Review of Xiaomi Mi A1 - a smartphone with a dual camera and a clean version of Android

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The all-metal mid-range Xiaomi Mi A1, according to the manufacturer, is not inferior to the iPhone 7 Plus. The life hacker checks if this is so.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone has been on sale in Russia for two months now. The model is notable for the fact that it was developed in alliance with Google in the framework of the Android One program and comes with a pure Android 7.1.2 Nougat system without any shells from the manufacturer and unnecessary applications. Google promises that Android One smartphones will always receive the latest system updates.

It is the belonging to the Android One family that distinguishes Xiaomi Mi A1 from the Mi 5X model, which comes with a proprietary MIUI shell and is not officially sold in Russia.

Specifications

Frame	Aluminum
Display	5.5 inches, FHD (1,920 x 1,080), LTPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 Processor, Adreno 506 Graphics Accelerator
RAM	4 GB
Built-in memory	64 GB, the ability to install memory cards up to 128 GB
Cameras	Main - 12 + 12 Mp; frontal - 5 Mp
Connection	Two nano-SIM slots; 2G: GSM 850/900/1 800/1 900; 3G: 850/900/1 900/2 100; 4G: Band 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, 40
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS
Expansion slots	USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack
Sensors	Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor, Hall Sensor, Infrared Sensor
Operating system	Android 7.1.2 Nougat
Battery	3,080 mAh (non-removable)
Dimensions (edit)	155, 4 × 75, 8 × 7, 3 mm
Weight	165 g

Design

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is said to be similar to the iPhone 7 Plus. However, these two devices are related only by the horizontally located dual camera.

We reviewed the matte Xiaomi Mi A1 in black. This is a very pleasant device that pleases the eye. Thin, metal, with slightly rounded edges, the smartphone is pleasant to hold in your hands.

Screen

Xiaomi Mi A1 got a 5.5-inch LTPS display with Full HD resolution. The brightness range is wide, the viewing angles are too. The color rendition is restrained, the temperature tends to the colder part of the spectrum: white slightly fades into blueness.

The device ships with a clean version of Android, so there are no reading modes or utilities for adjusting the color temperature. The screen is protected by shock-resistant Gorilla Glass 3.

Performance

Xiaomi Mi A1 works flawlessly: Android flies, applications do not slow down, Google Assistant responds quickly and searches for the necessary information on the Internet.

The smartphone can handle almost all games. But in the most sophisticated ones, you have to sacrifice the quality of the graphics. For example, in World of Tanks Blitz you get 60 FPS at medium settings, but in Modern Strike Online even at high settings.

Xiaomi Mi A1 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset - mid-price processor of the end of 2016. It includes eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 2 GHz and an Adrero 506 GPU.

In AnTuTu testing, the Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone scores 60 thousand points typical for its category, and in 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited - 13 thousand points. CPU heating is insignificant, throttling does not occur. Performance remains stable.

The amount of RAM is 4 GB, the built-in memory is 64 GB. It is possible to use a microSD memory card to expand the ROM.

The resources of Xiaomi Mi A1 will be enough for at least another two years, even for those who like to play.

Cameras

Xiaomi Mi A1 is called a clone of the iPhone 7 Plus because of the dual camera with 2x optical zoom and portrait mode. However, no one will supply a mid-price smartphone with flagship cameras and technologies. What is installed in it?

The main camera is a 12-megapixel OmniVision OV12A10 module with a pixel of 1.25 microns and a wide-angle lens with an aperture of f / 2.2. There is no optical stabilization, phase autofocus.

In the daytime on the street, general plans turn out well. However, in all other cases, good photos are rarely obtained. The camera is very picky about lighting. Because of the tiny aperture optics, you will be forced to shoot at long exposures and get poor quality pictures. Noise breaks all records, and the lens catches glare from light sources so dashingly, as if you were holding not a modern smartphone, but an ancient "clamshell". Indoor photos are dark and out of focus.

Autofocus is slow and inaccurate. Even in static scenes, the camera suffers from back focus. Forget about fast-moving subjects and macro photography. However, let's hope that the upcoming firmware will fix this.

The second camera is equipped with a 12-megapixel OmniVision OV13880 module with a pixel of 1.1 microns and an f / 2.6 aperture lens. It is only suitable for shooting portraits, but only outdoors and only in good lighting.

The portrait mode in Xiaomi Mi A1 is implemented well. The smartphone programmatically separates the subject from the background, simulating the bokeh effect. It turns out beautifully, but with complex contours, the algorithm may be wrong.

But the front camera pleased. Although a 5-megapixel module is installed here, the pictures are bright and sharp. There is a "Improvement" mode that removes skin imperfections, bags under the eyes and other signs of aging and fatigue. Sharpness, of course, suffers from it.

It is curious that Xiaomi Mi A1 is able to recognize the gender and age of a person in the frame. Gender, as a rule, is determined correctly, but age jumps depending on the lighting and shadows on the face. Now you are 40 years old, then 19 - anything can happen.

Sound

The Xiaomi Mi A1 has a 3.5mm audio jack and a 10W amplifier that supports high impedance headphones (up to 600 ohms). The manufacturer promises a powerful and deep sound. The Xiaomi Mi A1 sounds really powerful, but the hiss from the amplifier is heard in the headphones, which can be tolerated in the subway or commuter train, but at home, when you listen to music at minimum volume, it is unlikely.

The external speaker is excellent. The sound is loud, clear, there is even a low frequency.

Security

Xiaomi Mi A1 is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. This is the only biometric authentication mechanism. You can add multiple fingerprints and then unlock your smartphone with one touch of the scanner.

Connection

The Xiaomi Mi A1 accepts two nano-SIM cards. However, the tray is combined here, so you have to choose between a memory card or a second SIM card. The device, officially supplied to Russia, supports the LTE-band Band 20, so there should be no problems with the Internet.

The smartphone also supports dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS and BEIDOU. But for complete happiness, NFC is still not enough.

A nice bonus is the infrared port, which allows you to use your smartphone as a remote control for consumer electronics.

Autonomy

The smartphone is equipped with a 3,080 mAh battery. This is enough for the Xiaomi Mi A1 to work in mixed mode for a day and a half. However, games are quickly depleting. If you seriously load your smartphone, then it will not survive until the end of the day.

The device is charged via the USB Type-C port.

Output

The advantages of Xiaomi Mi A1 are the price, high performance, stylish appearance and a pure version of Android. However, the camera is frustrating. It will work for portraits and daytime landscapes, but not for anything else. It remains to be hoped that the camera will be fixed in future firmwares.

If you want a powerful midrange in an all-metal case with a pure version of Android, but you don't really care about image quality, take a closer look at the Xiaomi Mi A1.

In the official Xiaomi store, the smartphone can be purchased for 18,990 rubles.