Xiaomi Mi A3 vs Xiaomi Mi 9T vs Xiaomi Mi A2: Hands-on camera comparison

For the past couple of months, Xiaomi has introduced quite a number of smartphones for the mid range market. But there are 2 devices that stands out the most among all of them – well to me at least. And they are none other than the Xiaomi Mi 9T and of course the Xiaomi Mi A3.

Both of these devices offers decent specs for an affordable price point, which is the most important factor when you are considering purchasing a smartphone nowadays. For the past couple of months, Xiaomi has introduced quite a number of smartphones for the mid range market. 

But there are 2 devices that stands out the most among all of them – well to me at least. And they are none other than the Xiaomi Mi 9T and of course the Xiaomi Mi A3.Both of these devices offers decent specs for an affordable price point, which is the most important factor when you are considering purchasing a smartphone nowadays.

So before we get down to testing let’s talk about the specs of the smartphones. 

First up, we have the Xiaomi Mi 9T. This device features a triple camera setup that consist of a 48MP main camera, a 13MP ultra wide angle lens and an 8MP telephoto shooter that offers a 2X optical zoom. 

And now let’s move on to the Xiaomi Mi A3. So this device also gets a triple camera setup and the main camera is a 48MP shooter as well. But when it comes to the ultra wide angle camera, you will lose a little bit of resolution because it only gets an 8MP lens. And instead of a telephoto shooter, the Mi A3 only get a 2MP camera for depth effects, so that means there’s no dedicated camera for you to take zoomed photos. 

Now the question is who will take better photos? Let’s check it out.

SCENE 1

In decent lighting conditions both the Mi A3 and Mi 9T performed similarly. But once the HDR is turned on, you will notice that both images become much brighter. Unfortunately, when HDR is on, the photos look a little unnatural with a lot of processing. And you can see this clearly when you crop in. Personally I prefer the shots taken without the HDR turned on because it is much more natural. 

SCENE 2

Moving on to the wide angle camera test. The colour accuracy on the Mi A3 is better and the photos taken are more detailed compared to the Mi 9T. The Mi 9T on the other hand has a slightly wider field of view and a brighter image. But there’s more distortion at the corners. 

SCENE 3

In the zoom test, we notice that the Xiaomi Mi A3 is only capable of 8X digital zoom. The Mi 9T on the other hand gets 10X digital zoom. 

At 1X the image taken on the MiA3 has much lower contrast and it doesn’t retain as much detail especially on the ground. The Mi 9T on the other hand reproduce a more natural looking photo thanks to its better contrast. 

At 2X, the difference is pretty obvious. The mi 9T is definitely better because it has a dedicated telephoto camera.

At max zoom, the difference in quality is also very obvious with the Mi9T having way more detail. So it is clear who is the winner in this category. 

SCENE 4

Now let’s move on to one of my favourite camera features, which is the portrait mode. Both shoot at different focal lengths with the Mi 9T using its telephoto lens while the Mi a3 uses the main camera. 

I personally prefer the Mi 9T here because it has a more flattering camera angle.  However, the edge detection on both devices are surprisingly really good. 

You will also notice that the Mi A3 did an excellent job on capturing the details in my hair compared to the Mi 9T. I suspect this is because it uses the main sensor.

SCENE 5

And in poor lighting condition the Mi A3’s photo is a lot more detailed than the Mi 9T but noise is also more prominent. I suspect this is because the mi 9T has more aggressive noise reduction. 

When we turn night mode on, the Mi A3 doesn’t change much in exposure, but has better colours and highlights. On the other hand, the mi 9T’s photo is noticeably brighter with better colour saturation.

Xiaomi Mi A3 VS Mi A2

Okay so now the question is, should you upgrade to any of these phone if you are currently using the Xiaomi Mi A2. In terms of its camera spec the Mi A2 only features a 12MP + 20MP dual camera setup.

So you will not get any wide angle or telephoto shots on the Mi A2. But how does it perform if you were to compare it with its successor, which is the Mi A3 – well, I’m here to break it down for you.

SCENE 1

First up, let’s talk about its sharpness. Similarly, the yellow on the Mi A3 is much brighter compared the Mi A2. But both device retains the same amount of details, which is a good thing. 

When it comes to camera versatility, the Mi A3 definitely wins this category. Unlike the Mi A2, the Mi A3 comes with a triple camera setup with a dedicated ultra wide angle lens. On normal mode, the Mi A3’s camera capture more details and clarity.  But the Mi A2  colours are much more vibrant than its successor. So it really depends on your personal preferences. 

SCENE 2

At first glance, both of these images looked the same. But when you take a closer look, the edge detection on the Mi A3 is clearly better. The level of clarity on the Mi A3 is also better when compared to its predecessor.

SCENE 3

In low light conditions, the Mi A3 did a great job in capturing more lights. The level of clarity is also much more prominent on the Mi A3. With the night mode turned on, both images are much brighter and there’s really not much difference between the two. 

So back to my question, is the Mi A3 worth upgrading if you own a Mi A2. 

My Answer? Definitely. If you look past the fact that it only has a HD+ display, this device is actually worth upgrading if you own a MiA2. Not only it gets a more versatile camera, it also gets a notable upgrade when it comes to its battery capacity, processor and of course, its outlook. Other differences include the addition of a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. 

But if you do not agree with me, please leave a comment down below, because I would like to hear your thoughts about this.