
In 2019, Xiaomi launched some phones under the “CC9” series named the Mi CC9, CC9e, CC9 Pro, etc. Some of these phones were launched outside China with different names. For example, the Mi CC9e launched as the Mi A3 in the global market, the CC9 Pro launched as Mi Note 10, and so on.
In 2020, we did not get any new phones under this lineup, but last year, Xiaomi announced that it is replacing the “CC” series with a new series named “Civi.” The first phone under this series launched in September last year named the Xiaomi Civi. It was a mid-range phone with Snapdragon 778G SOC and a premium design. Today, the Xiaomi Civi 1S launched in the Chinese market, and this is an upgrade over the last year’s device.
The “Civi” series is all about premium-looking phones, and the Civi 1S is no exception. The phone is just 6.98mm thick and weighs around 166g. There is a metal frame and a glass back. You get an idea of how much emphasis has been given to the design by knowing the fact that each color option of the phone shows a different pattern on the back when light falls on it. To add to the premium looks, there is a dual-curved display on the front with a hole punch in the center. There are stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos but no headphone jack.
Speaking of the panel on the front, it is a 6.55-inch flexible 10-bit OLED with an FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 950nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and Dolby Vision. Under the hood, there is the Snapdragon 778G Plus SOC. This is one of the few phones available in the market with this chip, with the first being the Honor 60 Pro. There is 8GB or 12GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB or 256GB UFS 2.2 storage.
Speaking of the cameras, Xiaomi Civi 1S has three on the back. The primary camera has a 64MP sensor with an f/1.79 lens, the ultrawide camera has an 8MP sensor, and there is a third 2MP macro shooter. The phone supports 4K 30fps video recording. For selfies, the phone has a 32MP sensor on the front with AutoFocus.
Finally, there is a 4,500mAh battery and 55W fast charging. MIUI 13 runs out of the box that is based on Android 12.
Xiaomi Civi 1S comes in four colors and here is the pricing for China –
- 8GB + 128GB – ¥2299 (~$356)
- 8GB + 256GB – ¥2599 (~$403)
- 12GB + 256GB – ¥2899 (~$449)