Xiaomi will formally launch its Mi 9T series next week, June 12, likely through a live stream since the venue of the event was left off the announcement.
(July 8: Our review of the phone is up! See Xiaomi Mi 9T review: Almost a flagship at half the price.)
In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on what the Chinese firm has been up to lately, the Xiaomi Mi 9T will be a rebrand of the Redmi K20, which is already available in its native China. It’s unclear at this point if the announcement next week will include a rebadged Redmi K20 Pro, said to be the Mi 9T Pro, but the leaks seem to suggest Xiaomi will announce two new phones under the Mi 9T line instead of just one.
SEE ALSO: Redmi K20, K20 Pro with flagship specs, low prices now official, Redmi K20 Pro: How to install Play Store, Google apps on it, and Redmi K20 Pro: Pictures shot on the Snapdragon 855 phone
Whatever the case, it turns out we don’t have to wait another week for the device to arrive; it’s already available in the Philippines via gray-market resellers.
As earlier speculated, the Xiaomi Mi 9T is indeed the international variant of the Redmi K20, with the Play Store and Google apps already baked into the system. That means you no longer have to download any additional files or installers to get Google services on the device.
Local importers have priced the unit between P19,000 (around $367) and P21,000 ($405), depending on the memory — which is a bit steep but understandable since we’re talking about gray or unofficial imports. In China, the Redmi K20 retails for as low as ¥1,999 (P15,125 or $289) for 6GB RAM and 64GB of built-in storage.
One Philippine-based importer has priced the Xiaomi Mi 9T variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage at P19,500 ($377) and the 6GB/128GB version at P20,500 ($396)
Yet another is selling the 6GB/64GB Xiaomi Mi 9T forP19,000 ($367)
The Mi 9T, like the Redmi K20, features an edge-to-edge AMOLED display with an in-screen fingerprint reader, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor, a 4,000mAh fast-charging battery, a pop-up 20-megapixel selfie camera, and three rear cameras with a 48-megapixel main sensor and an ultra-wide-angle option.
The official international pricing and availability of the Xiaomi Mi 9T are still to come, and we’ll be updating this story as we learn more.
Redmi K20 (aka Xiaomi Mi 9T) specs
- 6.39-inch AMOLED display, 2,340 x 1,080 resolution (19.5:9)
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 64GB/128GB expandable storage
- Triple 48MP main camera, 13MP ultra-wide camera, 8MP camera
- Pop-up 20-megapixel front camera
- In-screen fingerprint reader
- 4,000mAh battery with 18-watt fast charging
- MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 Pie
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