Technology

Xiaomi Mi Mix: The super-sized superphone

YOU GOT TECH - Abe Olandes - The Philippine Star

November 21, 2016 | 12:00am

Xiaomi Mi Mix: The super-sized superphone

A new smarpthone is announced almost every couple of weeks or so and they’re mostly run-of-the-mill. With advances in mobile technology, there’s not really much to expect these days.

But every once in a while, a new device comes up that still surprises. Once such recent device is the Xiaomi Mi Mix.

When I got my hands on the Mi Mix, there was no denying that this phone was surely a looker.

It is quite large at 6.4 inches but compared to similarly-sized phablets like the earlier Xiaomi Mi Max at 6.44 inches, the former is actually much smaller. This is basically due to the very thin bezels on the sides and at the top corner. The Mi Mix has a 91.3 percent screen-to-body ratio – the highest we’ve seen in any smartphone we’ve used ever.

The screen has an unusal 17:9 aspect ratio so the resolution is also a little off at 2040×1080 pixels, which is just a little over full HD. Still, the IPS LCD display looks really good, crisp and bright.

The Mi Mix weighs 209 grams, which is heavy, but that’s understandable considering its size. The all-glass front panel is mimicked by the ceramic back panel. It’s a bit slippery on the hands and the width is borderline unmanageable with one hand so most of the time, you will need both hands to use it. It’s nice that Xiaomi already included a leather case with the box.

The design and construction is spot-on even for a smartphone this big. On the right side is the power button and volume controls, and on the left side is the SIM card slot. There’s a 3.5mm audio port up top and the USB Type-C charging port is at the bottom along with the speaker grill.

The front-facing camera is positioned at the bottom end of the panel, which is the only place they can have it. Video calls will be a little awkward as the angle is off-center. Best way to manage this is to set it sideways with the camera on the far end. Same goes with taking selfies.

The back is a ceramic panel that feels like glass infused in metal. The rear camera is in the middle with the fingerprint scanner just below it. There’s a thin laser etching right across the middle that says “Mix designed by Mi” (the design was in partnership with French designer Philippe Starck).

The Mi Mix runs on the latest Snapdragon 821 chip with a max speed of 2.35GHz (same chip as the Google Pixel, Pixel XL and Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe) with options for 4GB or 6GB of RAM. Base storage is already at 128GB but also has a 256GB variant. This is certainly one of the best devices in the business.

Since it doesn’t have room on the front for components such as the earpiece and proximity sensors, the Mix instead uses a ceramic acoustic system, ultrasonic proximity sensor and compact front camera located at the bottom right corner. It’s actually a bit weird making calls using the Mi Mix because of the vibrations that creep thru your face. Perhaps, you’ll get used to it in time.

Xiaomi certainly knows how to wow its loyal fans and the Mi Mix is a fine example of further pushing smartphone engineering. The size is not for everyone to appreciate so I’m hoping Xiaomi might make a smaller variant in the 5.5 to 5.7-inch range and price it even more competitively.

Xiaomi Mi Mix specs:

6.4-inch IPS LCD display @ 2040×1080 pixels, 362ppi

Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 2.35GHz quad-core CPU

Adreno 530

4GB/6GB LPDDR4 RAM

128GB/256GB UFS 2.0 internal storage

4G+ LTE

WiFi 802.11ac

Bluetooth 4.2

NFC

HD 192KHz/24-bit audio

GPS with SAP, GLONASS, BDS