[Xiaomi Mi 9 Real Life Review] doggydog2:
Real review

- super hard to unlock bootloader

- very easy to root then, with OTA and everything staying (main difference vs Samsung - no OTA, no bluetooth, no encryption etc)

- no Lockdown feature, even with external activities

- there's no SD card and TWRP doesn't support USB, so you're broke when travelling, USB flash with flashfiles won't help

- absolutely bloated, incl. chiness apps even in EU version (need to disable all *xiaomi* and *mi* apps, firewall the rest)

- they override every app, every dialog, and modify even innocent com.android packages, so it's super hard to debloat

- insane settings, too much and not easy to read. Easily the hardest to set phone ever

- many of those million settings simply don't work, especially permissions, lot of glitches like double power key to flash is blocked by screen off action

- example of stupidy is battery section, have to click so much to see the chart and there's no % anywhere! Basic value. Like you virtually have no chance to know %, unless you set such status icon. why not reveal % when expanding notification menu like other models?

- some settings are strong, like complex Data limits, AI remapping, call recording available without hack etc

- "AI" button easily programmable via Xposed

- nice to have apps like Music and Video which vanilla OxygenOS skips, but they're weak and no DLNA which is advertised

- volume buttons on the right? excellent, never ever could touch those on the left easily. However no easy shortcut for Dont Disturb (only the stupid long press to mute just ONE volume) and no activity for it available (to let Xposed handle it).. OnePlus wins with the dedicated button easily

- data collection and privacy agreements virtually everywhere, in any simple app (that's why AOSP would be lovely choice instead of XIAOMI ROM)

- battery life is insane when active (like pure 10 "configuration day" hours or 7.5hr with 31hr overall), got mediocre in standby after configuration (no good kernel exists, stock kernel is crap, not aware of deep doze, so pushing Naptime and Servicely at least, so far pushed it to est 78hr wifi_standby vs 178hr standby on 6T! update: pushed it to 267hr in a quick test, but real test req full charge and >3hr standby to be meaningful, anyway potential is there), still early to say what will be final 3g and wifi standby (in progress)

- notification ecosystem is very good (except by default they disabled notifications for most apps!), you can customize popups, AOD magic light (however AOD won't show any app icon for me), and the LED make sure you know about notification or charging (and charging produces very nice animation - very important for Qi to know you place phone right!)

- AOD exists unlike in OnePlus, and in battery app its got its own category

- overall fast, currently the fastest phone on market

- yet another Pie implementation of navbar with some crazy gestures from the left/right which collide with its own GBoard gestures (still the Oreo task manager was better)

- QC charging is fast and supports QC2-3-4 (that is very very good unlike properietary OnePlus charging, who's got OnePlus chargers around? Noone. Who's got QC chargers? Many), fast Qi not working on legacy chargers (not a showstopper as i like slow charge to treat battery right, and will have one 27W Qi for urgency)

- super fast face unlock during day, poor during night just like 6T as there's no infra, however 6T can raise identification chance to 100% with ugly but working display flash

- unreliable fingerprint unlock (same as on 6T, doesn't work in 50% cases and won't autolearn nothing)

- looks much better and less bulkier than 6T even in supplied cover. also 12g lighter but still heavy unlike sweetspot-weight champions S10 (157g) and S10e (150g)

- notch is bad, it cannot disappear smart like on 6T (with status bar still on, yes the newest versions adds change of shape - useless), to add to insult, the cutting of corners is wrong (prepare to see ugly fullscreen with different type of corner rounding)

- camera is poor in dark, no night mode (6T night mode is awesome)

- no IP certification, but ok to clean under water, not ok to immerse as the rubber in SIM card is poor quality, however display to phone is stuffed with branded water sealing solution

- camera is raised a lot, will scratch (the sapphire nonsense doesn't work)

- night mode renders some gfx unreadable, but this is problem with every android phone

- screen is nice, and super bright if needed

Overall hardware is no brainer for the price, software is total crap.