What other surprises does the Mi 9 SE have in store? Let's find out!

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE: specs

First, Let's take a quick look at the main specs of the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE.

	Xiaomi Mi 9 SE 4G Phablet - Blue
	Arrival Notice

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE: sleek modern design but no headphone jack

Size-wise, the Mi 9 SE is a bit smaller than the Mi 9 flagship and comes with a 5.97 inch AMOLED display with a tiny waterdrop notch. The phone measures  5.81 x 2.78 x 0.30 inches and weighs about 155g — most of the phone is its display and there are very thin bezels with a slightly thicker chin.

On the back, you get a similar gradient panel to the one on the Mi 9 (minus the special edition with a transparent back). The Mi 9 is available in three colors: black, violet and blue. And there are three cameras on the back just like with the original Mi 9.

The handset does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which allows for a thinner frame but can also be a notable disadvantage for some users who do not feel comfortable using the USB-C port for charging and audio or are not fans of wireless audio gear.

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE: world's first Snapdragon 712 smartphone

Naturally, one of the Mi 9 SE's major highlights is the top notch processor. The Snapdragon 712 is based on a 10nm process and employs a sophisticated, multicore Qualcomm® AI Engine including the Qualcomm® Kryo™ 360 CPU, Qualcomm® Adreno™ 616 GPU and the Qualcomm® Hexagon™ 685 DSP. This is an impressively powerful combo to have on a mid-range phone and we can see why Xiaomi are making a big deal out of it all.

The Snapdragon 712 chipset is paired with 6GB RAM and you will have a choice of either 64 GB or 128 GB of storage. The smartphone supports all the usual Wi-Fi standards, Bluetooth 5.0 and dual LTE. Other strong points include Game Turbo booster, latest MIUI 10 and an NFC chip.

On the battery side, you've got a decent 3,070 mAh battery, which is, however, capped at 18W. Yep, unfortunately, there is no "Charge Turbo" 20W wireless charging mode — but the Mi 9 SE is meant to be a downplayed version of the Mi 9 — so, there is no real surprise there.

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE: triple back cameras and a 20MP selfie shooter

If you've read our review of the original Xiaomi Mi 9, you already know that it has pretty much been ranked as the world's third best camera phone (according to DxOMark) and has been placed above much more expensive flagships like the iPhone XS Max, Google Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

The Mi 9 SE also sports three rear cameras — but somewhat more modest compared to the Mi 9. There is a 48MP main shooter with PDAF, a 13MP ultra wide lens with f/2.0 aperture and 1.12µm sized pixels and an 8MP telephoto lens with PDAF, f/2.4 aperture and 1.12µm sized pixels. The front-facing camera is 20MP with a nice selection of beauty filters meant specifically for social media friendly selfies.

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE: final thoughts

The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE will cost from $300 to $340 (depending on your storage choice). And, as we say about almost all Xiaomi smartphones, the Mi 9 SE does bring a lot to the table for the price. With a fast AI enabled processor, three rear cameras, the latest MIUI 10 and NFC support, you get very good value for money on the inside and a cool modern design on top.

The Mi 9 SE is not as "high up there" as the Mi 9 — but it's very nice to have the budget option of the flagship on the way.