Versatile camera experience ; Superb value for money ; Fantastic performance ; Excellent screen

Slightly temperamental fingerprint sensor ; No IP certification

The price, performance and camera offered up by the Mi 9 should have purveyors of more costly rivals such as Apple, Huawei and Samsung worried.

Refined design ; Stellar performance ; Decent camera

No headphone jack ; Divisive software ; Average battery life

Excellent performance ; Fast wireless charging ; Incomparable value

No waterproofing ; MIUI isn’t for everyone ; Bad speaker

Polished, premium design ; Stacks of power under the hood ; Camera quality impresses

Software isn't the best ; Screen sticks with 1080p ; No IP68 waterproofing

Great photography ; Lightweight feel ; Reasonable price

Slow user interface ; Camera felt a little slow

The Mi 9's camera felt adaptive and powerful – it's just a shame the rest of the device felt comparatively slow.

Value for money ; Great display with minimal notch ; Compelling camera experience ; Plenty of power

MIUI isn't a great experience ; Mono speaker ; No microSD card slot ; No IP rating

Offering, powerful hardware and a good camera experience, the Mi 9 is let down by the software experience, but at this price, it's one of the most compelling phones of 2019.

Overall, I think the Xiaomi Mi9 is a fantastic device with the only real and possible deal-breaking compromise being its low-light photography. I hope for the next generation Xiaomi doesn’t make this compromise again, even if the phone costs 10$/€ more.

Versatile triple-lens camera takes great photos ; Snapdragon 855 delivers all the oomph you need ; Flagship features at a sensible price

A few missing features that would have taken it from good to great ; Software still a bit cumbersome

Xiaomi keeps things simple, and the Mi 9 is all the better for it, if not quite perfect. This might not be a UK household name – but phones like this could turn that around