Theta Android News: Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite gets Google certification, could be global variant of Mi CC 9

Monday, September 2, 2019

Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite gets Google certification, could be global variant of Mi CC 9

Xiaomi Mi CC 9 Series

Back in July, Xiaomi launched three phones under its Mi CC 9 series in China. Called the Mi CC 9, Mi CC 9e, and Mi CC 9 Meitu Edition, the devices are targeted at young buyers and photography enthusiasts, complete with a 32MP selfie camera and a triple rear camera setup offering a 48MP main shooter.

Rumors ignited by a certification on Russia's EEC website earlier this year have suggested that the Mi CC 9 could launch as the Mi A3 Pro globally. However, new information suggests it could be called the Mi 9 Lite instead.

A tweet from Mishaal Rahman, editor-in-chief at XDA-Developers, suggests that the Mi CC 9 could be the Mi 9 Lite instead of the Mi A3 Pro. Rahman says the Mi 9 Lite has appeared on Google's list of certified Android devices with the codename Pyxis — the same reported codename as the Mi CC 9. Meanwhile, the Mi A3 Pro name has not officially appeared anywhere yet.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite just appeared on Google's list of certified Android devices. It's listed with the code-name pyxis and is a variant of the Mi CC9.

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) August 31, 2019

It was an obvious assumption that the more premium Mi CC 9 could launch outside China as the Mi A3 Pro. This is due to the fact that the Mi A3 has identical specs to the Mi CC 9e launched in China earlier this year — aside from the A3's Android One certification.

This wouldn't have been the first time Xiaomi launched the same phone in China and the West while adding Android One support to the Western model (see the Mi 6X and Mi A2, and the Mi 5X and Mi A1).

It's also notable that the Mi CC 9 and Mi A3 have a similar camera setup and battery capacity, with the exceptions being the chipset (Snapdragon 665 on Mi A3 vs Snapdragon 710 on Mi CC 9) and the display (HD+ on Mi A3 vs FHD+ on Mi CC 9).

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So do we finally have a global (and better) name for the Mi CC 9? Well, we can't be too sure since we don't have much else in the way of confirmation apart from the aforementioned Google listing. But it's possible Xiaomi is readying the global launch of the device sometime soon.

The company has had a tradition of switching up smartphone names in different markets too, such as the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro being known as the Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro in Europe.

We will update you when we get more information on the apparent Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite. Would you buy a Mi 9 Lite over a Mi A3 Pro? Let us know in the comments!