Review of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 - The Chinese king has become even better and more attractive

After the release of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, bloggers, especially domestic ones, brought down a barrage of criticism on it. They say the update compared to the first generation model is too minor, the smartphone is not surprising and in general it is a very niche product. I have not used the regular Xiaomi Mi MIX, so I will not compare these devices. But after spending several weeks with the second “mix”, I can say that this is a full-fledged and self-sufficient flagship, which in some aspects can outshine the more expensive Samsung Galaxy S8, LG V30+ or ​​Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

The text may and most likely does contain grammatical, spelling, punctuation and other types of errors, including semantic ones. I strongly encourage readers to point out these errors and correct me through private messages.

Smartphone out of the box

In addition to the smartphone itself, in the box you will find the usual set of accessories:

• SIM card removal tool;
• USB Type-C and USB Type-A cable;
• AC adapter and USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone adapter.
• The kit includes a case - not leather, as in last year's version, but made of polycarbonate, but it looks much better than cheap cases for 300-600 rubles.

What I liked:

• design and dimensions;
• small body thickness;
• stereo effect when playing music;
• chic display with rounded corners;
• support for two SIM cards;
• availability of variations with 128 and 256 GB of memory;
• speed of operation and lack of heating under load;
• quality of shooting in good lighting;
• MIUI shell capabilities, availability of “Global” firmware;
• autonomy with a small physical battery capacity;
• cost compared to competitors.

What I didn't like:

• location and quality of recording of the front camera;
• soiling of the rear panel;
• lack of infrared port;
• no memory card support;
• no 3.5 mm jack.

Characteristics of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2

There are two models of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2. The standard one has a ceramic back panel and a metal body, the Special Edition has a completely ceramic design. The Mi MIX 2 Special Edition version has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory, the phone weighs 187 grams and measures 150.5 ? 74.6? 7.7 mm.

The standard smartphone from Xiaomi has 6 GB of RAM and several internal memory options - 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB. Its dimensions: 151.8? 75.5? 7.7 mm, and weight - 185 g. Both versions have a 5.99-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 2160×1080, a pixel density of 403 ppi and a non-standard aspect ratio of 18:9.

The phone's performance is ensured by the latest chipset from Qualcomm - Snapdragon 835 with Adreno 540 graphics. There is no slot for microSD cards; it is not necessary due to the large amount of built-in memory.

On the back of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 you will find a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor. The camera is the same as on the Xiaomi Mi 6, but 4-axis optical image stabilization is added. The pixel size is 1.25 Nm, the aperture is f/2.0. On the front panel of the flagship there is a 5-megapixel camera.

Mi MIX 2 lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, but does have the latest version of Bluetooth 5.0. NFC technology is also available for mobile payments, and Wi-Fi with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards supports 2×2 MIMO and MU-MIMO technologies. The user will be able to use VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling services.

The operating system of the smartphone is its own MIU shell on top of Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and a quick transition to Android 8 Oreo is expected.

Design display

I combined two familiar paragraphs into one. And all because the display in Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is everything and even more. If you are not buying this smartphone because of it, then why are you even buying it!

The screen in Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is the best IPS matrix I have ever seen. Calm, moderately rich, contrasting and beautiful colors. Of course, everything here can be customized to your liking.

Although, if we compare our hero with OLED panels, he cannot stand the competition. Below in the photo are the screens of Mi MIX 2 (left or top) and LG V30+ (right or bottom) with their P-OLED.

It's actually not all that scary. Some people like more natural color reproduction - this is IPS and our hero. Give others an eye-catching picture - these are LG, Samsung and other vendors.

The only thing I didn’t like in the “mix” was auto-brightness - it started to fool me from time to time, so I turned it off. Yes, a feature with a minimum backlight of 1 nit is effective, but first of all I would like to get a normally implemented main function.

The surface has an ideal oleophobic coating, thanks to which the smartphone is simply pleasant to touch. Yes, there is one on the back too, although the lid is, of course, very easily soiled - fingerprints accumulate instantly.

Interesting stuff. I noticed that I take the device in my hand not because I need to check my email or some messenger. I just enjoy holding it in my hands, setting the display on fire, and turning it back and forth.

I haven't experienced anything like this for a long time. The last time something like this happened was when I tested the Samsung Galaxy S8. But still, it's not the same. After all, this is Samsung, well... you understand what I mean.

I will disappoint those who expect minimal frameworks. They are never minimal here. And Xiaomi somewhat embellishes what it shows us at presentations.

Render from the official website

In life, boundaries are much more noticeable than we would like. However, the smartphone still captivates you with its screen.

Yes, there is 2.5D glass, but the rounding is minimal. iPhone 8 looks like baby soap compared to Mi MIX 2. The “mix” in the body has too much seriousness. But not so much that the design can be called prim.

Along the perimeter we have a frame made of aerospace-grade aluminum alloy. It is polished to a matte state and this is much more practical than in the same iPhone X. There, the steel bumper is covered with scratches once or twice.

The back cover is made of ceramic that is noticeably curved at the edges. Its color differs from the body - there is a noble metallic tint. A neat inscription and a gold border around the camera eye (18 carat) - it all looks simply bomb.

There is a fingerprint scanner under the camera. It works well, there are no slips or brakes - everything that is required of it.

And yes, the smartphone is very slippery. If you can still somehow handle it in your hands, then you need to be extremely careful about where you put it. A minimal slope, even invisible to the naked eye, and the device itself will slide to the floor in a couple of minutes. And depending on your luck.

And this is another reason to carry your smartphone in the included case. It adds +256 to the smartphone’s grip. I put on the case and forgot about the slippery smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 looks good even in a case

Does the Ultrasonic Proximity Sensor cause problems? Hardly ever. “Practically” here because occasionally the display still doesn’t want to wake up when you move the device away from your head. Perhaps this is a software flaw and will be fixed.

Hardware and Build Quality

Unlike the previous model, the second version of Mi MIX 2 has rounded sides and a non-slip coating, making the phone more comfortable to hold. Ceramics are a hard material and will be damaged if dropped on concrete.

Due to the stabilization system, there was not enough space for a full-fledged large camera. At the bottom of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 there is a USB-C connector, to the right of it is a speaker, and to the left is a microphone. There is only one speaker, the second grille is made for symmetry.

There is another microphone at the top, on the left side there is a double slot for nanoSIM cards, on the right there are power and volume buttons. In the upper and lower parts of the body there are antenna lines, which are painted black and hardly stand out against the dark body.

About 93% of the MIX 2's front panel is occupied by the display, with the earpiece located at the top. At the bottom there is a USB-C connector, just above it there is an LED notification indicator. The front camera is located in the lower right corner, so you have to turn the smartphone over to take a selfie.

Xiaomi's new Mi MIX 2 is not small, but thanks to its smaller display it fits better in the hand and is easier to handle than the original version.

Software

One of the most pressing questions for any Xiaomi device is whether there is global firmware? Yes, I have. She came out almost immediately.

At the moment, the current version is MIUI 9, based on Android 7.1.1. The update to Android 8 is just around the corner. Not for whom exactly - it is still unknown.

It is impossible to find fault with the performance of the software. Nothing glitches, doesn’t crash, doesn’t freeze, and so on. Even notifications are now coming. Not everything and not always, but still this is a significant leap forward. Compared to how it was just six months ago, when you had to dance with a tambourine to force your smartphone not to be silent.

All the nice features of MIUI are in place, including cloning applications, themes, synchronization with Mi account, etc. So let’s not get hung up and move on.

Phone screen

On paper, it may seem that the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 with Full HD+ resolution is inferior to some flagships with a Quad HD display. However, in practice the difference is barely noticeable, and the only real drawback is the LCD panel instead of AMOLED.

The screen brightness is well adjusted and the image remains legible in any lighting conditions. The smartphone can be used in direct sunlight, but it will be inferior to the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8 with their oversaturated screens.

The Mi MIX 2 defaults to colors that look a little warmer than they should be - those who are dissatisfied can change the color temperature and adjust the contrast.

⇡#Camera

At the presentation, there was another notable embarrassment in addition to the discrepancy between the image and the rendered reality. Xiaomi, on a slide talking about the photo and video capabilities of the new product, mentioned that it uses the same camera as the Mi6, which many journalists hastily wrote about in their articles. But this, however, is not the case - Mi MIX 2 has a single, not a double, module installed. And even though the sensor is the same as on the wide-angle camera Mi6 (Sony IMX386, 12 megapixels, pixel size – 1.25 microns), but even the optics are less aperture - ƒ/2.0 versus ƒ/1.8 on a less expensive device.

But at least four-axis optical stabilization and phase detection autofocus remained in place. The camera application has not changed in any way externally (this is normal, but in general there is something to improve in it), but it works faster than on all previous Xiaomi smartphones that we have tested. The device also focuses very quickly, both during the day and in the dark. But there are some problems with accuracy - in difficult situations, when you need, for example, to aim at a thin branch or an inscription on glass, the smartphone can smear for a long time and sadly. But nothing critical can be said about the camera’s performance.

Also, however, nothing particularly laudatory can be said. The features are standard - HDR, panorama, a set of filters, a mode with manual settings, a rather mediocre mode for simulating tilt-shift optics.

The shooting quality is normal, but not outstanding, which is what you expect from a flagship. Here, Mi MIX 2 is inferior to all competitors from A-brands, and, for example, Huawei P10/Mate 9 or Nokia 8. Due to optical stabilization, the smartphone allows you to take fairly clear pictures in low-light conditions, but they cannot be called sharp and low-noise - It lacks both aperture and high-quality post-processing. It’s difficult to make serious complaints about daytime photos: the sharpness is normal, the color rendition is natural, but the dynamic range in comparison with smartphones with dual modules built according to the “RGB sensor + monochrome sensor” scheme is much lower. For obvious reasons, there is no portrait mode, and there is no software background blur either.

Gallery of pictures

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 can shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second with continuous focusing.

The front camera is completely disappointing. It replicates the module used in Mi MIX 2, both in its unfortunate location (lower left corner of the front panel) and in its low-resolution sensor (5 megapixels). The camera lacks autofocus and flash and is equipped with an ultra-wide-angle lens. Optical distortion is excessive, but a lot of things fit into the frame, which is convenient for group self-portraits. To take a selfie, you should use the volume key (its lower part, traditionally, is also responsible for releasing the shutter). When you try to point at a virtual key on the screen, you inevitably block part of the lens’s field of view with your hand. The front camera is of little use for shooting in the dark, and even in daylight the detail leaves much to be desired.

High performance

The interface in Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 does not freeze, navigation is very smooth, applications launch without delay, and the phone uses a maximum of 5 of the 6 GB of RAM for normal tasks.

The built-in UFS 2.1 memory is quite fast, out of 256 GB of storage, 244 GB is free, 12 GB is occupied by the system. After installing multiple apps and saving photos and videos during my testing, 200GB remained available.

This smartphone is also suitable for games - loading is almost instantaneous, the graphics are excellent, the body does not overheat, there are no problems.

When tested in the benchmark, Mi MIX 2 showed results close to the Galaxy Note 8 - logical, given the almost identical hardware. In everyday tasks, the differences between smartphones are invisible.

In the AnTuTu test, the new MIX 2 scored 177,209 points, second only to OnePlus 5 and HTC U11, and in Geekbench 4 single-core mode it received 1,924 points, in multi-core - 6,147. Finally, in 3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme it scored 2,700 points .

Sound and its quality

The bottom speaker of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 produces loud sound without distortion. The quality is not impressive, but for a smartphone it is enough. The adapter for connecting regular headphones is inserted into the USB-C connector, so you won’t be able to listen to music and charge the battery at the same time.

Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to connect several headsets at once - the sound quality will be approximately at the level of the Galaxy Note 8. Audiophiles will be dissatisfied, but others will be able to enjoy music to their heart's content.

Phone calls and networks

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 has support for 43 LTE bands - only 37 are available on most other smartphones. Almost every country band in the world is covered:

• 2G: GSM 2, 3, 5, 8;
• 3G: CDMA EVDO, BC0, BC1, BC6, BC10;
• 3G: WCDMA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 19;
• 3G: TDS-CDMA 34, 39;
• 4G TD-LTE: 34, 38, 39, 40, 41;
• 4G FDD-LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 41.

There are no problems with calls over traditional voice networks or using VoLTE. Despite the thin earpiece, the owner of the Mi MIX 2 can be heard loud and clear.

Fingerprint's scanner

The fingerprint scanner on the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is located below the main camera, in the center of the upper rear part - a standard location on modern smartphones, allowing you to reach it with your finger.

The scanner works accurately and quickly, almost always recognizing the user correctly. There aren't a ton of supported gestures, but tapping the sensor in the camera app works like a shutter release. If the function is not needed, it can be disabled.

Set

A normal flagship should be visible already from the box. And if Xiaomi Mi6, also kind of like a top-end device, is hidden in a regular, white package, where everything is exactly the same as in state-priced phones, then Mi MIX 2 received a package of a completely different cut.

First of all, she's black. Which means everything is serious. Secondly, everything inside is neatly laid out in compartments. Thirdly, a cover was immediately found in the kit. And not silicone for one cent, but hard, very pleasant to the touch, reliable, but, most importantly, does not spoil the appearance of the device.

I don't like covers, but this is that rare exception. You can and should only carry Mi MIX 2 in the included case. He's never embarrassed.

Without case

In a case

Long lasting battery

Even with intensive load of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, the 3,400 mAh battery will last the whole day - that is, enough for about 4-6 hours with the display always on. The energy saving feature will help you last even longer. Many competitors with 3,000-3,500 mAh batteries discharge faster.

Thanks to Quick Charge 3.0 technology, Mi MIX 2 will charge from 0 to 100% in less than 2 hours - a similar result was shown by the LG G6 with the same battery capacity and fast charging.

Autonomy

The previous mix had a 4,400 mAh battery, and in the new one it was reduced by exactly a thousand mach. Sadly? I didn't think so.

The smartphone lives quietly for one full day with two SIM cards inserted, constant notifications via 4G and Wi-Fi, calls, photos, social networks, and so on.

Once the screen went crazy and lasted for 6 hours straight. I haven’t seen such a record again, but 4 - 4.5 hours of display glow are guaranteed in any case.

Since we have a chipset from Qualcomm, their fast charging is present. And here are the results of my measurements:

• 30 minutes - 55%
• 60 minutes - 90%
• 75 minutes - 96%
• 90 minutes - 100%

Impressive? Still would! And you don’t need to buy anything extra to get the fastest charging possible (hello, Apple!).

If anything, the smartphone takes a long time to charge from a two-amp charger (not the original one) - 2 hours 30 minutes.

Software

The updated Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 runs on Android 7.1.1 with MIUI 9 Beta user interface. Security updates are released relatively regularly. The company also listens to the wishes of users when adding new functions - for this there is a MI Community program.

The interface is colorful, applications from Microsoft and SwiftKey are preinstalled. MIUI offers a variety of themes to choose from for those who are not satisfied with the standard one. Some applications here have been changed and improved - for example, in the calculator you can convert units of measurement and currency.

Due to the display's non-standard 18:9 aspect ratio, some apps appear with a small black bar at the top, but this is better than not loading apps at all. In the video, black bars appear on both sides.

Multi-window mode in Mi MIX 2 allows you to open two applications at the same time - the 5.99-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio is perfect for this. Instagram doesn't support split-screen mode, but it has problems with it on almost any device.

There are few downsides to this flagship's smooth and lightweight software. If you're not happy with all your apps on the home screen and not in a separate tray, install Nova or Action Launcher.

Control

There is something to tell about this, so I separated it into a separate section.

Many manufacturers in 2022 are faced with the problem of screen optimization. Some still haven’t really understood how to optimize the picture for the new 18:9 ratio. Others have rounded the edges of the displays, but don’t know where to put the ugly on-screen keys.

The LED is hidden under the screen

Xiaomi was faced with two problems at once: the screen had new proportions and the corners were rounded.

There are no special problems with the first one. Android is rubber and stretches to fit a new type of screen on its own. At least under the MIUI 8.5 shell.

But Xiaomi doesn’t yet have an ideal solution to the second question. The default MIUI interface has only on-screen buttons. And on rounded corners they look foreign. However, you can hide them from the device settings so as not to spoil the interface.

Now each time you have to make a small swipe from the bottom edge to reach the buttons. By the way, they block part of the open application, but, fortunately, they themselves hide after some time.

Yes, convenience suffers. But with the buttons, everything looks anything but comme il faut. Besides, you quickly get used to such constant swipes.

By the way, in some applications, the corners slightly cut off useful information. For example, in World of Tanks Blitz the title version and FPS rate suffer.

Cameras Xiaomi Mi MIX 2

There are several modes available in the camera app, including Audio, Beautify, Square, Timer, Straighten, Tilt-shift, Panorama, Manual, Group Selfies, and HHT.

Manual mode allows you to adjust ISO, exposure, focus and white balance, as well as select the format - 4:3, 16:9 or 18:9. Wide 18:9 photos look interesting and unusual.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 has HDR, but you have to turn it on manually. Please note that in HDR it will take several seconds from pressing the shutter button to saving the photo. There are also various filters.

There are 2 modes for video - Time Lapse and Slow Mo. Recording in 4K/30 fps format is supported, but slow motion is only possible in 720p/120 fps.

Color reproduction is good, even in low light conditions, the image is not too grainy or noisy, and the amount of detail in the images is simply impressive.

Cameras

Here we have two oddities. The first refers to the front sensor, the second to the rear. Let's figure it out.

Front-camera

The location of the front camera is confusing. There was no room for it above the screen, so the camera module (OV5675) was placed below. For the best effect, the smartphone will have to be turned over each time.

Uncomfortable? Personally, I didn’t think so, although I rarely take selfies and exclusively for testing front cameras.

The most important thing is the quality of shooting, and it is decent.

Main camera

And this is the second strange thing - for some reason Xiaomi decided to install only one module on the back. However, inconsistency is the company's middle name. Either they have Mi6 - the flagship, then Mi Note 3, then Mi MIX 2. Although each of these smartphones could be combined into one and get a truly uncompromising top. But apparently this is too simple.

In any case, forget about background blur, optical zoom and other flagship things of 2022.

And we also forget about the top quality of shooting, because the matrix used here is Sony IMX386 - the same one as in Mi6.

In general, as soon as Xiaomi starts paying attention to photo and video shooting, I will begin to recommend their devices to everyone without exception. Now, when asked to recommend something from smartphones, I clarify in advance - do you need high-quality photography on a phone? Oh, is it necessary?.. Then we put all Xiaomi devices aside. It's a pity, because they're great.

No HDR

With HDR

No HDR

With HDR

Okay, I took a whack at the Mi MIX 2 camera. Actually, it’s not bad. It simply lags behind the very best market solutions by at least a year or two.

Pleasant. The smartphone supports full screen shooting. For some reason the format is called “Widescreen 16:9”, and not the logical “18:9”. In this form, the viewfinder opens entirely to the entire display and also takes photographs.

Finally, a short comparison with the LG V30+ camera (left). In general, LG, starting in 2015, abandoned work on photography, so the device will not work as an older, cooler camera.

All examples in original size can be downloaded here.

Video recording

It would seem, 4K, 30 frames per second - what else do you need? But we need real quality, not dry numbers.

Particularly annoying is the disregard for the quality of sound recording.

Not only is the quality in general not very good, but there is also a disgusting gurgling noise reduction, with which the developers do nothing at all.

Optical stabilization works, but is far from perfect - there is a jelly effect.

But for the wretched Slow Motion I scolded and will continue to scold the company. The iPhone learned to shoot 1080p at 120 fps back in 2016. And devices from Xiaomi are still running at 720p. Fine?!