Xiaomi's Mi 9 is set on taking down its main rival (and it’s not Apple)

Xiaomi has a shiny new camera and it’s aiming it at Huawei

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The Mi 9 comes in three colors, blue, pink and black, while the Explorer version is only available in ominous black. That's not Xiaomi's official name for it, but it should be. (Picture: Xiaomi)

Published: 9:45pm, 20 Feb 2019Updated: 8:53am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

Xiaomi has been long criticized for wanting too much to look like Apple -- the Mi 8 had more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone X. But their follow-up, the Mi 9, seem to show that Xiaomi is now aiming at a different foe: Huawei.

It’s not surprising, considering that Apple’s sales have been falling in China, while domestic brands like Huawei are growing.

It’s probably why Xiaomi spent most of the time at the Mi 9’s unveiling talking about the triple-camera system, given how much prominence Huawei has put on its AI-powered camera. And it’s probably why the two companies have been firing barbs at each other for months.

Last week, for instance, the General Manager of Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi Lu Weibing didn’t just call the TOF camera technology which is also used by Huawei a gimmick -- he also said it’s only there to cheat users out of their money.

And then this week, Lei Jun and other Xiaomi executives spammed Weibo with pictures of the Moon to show off photos taken with the Mi 9 – triggering executives from Huawei’s sub-brand Honor to share their own pictures of the Moon. This theme was repeated during the launch event, where Lei Jun showcased the camera’s low light and “Moon mode”.

My Moon is better than your Moon. (Picture: Xiaomi)