Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:The Bezel-less Phone.
Xiaomi's Mi Mix 2 was officially confirmed on 11 September alongside the Mi Note 3 and Mi Notebook Pro. It has a 12 percent smaller chin than the original Mi Mix, and a slightly smaller 5.99in virtually full-screen display. This means it now has an 18:9 rather than 17:9 aspect ratio, matching the Samsung Galaxy flagships. The difference here of course is that it is 'only' full-HD in resolution.
The first Mi Mix was, after all, a surprise hit in every sense of the word. When then-company vice president Hugo Barra, without prior announcement, whipped out the handset at a Beijing launch event last October (which was advertised as an event for another device, the Mi Note 2) the bezel-less nature of the phone drew audible grasps from the crowd.
Xiaomi is also playing this game and it actually had a head start over much of the industry when it launched the Mi Mix last year. The Mi Mix was one of the first phones to come out with nary a bezel at all. Its enormous 6.44-inch screen was pushed to the very corners of the phone’s frame, and the entire design of the device was driven by this goal to eliminate the border entirely.
That drive forced Xiaomi to make some interesting design decisions, such as forgoing a standard earpiece for a fancy piezoelectric version and moving the front camera down to the lower right of the phone’s frame. Not all of these changes were good: the earpiece was far inferior to a standard speaker and despite the efforts to shrink the phone’s frame down, the Mi Mix’s enormous screen meant it was still a giant device
The Xiaomi Mi Mix was a taste of what was to come in smartphone design when it released last fall — a large, gorgeous display with next to no bezels. A year later, almost every major manufacturer has followed Xiaomi’s lead in cutting out unused surface area.
The Mi Mix 2’s screen that will attract all the initial attention. It measures 5.99 inches, and has an 18:9 aspect ratio, which is shared by the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8. This makes the body quite tall, and is different from the first Mi Mix’s 17:9 aspect ratio and 6.4-inch screen. The chin below the screen has been reduced in size by 12 percent, and from the images sent out by Xiaomi, the phone’s aluminum frame is curvier and thinner than the original Mi Mix. All this should mean the phone is easier to hold.The Mi Mix 2's panel is very good.
The updated design brings with it rounded corners and sides, a frame that is made with an aluminium alloy, and a ceramic backing that Xiaomi loves to use with their premium smartphones. All of this makes for a phone that is still really nice to look at, and feels much better in the hand due to its smaller overall footprint when compared to its predecessor. Another change from generation to generation may not be to everyone’s liking though, with the Mi Mix 2 not coming with a headphone jack.
Just like last year’s Mi Mix, the top portion of the phone is almost as thin as the side bezels, resulting in the front-facing camera being moved to the bottom right corner. The camera placement will definitely take some getting used to, but it doesn’t look out of place or stand out significantly, thanks to a black coating that has been used to make the camera unit blend in with the rest of the front.
The biggest and most obvious trend in smartphones right now is the effort to eliminate the bezel, or frame, that surrounds a phone’s display. The goal is to create a feeling that you’re only holding a screen in your hand, and there’s nothing else to distract you from what’s being displayed on that screen. Established players (Samsung and LG) and newcomers (Essential) alike are all trying to reach that goal. Even Apple is expected to announce new iPhone that largely eliminates the border around the screen this week.
Xiaomi is also playing this game and it actually had a head start over much of the industry when it launched the Mi Mix last year. The Mi Mix was one of the first phones to come out with nary a bezel at all. Its enormous 6.44-inch screen was pushed to the very corners of the phone’s frame, and the entire design of the device was driven by this goal to eliminate the border entirely.
Xiaomi went overboard and made one of the biggest smartphones ever. It was hard to use one-handed and hard to fit into a pocket. Xiaomi says the Mi Mix 2 is 11.9 percent smaller than the Mi Mix, with "only" a 5.99-inch screen. This should put it back into the realm of a normal smartphone size. Xiaomi has changed the aspect ratio from 17:9 to 18:9, just like the flagship devices from LG and Samsung. The 2160x1080 display is still an LCD, and it still has those round screen corners.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:FingerPrint Scanner
Interestingly, instead of placing the fingerprint scanner behind the home button on the front as usual, Xiaomi has opted to put the fingerprint scanner at the back, possibly to save costs. Although it’s convenient to have it on the back when holding the phone, it’s a pain to have to type in the password when the phone is lying on a table. However, the fingerprint scanner itself is very good, and unlocks quickly. It’s also extremely accurate, and We haven’t encountered any problems with it not registering my fingerprint.
It has a standard, single-lens camera instead of a dual-camera set-up; and it doesn’t have a headphone jack or wireless charging. The 12-megapixel camera comes with an optically stabilized f/2.0 lens and has large pixels, so it is capable of taking good photos. It won’t keep pace with the best cameras from Google, Apple, or Samsung, but it’s certainly good enough for most people.In our testing, that was mostly the case. The Mi Mix 2's shooter is better than the Mi 6, and overall is very good. Colors come out punchy, and overall detail level is good.
The Mi Mix 2 has solid videography capabilities. The device, like the Mi 6, has 4-axis OIS, and videos recorded during the day tend to be very stable and smooth (I have samples in my video review at the end). The camera app is also intuitive, with a host of unique filters that can take fun shots.
Due to the screen taking up the whole of the front panel, the selfie camera is set in the chin, so you’ll have to rotate the phone round to take images naturally with the front camera. On the back is a single Sony camera lens with 12 megapixels and 1.25nm pixel size, which is the same as the main camera found on the Xiaomi Mi 6. It also features 4-axis optical image stabilization and a flash unit.The bezels on the device are very fashionable, the Mi Mix 2 bucks the 2017 trend with only one lens on the back of the device. Still, it can record 4K at 30 fps and 720p at 120 fps.
Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM on the standard edition or 8GB on the special edition.The device during our five days of use ran smoothly. We particularly tested Google apps (which crashes often on my Mi Mix 1 because it has a China ROM) and thankfully, they all worked fine on the Mi Mix 2.
Xiaomi’s software is polarizing, as well. The Mi Mix comes with MIUI 9, which is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, but doesn’t look like anything that comes out of Google’s offices. It’s best described as an interpretation of iOS, made to fit the Android platform. MIUI 9 is fast, and does have some useful features here and there, but it almost feels like a completely different platform than other Android phones, which many purists may not like.
There are some MIUI software quirks that annoy us, such as not being able to expand on notifications in the notification shade. Say for example We have a new email: my Mi Mix 2 will show us a notification saying we have an email, but we can't pull on it to expand the notification card to see more info the way we can on almost any other Android phone.This really, really hinders the phone.
The original Mi Mix was that the replacement for the phone speaker just wasn’t the most effective alternative. With the Mi Mix 2, you now get an actual speaker with a tube unit that points upward and comes with a tiny slit at the top. However, the ultrasonic proximity sensor is still found around the the top area under the screen, so the phone still knows when it is next to your face or inside your pocket.
A Refined Evolution Of Smart Phones.
Xiaomi's Mi Mix 2 was officially confirmed on 11 September alongside the Mi Note 3 and Mi Notebook Pro. It has a 12 percent smaller chin than the original Mi Mix, and a slightly smaller 5.99in virtually full-screen display. This means it now has an 18:9 rather than 17:9 aspect ratio, matching the Samsung Galaxy flagships. The difference here of course is that it is 'only' full-HD in resolution.
The first Mi Mix was, after all, a surprise hit in every sense of the word. When then-company vice president Hugo Barra, without prior announcement, whipped out the handset at a Beijing launch event last October (which was advertised as an event for another device, the Mi Note 2) the bezel-less nature of the phone drew audible grasps from the crowd.
Xiaomi is also playing this game and it actually had a head start over much of the industry when it launched the Mi Mix last year. The Mi Mix was one of the first phones to come out with nary a bezel at all. Its enormous 6.44-inch screen was pushed to the very corners of the phone’s frame, and the entire design of the device was driven by this goal to eliminate the border entirely.
That drive forced Xiaomi to make some interesting design decisions, such as forgoing a standard earpiece for a fancy piezoelectric version and moving the front camera down to the lower right of the phone’s frame. Not all of these changes were good: the earpiece was far inferior to a standard speaker and despite the efforts to shrink the phone’s frame down, the Mi Mix’s enormous screen meant it was still a giant device
The Xiaomi Mi Mix was a taste of what was to come in smartphone design when it released last fall — a large, gorgeous display with next to no bezels. A year later, almost every major manufacturer has followed Xiaomi’s lead in cutting out unused surface area.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:Design
The Mi Mix 2’s screen that will attract all the initial attention. It measures 5.99 inches, and has an 18:9 aspect ratio, which is shared by the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8. This makes the body quite tall, and is different from the first Mi Mix’s 17:9 aspect ratio and 6.4-inch screen. The chin below the screen has been reduced in size by 12 percent, and from the images sent out by Xiaomi, the phone’s aluminum frame is curvier and thinner than the original Mi Mix. All this should mean the phone is easier to hold.The Mi Mix 2's panel is very good.
The updated design brings with it rounded corners and sides, a frame that is made with an aluminium alloy, and a ceramic backing that Xiaomi loves to use with their premium smartphones. All of this makes for a phone that is still really nice to look at, and feels much better in the hand due to its smaller overall footprint when compared to its predecessor. Another change from generation to generation may not be to everyone’s liking though, with the Mi Mix 2 not coming with a headphone jack.
Just like last year’s Mi Mix, the top portion of the phone is almost as thin as the side bezels, resulting in the front-facing camera being moved to the bottom right corner. The camera placement will definitely take some getting used to, but it doesn’t look out of place or stand out significantly, thanks to a black coating that has been used to make the camera unit blend in with the rest of the front.
The biggest and most obvious trend in smartphones right now is the effort to eliminate the bezel, or frame, that surrounds a phone’s display. The goal is to create a feeling that you’re only holding a screen in your hand, and there’s nothing else to distract you from what’s being displayed on that screen. Established players (Samsung and LG) and newcomers (Essential) alike are all trying to reach that goal. Even Apple is expected to announce new iPhone that largely eliminates the border around the screen this week.
Xiaomi is also playing this game and it actually had a head start over much of the industry when it launched the Mi Mix last year. The Mi Mix was one of the first phones to come out with nary a bezel at all. Its enormous 6.44-inch screen was pushed to the very corners of the phone’s frame, and the entire design of the device was driven by this goal to eliminate the border entirely.
The rest of the phone’s design continues the high-end theme. The back of the Mix 2 is ceramic, which is mated to an aluminum frame. Fit and finish are on par with the best that Apple, Samsung, and LG have to offer — the Mix 2 is legitimately a premium device. The Special Edition model takes that a step further: it doesn’t just have a ceramic back, but a completely ceramic unibody, which Xiaomi claims is a first on any phone. It’s quite an achievement, though the standard model’s metal frame is a little easier to grip in my experience. Both versions are serious fingerprint magnets, as well.
Like its predecessor, the Mi Mix 2’s standout feature is the edge-to-edge display. This time it’s a more manageable 5.99-inches with an 18:9 aspect ratio, similar to what Samsung and LG are using on their high-end phones this year. That means that the Mi Mix 2 is much smaller than the first version, and therefore much more practical to use.
The display itself is a bright and vibrant LCD panel with wide color gamut and 2,160 x 1,080 pixels of resolution. It has rounded corners and just the scantest of frames above and on the sides of it. The border below the screen is larger, as it houses the front camera (which is now better disguised thanks to a “super black” lens coating), a notification light, and other electronics necessary to power the panel. The screen itself isn’t as vibrant, bright, or hi-res as Samsung’s OLED displays, but it’s still very nice to look at and perfectly fine in every day use.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:Display
Colors are accurate and punchy, and unless you have superhuman eyesight you won't see the difference between it and a higher resolution Quad HD display found on other phones. I do wish Xiaomi had gone with an OLED panel (it did with the Mi Note 2) because OLED panels offer deeper blacks.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:FingerPrint Scanner
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:Camera
It has a standard, single-lens camera instead of a dual-camera set-up; and it doesn’t have a headphone jack or wireless charging. The 12-megapixel camera comes with an optically stabilized f/2.0 lens and has large pixels, so it is capable of taking good photos. It won’t keep pace with the best cameras from Google, Apple, or Samsung, but it’s certainly good enough for most people.In our testing, that was mostly the case. The Mi Mix 2's shooter is better than the Mi 6, and overall is very good. Colors come out punchy, and overall detail level is good.
The gold trim -- which Xiaomi says is 18-karat -- around the camera lens that was only available in the premium edition of the first device makes a return and is now available on all Mi Mix 2 editions. It's a nice touch that should appeal to mainland consumers especially.
The Mi Mix 2 has solid videography capabilities. The device, like the Mi 6, has 4-axis OIS, and videos recorded during the day tend to be very stable and smooth (I have samples in my video review at the end). The camera app is also intuitive, with a host of unique filters that can take fun shots.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:Performance
The Mi Mix 2 remains a high-end device, and it upgrades to the latest Snapdragon 835 processor. There are versions with 6 or 8GB of RAM and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage.In terms of general phone performance, the Mi Mix 2 is superb. The Snapdragon 835 chip can process any app with ease.
The Mi Mix 2 remains a high-end device, and it upgrades to the latest Snapdragon 835 processor. There are versions with 6 or 8GB of RAM and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage.In terms of general phone performance, the Mi Mix 2 is superb. The Snapdragon 835 chip can process any app with ease.
It’s not the fastest phone on the market, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 still performs admirably, and it should stay snappy for a good year or two. After that, you may notice slowdowns coming from each consecutive software update, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable. The Xiaomi Mi Max is a great phone, you’ll just need to lower your expectations a little lower – it can’t keep up with the likes of the OnePlus 5 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:Software
The handset runs Android 7.1.1 with Xiaomi's latest software, MIUI 9 on top. In what should be great news to most readers, the MIUI version here is the global ROM, meaning it was built to be compatible with Google apps (MIUI's China-specific ROMs don't have Google Play services and can be quite buggy if forced to run Google apps).
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:Speaker
The original Mi Mix used a crazy "piezoelectric speaker" instead of a normal earpiece speaker. This basically meant there was no earpiece—the whole frame of the phone vibrated, you stuck it to your head, and you could hear the other person. It seemed to work fine, but in the Mi Mix 2, this unique setup is being replaced by a razor-thin earpiece in the top bezel. This is a much more traditional and simpler solution, and it doesn't seem to add any size to the bezel.
The original Mi Mix was that the replacement for the phone speaker just wasn’t the most effective alternative. With the Mi Mix 2, you now get an actual speaker with a tube unit that points upward and comes with a tiny slit at the top. However, the ultrasonic proximity sensor is still found around the the top area under the screen, so the phone still knows when it is next to your face or inside your pocket.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2:Battery Life
Keeping everything running is a non-removable 3,400 mAh battery, and the device comes with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 support to be able to charge the phone in a short amount of time.
The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has absolutely out-of-this world battery life. The amount of time which it stays alive is astounding, and it absolutely makes my two days. Yep, it lasts a full two days under medium-heavy usage, which is something almost no other phone is capable of doing. The Venme Thor E is a solid contender, but it’s battery life isn’t quite as good as the legendary battery life of the Xiaomi Mi Max 2. Unfortunately, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2’s battery life could be short-lived – the battery is non-removable, so you’ll notice a slow decrease in battery life, which will become especially noticeable after a few years. You might need to get the battery replaced, which could be hard for a phone which isn’t that popular.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is a great phone, with absolutely phenomenal battery life, and a huge, beautiful screen. It’s not the most powerful phone, and it certainly has a few compromises, but as a multimedia device, or semi-tablet, the Xiaomi Max 2 is perfect. The battery life is far and away the best battery life we’ve ever seen, and we can only wish other phone manufacturers will follow suit. It’s large screen, ample RAM, and great camera make it excellent value for money, and we’d recommend it to anyone who needs a huge phone at a small price.
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