Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro vs Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium: A Flagship Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro wins overall thanks to its significantly faster Snapdragon 855+ chipset, faster charging, and more modern features. However, the Xperia XZ2 Premium's exceptional sunlight display and impressive endurance rating remain compelling, especially for users prioritizing battery life and outdoor visibility.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro | Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 41 - China | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, September. Released 2019, September | 2018, April. Released 2018, July |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame (7000 series) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 157.2 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm (6.19 x 2.94 x 0.33 in) | 158 x 80 x 11.9 mm (6.22 x 3.15 x 0.47 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 236 g (8.32 oz) |
| - | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 3840 x 2160 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~765 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.39 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~85.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 91.5 cm2 (~72.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, HDR10 | IPS LCD, HDR10 |
| - | Runs at 1080 x 1920 pixels except for select use cases Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.96 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm) | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 (700 MHz) | Adreno 630 |
| OS | Android 10, MIUI 11 | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 64GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 19 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", 1.22µm, predictive PDAF 12 MP B/W, f/1.6, 1/2.3", 1.55µm, predictive PDAF |
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 12 MP, f/2.2, 54mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.0µm, PDAF | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps (5-axis gyro-EIS), 1080p@960fps, HDR |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | - |
| Single | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm | 13 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired, QC4 30W wireless 10W reverse wireless | 18W wired, QC3 Wireless (Qi) |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3540 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Dream White, Titanium Black | Chrome Black, Chrome Silver |
| Models | - | H8166, H8116, SOV38 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | About 460 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -91.0dB / Crosstalk -87.6dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 77h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: 1411:1 (nominal), 2.867 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - | Voice 68dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 73dB |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 264734 (v7), 288101 (v8) GeekBench: 8509 (v4.4), 2099 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro
- Significantly faster performance
- 40W fast charging
- Modern design
- Vibrant AMOLED display
- Reverse wireless charging
- Battery life not as exceptional as XZ2 Premium
- Potential software bloat (Xiaomi)
- Older model - limited software updates
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
- Exceptional sunlight display readability
- Impressive battery endurance (though aging)
- Premium build quality
- Good camera for its time
- Slower performance
- 18W charging is slow by modern standards
- Outdated chipset
- Limited software updates
- Aging battery
Display Comparison
The Xperia XZ2 Premium's display is a standout, boasting an incredible 1411:1 contrast ratio and exceptional sunlight readability (2.867). While the Mi 9 Pro has a vibrant AMOLED display, it doesn't quite match the XZ2 Premium's outdoor performance. Both offer excellent resolution and color accuracy, but the XZ2 Premium's sunlight visibility is a significant advantage.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but with different strengths. The XZ2 Premium was known for its impressive low-light performance and detailed photos, while the Mi 9 Pro benefits from improved image processing and a more versatile camera setup (likely including a telephoto lens, though specifics are needed). The XZ2 Premium's camera was a highlight for its time, but the Mi 9 Pro's advancements are noticeable.
Performance
Here, the Mi 9 Pro dominates. Its Snapdragon 855+ chipset is considerably faster and more efficient than the XZ2 Premium's Snapdragon 845. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and significantly better gaming performance on the Mi 9 Pro. The Mi 9 Pro's CPU and GPU are simply in a different league.
Battery Life
The Xperia XZ2 Premium holds a slight edge in battery life, boasting an impressive endurance rating of 77 hours. While the Mi 9 Pro's battery capacity is likely smaller, its 40W fast charging significantly reduces charging times, offsetting the difference in endurance. The XZ2 Premium's battery is aging, which impacts real-world performance.
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro is ideal for power users, gamers, and those who value cutting-edge technology and fast charging. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium is a good choice for photography enthusiasts, users who need exceptional outdoor display visibility, and those who prioritize long battery life and a more traditional Android experience.