You can find out in our review. The smartphone is really good and worthy of a choice! But, many users, despite all its advantages and advantages, describe in their reviews the problems and cons of Mi A1, which they do not like or annoy.
We have collected for readers 7 of the main shortcomings of Mi A1, so that you do not have unnecessary disappointments from this wonderful phone.
Useful materials on the topic:
Quick charge
Unfortunately, Xiaomi Mi A1 does not support fast charging technology (). On average, the user will need more than 2 hours to fully charge the smartphone. The device comes with a 5 volt / 2 amp charging adapter.
If you had experience using any other Chinese phone, for example, OnePlus 5, then charging the Mi A1 will seem slow to you. The lack of support for Quick Charge upsets Xiaomi fans who are used to fast battery charging.
Stabilization when shooting 4K video
It's amazing that the Mi A1 is recording 4K video, but at the same time, Xiaomi developers have not taken care of supporting OIS technology ( Optical Image Stabilizer).
For the user, this means that the 4K video being shot will have poor stabilization. It will be inconvenient to get a good picture without using a tripod.
Perhaps this defect will be fixed with the release of a new firmware or software update.
RGB LEDs
The Mi A1 smartphone does not have an RGB LED at the top of the smartphone. For LED indication of notifications only one light with white color is used.
Users are accustomed to using the Xiaomi light indication to get information about a missed call, message, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Facebook or Vkontakte notification, just by looking at this light. But the Mi A1 is just one white light without any tricks.
One small thing and users are already reproaching Xiaomi Mi A1 in reviews for the fact that such a function is even in the Moto G5 plus or OnePlus 3tT / 5, and it makes using the smartphone more convenient.
Navigation panel light
The navigation bar has an option to highlight the keys. This is actually great, but many users, as it turned out, are annoyed that this feature cannot be disabled by default.
Especially when you use a smartphone at night and the extra backlight only interferes. It would be nice if the device had the ability to disable this feature for those who do not need it and who are used to without highlighting the bottom navigation bar.
Battery capacity
Mi A1 is equipped with a 3080 mAh battery. This is less than the battery capacity on the Moto G5S Plus or Lenovo K8 Note, which are the main competitors of the phone for the price.
For those users who are not yet familiar with Xiaomi devices and prefer to choose a new smartphone, focusing only on the numbers in the specification and technical specifications, this nuance can be decisive in the choice.
It is possible that the battery in Mi A1 is more optimized and, despite its lower capacity, it can hold a charge for longer and work, but only the user will have to review the tests on the battery life of Mi A1 to understand this.
Availability
So far Xiaomi Mi A1 is available in only one version 4/64 GB and three color models Black, Gold and Rose Gold.
Many users wrote that they would like to be able to buy a smartphone with 2 Gigabytes of RAM and 32 GB of internal. Why overpay for unnecessary RAM, if the main thing in this smartphone is high-quality.
Xiaomi fans would like that such a good phone can be bought in versions with different specifications and at more affordable prices.
Lack of MIUI
And the lack of MIUI in Mi A1 - most of all repels Xiaomi fans.
If you are used to many unique MIUI functions and its features (for example, creating a double account, supporting various themes, etc.), then it will be unusual for you to switch to full-fledged Android.
However, it showed that the device on the android is much faster. Only for this, it is worth choosing Xiaomi Mi A1.
Xiaomi is known for its inexpensive, but high-quality smartphones, which are quite capable of competing with models of more expensive brands. One of such devices is Xiaomi Mi A1, the characteristics and features of which we will analyze in detail in today's review. The device was released in collaboration between Xiaomi and Google. This is the first smartphone in the Android One program and it runs on a clean version of Android without MIUI shell.
Design and package delivery Xiaomi Mi A1
The smartphone has a stylish and modern appearance, which is characterized by smooth lines and rounded corners. Its polished all-metal casing can withstand even quite serious loads, providing the model with high strength and reliability. The device is available in three colors: black, pink and gold. Its dimensions are 155.4x75.8x7.3 mm. Due to its very small thickness, the device is conveniently located in the hand or in your pocket. It is very light and weighs only 165 grams.
On the bottom of the smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1 compactly built-in USB-connector, which serves to connect to a computer and for charging, next to a standard headphone input, microphone and speaker. In principle, the location of these elements is standard and convenient. On the top panel is an infrared blaster, as well as another microphone. On the right side is a convenient lock button and a volume rocker. On the left side, the creators of the device placed a slot for a SIM card and MicroSD. Under the large screen of the device is a small standard control panel of three touch buttons. The front camera is made almost invisible, next to it are proximity and lighting sensors, as well as a small indicator light.
As for the back panel, a dual photomodule is integrated in the upper part, a flash is next to it, and below it is a fingerprint scanner. At the bottom, the Xiaomi logo is applied, and under it is the inscription androidone. The case has a special oleophobic coating, so that even active use without a cover will not spoil its appearance. The display is covered with a special durable 2.5D Gorilla Glass designed to protect against damage.
In general, the design of the Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone very much resembles the already implemented solutions in other models of the Xiaomi Redmi line - it is pleasant, convenient and smooth.
The device includes:
- adapter for charging;
- USB cable
- pin to open the SIM card slot;
- instruction manual with warranty card.
Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone: screen review
The device has a large 5.5 inch LTPS FHD display. It features the following characteristics:
- Resolution - 1920x1080 pixels.
- The pixel density is 403 ppi.
- Brightness - 450 nits.
- Contrast Ratio - 1000: 1.
The user gets ample opportunity to customize the display. In the device, adjust the brightness, contrast, color saturation and other parameters. The user can independently activate the automatic shift of the color scheme towards yellow, which makes the screen safer for the eyes. A special oleophobic coating effectively prevents the appearance of fingerprints on the screen, and also makes the control smooth and enjoyable.
Performance and OS Xiaomi Mi A1
The developers of the smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1 have tried their best to ensure that the phone gives maximum performance. The model is equipped with an energy-efficient and consistently good 8-core processor from Qualcomm - Snapdragon 625. The maximum frequency of which can be 2 GHz. It also has a special cooling system, which consists of two sheets of pyrolytic graphite elements. They remove heat from the processor and avoid overheating.
The device has a popular Adreno 506 graphics processor, it has an operating frequency of 650 MHz. In combination with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal flash memory (about 46 available to the user), this makes the Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone very productive even when working with heavy games and applications. The power of the GPU allows you to shoot high quality video. As for user memory, it can be expanded with a microSD card with a capacity of up to 128 GB. True, in this case you will have to sacrifice a second SIM card, since the slot is combined.
As for the operating system, now Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone can be bought in Moscow or any other city on the optimized Android 7.1.2. Until the New Year, they promise to upgrade to the current eighth version of Android Oreo. The system is characterized by stable operation and a high degree of security.
Xiaomi Mi A1 Smartphone - Multimedia Features
The device has a built-in 10-watt sound amplification system, which is very useful for both party lovers and those who cannot live without headphones. Thanks to her, he can even work with passive headphones and other audio systems having a resistance of up to 600 Ohms.
The main dual camera Xiaomi Mi A1 deserves a separate review. Despite the fact that there are many models on the market that have a dual photo module built in, it is in this device that the idea is implemented most successfully. The module consists of two 12 megapixel wide-angle lenses and a telephoto lens. In order to fully appreciate the effectiveness of the camera and its capabilities, it is worth trying portrait shooting: it displays the fashionable “bokeh” effect - the background is effectively blurred, while the front, on the contrary, acquires incredible clarity. This is achieved by combining a binocular stereoscopic visualization system with a deep learning algorithm, which allows you to create beautiful blurry backgrounds and clear edges. To create a better and richer image, 1.25µm pixels are used in a wide-angle lens, and 1 µm in a telephoto lens. Their aperture ratio is also different - in the first case it is f / 2.2, and in the second - f / 2.6.
The advantages of the photomodule do not end there - it is equipped with a double optical and tenfold digital zoom, which allows you to zoom in and focus the image even on distant objects. A powerful flash with a bright two-color LED gives rich lighting that is as close as possible to natural daylight. Ultra-fast PDAF autofocus reduces the focusing time of the camera on the Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone to just one tenth of a second. This is an excellent indicator. Thanks to him, the user will be able to shoot even fast-moving objects. There is the possibility of panoramic and continuous shooting, as well as HDR adjustment.
The front camera of the smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1 is represented by a 5-megapixel module with aperture f / 2.0 and pixels 1.25µm. There is a face recognition function and a selfie timer. For editing images, a smart filter Beautify 3.0 is provided. The video device shoots in resolution up to 4K at a frequency of 30 fps, and in slow motion 720p at 120 fps.
In principle, judging specifically by the cameras, in this price range the device has almost no competitors. However, if we consider the overall quality of the shooting, then it is mediocre. The front camera sometimes lags focusing.
Interfaces, sensors, navigation, autonomy Xiaomi Mi A1
The device supports all the wireless interfaces necessary for a modern gadget, such as:
- Bluetooth 4.2;
- Wi-Fi in the 2.4 / 5G range with support for Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Display.
To ensure the most efficient geolocation and navigation, the smartphone supports GPS, AGPS, GLONASS and BEIDOU systems. This allows the user to determine the location with maximum accuracy, and also ensures the effective operation of a number of other functions of the Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone.
As for the sensors, in addition to the mentioned fingerprint scanner, proximity sensors and lighting, there are:
- accelerometer;
- infrared sensor;
- gyroscope;
- hall Sensor.
Xiaomi Mi A1: price, pros and cons, video review
Before considering the advantages and disadvantages, it is worth noting that the price of Xiaomi Mi A1 in Russia is 16,990 rubles. This is a budget device, and therefore you can not relate to its minuses so strictly. So, first about the pros:
- If necessary, the device can be used as a remote control. This function is possible thanks to the infrared sensor. It allows you to control TVs, air conditioners, heaters and many other devices that receive this type of signal. This will be very useful for those who always lose remotes from home appliances. Using this feature is very convenient thanks to the special Mi Remote application.
- The smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1 has good performance and speed. In many respects, this is due not only to the processor, but also to a clean OS. Although the functionality of the shell is sometimes not enough, in general, everything works very harmoniously.
- For such characteristics and capabilities, the device is really inexpensive.
- Nice design and three options for the most common colors for every taste.
- The camera in the device, despite the fact that it is dual, shoots medium. The quality is far from that which the manufacturer is positioning. For this money, in principle, no one expected a high level, but it is unpleasant.
- Lack of fast charge. Not surprisingly, the battery capacity is charged in half an hour by 25%, and completely in 2 hours.
- Lack of an NFC module.
Xiaomi Mi A1 - This is a landmark device for the company. For the first time, the Chinese collaborated with Google and released a joint smartphone. Xiaomi in this case is responsible for hardware, and Google for Android and the latest updates for 3 years. It sounds cool, but the smartphone has a lot of nuances. I will tell about all in the review.
Since the Russian representative office of Xiaomi (“Smart Orange”) does not find the strength to respond to my inquiries, I bought Xiaomi Mi A1 myself. Moreover, this time, I did it not in China, but here in Russia. At the same time, I will tell you how the official version of Mi A1 differs from the global one, which can be hooked up 5-6 thousand cheaper in some online store, such as Aliexpress or Gearbest. Go!
Unpacking
We are met by excellent, high-quality and pleasant packaging in all respects. If anything, I made all the photo boxes from under the device on the Mi A1 camera, plus I added a little color correction. Why not?
Immediately a nuance! On the back of the cardboard casing, we have a patch with the main parameters of the device, information about the manufacturer in Russian. It is with this sticker that the official version of the smartphone differs from the one that can be ordered from China.
Inside there was a USB-C cable and a power supply without support for fast charging (5 V and 2 A). There is no wired headset.
The second difference between the Xiaomi Mi A1 officially sold by us is the manual and the warranty card in full in Russian.
Design
The smartphone comes in three colors: all black, gold and pink. Only the first two colors are sold in Russia. Pink must be mined independently from the Middle Kingdom. Let it be for now.
I chose the black color, because the boys in the area do not understand. But seriously, I missed. It is best to buy a gold version, because it looks the most winning. Especially in the back, where the double-camera peephole clearly stands out against the golden back. Antenna strips neatly bending along the body add some charm. It all looks like you have the iPhone 7 Plus in your hands. From far away. Strongly from afar.
Black modification looks boring. Mi A1 in this color is simply lost against the background of its countless fellow smartphones. Our hero is especially strongly like.
In the hand, the smartphone lies well, but we must keep in mind that this is still a 5.5-inch shovel. There are devices that, with the same diagonal, received a more compact body. For example, .
| Length | Width | Thickness | Weight | |
| Xiaomi Mi A1 (5.5 ’’) | 155,4 | 75,8 | ||
| Huawei Nova Plus (5.5 ’’) | 151,8 | 75,7 | ||
| Honor 6X (5.5 ’’) | 150,9 | 76,2 | ||
| OnePlus 5 (5.5 ’’) | 154,2 | 74,1 | 7,25 |
Under the display are three backlit touch buttons. If anything, then the Split View mode (multi-window) is called by a long hold of the left key.
Accordingly, the fingerprint scanner moved to the back side. Personally, I like it when fingerprinting is built into the Home button on the front. But you can live with it. The main thing is that the scanner is fast and recognizes fingerprints in 10 out of 10 cases.
What is the build quality? I’m not very lucky - the back cover in my copy creaks for some reason, and only when you take the smartphone in your hand. Otherwise, everything is fine.
By the way, the back cover is scratched quite easily. I wore my device without a cover for only a week, put it on a more or less clean surface, but small scratches still appeared.
Display
Here we have a very normal 5.5-inch IPS panel. Good, adequate color reproduction, moderate contrast (1000: 1) and decent viewing angles. Only under extreme deviation does a whitish fog appear on the screen.
Yes, I have met better IPS panels, but believe me, there’s nothing to criticize the screen of Xiaomi Mi A1 for. Especially if you keep in mind its price.
Nevertheless, I still found one nuance - this is brightness, the stock of which is not enough. In the sun, the display looks dull. And this despite the fact that the brightness level is declared at 450 nits (industry standard). There are no problems in the room.
And even in the settings there was no section where you could adjust the temperature of the flowers. In smartphones from Xiaomi, such an item is always present, but not in our case. After all, the smartphone does not work on MIUI, but on bare Android 7.
The same can be said about the LED indicator. It glows only in white and its behavior is not configured at all. Accustomed to customizing MIUI, you should know about this in advance.
And yes! There is an oleophobic coating and it is wonderful.
Technical specifications Xiaomi Mi A1
- qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 8 cores and a frequency of 2 GHz (14 nm manufacturing process)
- adreno 506 graphics (operating frequency up to 650 MHz)
- rAM 4 GB LPDDR3 (after rebooting freely about 2.1 GB)
- 64 GB eMMC 5.1 data storage
- micro SD cards up to 128 GB are (slot combined with SIM-cards)
- 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (403 ppi density), 450 nits brightness, 1000: 1 contrast ratio
- 5MP front camera (Samsung S5K5E8 matrix, f / 2, pixel size 1.12 μm)
- main cameras 12 megapixels (OmniVision 12A10 sensor, 1 / 2.8`` matrix size, 26 mm wide-angle lens, f / 2.2, 1.25 μm pixel size, 4K video recording) + 12 megapixels (OmniVision 13880 matrix, 50 mm telephoto lens, aperture f / 2.6, single pixel size 1 μm), PDAF focusing, dual flash
- battery 3 080 mAh
- Android 7.1.2 OS (without shell)
- sensors: accelerometer, light and distance sensor, gyroscope, Hall sensor, fingerprint scanner (rear)
- connectors: USB Type-C and standard audio output
- dedicated DAC
- dimensions: 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm
- weight 165 g
Wireless features:
- 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE bands: 1, 3, 7, 20, 40, 41)
- support for two Nano SIM cards
- Wi-Fi (802.11 ac, Dual Band), Bluetooth 4.2, FM radio (works through the engineering menu), Infrared
- navigation: GPS, Glonass, Beidou
There is no NFC in the smartphone, so wireless payment via Android Pay will not start. The latter is especially sad, given that the main competitor of our smartphone has such support.
Performance
The interface works smartly and without problems. Mostly. However, lags and barely noticeable brakes still happen. And this is on pure Android, not overloaded with all sorts of software add-ons.
I really hope that the speed of work will be finished in the near future. I’ll talk about the stability of the system a little later. Unfortunately, there is something.
The smartphone as a whole copes well with modern 3D games. World of Tanks Blitz runs at high graphics settings, but the frame rate does not exceed 22 FPS. On medium-sized installations, everything is much more fun - at least 40 fps.
Cameras
They say that the Mi A1 is almost the best smartphone in terms of photos among classmates. We’ll check it now.
Front-camera
If you are lucky with the lighting, then the selfie will turn out to be of quite decent quality. If the sun is already preparing to dive beyond the horizon, then get ready to take 5-6 pictures at a time. Most likely, most will be blurry.
In general, the quality of the “front camera” photo is average. Even for xiaomi.
Main cameras
Yes, here we have two modules at once. Here are their characteristics:
- 12 MP OmniVision 12A10 sensor (1 / 2.8 ’’ matrix size, 26 mm wide-angle lens, f / 2.2, 1.25 μm pixel size, 4K video recording)
- 12 megapixel OmniVision 13880 matrix (50 mm telephoto lens, f / 2.6 aperture, 1 micron dot size)
Photos from the main camera are really interesting. However, to achieve a more or less tolerable result, you need to be confused with exposure (automation does not always adequately evaluate lighting). It is also highly desirable to have good lighting around, otherwise the quality of the photo will rapidly begin to decline.
I brought it, took it off, got a masterpiece - this is not about the Xiaomi Mi A1 camera.
Sometimes the white balance is so buggy that you get such shots in the steampunk style. By the way, they look quite interesting to themselves. And yes, I didn’t edit them at all.
HDR does not work very badly. Here is a couple of examples with the function turned on (left) and without one (right).
It is also highly desirable to have good lighting around, otherwise the quality of the photo will rapidly begin to decline.
To take a more or less sharp shot at night is a problem. You need to take at least 3-4 photos at a time - maybe one will come out sharp. Below are a few examples from the Mi A1 camera (left) and iPhone 6 (right). It is always interesting to push the middle-aged man from 2017 and the flagship from 2014 forehead.
By the way, we grab all the examples of photos from Xiaomi Mi A1 cameras in the original resolution.
Of the nuances.
The camera does not recognize QR codes, although any other device from Xiaomi can easily do this. And this is really strange, because the camera application here is from MIUI, not "Google".
Frustrated by the slow shutter release.
Even if you shoot in normal mode (not HDR), the camera takes pictures slowly. And it is advisable at this moment to hold the smartphone very firmly in your hands, because the picture can float even when there is just a little light (on a cloudy day). To shoot HDR, you generally need “stone hands”.
One of the main advantages of Xiaomi Mi A1 is the unlimited storage for all photos from a smartphone in the cloud from Google, without loss of quality.
If you suddenly doubt what quality the pictures are uploaded to the cloud, go to the “Photos” application settings, then select the “Startup and synchronization” item and set the required parameter in the “Photo size” menu. I have all the frames loaded in their original quality.
In conclusion, compare the photos from the Mi A1 cameras (left) and (right).
Which one did you like more? Write in the comments.
Optical zoom
The main matrix is \u200b\u200bcovered by a 26 mm wide-angle lens. The second is with a 50 mm telephoto lens. Accordingly, when you are too lazy to approach the subject with your legs, you can tap on the “1x” icon in the viewfinder and the image will zoom in exactly two times. In fact, the image simply switches to the second module.
I will say right away that a camera with a telephoto lens is behind in quality from the main one. Yes, everything looks good on the smartphone screen. The computer is no longer so.
Interesting fact. If there is not enough ambient light, the “optical zoom” will not work - the picture will simply zoom in digitally. Checking this out is very easy. We close the telephoto lens eye with a finger and tap on the “1x” icon. If the zoom is working, then the lighting is insufficient and the digital zoom is turned on. We go outside, do the same procedure and see how switching to the second camera does not work - the finger in the lens interferes.
Bokeh
Two cameras are also needed for a smartphone to blur the background during portraiture. Automation does this not always successfully, but one of the four to five frames turns out to be tolerable. Need to try, try.
A couple of unpleasant moments. The quality of a photo with a bokeh effect will always be lower than in a regular photo. However, for viewing on a smartphone will do.
The second - if in the frame the algorithms “see” a person, then they automatically smooth his skin. It becomes porcelain, perfectly smooth, and you cannot turn off this “beauty”.
Video recording
In this regard, the apparatus of stars from the sky is not enough. Absolutely.
The video has a lot of problems: poor detail, the complete absence of any stabilization and disgusting sound. For the umpteenth time I come across this on smartphones from Xiaomi. In relatively fresh devices there is the same problem with sound - it gurgles and nothing is heard at all. I had firmware N2G47H.7.10.14.
If anything, here is a link to instructions on how to get rid of these gurgling sounds (need Root).
Pure Android - is it good?
Let's go in order. First, let's talk about the negative points, what you need to be prepared for.
Unfortunately, the stock system does not have several useful applications. For example, not a single file manager is installed. You have to look for your option in the Play Store, and there, as you know, there is enough garbage with built-in advertising.
Various applications periodically crash. If this were an isolated case, I would not even mention it, but this happens stably every two days. Moreover, any third-party utility can fly out. The exception is stock programs.
Frankly, the design of “bare” Android is not to my liking. It is too simple and not intricate. Yes, minimalism is good, but with this there is too much. And yes, this is exclusively my subjective opinion.
The MIUI shell looks better, not to mention its very high functionality and customization.
Here is a simple example. How to turn on the battery percentage indicator on Xiaomi Mi A1? A non-trivial question for those who have never encountered the Android OS in its original form.
To enable the percentage indicator, do the following:
- lower the notification curtain
- hold your finger on the gear icon for a few seconds until vibration
- in the smartphone settings, the item System UI Tuner appears
- in the section "Status bar" we find "Always show the percentage of charge" and get the following.
Now about the pros.
The smartphone has no problems with notifications. All notifications from any application come on time, which can not be said about MIUI, where this is a real headache, not completely curable.
What is the definite plus of Android over MIUI is support. It is promised that all software updates will come directly from Google - this time. Mi A1 will receive them one of the first, almost on a par with its own devices in the series - these are two. And thirdly, the promised support period is 3 years. In general, you buy a smartphone in which over the next three years new chips will appear, as well as all bugs will be quickly eliminated. Well, isn't it cute?
And I really liked that the system interface is deployed in landscape orientation. This applies to the main screen, and the whole system.
Sound quality
There is only one speaker in the device - at the bottom, to the right of the USB-C port. It is above average in volume - that's good. But the quality is confident average. It is better not to put complex compositions on a call, well, or not to twist the volume of notifications to the maximum. There is no wheezing, but somehow, something ... not really.
Xiaomi Mi A1 in its characteristics is almost no different from Mi5X, and looks very similar to iPhone 7. It has good multimedia capabilities, nice appearance and great cameras. However, its main advantage is the presence of pure Androyd on the gadget.
Price: 10 990 RUB
Colors: Black / Gold / Pink
Parameters of Xiaomi Mi A1
| SIM Card Number: | 2 |
| Diagonal: | 5.5 |
| Image Size: | 1920 × 1080 |
| Pixels Per Inch (PPI): | 403 |
| Rear camera: | 12 + 12 (double) |
| Flash: | lED flash |
| Max. video resolution: | 1920 × 1080 |
| CPU: | Snapdragon 625 (MSM8953) |
| Number of processor cores: | 8 |
| Video processor: | Adreno 506 @ 650MHz GPU |
| The amount of internal memory: | 32 |
| RAM size: | 4 GB |
| Memory card slot: | up to 128 GB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card) |
| Battery capacity: | 3080 (mAh) |
| Type of charging connector: | USB type C |
| Android version: | 6.0 |
Appearance and ergonomics
The smartphone has an all-metal fixed body. For antennas, grooves covered with plastic are cut along both its upper and lower edges. The surface is matte, traces of touch are invisible, easy to clean. The ends are smooth, rounded well polished. Above, close to the left edge, there is a two-color, bright flash, and next to it is a camera unit with two lenses. He sticks out noticeably from the body. A fingerprint scanner is installed in the middle of the case just below the dual camera. On sale you can find devices with 3 colors of the case: pink, gold and black. The front surface of the first two is white, and the front side of the last is black.
The device has good dimensions for a 5.5-inch gadget. With 165 grams of weight, the width is 76 mm and the height is 155 mm. The thickness is only 7.3 mm. In front, most of the surface is given to the screen. The side frames are narrow - 3.5 mm, on top and bottom they are about 18 mm each. There are no inscriptions in front. Under the screen there are three touch keys: home, back and menu, they have a backlight. Above is the earpiece and front camera. Next to them is an infrared sensor for controlling home appliances and an LED indicator for alerts from missed events. The assembly of the device is good, there are no backlashes. The weight is evenly distributed over the body. Metal pleasantly cools the skin and glides. However, it does not seem massive, it is easy to hold it.
Display
The screen is made using LTPS IPS technology. The display covers 2.5D glass from the Gorilla Glass brand. Pixel density: 403 per inch with a resolution of 19201080. Its physical dimensions are 68121 mm with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. Multi-touch supports up to 10 touches simultaneously. Thanks to the built-in light sensor, the brightness of the screen can be adjusted automatically. If desired, you can set your own values.
The screen does not have an air gap between the layers, so the device has good anti-glare characteristics. A grease repellent coating is applied to the screen. The brightness is high, allows you to use the device even on the street in fine weather. Color temperature is close to natural (6500 Kelvin). The colors are saturated, tone distortion is minimal even at large tilt angles.
Iron and performance
The device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 platform. The processor is 64 bit with 8 cores. The Adreno 506 graphic processor is built-in. The device has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB or 32 GB of internal memory, depending on the modification. It is possible to expand it with a micro SD card.
The device runs on pure Androyd. This is the result of a collaboration between Xiaomi and Google. It was produced as part of the Android One program. The operating system Android 7.1 is installed out of the box in the smartphone, but now it is already possible to update the device to version 8.1. The phone has standard Android applications, but with several proprietary applications from Xiaomi.
The interface is not overloaded, it looks nice. The menu works out smartly, even there are no micro-dependencies. In the AnTuTu test, the gadget scores 63,285 points, and in GeekBench it shows a result of 869/4045 points, depending on the testing mechanism. The graphics system also does a good job. In 3DMark Ice Storm Sling - 457 points, and in GFXBenchmark T-Rex FPS is 21.
As a result: even games filled with 3D graphics are launched on this device. In some FPS it may fall, but even with a decrease in graphics settings, you can play comfortably. The battery lasts for 5 hours of non-stop play.
Communication and sound
The device supports 2G, 3G and 4G networks. Signal reception is good. The device supports two nano-SIM cards. Built-in Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, (works in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands), GPS and FM radio. NFC module is not here. The main speaker is located at the bottom of the gadget: the sound is natural, loud, without extraneous noise. The speaker is also of good quality, the interlocutor is well audible. In the device, for better sound in the headphones, a Dirac HD Sound amplifier is installed. Thanks to him, even in simple headphones, the sound is juicy and detailed.
Camera
Main cameras: color, have a resolution of 12 MP. One for portraiture and one for landscape, with aperture values \u200b\u200bof f / 2.6 f / 2.2. They can work both in pairs and separately. To work with cameras, a program from Xiaomi is integrated with advanced, manual parameters (exposure, photo effects, slow motion).
The quality of the pictures is good in the daytime. Noise reduction works well, even with macro photography the details are not blurred. There is autofocus and 2x optical zoom. Noises appear at night, but tones remain natural. Video recording is carried out in 4K resolution with stereo sound.
5 MP front camera, without flash, with recognition of faces and age of people in the frame. By default, photo retouching is enabled.
Buy smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1 64GB
In the official Xiaomi store in Russia
The price for the device starts at 10,990 rubles for the version with 64 GB. The gadget has no competitors in this price range. Xiaomi Mi A1 is a good combination of quality at a relatively low price.
In Russia, the Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone has already been sold for two months. The model is noteworthy because it was developed in conjunction with Google within the framework of the Android One program and comes with a clean Android 7.1.2 Nougat system without any shells from the manufacturer and unnecessary applications. Google promises that Android One smartphones will always receive the latest system updates.
It is the Android One family that distinguishes the Xiaomi Mi A1 from the model that comes with the MIUI branded shell and is not officially sold in Russia.
Specifications
| Body | Aluminum |
| Display | 5.5 inches, FHD (1 920 × 1,080), LTPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 processor, Adreno 506 graphics accelerator |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Built-in memory | 64 GB, the ability to install memory cards up to 128 GB |
| Cameras | The main one is 12 + 12 megapixels; frontal - 5 megapixels |
| Communication | Two nano-SIM slots; 2G: GSM 850/900/1 800/1 900; 3G: 850/900/1 900/2 100; 4G: Band 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, 40 |
| Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS |
| Expansion slots | USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, fingerprint scanner, Hall sensor, infrared sensor |
| operating system | Android 7.1.2 Nougat |
| Battery | 3 080 mAh (non-removable) |
| Dimensions | 155.4 × 75.8 × 7.3 mm |
| Weight | 165 g |
Design
Xiaomi Mi A1 is said to be similar to the iPhone 7 Plus. However, these two devices are related only by a horizontally located dual camera.
Our review turned out to be a matte Xiaomi Mi A1 in black. This is a very nice device that pleases the eye. It is pleasant to hold a thin, metal, with slightly rounded edges smartphone.
Screen
Xiaomi Mi A1 got a 5.5-inch LTPS display with Full HD resolution. The brightness range is wide, viewing angles too. The color rendition is restrained, the temperature tends to the cold part of the spectrum: white leaves a little blue.
The device comes with a clean version of Android, so there are no reading modes and utilities for adjusting the color temperature here. The screen is protected by shockproof glass Gorilla Glass 3.
Performance
The Xiaomi Mi A1 works flawlessly: Android flies, applications do not slow down, the Google Assistant quickly responds and searches for the necessary information on the Internet.
The smartphone copes with almost all games. But the most sophisticated will have to sacrifice the quality of the graphics. Say, in World of Tanks Blitz you get 60 FPS on medium settings, but in Modern Strike Online, even at high settings.
Xiaomi Mi A1 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, the mid-price processor of the end of 2016. It includes eight Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 2 GHz and an Adrero 506 graphics processor.
In testing AnTuTu smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1 scores typical for its category 60 thousand points, and in 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited - 13 thousand points. CPU heating is negligible, throttling does not occur. Performance remains stable.
The amount of RAM is 4 GB, internal - 64 GB. It is possible to use a microSD memory card to increase ROM.
Resources Xiaomi Mi A1 is enough for at least another two years, even fans to play.
Cameras
Xiaomi Mi A1 is called a clone of the iPhone 7 Plus due to the dual camera with double optical zoom and portrait mode. However, nobody will supply the mid-price smartphone with flagship cameras and technologies. What is installed in it?
The main camera is the 12-megapixel OmniVision OV12A10 module with a 1.25 μm pixel and a wide-angle lens with an f / 2.2 aperture. There is no optical stabilization, phase autofocus.
In daylight, the general plans are pretty good on the street. However, in all other cases, good photos are rarely obtained. The camera is very picky about lighting. Because of the optics with a tiny aperture, you will be forced to shoot at slow shutter speeds and get low-quality images. Noise breaks all records, and the lens catches glare from light sources so famously, as if you were holding not a modern smartphone, but an ancient clamshell. Photos in the room are dark and unsharp.
Autofocus is slow and inaccurate. Even in static scenes, the camera sins with back focus. You can forget about shooting fast-moving objects and macro photography. However, let's hope that in future firmware this will be fixed.
The second camera is equipped with a 12-megapixel OmniVision OV13880 module with a 1.1 micron pixel and an f / 2.6 aperture lens. It is suitable only for shooting portraits, but only on the street and only in good light.
Portrait mode in Xiaomi Mi A1 is implemented well. The smartphone programmatically separates the subject from the background, simulating the bokeh effect. It turns out beautifully, but with complex contours, the algorithm may be wrong.
But the front camera pleased. Although a 5-megapixel module is installed here, the pictures are bright and sharp. There is an “Improvement” mode that removes skin imperfections, bags under the eyes and other signs of aging and fatigue. Sharpness from him, of course, suffers.
It is curious that Xiaomi Mi A1 is able to recognize the gender and age of a person in the frame. Gender, as a rule, is determined correctly, but age jumps depending on lighting and eye shadow. Then you are 40 years old, then 19 - everything happens.
Sound
Xiaomi Mi A1 has a 3.5mm audio jack and a 10W amplifier that supports high-impedance headphones (up to 600 ohms). The manufacturer promises a powerful and deep sound. Sounds Xiaomi Mi A1 and really powerful, but you can hear the hiss from the amplifier in the headphones, which can be endured in the subway or train, but hardly at home when you listen to music at minimum volume.
As for the external speaker, it is excellent. The sound is loud, clear, there is even a low frequency.
Security
Xiaomi Mi A1 is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. This is the only biometric authentication mechanism. You can add multiple prints and then unlock the smartphone with one touch of the scanner.
Communication
In Xiaomi Mi A1, you can install two nano-SIM cards. However, the tray here is combined, so you have to choose between a memory card or a second SIM card. The device, officially delivered to Russia, supports the Band 20 LTE band, so there should be no problems with the Internet.
The smartphone also supports dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS and BEIDOU. But for complete happiness, NFC is still not enough.
A nice bonus is the infrared port, which allows you to use your smartphone as a remote control for consumer electronics.
Autonomy
The smartphone is equipped with a 3,080 mAh battery. This is enough for Xiaomi Mi A1 to work in mixed mode for a day and a half. However, games quickly consume power. If you seriously load the smartphone, then it will not live until the end of the day.
The device is charging via the USB Type-C port.
Conclusion
The advantages of Xiaomi Mi A1 are price, high performance, stylish appearance and a clean version of Android. However, the camera is frustrating. It is suitable for shooting portraits and daytime landscapes, but for no other reason. It remains to hope for a correction of the camera in future firmware.
If you want a powerful middling in an all-metal case with a clean version of Android, but the quality of the pictures is not really important for you, take a closer look at Xiaomi Mi A1.
In the official Xiaomi store, a smartphone can be purchased for 18,990 rubles.
