On July 24 in Madrid, Xiaomi presented to invited journalists and guests the new smartphone Xiaomi Mi A2 and its slightly simplified version - Mi A2 Lite.
I was lucky not only to attend this presentation, but also to get my hands on the new product in person . The news about the very fact of the presentation is unlikely to interest you, so I took time out for the day to test the new Mi A2 and tell you what kind of smartphone it is and whether it is worth our attention.
Looking ahead, it is worth it, thanks to a combination of several factors, which I will write about below.
Review and technical specifications of the Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone
Xiaomi Mi A2 (Mi 6X) is a new mid-price smartphone that offers everything you could dream of at a cost of just over $250 - Snapdragon 660 processor, large 5.99-inch FullHD+ screen, 3010 mAh battery, USB port C and most importantly - a good main camera with a resolution of 12 and 20 megapixels, as well as f/1.75 aperture. But will this help to surpass the success of Xiaomi Mi A1 - the brand’s first smartphone with a clean shell, which received popular love and universal recognition. Well, let's conduct a full review of the Xiaomi Mi A2 in Russian and figure it out.
Equipment Xiaomi Mi A2
Xiaomi Mi A2 comes in an unusual cardboard packaging, which is very different from what the manufacturer has done before. It is white, with an image of the Xiaomi Mi A2 phone on the front side and the Android One logo, which is emphasized.
The following delivery package awaits us inside:
- Charger with current 5V/2A;
- USB Type-C cable, whereas the first generation used the outdated MicroUSB;
- An adapter for a 3.5 mm audio jack, which was unfortunately abandoned in the new product;
- A paperclip for opening the SIM card tray;
- Silicone bumper.
Fingerprint scanner
Back to contents
There are no questions about the scanner itself; it reads your finger quickly and without problems. There are questions about optimization. It takes too long from clicking on the scanner to turning on the screen. More details in the video:
But there is no ban on copies of one fingerprint, which is now quite rare. You can enter 5 in total. Face Unlock is represented only by a crutch made of gapps, which is available on any smartphone. I see no point in considering it.
Design Xiaomi Mi A2
The main change that immediately catches your eye is the appearance of a widescreen display with an aspect ratio of 18:9, which makes using the smartphone more comfortable, because more useful information can be placed on the screen while maintaining the compact dimensions of the case. Above the screen there is not only an earpiece, but also basic sensors, a front camera and an LED indicator for missed notifications, so you won't miss anything important.
The Xiaomi Mi A2 body is constructed of premium metal, which ensures its reliability, practicality and pleasant tactile experience. The front of the smartphone is covered with protective glass with a 2.5D effect, under which there is a 5.99-inch display with minimal frames around the entire perimeter. Due to this, it occupies 77.63% of the entire front surface area.
For navigation, it is proposed to use virtual keys with the ability to fine-tune them. In this regard, there was no need for the bottom edge; it is simply empty.
On the back there is a horizontal block with a dual main camera and flash. Closer to the middle there is a fingerprint scanner area. It is made in a recess so that it is easy to find by touch. The block with cameras rises above the body by about 2 mm, so without using a case it will be very easy to damage.
The bottom edge is occupied by a USB Type-C port, an external speaker, and a microphone. Alas, a review of the Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone showed that it abandoned the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
An additional noise-canceling microphone and an infrared port are installed on top. It is a distinctive feature of Xiaomi smartphones, because almost no one uses it anymore, but in vain, because it is so convenient to use one device to control all home appliances.
The right side of the Xiaomi Mi A2 body is occupied by the power button and volume rocker.
On the left is a hybrid tray where you can install two Nano SIM cards or one, but paired with microSD.
Rounded corners and reduced frames add to the ergonomics, making the plastic case fit well in the hand. The only thing is that it is quite slippery, so it is better not to neglect the use of the supplied case. With its help, you can eliminate this drawback and not risk your device. There are several color options - from classic black and gold to soft pink, red and blue.
Conclusion
To the table of contents
In a nutshell, take RN5. Seriously, Mi A2 does not have any significant advantages over it, and at the same time it costs significantly more. The loss will only be in performance, but even then it will be insignificant. You can install a custom one on a bare Android there too (though after a month of waiting for the bootloader to be unlocked) and it will be almost exactly the same phone. Looking at the A2 now, nothing interesting comes to mind except its pleasant metal body. Thanks to all.
The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.
Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone display
The Xiaomi Mi A2 64gb review moves on to the display, which is represented by a 5.99-inch IPS LCD matrix with an 18:9 aspect ratio and FullHD+ resolution (2160x1080 pixels). Although the smartphone is budget, they did not skimp on the quality of the matrix. Thanks to this, we get a high pixel density of 403 ppi and therefore a beautiful image with good detail. The screen is covered with tempered Gorilla Glass 5 with an oleophobic coating, so your finger glides well and leaves almost no fingerprints. The glass is attached to a plastic base that protrudes slightly above the aluminum. This approach cannot be imagined in modern flagships, but it also has its advantages, increasing maintainability.
The brightness reserve of the Xiaomi Mi A2 screen is not enough - only 420 nits. This is enough for the image to remain readable in direct sunlight, but the image fades greatly. It may be strange, but the cheaper Redmi Note 5 provides more brightness and better contrast. The matrix is well calibrated, has maximum viewing angles, but it doesn’t stand out in anything special. This is a standard IPS display, which is now at plus or minus the same level in all smartphones.
Just a big screen
The display characteristics of mid-range Xiaomi smartphones are practically the same. Diagonal - 5.99 inches, resolution - 1080 × 2160 pixels. Yes, here we also have an elongated screen with an aspect ratio of 2:1; to fully follow the fashion, the only thing missing is a “unibrow”; it’s even strange that they didn’t add it here.
There are no additional screen settings: for example, you cannot change the color balance if you are not satisfied with the default mode.
Performance and specifications of Xiaomi Mi A2
The Mi A1 used the Snapdragon 625 processor, which prioritizes power efficiency over performance. The technical characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi A2 have increased in this regard, because it received a more powerful Snapdragon 660 chip, which contains 4 cores of 2.2 GHz and another 4 of 1.8 GHz. At this time, the predecessor’s processor did not overclock above 2.0 GHz, so we get a noticeable performance increase. The Adreno 512 video chip is responsible for the graphics, which is also a step up from the 506 in the original.
I took a Xiaomi Mi A 2 with 4Gb of RAM and 64Gb of internal memory for review. This is already enough, and if desired, you can get additional space via MicroSD. The performance is enough for even the most demanding games, most of which run at consistently high fps on medium graphics.
Xiaomi Mi A2 test in Antutu
Memory
Back to contents
My copy has 4 GB of LPDDR4X RAM manufactured by Micron and 64 GB of eMMC 5.1 ROM. There are also versions in 4/32 and 6/128. With 15 applications open, an average of 900 MB of RAM is available. They remain confident in the background, most applications are not unloaded and retain the last open activity. In terms of ROM speed, A2, RN5 and R5+ are equal.
Sound and multimedia capabilities
A review of the Xiaomi Mi A2 4 64gb smartphone showed that it uses a single external speaker installed on the bottom edge. It is on the right and this is a huge plus, otherwise it would be blocked by your hand when you hold the phone in landscape orientation. I have this problem on my OnePlus 5T, which is my main device. The volume reserve is excellent even despite the use of a single speaker. If you turn on a movie at 80% volume, it will be clearly audible even at the other end of the apartment.
The sound quality in headphones connected via an adapter is average. Not to say that the sound is bad, but you shouldn't expect anything incredible from it.
Audio
Back to contents
On the RN5, the external speaker seemed unsuitable for listening to anything other than a ringtone. On the A2 the situation is better, there is no rattling throughout the entire body at maximum volume and all frequencies do not merge into a single mess. But it’s also far from flagship speakers. In general, this is quite a standard result for its segment. The volume is sufficient to not miss a call on a noisy street. The sound in the headphones is also nothing special. The only thing worth canceling is that in my wired headphones through the included adapter, the maximum volume level is significantly lower than with the same headphones, but connected via BT. We should also talk about vibration. It shakes so much that it can be heard right across the room. If in the smartphone industry, devices with standard vibration are considered to be Apple products with their Taptic Engine, then compared to the A2, probably even the antediluvian push-button Nokia will be able to boast a more pleasant vibration motor. When there is an incoming call, when the phone is in the inner pocket of the jacket, this is not such a problem, but as soon as you turn on the vibration response in the system, the desire to use this phone immediately disappears.
There is no pre-installed player, only Google Play Music. Of the additional sound goodies, only presets for Xiaomi headphones. There is no FM radio out of the box, but there are rumors that on the A2 the module is blocked by software in the same way as on the A1, and it’s really possible to revive it. True, I never saw confirmation of this.
Xiaomi Mi A2 battery life
Xiaomi Mi A2 4/64gb has a 3,000 mAh battery, which is 80 mAh less than the original Mi A1. Taking into account the other characteristics, you should not expect the best battery life, it is rather average. In continuous video playback mode at half the display brightness, the battery was discharged in 9 hours. The result is good, but not outstanding. You can count on a confident day of active use.
A big plus is that the Xiaomi Mi A2 supports QuickCharge 4.0 fast charging technology, while the Mi A1 did not have it at all. But for this you will have to purchase a network adapter with the appropriate parameters. But from the included charger the smartphone charges in 1 hour 55 minutes, which is not fast at all. In 30 minutes, only 35% of the charge accumulates.
Xiaomi Mi A2 interface
The review of Xiaomi Mi A2 4 64 black moves on to the interface - the most interesting part, because the smartphone uses the Android One shell, and not MIUI, as in most brand devices. Thanks to this, the interface works as quickly and stably as possible, even at the start of sales.
Software
By default, Android 8.1.0 is installed with all the latest updates and security patches from Google. The smartphone will remain in this current state for another couple of years.
However, you should not expect that Mi A2 owners will receive updates to the latest OS as quickly as the Pixel series. For example, at best, a smartphone will be updated to Android 9 Pie before the end of this year. And yet, this is still faster than devices from other manufacturers that run on their own shells.
By and large, there are no complaints about the system. After all, this is bare Android, everything works great here. Except!
The first is a huge strip at the bottom edge of the screen, reserved for navigation keys. There are no system control gestures, so you can't remove that awkward bar.
The second is the stability of the proximity sensor. During a conversation over the Internet or through some messenger, the sensor turns on the screen and you accidentally press some button on the display with your ear. No matter how tightly you press the phone to your ear, the display still turns on after five seconds and immediately goes off. After another 5 seconds the scenario repeats. Accordingly, it is difficult to talk on such a device. I hope this is a software glitch and will be fixed in the next OS update.
Xiaomi Mi A2 camera review
A review of the Xiaomi Mi A2 4 64gb smartphone showed that the main camera is represented by two modules with a resolution of 12 MP and 20 MP, while the original Mi A1 had two 12 MP modules. During the update, the emphasis was placed on the cameras, wanting to squeeze out the maximum capabilities from them. The difference is especially noticeable when shooting in low light, where the quality has become an order of magnitude higher. The aperture has changed - now it is f/1.75 versus f/2.3 for its predecessor.
A review of the Xiaomi Mi A2 4 32g camera showed that in good lighting the photos are of excellent quality, which is not at all expected from a budget smartphone. With HDR turned on, we get photos with greater sharpness. The difference is especially noticeable when photographing foliage. By the way, HDR does its job well, improving the quality of processing objects located in the shadows. Color rendition matches what you see in front of the lens. The detail is excellent, there is practically no noise. The only thing I would like is to get a slightly wider dynamic range.
The Xiaomi Mi A2 4/64gb camera test showed that photos taken in low light conditions will not disappoint. They come out with good detail and color saturation is maintained. There is a portrait mode that allows you to take pictures with a neat separation of the subject from the background and a beautiful blur of the latter.
The front camera has a 20 megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture. This is a big leap forward, because previously 5MP was used, which did not give much hope for high quality photos. When photographing in good light, we get excellent photos with little noise, which is not a problem. Color rendition is also good. Dynamic range is severely limited and in an attempt to combat this, HDR is enabled, resulting in smoother images.
As the review of the new Xiaomi Mi A2 6 64 showed, even the selfie camera has a portrait mode. The background blur is surprisingly neat, and the subject is well separated from the background. The front camera has its own flash, although there is no particular difference when photographing with it. It makes sense to use it in absolute darkness, then you can still get a more or less decent shot.
Example photo on Xiaomi Mi A2
Video is recorded in 2160p at 30 frames per second, although optical stabilization is only available when recording video in FullHD quality. 4K videos have a bitrate of 42 Mb/s, but with FullHD we get only 20 Mb/s. Videos shot on the Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone are obtained with impressive detail, minimal noise and natural color reproduction. The sound is good, which is largely due to the effective noise reduction system. The stabilization works great, compensating for shaking and helping with panoramic shots. But when shooting in 4K, stabilization is not available, so FullHD videos turn out smoother and are much more enjoyable to watch. A review of the new Xiaomi Mi A2 phone revealed a real breakthrough in terms of the camera - it has become one of the best in the mid-price category and is even comparable to some flagships.
Conclusion
When developing Mi A1, the manufacturer had to make many simplifications in order to offer the most affordable device.
But in the second generation everything changed, mostly for the better, and the price tag remained almost at the same level. True, not everything is so good, because the new Xiaomi Mi A2 does not have a separate slot for MicroSD and a 3.5 mm jack. The main improvement is the camera and performance, but this is counterbalanced by autonomy, which has become much worse than the original Mi A1. Advantages:
- A clean Android One shell that gets updates faster;
- Productivity has increased;
- Loud noise;
- Great cameras.
Disadvantages of Xiaomi Mi A2:
- There is not enough screen brightness reserve;
- Battery life has degraded compared to Mi A1.
Where can I buy?
Buy a smartphone
Review of Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2
Review of the Xiaomi Redmi Pro smartphone - an excellent representative of the mid-price category
Review of the Xiaomi Redmi 6 smartphone - the new budget phone from Xiaomi is not as good as we wanted it to be
Xiaomi Mi Box 3 TV set-top box review
Xiaomi Mi 5X - average with a good camera and characteristics
Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro is the main contender for the title of the best smartphone of 2022 in the budget category
Xiaomi Redmi 5 - Xiaomi has prepared a pleasant surprise for its fans
Xiaomi Mi Max is a truly huge phablet with good hardware and price
How to enable charge percentage on the battery indicator?
In my copy everything is simple. Let's go to settings. Enable the display of battery charge level in the status bar. It is done!
If this is not the case for you, follow the instructions:
- Slide down the notification shade to reveal a gear that represents settings.
- Press and hold it. Release the gear a couple of seconds after it starts to rotate.
- A pop-up window will notify you that “System UI Tuner has been added to the Settings menu.” Steps 2-3 don't always work out the first time.
- At the very bottom of the settings menu, open the new “System UI Tuner” item.
- Turn on the "Show battery level as a percentage" option.
