Sony Xperia 1 III vs Xiaomi Mi 9

The Sony Xperia 1 III (2021) runs on the Snapdragon 888, while the Xiaomi Mi 9 (2019) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855; launch prices were $1299 and $400. By overall MobileRank rating, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads — 60/100 vs 47/100 (a 13-point difference). Key differences: the Sony Xperia 1 III has the bigger battery (4500 mAh vs 3300); the main camera is 12 MP vs 48 MP; the Sony Xperia 1 III is faster in AnTuTu (1,232,200 vs 824,513).

The Sony Xperia 1 III is noticeably better than the Xiaomi Mi 9 — the overall rating gap is 13 points.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Sony Xperia 1 III
Performance 65
Display 90
Camera 46
Battery 42
Portability 65
Value for money 28
Xiaomi Mi 9
Performance 54
Display 56
Camera 44
Battery 22
Portability 79
Value for money 32
What makes Sony Xperia 1 III better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 1232200 vs 824513
  • Better Geekbench Single: 1488 vs 968
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 3373 vs 2731
  • Bigger battery: 4500 vs 3300 mAh
  • Faster charging: 30W vs 27W
  • Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 60Hz

  • Higher performance (65/100 vs 54/100)
  • Better camera (46/100 vs 44/100)
  • Longer battery life (42/100 vs 22/100)
  • Better display (90/100 vs 56/100)
What makes Xiaomi Mi 9 better?
  • Better main camera: 48MP vs 12MP
  • Faster wireless charging: 20W vs 11W
  • Lighter: 173g vs 186g
  • Cheaper at launch: $400 vs $1299

  • Better portability (79/100 vs 65/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Sony Xperia 1 III vs the Xiaomi Mi 9, the Sony Xperia 1 III scores 13 points higher (60/100 vs 47/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (65/100 vs 54/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (42/100 vs 22/100). Value score: Sony Xperia 1 III — 28/100, Xiaomi Mi 9 — 32/100; it is biased by price level, so it should not be compared directly between devices at different prices. In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (65/100 vs 54/100). In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 (90/100 vs 56/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III and the Xiaomi Mi 9 are nearly equal (46/100 vs 44/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 (42/100 vs 22/100). In the "portability" category, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is a bit better (79/100 vs 65/100).

Sony Xperia 1 III: The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users.
Xiaomi Mi 9: The Xiaomi Mi 9 is a better fit for everyday use.
Specs comparison
Specification Sony Xperia 1 III Xiaomi Mi 9
Processor Snapdragon 888 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
AnTuTu 1232200 824513
Geekbench Single 1488 968
Geekbench Multi 3373 2731
Display 6.5" OLED 6.4" AMOLED
Resolution 1644x3840 2340x1080
Refresh rate 120 Hz 60 Hz
Battery 4500 mAh 3300 mAh
Charging 30W 27W
Wireless charging 11W 20W
DXOMark (camera) 105
Main camera 12 MP 48 MP
Ultrawide 12 MP 16 MP
Telephoto 12 MP 12 MP
Front camera 8 MP 20 MP
RAM 12GB 6GB / 8GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB 64GB / 128GB
OS Android 11 Android 9
NFC yes yes
Protection IP65/IP68
Dimensions 165.0×71.0×8.2 mm 157.5×74.7×7.6 mm
Weight 186 g 173 g
Launch price $1299 $400
Camera comparison
Sony Xperia 1 III
  • Main: 12MP f/f/1.7
  • Ultrawide: 12MP
  • Telephoto: 12MP
  • Front: 8MP
46
camera
Xiaomi Mi 9
  • Main: 48MP f/1.75
  • Ultrawide: 16MP
  • Telephoto: 12MP
  • Front: 20MP
44
camera
Display comparison
Sony Xperia 1 III
  • 6.5" OLED
  • Resolution: 1644x3840
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
90
display
Xiaomi Mi 9
  • 6.4" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2340x1080
  • Refresh rate: 60 Hz
56
display
Battery and charging
Sony Xperia 1 III
  • 4500 mAh
  • Wired: 30W
  • Wireless: 11W
42
battery
Xiaomi Mi 9
  • 3300 mAh
  • Wired: 27W
  • Wireless: 20W
22
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Sony Xperia 1 III and Xiaomi Mi 9, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Sony Xperia 1 III Snapdragon 888
60/100
1232200 AnTuTu
Xiaomi Mi 9 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
47/100 -49.4%
824513 AnTuTu

Sony Xperia 1 III leads Xiaomi Mi 9 by 49.4% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Sony Xperia 1 III
$1299
Xiaomi Mi 9
$400

Launch price difference: $899. Xiaomi Mi 9 was $899 cheaper at launch.

Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (65/100 vs 54/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 (90/100 vs 56/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III and the Xiaomi Mi 9 are nearly equal (46/100 vs 44/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 (42/100 vs 22/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is a bit better (79/100 vs 65/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Sony Xperia 1 III or the Xiaomi Mi 9?

The Sony Xperia 1 III is noticeably better than the Xiaomi Mi 9 — the overall rating gap is 13 points.

What is the rating of the Sony Xperia 1 III and the Xiaomi Mi 9?

The Sony Xperia 1 III has a MobileRank rating of 60/100, the Xiaomi Mi 9 — 47/100.

Which is more powerful: the Sony Xperia 1 III or the Xiaomi Mi 9?

The Sony Xperia 1 III leads on performance (65/100 vs 54/100).

Should you choose the Sony Xperia 1 III over the Xiaomi Mi 9?

The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users. The Xiaomi Mi 9 is a better fit for everyday use.