should fix you up quickly.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Specifications
Mi 10T Pro
Mi 10T
Mi 10T Lite
Display
144Hz 6.67″ TrueColor DotDisplay 20:9 aspect ratio, 2400×1080 FHD+, AdaptiveSync display: 30Hz/48Hz/50Hz/60Hz/90Hz/120Hz/144Hz Support MEMC Support DCI-P3, HDR10 Brightness: 500 nits (typ), 650 nits max brightness (typ) Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) Sunlight display 3.0, Reading mode 3.0 TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification 360° ambient light sensor
144Hz 6.67″ TrueColor DotDisplay 20:9 aspect ratio, 2400×1080 FHD+, AdaptiveSync display: 30Hz/48Hz/50Hz/60Hz/90Hz/120Hz/144Hz Support MEMC Support DCI-P3, HDR10 Brightness: 500 nits (typ), 650 nits max brightness (typ) Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) Sunlight display 3.0, Reading mode 3.0 TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification 360° ambient light sensor
Alongside the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10T, and Mi 10T Lite, Xiaomi introduces their new Mi Watch (not to be confused with Apple Watch). The Mi Watch is made for the active Mi fans with its bright AMOLED display measuring in at 1.39-inch in diameter displaying all the things you need to know about your lifestyle.
The Mi Watch can keep track of up to 117 kinds of exercises in all different modes. There are six different sensors and a GPS tracker to offer you all the sorts of information you need for a healthy lifestyle. The best part though, is that you only need to charge the Mi Watch once in every 16 days.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Availability and Pricing
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10T, and Mi 10T Lite will be launching in Malaysia very soon. In fact, it is supposed to be launched locally on the 6th of October 2020. The Xiaomi Mi Watch is also expected to make an appearance at the local launch. There are no confirmed prices yet at this point. We will be updating this page very soon with that information.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
UPDATE: The Xiaomi Mi Watch will be available in Malaysia from December 6th onward in Malaysia. No prices have been announced at this time, but we are expecting it to be priced well below the MYR 1,299 mark. The Xiaomi Mi 10T series will be available in regular and Pro variant for MYR 1,699 (8GB + 128GB) and MYR 1,999 (8GB + 256GB). The Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro is available 9th October onward in all Mi authorised stores, official concept stores, and partner online retailers across Malaysia. No news on the Mi 10T Lite.
Source: Xiaomi
UPDATE 2: Xiaomi is holding their first ever roadshow for the Mi 10T and the Mi10T Pro in four locations across Malaysia. The road show will be held on the 9th to the 11th of October 2020 in Sunway Pyramid, One Utama (Mi Store), Gurney Plaza Penang (Mi Store), and Paradigm Mall JB (Mi Store). If you are one of the first 450 customers to buy the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, you are entitled to get a free Mi LED 4S 55-inch television alongside a Mi True Wireless Earphone 2 Basic. The first 3,000 customers are entitled to the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic. Your purchase of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro also comes with 6-months of Netflix Mobile Plan subscription for free.
UPDATE 3: The first sales roadshow of the Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro is now exclusively online, in light of the current pandemic situation. The first sales campaign will still happen on all Xiaomi’s online sales platforms including their official store on Lazada from 9 October 2020 onward. The exhibition planned at Sunway Pyramid on the same day will still happen for experiential purposes only.
Xiaomi Malaysia has taken the covers off two new entry level devices: the Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C. The two new devices join the Redmi 9 announced earlier this month. They expand the Redmi line up with even more affordable, entry level devices which come in at a sub MYR500 price point.
Both entry level Xiaomi Redmi devices come with 6.53-inch HD+ Dot Drop displays with 400 nit brightness and certification from TUV Rheinland for Low Blue Light. The 9A and 9C are both powered by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging. Both come with a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, that’s where the similarities end.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 9C is the more supped up of the two new devices coming with a triple camera setup and a slightly more powerful MediaTek Helio G35 octacore processor. The camera setup consists of a 13-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. These specifications are supported by 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard memory expandable with up to 512GB of additional memory via a microSD card. The 9C also a fingerprint sensor for quick unlocking.
The Redmi 9A comes with a less powerful, octacore MediaTek Helio G25. It comes with a single camera setup with a 13-megapixel sensor. It supports AI face unlock and will be coming with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. Similar to the 9C, it supports up to 512GB of additional storage space via the use of a microSD card.
Pricing & Availability
The Redmi 9A will be available starting on July 7, 2020 as part of the annual 7.7 sale on both LAZADA and Shopee for a special first sale price of MYR319. After which it will be available in stores starting on 14 July, 2020 for MYR359. The 9A will be available in Granite Gray, Peacock Green and Sky Blue
The Redmi 9C will be available for MYR429 in Midnight Gray, Sunrise Orange and Twilight Blue starting the end of July 2020.
Official Specifications
Smartphone
Redmi 9A
Redmi 9C
Display
6.53” HD+ Dot Drop display 400 nit (typ) brightness Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification Reading mode
6.53” HD+ Dot Drop display 400 nit (typ) brightness Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification Reading mode
Rear camera
13MP main camera
13MP main camera, 2MP macro camera, 2MP depth sensor
Front camera
5MP front camera
5MP front camera
Dimension
164.9*77.07*9.0mm
164.9*77.07*9.0mm
Processor
MediaTek Helio G25 12nm process technology Octa-core CPU, up to 2.0 GHz
MediaTek Helio G35 12nm process technology Octa-core CPU, up to 2.3 GHz
Xiaomi announced their new update to their in-house user interface: MIUI. The new iteration of MIUI, officially named MIUI 12, brings a few long requested features and tweaks some that were already available. However, not all the new features bode for a better universal experience with MIUI 12.
Animations, Animations, Animations
The bulk of the changes in MIUI 12 are purely aesthetic. Xiaomi has spent time trying to make MIUI look more “natural”. They’ve made changes to the way MIUI will handle animations in MIUI 12. These aren’t just superficial changes such as shortening animation times, they’ve spent time redesigning the way MIUI’s kernel handles these animations. This simply means that the core of MIUI handles animation differently than any other Android based device. Xiaomi has also increased the amount of animations by making UI elements such as icons, pop ups and indicators move in tandem with the movement of the phone. They have also made the animations and transitions more seamless and fluid. In the demo they showed, the settings icon was able to seamlessly transition into the settings menu.
That isn’t all, MIUI 12 doesn’t simply enlarge the icons, Xiaomi has opted to make icons arc as they transition to apps. They claim that this revision allows the overall user experience to be more natural and fluid. MIUI also brings optimisations in the way it handles rounded curves in the UI. Xiaomi has made it so that instead of having dead spaces in the rounded corners of the UI, MIUI 12 will seamless conform to the available space. This also means that you get every interactive pixel within your screen.
Animation and superficial enhancements aside, MIUI 12 is really bringing some meaningful new features; One of them is Private casting. This new feature allows you to cast larger screens while hiding elements of the UI. Primarily, users will be able to keep notifications, pop up windows and more on their mobile screen. These elements will not be shown on the casted when private casting is turned on. In fact, Xiaomi says, you’ll be able to cast and play a game at the same time without the game being casted to the larger display.
MIUI 12 also brings an enhanced Floating Window feature primarily with new gesture interactions. Users will be able to pull up floating windows to reply notifications by simply swiping down. When used with MIUI’s messaging app, this will bring up a floating window for extended interaction. Floating windows can also be left above others by simply dragging the window to the corner to pin it. A simple swipe will dismiss the window. A further swipe down will enlarge the window to make it the main one.
The app drawer finally makes it to MIUI in MIUI 12. The new app drawer can be toggled on in the settings and is able to automatically categorize your apps. MIUI 12 will also have universal dark mode. While many apps already have this built in, MIUI 12 will natively adapt apps which don’t have the function.
Most impressively, Xiaomi spent a little bit of time developing features to enhance the privacy controls on their devices. The main change is the inclusion of more granular permissions control. Users will be able to select the “when using app” and “notify” options that Android users are already accustomed to. In addition, MIUI 12 will indicate if apps are accessing sensitive information in the background with an icon on the top left corner of the UI. Users are able to see the offending app and even limit its access and uninstall it if they choose to. This enhance feature will be available for storage, camera, location, microphone, call history and contacts. You will also be able to remove sensitive EXIF data from photos before sharing them.
Availability
MIUI 12 beta will start next week. However, official rollout will begin at the End of June starting with the Mi 9, Mi 9T, Mi 9T Pro, Redmi K20 and the Redmi K20 Pro. Other devices including the Redmi Note 9 series, POCOPHONE F1, Mi 10 and Mi MIX 3 will receive the update after the initial rollout.
