Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 launched in India at a price of Rs 35,999 and will be Flipkart exclusive. Here is our first impression.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, the company’s new flagship for ndia, is now official. Now, the original Xiaomi Mi Mix when it launched last year had a design that was not common for smartphones. The front camera was at the bottom, the phone had a ceramic body and a screen-to-body ratio of 92 per cent, according to the company. Mi Mix was called a concept phone with a 17:9 aspect ratio, and the phone remained a China exclusive, though Xiaomi did showcase a white colour variant it at CES 2017 in a new white colour variant.
Jump over to 2017 and the bezel-less or reduced bezel display trend is now common for many flagships, even some mid-range phones. Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, Galaxy Note8, Apple iPhoneX, the LG G6 and V30 are some premium examples, which have this kind of a display where the bezels has been entirely removed or reduced. The aspect ratio on most phones is 18:9 or higher, though the iPhone X is supposed to have a 19:9 ratio.
Players like Micromax also have Canvas Infinity with 18:9 aspect ratio on the display, and other Chinese manufacturers like Huawei with its Honor 9i and vivo with Vivo V7+ have also launched full vision displays. So how does the Mi Mix 2 fare in a market where the display and its disappearing bezels are talk of the town? What does it really offer that’s unique? We have had the chance to use the Mi Mix 2 for some days ahead of the launch and here’s our first impression.
Mi Mix 2 Price in India: Rs 35,999
Mix Mix 2 Sale date: October 17 preview sale, November 1st week official sale.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Design, Display
Let’s face it, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is all about the design. For the company, the second variant of the phone is an evolution of what they originally launched in 2016 when bezel-less was just an upcoming trend. The Mi Mix 2 variant launching in India comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Also, this one doesn’t have a ceramic unibody design like the Mi Mix 2 Special Edition.
Mi Mix 2 sports a ceramic back yes, which is glossy, shiny and feels unlike you what might have experienced on a smartphone in the past. Yes the glossy look means you need a cover to stop this from looking like a hot mess. Also Xiaomi is bundling a cover with the device, which is good because the device can be slippery. The Ceramic back means you are best advised to use it, as the material is more brittle and likely to shatter should you drop the phone from a height.
Mi Mix 2 has no home button on the front with a reduced ‘chin.’
Mi Mix 2 has an aluminium 7000 series frame on the side and the front is all glass. There’s no home button, though Xiaomi hasn’t completely eliminated the bottom bezel or the ‘chin’, leaving space for the front camera. However, the company says ‘the chin’ is 12 per cent smaller than on the previous phone.
Overall the phone has more rounded corners, with the display seamlessly merging into the metal frame on the sides. Despite the weight, this phone is comfortable to hold and use with one hand. Dimensions of the Mi Mix 2 are 151.8 x 75.5 x 7.7mm. Still Mi Mix 2 is a hefty phone at 185g.
Coming to the display, Mi Mix 2 has a 5.99-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio and this is a LCD display with 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution, which comes to 401 ppi. The original Mi Mix had a bigger 6.44-inch display. Mi Mix 2 settings will let users decide which apps should have access to full vision. Remember, not all videos or apps are designed for 18:9 ratio, though this might grow more common over the years.
Watching videos on this phone does make the content appear really big, almost in your face. The display by itself is quite good and colour reproduction is accurate. Other design changes for Mi Mix 2 include an actual speaker for the device, instead of the piezoelectric ceramic driver from last year. Also Xiaomi has done away with the 3.5mm headphone jack on this (guess Apple was right, eh?), though it is bundling a converter with the box. Sadly, this phone is not water resistant.
Mi Mix 2 has a ceramic back with an aluminium frame on the side.
There’s no doubt the design of the Mi Mix 2 makes it seem like a unique proposition. The full vision display is here to stay, and Xiaomi’s phone will stand out compared to the competition on the design front. It looks and feels premium, more so than Mi 6 in my opinion.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2: Processor, Storage, RAM, etc
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 comes in only one variant in India with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 8GB RAM version is the Special Edition with the Ceramic Unibody and given that this is not so easy to manufacture, it’s clear why Xiaomi is limiting this to the China market. Mi Mix 2 has flagship specifications, despite the fancy new design.
It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, similar to the OnePlus 5, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, etc. So far my limited usage of Mi Mix 2 has not given any trouble, though I do notice the device is getting a bit warm in some instances. For now, the performance is smooth, and switching between apps is not an issue.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 also gets rid of the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2: Rear camera, front camera
First let’s talk about that front camera, which is placed at the bottom. Mi Mix 2 requires that a user turn the phone upside down to take a selfie. Given how much the selfie matters to all of us, let’s admit people are going to be annoyed by this. In my own case, I don’t always feel the need to take a selfie to document every single outing, but the few occasions where I want a selfie I do not wish to spend time turning the phone upside down. It’s an idea that people will not appreciate.
Sample shots from Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. (Image resized for web)
Sample shots from Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. (Image resized for web)
Coming to the rear camera, there’s no dual lens system here, but that doesn’t mean the phone’s camera can’t perform. I took some shots at night and the Mi Mix 2’s camera does a good job of capturing the details. On the screen itself, the picture seems bright and vivid, though when you zoom there is some noise in some instances. Still I would say the camera holds its own considering the lighting conditions. More on the camera after my full review.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Battery, Software
Mi Mix 2 runs Android Nougat with MIUI8. The phone has some software tweaks for its big display. For instance, it has on-screen buttons that lit up and cover up the icons, but in the settings there is the option of hiding these and thus maintaining the clean, all display look. Mi Mix 2 also has a Quick Ball function in the settings for better use with one-hand, which I find convenient.
The phone’s battery is 3400 mAh. Again we’ll have to see in the tests how long it lasts.
Mi Mix 2 has a 3400 mAh battery on board.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Quick Verdict
Mi Mix 2 is all about design innovation and some of this stuff won’t be visible to the average consumer. After all for most users what matters most is the look and feel of the device, the on-paper specifications and yes, the price. Mi Mix 2 for its part is not a budget phone. This a premium device and targeted at that market, which doesn’t drive the volumes in India. So if you wanted a more affordable, bezel-less phone from Xiaomi, you’ll have to wait.
For Xiaomi, Mi Mix 2 is also a device that spells global ambition. The company has emphasised this has the most bands and will work in markets like the US , etc. So we could see this phone mark Xiaomi’s US debut as well, but for now that’s not confirmed.
Mi Mix 2 on paper and in my limited time seem like a premium phone. Performance is not an issue, but the device is prone to getting warm. The camera is certainly above average, even if there is no portrait mode. How it fares in battery tests and performance will eventually decide its fate.
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