To say that Xiaomi has been an influential smartphone brand in India will be an understatement. The Chinese consumer electronics company has made quite an impression on the Indian market in the last couple of years. It’s current flagship device, the Xiaomi Mi 5, is also in good demand but it is the budget phone and mid-range price segment that Xiaomi currently dominates in India thanks to products like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.
Now Xiaomi Inc. has taken China by storm by introducing two ridiculously cool concept phones. The much talked about Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and the incredible new Xiaomi Mi MIX.
The bad news for Xiaomi fans in India is that these phones will, in all likelihood, not launch in India. But that doesn’t stop us from exploring these brilliant little bundles of joy. And if you are going to China anytime soon you know that visiting the great wall of China isn’t the only cool thing you get to see.
Let’s take a brief look at the specifications on these two phones.
Specifications – Xiaomi Mi Note 2
We have been keeping a close eye on the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 rumours and we are glad to say that most of the rumours we picked up and reported about the specifications on this phone have turned out to be true.
The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 has a 5.7 inch display. It comes with the latest Snapdragon 821 processor from Qualcomm. It will be available in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM options. Also, the phone is available in two internal storage variants – 64 GB and 128 GB. That’s a really good power-packed spec if you ask me. But it doesn’t stop being great there.
The phone also has a 22.56 megapixel primary camera with Sony IMX318 sensor with Optical Image Stabilization and LED flash. The secondary camera is an 8 megapixel unit, which is pretty good for a selfie. This 4G LTE phone comes with an impressive 4,070 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.
The Mi Note 2’s design is every bit world class. The phone has a high-grade 7 series aluminium body with curved 3D glass shield and the OLED display has dual curved edges. This phone is an absolute beauty and it is a bit of a shame that Xiaomi isn’t considering launching it in India because the Indian market would almost certainly lap it up the moment it goes on sale.
Xiaomi Mi MIX
When legendary designer Philippe Starck decides to lend his expertise to a smartphone’s design you know that something special is in store for everyone who appreciates a great design concept in consumer electronics. The Xiaomi Mi MIX is a beautiful concept phone with an unprecedented 91.3 percent screen-to-body ratio.
What makes the Mi MIX’s design an even more delightful outcome is that the phablet comes with a 6.4 inch display. The phone has a ceramic body and comes with a Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor. It has a 4 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The Mi MIX also has a powerful 4400 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 technology.
The Xiaomi Mi MIX also boasts of a 16 megapixel primary camera with Phase Detection Autofocus. It is being speculated that the design of the Mi MIX is somewhat similar to what is expected of the Apple iPhone 8 due to launch in 2017.
While it is too early to make comparisons one does get the feeling that Apple would want to do much better than the iPhone 7, and the iPhone 7 Plus, with its next flagship. The iPhone 7 is a pretty good phone on its own, however, it is also very late to the party.
The primary complain that Android enthusiasts have with the iPhone 7 is that it boasts of features that hundreds of Android phones have now had for quite some time. So has Xiaomi just ruined Apple’s surprise element yet again? We will find out when the iPhone 8 eventually releases.
If you are reading this in China or heading to China while reading this, grab the Mi MIX as soon as you can because it is a limited edition device.
Check out this hands-on review of the Xiaomi Mi MIX by MKBHD and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.