Review of Xiaomi Mi Mix - a concept smartphone of the future

Specifications

Screen	6.4 inches, 2,048 x 1,080 (2K)
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Video accelerator	Adreno 530
RAM	4/6 GB
Persistent memory	128/256 GB
Support for memory cards (microSD)	No
Operating system	MIUI 8
SIM card	2 nanoSIM
Network support	2G: GSM B2 / B3 / B5 / B8 CDMA: CDMA 1X / EVDO BC0 3G: WCDMA B1 / B2 / B5 / B8 TD-SCDMA: TD-SCDMA B34 / B39 4G: FDD-LTE: B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 TDD / TD-LTE: TD-LTE B38 / B39 / B40 / 41
Other supported interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
Main camera	16 MP, OmniVision OV16880 sensor with a pixel size of 1 μm, support for PDAF focusing and 4K video recording
Front-camera	5 megapixels
Charging and sync interface	USB Type-C
Sensors	Illumination, Hall, gravity, proximity, fingerprint, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope
Battery	4 400 mAh, non-removable, support for Quick Charge 3.0
Contents of delivery	Smartphone, charger (12V, 1.5A), USB Type-C cable, paper clip, case
Dimensions (edit)	15, 80 × 8, 19 × 0.79 cm
The weight	209 g

Appearance, connectors and ergonomics

The smartphone looks incredibly impressive. The huge ultra-clear screen, turning into the side faces, attracts all the attention. There is definitely nothing like it on the market.

A Sharp matrix with a resolution of 2,040 × 1,080 is used as a screen. Additional pixels of the matrix were required for the buttons on the screen, which are displayed all the time, but do not interfere. Of course, this option cannot be called ideal, but in any case it is better than the usual implementation of soft keys, which eats up additional space.

The framework, of course, is there, and this is noticeable. But there is no barrier for hands or surrounding objects.

With this value, the matrix has the most optimal resolution. The number of dots per inch is approaching the value of 5.5-inch smartphones with FullHD. Not suitable for VR, but for other scenarios, ppi is optimal.

The screen is slightly worse than in Xiaomi Mi5s Plus, but it keeps the mark of an experimental flagship. Picture detail is excellent, as are the viewing angles - an honest 178 degrees. The screen is bright enough, the colors are juicy. If necessary, you can use fine-tuning using the system tools.

The back cover is ceramic and glossy. Although the lid is bright, durable and pleasant to the touch, it still has some unpleasant features.

This perfectly smooth surface is excellent at collecting fingerprints. And without a cover, he constantly strives to slip out of his hands.

The device has a traditional arrangement of controls: on the right there is a volume control and a power button, on the bottom - speakers and a USB Type-C connector, on the left - a SIM card slot. At the top there is a headset jack and additional microphones for noise cancellation.

Since the screen takes up most of the surface, the traditional place for the earpiece and front camera is empty. More precisely, it is occupied by the screen and cannot be used.

Therefore, the company's engineers moved the front camera down. And the piezo speaker, which is used instead of the usual dynamic driver, was hidden under glass.

Only the version with 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory is equipped with a fingerprint scanner.

The overall impression of the Xiaomi Mi Mix is that it is very large. Of course, smaller and slightly more comfortable than the Xiaomi Max with a similar screen size. But the lack of side frames makes it impossible to use them for an additional fulcrum.

You have to use the proprietary system scaling or use two hands when working with a smartphone.

There is no Russian language in the system. To install it, you must first obtain permission to unlock from Xiaomi technical support. Then reflash to custom firmware created by one of the fan communities.

Performance testing

Xiaomi Mi Mix was one of the first models of the company with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. Not the most logical decision, because Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 is cheaper and slightly inferior to the new processor.

On the other hand, Xiaomi has a reason to update its smartphone. The new Snapdragon 835 has a lot of unique features, so the upgraded Mi Mix will either lose some of them, or will cost even more. Despite its flagship position, the concept smartphone does not set any records.

The company released two versions: 4/128 GB and 6/256 GB. RAM - LDDR4, ROM - UFS 2.0. These letters have recently led the Mi5 to the title of “Most Powerful Smartphone of the Year”. Apparently, the company is deliberately limiting demand, fictitiously or programmatically reducing productivity.

On the other hand, it is strange not to see versions with less permanent memory (each 64 GB increases the cost by about $ 100).

In the era of high-speed Internet and cloud services, 128 GB is enough for everyone. In addition, microSD is not supported in top-end Xiaomi smartphones even with lower memory sizes.

Cameras

Xiaomi has come up with a strange concept. Top processor, but with low speed. A flagship smartphone, but with a rather mediocre camera. The capabilities of the camera installed in Mi Mix are not bad, but not for a device for 50-60 thousand rubles.

Photos confirm this. They are bright and pleasant. Only any other Chinese device of the highest price category will take pictures just as well.

There will be difficulties when taking selfies. You have to turn the smartphone upside down. If you don't want to turn it over, lift it up to avoid taking pictures of your shoulders. Selfie lovers cannot definitely recommend this device.

Sound

The rejection of the frames primarily affected the sound. The aforementioned piezo speaker sounds unusual. At the time of the conversation, the vibration of the screen is felt, which is necessary for the transmission of sound. So in no case should you beat the screen.

From the point of view of sound transmission, everything is not bad: the interlocutor's voice sounds very good. An overestimated high-frequency component is observed, as when listening to music in not the most successful reinforcing headphones. To some, such a sound may seem artificial.

The ringing speaker sounds about the same. Loud, clear, good. But the taste of plastic cannot be hidden, although you get used to it quickly enough.

Battery life, charging

Usually fashion smartphones suffer from low battery life. There is nothing easier than making a very thin device with a small battery and calling it fashionable.

And here the overall size comes into play. Thanks to the huge diagonal, the Xiaomi Mi Max houses an impressive battery that does not increase the thickness. It's the same with the Xiaomi Mi Mix.

Its engineers equipped it with a 4,400 mAh battery. Considering the screen resolution, this is not much, but enough. In active use, it will last for a full day. And this is with the included LTE, GPS, constant synchronization and frequent surfing. Enough to play games and watch movies.

With more moderate use, the device can work without recharging for up to two days. When watching a movie in FullHD in airplane mode, the smartphone will last up to 10 hours, surfing via Wi-Fi or LTE eats up the battery in 8-9 hours.

For those who find this not enough, Xiaomi Mi Mix is equipped with support for Quick Charge 3.0. The charging process takes no more than 2.5 hours.

conclusions

The smartphone leaves an ambiguous impression. On the one hand, this is a very cool concept vehicle. This is exactly what smartphones could be if the technological revolution went in a futuristic direction.

But we live in a world of consumption, where user qualities are important, and they are controversial with Xiaomi Mi Mix. All because of the very high cost. Today, the younger version 4/128 GB can be purchased for $ 772. The older version 6/256 GB costs $ 998.

At such a price, an ordinary camera, a specific sound and the absence of any ways to improve it, a dirty body and an easy-to-break screen are completely unforgivable.

This time, Xiaomi released not a device for the people, but a technological demo, which is already being successfully worked out on happy customers. If you really want to, you can take it. But it's better to wait for the updated model.