From Huawei to Xiaomi: My First Impressions

It was not long after the Huawei P20 Pro launched that its groundbreaking camera quality and solid spec list managed to not only leave me, but my wallet in deep awe. Roughly a year later, while the device was still solid, recent confrontations with the US government warranted me more than enough reason to sell a device that I deeply beloved. There I was, with a solid amount of money in my hands, yet feeling as if I was missing something, a device that for a while I was convinced was the best I could ever own - after all, a geek without a phone is much like a person without their limbs.

But as I was searching the market for a new device however, I came across the Xiaomi Mi 9, and with upgraded its triple camera setup, Snapdragon 855 processor and beautiful screen, it wasn’t long until I was convinced that this could potentially be my next favourite device. Today, I officially took that leap of faith, and after just a few hours of using it, here is what I think:

Glamour Coated in Glass

When I first unboxed this device, a smile quickly came to my face. Gone was the radiating - and mostly distracting - patterns of my Huawei P20 Pro and in came a more minimalist, outspoken design that despite not feeling as premium in weight as my previous device, still felt specially understated in its own unique way.

After a few hours of using it, I still find something to be said about the display: it’s gorgeous, and dare I say it, better than anything Huawei currently has on offer. Upon comparing it to my father’s Huawei P30 Pro, the Xiaomi Mi 9’s colours pop, and the lack of a curved display ensures that content isn’t distorted simply for the sake of fitting into 2019 standards.

Furthermore, I can also attest that Xiaomi’s triple camera solution has given me some amazing results. This is not only because of a better sensor than that on my Huawei P20 Pro, but also because the AI that Xiaomi uses does not over-saturate the colours as much as Huawei’s solution, creating more realistic and sharpened results.

But not all is rainbows and butterflies with this device, with my biggest problem being the fingerprint scanner: The in-display solution is futuristic and cool, but it will never be as fast as a physical option, making unlocks just a bit more tedious than they usually have to be.

Another aspect that hasn’t impressed me much is battery life, this is the first time in a while where I feel like I will have to charge my phone every single day. Maybe the Huawei P20 Pro has spoiled me, or maybe I simply haven’t used my phone enough for the battery to settle in, but Xiaomi has not packed enough juice in this bad boy so that I feel confident in it as of day 1.

Overall however, both companies have a very different design language, and I believe that Xiaomi cuts the right corners by making the phone thinner and focusing instead of the aspects that matter, creating a device that feels experience driven instead of over-focusing on the looks.

MIUI: An Ocean Full Of Mysteries

Then we come to MIUI, and that’s where my experience goes from mostly positive to a foggy mixed bag. MIUI is different, and after using it for a few hours, I am still unsure of whether I like it more than EMUI or not. On one hand, MIUI is extremely fluid, very snappy and looks very aesthetically pleasing as well. But on the other hand, the animations everywhere and lack of an app drawer really do drag the experience.

I’ve personally put Nova Launcher on my device for now, but I feel like going back to try stock MIUI may be a good idea, because its IOS looks do show potential.

The Road Ahead

As I’ve mentioned, this is just my impressions with the phone after a few hours of use. The idea of installing Gcam for better camera performance, switching the ROM to Xiaomi EU and even simply using this device on a non-intensive day all excite me, and I am sure that the little snippets of complaints I voiced today are sure to change.

Some things however, are just never going to change. I doubt that the in-display fingerprint scanner will ever be as fast as a physical option, I can assure you that the device won’t feel more substantial overnight, MIUI in itself won’t suddenly add an app drawer or lower its animations, and that the battery while surely getting better, just won’t ever compete with the insane two days that I got on my Huawei P20 Pro - yet although these are valid complaints, I feel as if the sheer amount of value offered by Xiaomi is unheard of, and for that I am extremely happy I made the switch.