Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Verdict
If you want an excellent phone that combines flagship specs with a mid-range price, it really is a toss-up between the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro or the Honor 20.
While Honor’s phone might have a better camera night mode and a more polished UI, the Mi 9T Pro wins when it comes to design, screen, power, and, of course - it has a headphone jack.
Xiaomi has also crammed in an in-screen fingerprint scanner as well as a 4,000mAh battery, making this the best value smartphone around at under £400.
Who’s this for?
Anyone who wants flagship power for under £400 will be well served with the Mi 9T Pro. Its camera is very good, it punches above its weight when it comes to its chipset, featuring the same Snapdragon 855 as found in the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro, and it packs a big battery as well as a headphone jack.
Should you buy it?
If you don’t need waterproofing, wireless charging or stereo sound, then you can confidently buy the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro. It isn’t just a great phone for the price, it’s a great phone in general, competing head-on with many flagships almost double its price.
First reviewed: September 2019
Check out these alternatives:
OnePlus 7
Both the OnePlus 7 and the Mi 9T Pro are great phones. The OnePlus 7 edges ahead in certain respects - it sports stereo speakers, a faster fingerprint scanner, and a better interface. Meanwhile, the Mi 9T Pro has a headphone jack, an ultra-wide camera, and no notch - and it costs £100 less.
Read our full OnePlus 7 review
Honor 20
The Honor 20 costs a bit less than the Mi 9T Pro, and while it does a better job when it comes to the UI and has a higher-resolution selfie camera, it doesn’t feature a zoom lens, a headphone jack or an AMOLED display. Ultimately, if the price is right, both are great phones, but when it comes to specs, the Mi 9T Pro wins out.
Read our full Honor 20 review
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE
Xiaomi isn’t just nailing it with big phones, the Mi 9 SE is a compact alternative to the Mi 9T Pro with mid-range power, an under display fingerprint scanner and an OLED display.
Costing over £50 less, while it can’t compete from a specs point of view with the 9T Pro, it’s perfect for anyone who wants a more manageable device, both physically and financially.
Read our full Xiaomi Mi 9 SE review
I can't wait to watch 28 Years Later after seeing an unexpected cameo in the trailer that had my jaw on the floor
Nvidia facing Chinese anti-monopoly probe as business practices come under scrutiny
Sora AI video generation is here and it’s so good it’s made me want to stump up $200 for OpenAI’s ChatGPT Pro tier
