Google Pixel 3a vs Xiaomi Mi 9 SE
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Google Pixel 3a and the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Price | £95 | £100 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh | 3,070 mAh |
| Wired charging | 18W | 18W |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage (max) | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 5.6 in | 5.97 in |
| Main camera | 12.2 MP | 48 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 147 g | 155 g |
| Released | May 2019 | Mar 2019 |
Summary: Google Pixel 3a is ahead on our rating, weight (lower is lighter). Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is ahead on battery, ram (max), storage (max), screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Google Pixel 3a is the cheaper option.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Type | OLED | Super AMOLED, HDR10, 600 nits (HBM) |
| Size | 5.6 inches, 79.6 cm2 (~75.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.97 inches, 84.1 cm2 (~84.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2220 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~441 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~432 ppi density) |
| Protection | Dragontrail Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
Platform
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, MIUI 12 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 (10 nm) | Qualcomm SDM712 Snapdragon 712 (10 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver) | Octa-core (2x2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver) |
| GPU | Adreno 615 | Adreno 616 |
Memory
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM |
| Type | — | UFS 2.1 |
Main Camera
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Single | 12.2 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS | — |
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, Night Sight, Top Shot, Portrait Mode, Super Res Zoom | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps |
| Triple | — | 48 MP, f/1.75, (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), 1.12µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom
13 MP, f/2.4, (ultrawide), 1.12µm |
Selfie Camera
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 3070 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 18W wired | 18W wired |
Body
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Dimensions | 151.3 x 70.1 x 8.2 mm (5.96 x 2.76 x 0.32 in) | 147.5 x 70.5 x 7.5 mm (5.81 x 2.78 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 147 g (5.19 oz) | 155 g (5.47 oz) |
| Build | Polycarbonate unibody (plastic back) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
Comms
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| Infrared port | — | Yes |
Launch
| Google Pixel 3a | Xiaomi Mi 9 SE |
|---|
| Announced | 2019, May 07 | February 2019 |
| Status | Available. Released 2019, May 15 | Released March 2019 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Google Pixel 3a or Xiaomi Mi 9 SE?
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE — 3,000 mAh for the Google Pixel 3a versus 3,070 mAh for the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE.
Which has more RAM, Google Pixel 3a or Xiaomi Mi 9 SE?
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE — 4 GB for the Google Pixel 3a versus 6 GB for the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE.
Which is lighter, Google Pixel 3a or Xiaomi Mi 9 SE?
Google Pixel 3a — 147 g for the Google Pixel 3a versus 155 g for the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE.
Which is newer, Google Pixel 3a or Xiaomi Mi 9 SE?
Google Pixel 3a — May 2019 for the Google Pixel 3a versus Mar 2019 for the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE.
Is the Google Pixel 3a or the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE rated higher?
We rate the Google Pixel 3a 8/10 and the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE 7/10.
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