The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is a high-end smartphone with a design that stands out for its very thin edges around the screen, with the display covering 80% of the area of the device. After surprising the market with the first Mi Mix, Xiaomi improved the design with a more compact device than its predecessor.
Here is a comparison of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 with other flagship smartphones.
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 |
Apple iPhone X |
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 |
Motorola Moto Z2 Force |
Sony Xperia XZ1 |
|
| Developer | Xiaomi | Apple | Samsung | Motorola | Sony |
| Distributor | Xiaomi | Apple | Samsung | Lenovo | Sony |
| Platforms | IOS Smartphone | Android Smartphone | Android Smartphone | Android Smartphone | |
| Official site | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| Price at launch | $ 775.00 | $ 999.00 | SEE PRICE | SEE PRICE | SEE PRICE |
| Price updated | $ 603.00 (as of 11/21/2017) | $ 999.00 (as of 11/21/2017) | SEE PRICE | SEE PRICE | SEE PRICE |
| Specifications | |||||
| Operational system | Android 7.1 | iOS 11 | Android 7.1.1 | Android 7.1.1 | Android 8.0 |
| Update available for the system | Android 8.0 | Android 8.0 | Android 8.0 | ||
| Number of Cores | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| RAM memory | 8GB | 3GB | 6GB | 6GB | 4GB |
| Internal storage | 128GB | 64GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB | 64GB | 64GB |
| MicroSD card | No | Does not have | Up to 256GB | Up to 2TB | Up to 256GB |
| Connecting Ports | USB Type-C | Lightning | USB Type-C | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | A11 Bionic | Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | Snapdragon 835 |
| Clock | 2.45 GHz | 2.3 | 2.35 | 2.35 | |
| GPU | Adreno 540 | Mali-G71 MP20 | Adreno 540 | Adreno 540 | |
| Drums | 3400 mAh | 3.300 | 2730 | 2,700 | |
| Dimensions | 151.8 x 75.5 x 7.7 mm | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm | 155.8 x 76 x 5.99 mm | 148 x 73 x 7.4 mm |
| Weight | 185 g | 174 g | 195 g | 145 g | 156 g |
| Resources | |||||
| LTE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SIM card type | Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Nano SIM |
| Number of SIM cards | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Digital TV | No | No | No | No | No |
| Digital Player | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No | No | No | No |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Extras | MIUI 9 | Apple Pay, IP67, Induction Charging, Face ID | IP68, S Pen and optical stabilization on both cameras | Moto Mods | HDR screen, IP68 certification, Motion Eye camera |
| Display | |||||
| Size | 5.99 | 5.8 inches | 6.3 inches | 5.5 inches | 5.2 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2160 | 1125 x 2436 | 1440 x 2960 | 1080 x 1920 | 1080 x 1920 |
| Technology | IPS LCD | OLED | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED | IPS |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Ion-strengthened glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Moto ShatterShield | Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Camera | |||||
| videos | 2160p 30fps | 2160p 60 fps | 2160p 30 fps | 2160p 30 fps | 2160p 30 fps |
| Rear | 12MP | 12 (wide) and 12 (tele) | Dual Pixel 12MP and 12MP Telephoto | 12MP (wide) and 12MP (black and white) | 19 MP |
| Front | 5MP | 7 | 8MP | 5MP | 13 MP |
Link to purchase on GearBest
Like other Xiaomi handsets, Mi Mix 2 is not available in some market and can be purchased on international websites. With a size more compact than its predecessor, is it now worth having the borderless smartphone of the Chinese company?
Design and Smaller Screen is much better
The first Mi Mix was a massive 6.4″ screen device, which greatly reduced the niche of consumers interested in such a great device. Mi Mix 2 is still a great device, but it is much closer to something acceptable with its 5.99 “screen. Its main feature remains the virtual absence of edges, even in this era of Galaxy handsets with infinite edge. The difference is that while the Samsung devices disappear with the edge on the sides, Mi Mix 2 disappears with the top edge, something that draws much attention.
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The biggest problem with the design of Mi Mix 2 is that it took the edge in one of the places that least important in a device – the top. Wide edges at the sides hinder ergonomics (so many handsets with infinite edges and the new 18 – 9 ratio) while lower edges make it hard to pick up the device by holding it in the palm of your hand. The edge at the top of the device only has negative effect on the visual, since from the practical point of view it does not matter because it is in a place that does not bother to use and is a useless area, anyway.
MI MIX 2 TOOK MORE OF THE EDGES JUST WHERE THEY LEAST MATTER
Because of the narrow edges, its size is similar to the Moto Z2 Force even having a somewhat larger screen. Its most notable edge is at the bottom, where the front camera also went. On the sides, the edges no longer impress as much, since their thickness is within what is now standard in high-end appliances. Ergonomics are comfortable thanks to rounded metal edges. Particularly I found the device a bit flat, mainly because of the slightly frosted finish of the metal at the edges, something that the back with a glossy finish did not help at all.
BETTER TO GET A HOOD – MI MIX 2 GETS VERY SMOOTH WITH THE USE
Speaking of the rear, the Mi Mix 2 has a beautiful glossy finish that, unfortunately, is very marked by digital and can be especially slippery. The few elements in the minimalist back include the slightly protruding camera, the digital sensor, a dual LED flash and the inscription “Mix Design by Xiaomi”. In general, its lines are quite discreet, and it leaves to the screen being the great highlight of the device.
The screen with IPS technology has good saturation and balanced colors, hanging slightly to the red. Considering the size of the display, I missed a higher pixel density. Mi Mix 2 is equipped with a FullHD + display, that is, it has 1080 x 2160, something that stays considerably below a 1440 x 2960 of a Galaxy Note8, for example.
The sound system has two outputs – on the base, we have the main and a secondary speaker used to make connections. The second output helps prevent the whole audio from being lost if you cover the sound output at the base, something common when you hold the device horizontally, but the two sound outputs are quite disproportionate, and the sound at the top is quite weak. The audio quality is for watching a video, but do not expect much more from it.
It has no jack for headset and microphone, as it has been an unfortunate industry standard.
Camera – When it is not a top of the line
For taking photos and videos, Mi Mix 2 is equipped with an f / 2.0 rear aperture camera, 12MP sensor resolution, optical stabilization, dual color flash LED, PDAF focus and low light shooting capabilities. Features are good on paper, but in practice, the results are not the best.
In bright light conditions, the camera performs relatively well, with good color, but this device seems to have limitations in capturing the details of the scenes. Even in excellent light conditions we have images with little definition and a lot of the scene out of focus. Although agile, the focus also seems to go awry in defining the most interesting part of the scene. Even in scenes like “focus on infinity,” like that crash in traffic, with an aerial and distant view of objects, it seems not to have focused as much as the ideal would be.
MI MIX 2 HAS ONLY REGULAR PICTURES IN GOOD LIGHT CONDITIONS. AND LOUSY IN DARKER SCENES
OK, so in good light conditions, the photos are not the ideas. And how do you get in bad light conditions? You’re right who thinks it does not get any better. Mi Mix 2 is far from the performance of other high-end devices and even some intermediate models when we “turn out the lights.” The photos leave with serious problems of granulation and excessive exposure, leaving the final result even more blurred. The 5MP front camera also does not help – either you have good light conditions, or do not even bother to use it.
Photos with the front camera
THE FRONT CAMERA IS VIRTUALLY USELESS IN DARKER SCENES
But the best is yet to come – without a ledge at the top, the front camera came down and found what I consider the worst positioning possible. The front camera is on the right, right next to the corner, in a place that strategically placed for your finger to fumble constantly. Any right-handed person will block the camera if they hold in the natural position of using the smartphone.
In the horizontal orientation also happens, which leads to two possible solutions – either turn the device upside-down (to the front camera back to its usual place) or learn to use the volume down button to hit the photo. And I confess – it’s priceless to see someone trying to find a position with their hands to take a picture because the way most people hold the handset simply locks the front camera.
HERE’S THE TIP – NEVER PUT A FRONT CAMERA UNDERNEATH
For those who like photography or want to tweak the settings, the camera has manual exposure and ISO adjustment capabilities, which made it possible to photo the basketball game (the automatic mode insisted on long exposure and erased most of the players in the second photo manually adjusted) and the dog’s night (it was done with half a second exposure). The results of the “in-hand” adjustments have improved some of the photos, but a good smartphone should be able to turn itself in its automated modes and deliver a good experience, something that Mi Mix 2 does not. At night and without correcting anything, he delivers pearls like this one (believe me, was the one that got the best of a series of attempts):
Performance – What is expected of a top of the line
The Mi Mix 2 comes equipped with the high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 6GB of RAM, which delivers high performance. As you can see in the dispute (even monotonous) of the high-end appliances, we have slight variations in performance compared to all models equipped with this powerful hardware profile.
In practice, Mi Mix 2 delivers what we expect from such powerful hardware. The experience with the system is very fluid, and all apps respond instantly, even with several of them open and switching between them. With a total of 6GB of RAM also disappears the need to stay managing your applications and closing them from time to time. The Android system itself turns around managing this.
MI MIX 2 IS AS FAST AS YOU EXPECT FROM ITS POWERFUL HARDWARE
Regular Autonomy
Top-of-the-line device with widescreen and powerful hardware has been the formula of the “meh” autonomies. And Mi Mix 2 is not far from that, despite delivering better battery life than other rivals in the segment.
In everyday use, switching between WiFi and mobile broadband and with regular use of apps and occasional streaming video, Mi Mix 2 has a battery life that can withstand a whole day of use. Using estimates generated by AcuBattery, it is able to last 20 hours of mixed use, discharging in 7 hours if you make more intensive use of playing or watching videos constantly. Not an exceptional length, but considering the size of the screen and the unimpressive results of most of the top of the market, is within the average.
Features & Extras – Guy, where’s my Android?
Xiaomi users are already well accustomed to what the company does on their handsets. Android receives profound modifications in its interface and operation in Mi devices, with the use of MIUI, an interface (practically a system) of the Chinese manufacturer.
ANDROID IS VERY CHANGED IN XIAOMI DEVICES
Several screens of the system gain a more similar approach to the iPhone, as in the configuration menus and also the output of the application drawer, replaced by that scheme in which all installed apps are in the home screen, necessarily.
MIUI includes some exciting features such as the ability to clone an app, making it possible to have two Facebook Messenger or two Whatsapp logged into one device, for example. It is also possible to create a “second space” with another organization, design, and applications running if you wanted to switch to another person’s use or even create different modes for your smartphone for different situations.
MIUI PROVIDES ADDITIONAL AUTONOMY, SECURITY AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FEATURES
As has also become customary in these heavily modified versions of Android, MIUI has some battery management and performance wizards, checking applications that consume a lot of space or power and recommending its closure. It also brings a security tool that “sweeps threats” to the system.
While still very much in the Android experience, MIUI maintains support for Google’s ecosystem apps and brings interfaces that do not detract from its use. Some interfaces get a bit dated, such as the basic interaction buttons with the system at the bottom of the screen, and the user is dependent on Xiaomi updates for new system versions, which tends to take longer because of various system changes. And not that other manufacturers are much better in that regard). We conducted the tests with MIUI 8.0, based on Android 7.0, and version 9.0 of MIUI was already available in beta.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 maintains the feature that made it different from all other models on the market – its thin edges. However, in a market where this is no longer uncommon, with more and more companies bringing endless displays, this feature is no longer the exclusivity that was in the first model. Even so, this device draws attention mainly due to the almost inexistence of upper edge, the part where most manufacturers do not save space above the screen in the body of the device and even the iPhone had to put a controversial border.
It is a pity that the only advantage of this finer upper edge is the aesthetic part, because everywhere else it creates more problems than solutions. The front camera was in the worst position I’ve ever tested on a smartphone, and it’s very difficult to reach the top edge to slide the top of the screen to pull the notification bar with only one hand unless you hold it almost in the middle (and there loses access to the base buttons). I would definitely prefer that the lower border had disappeared and that the small lower border would be up taking with it the frontal camera, something that almost works, with several apps running, but the initial interface necessarily returns to the initial orientation.
THE CAMERA IS THE WEAK POINT OF THE DEVICE.
The 5.99 “screen is quite wide in a relatively compact body, but it required a higher resolution of the image to deliver a more impressive pixel density. At just over 300 dots per inch, we ended up having a device closer to the intermediate smartphones that the top of the line, in that respect.
MI MIX 2 IS A GOOD SMARTPHONE FOR THOSE WHO WANT A LOT OF PERFORMANCE AND A WIDESCREEN
But my biggest frustration is with the camera. With high performance and beautiful design (despite its problems), Mi Mix 2 is at a reasonable quality level, but it lags well behind another top of the line when it comes to photography.
At the cost of around $ 603, considering the possible tax when importing it, Mi Mix 2 is priced somewhat higher than other excellent devices such as OnePlus 5 or Xiaomi Mi 6. Because of this, it should be the option only for consumers who are even keen on its distinctive design, since in other respects the mentioned smartphones have an advantage, and even products available in the domestic market, such as the Galaxy S7 edge, can also deliver screens with reduced edges and at the same time cameras much higher for a lower price.
Pros
- Fine Edges
- Beautiful design
- Screen with good colors and contrasts
- High-performance hardware
CONS.
- Screen resolution could be higher
- Pretty modified Android system
- Bad cameras, both front and back
- Poorly positioned front camera
- Without P2
What is The Current Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 Price and Availability Status?
You can click on the links below to view latest Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 price & availability.
Where to Buy Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 & Pay On Delivery
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