Only now has it gained unprecedented popularity, despite the fact that the company has been offering the best hardware at the most affordable prices for more than one year in a row. But, for those who are not in the know, it is worth saying: today the brand has acquired an official status in Russia, which means that the prices for the manufacturer's gadgets will sooner or later approach the prices of A-brands. And yet, the manufacturer still pleases fans of budget products with relatively affordable solutions. A great example is smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1which is not bad modern smartphone in a stylish design and has a two-module camera and at the same time is sold at a relatively affordable price for such parameters.
Apple again?
The company representatives praised the new product with might and main, emphasizing the ergonomic and stylish design. Meanwhile, in the outlines Xiomi Mi A1 the same phone Apple iPhone 7 Plus is viewed, which, although not an exact copy of it, is definitely a borrowing. It's all to blame for the shape of the front panel, the proportions of the case, the size of the display, similarly made plastic inserts located on the metal cover. Even a dual-module camera will mislead an inexperienced user: it seems that this was the calculation. Perhaps the only nuance lies in the fingerprint scanner, which is located not in the home key, but on the back.
As already noted, this is not a complete copy, but the workmanship is at a high level. Only in the hands of experienced reviewers will there be a catch, indicating that this is not an Apple novelty: the camera protrusion is framed by a mediocre plastic insert. And the joint between the glass is not so smooth, but these are trifles. As a result, for a relatively low price, you can get a smartphone that is decently made based on the Apple flagships. In addition, here we are talking about black, gold and pink versions. Be that as it may, we figured out the design, but what about the filling?
Technical component
In terms of filling, this is not a self-contained device. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is essentially the same Xiaomi Mi 5X that was introduced in the summer. But the merits include a clean operating system, similar to that used in gadgets for the developing world. In total, the technical merits include:
- 5.5-display with full-length LTPS technology;
- Economical Snapedragon 625;
- 4 GB of RAM;
- Two-module sensor;
- Pure Android One.
It is noteworthy that in addition to Android 7.1.2 Nougat, an update to Android 8 will also be available, if, of course, you believe the manufacturer.
Xiaomi Mi A1 is the first smartphone of the Chinese brand with pure Android on board. According to user reviews, this is its disadvantage, since the MIUI user interface is much more functional. Its disadvantages also include the lack of nFC module, which is why you cannot use contactless payments via Android Pay... There is also no fast charging or wireless, but the 3080 mAh battery still charges very quickly.
The average price of Xiaomi Mi A1, which comes with 4 GB random access memory and 64 permanent, in Russia it is close to 18,000 rubles, which is a lot. Part of the high cost is offset by the dual main camera, allowing for portrait photography and 4K video recording. The build quality, 4G and Wi-Fi data rates, and 5.5-inch screen are beyond praise.
The body is made of anodized aluminum, which is very resistant to the environment. Its dimensions are 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm and weighs 165 grams. The front protection glass is manufactured by Corning and is manufactured using 2.5D technology, which gives it an elegant curvature at the edges. The screen-to-body ratio is 70.8%, which is a very good indicator.
Speaking of the characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi A1, it is based on the Snapdragon 625 processor, which works in tandem with the Adreno 506 graphics accelerator. clock frequency 2 GHz and 506 MHz respectively. To connect to a computer and charge the battery, a modern uSB port Type-C. It supports OTG technology, providing an interface to connect peripheralssuch as a flash drive, mouse or keyboard.
Brave claim. And we will definitely check it. We simply could not pass by and not try to catch Xiaomi by the tongue - they are not joking with such things, because the G7 has been reliably holding the position of one of the main camera phones on the market for a year, with which only Android flagships of comparable price can compete.
In addition, this is a great chance to look at what is android program One. If you've never heard of such a thing, this is a Google initiative in which the corporation helps to create high-quality, inexpensive devices in exchange for them being shipped with fresh android version without add-ons and unnecessary pre-installed applications.
Have we met somewhere yet?
Of all the Android One released today, the Xiaomi version looks the most attractive: a one-piece aluminum body, a dual camera, a 5.5-inch screen, slightly rounded glass at the edges and antenna veins neatly inscribed in the edges of the body ... wait, somewhere it already happened. Well, yes, the iPhone 7 Plus was mentioned at the presentation for a reason - the Mi A1 seemed to be designed by two designers from an old joke: one was holding an iPhone, and the other was circling it. It also resembles the OnePlus 5 with its narrower bezels.
The color palette is almost identical to the iPhone: matte black, pink and gold. The polishing quality is also almost identical, it is pleasant to hold it in your hands. In general, the product of the joint efforts of Google and Xiaomi looks not bad at all, but it is completely devoid of individuality - only the proprietary three buttons under the screen and the fingerprint sensor placed on the back (like in Mi Max 2) save from complete depersonalization. But these design solutions can hardly be called unconditionally successful - in 2017, touch buttons instead of on-screen buttons are given a mile away in the device by a Chinese state employee.
Let's be honest - this is not an iPhone
When Johnny Ive gets down to business in his snow-white workshop in Cupertino, there can be no complaints about ergonomics. You can criticize as much as you like the relatively plain design of the latter generations of iPhone, but at least the smartphone itself is perfectly balanced and fits in the hand as if it always was in it: pleasantly heavy, smooth, fingers easily reach everyone desired buttons - in a word, Thing. With 5.5-inch iPhone screen 7 Plus still feels like a shovel and you can't do without a second hand, even Apple is not capable of such miracles.
But Mi A1 is deprived of this feeling of "Things" with a capital letter. It seems to be the same, it is almost 30 grams lighter, already a couple of millimeters and the index finger fits perfectly on the fingerprint sensor, but still something is wrong. It may be a matter of weight, but there are other annoying little things. For example, although the edges of the glass are rounded, but the joint with the metal is uneven, there is a noticeable "step" with a sharp edge.
And even with such a diagonal, it is quite difficult to use the three touch-sensitive keys under the screen - if you hold the device with one hand, then your finger simply does not reach everyone. The iPhone has only one multitasking button in the center.
Moreover, for some reason they saved money on the NFC module, so you can forget about Android Pay. In 2017, for a device supported by Google, this looks like an impermissible redneck.
Pure Android is good, but there are problems
It's funny, but be it an ordinary Xiaomi smartphone with branded mIUI shell, there would be no problem with the keys. The company's engineers are well aware that it is impossible to use them with a large diagonal, and have long added to the firmware the ability to reassign them, add an alternative action by long pressing, or even switch to a special universal button that can be freely dragged across the screen.
All this is implemented in the twin brother Xiaomi Mi A1, which is called Mi 5X - this is literally the same device, but on MIUI instead of pure Android and a couple of thousand rubles cheaper (in China).
In "pure" Android 7.1.1 these options are not provided, even the on-screen buttons cannot be activated. But on the other hand, a swipe on the sensor on the rear panel opens a shutter with notifications and quick switches, just like on the Google Pixel, and the whole system works faster, more stable and completely in Russian with access to Google play "Out of the box", no need to fool around with the firmware.
In addition, Android, starting from version 7.0 Nougat uses one of the best for today on-screen keyboards G-Board, and a swipe to the right from the main screen opens the search screen and personal feed - at first, an unusual, but very convenient thing that will show the weather, traffic jams on the way home, and interesting news (I don't know how exactly this happens, but I almost always drops out what I really would like to read). Besides, by the end of the year the device should be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo, and there are also some useful innovations.
As for the speaking Google Assistant, so far it only understands queries in English. But sooner or later it must be adapted for our country as well.
The only thing xiaomi appthat sneaked into the Mi A1 is the Mi Remote, which allows you to use the IR port built into the top edge as a universal remote control for any home equipment like a TV or air conditioner. And this is rather a plus, nevertheless, starting with version 7.0 Android has become an exemplary operating system with good stability on all devices, which makes no sense to clog unnecessary elements.
There is enough power, but it does not conquer the peaks
Inside Xiaomi Mi A1 is installed an eight-core Snapdragon 625 and 4 GB of RAM. This is not a flagship level, but a good supply of RAM and OS optimization allows a mid-level processor to quickly cope with any daily tasks: menus open and scroll quickly and smoothly, applications start and run without slowdowns, and even a heavy pdf document of almost 500 pages is loaded with all graphics in seconds.
Mi A1 does not conquer the peaks of benchmarks, but thanks to the energy efficient Snapdragon 625, Full HD IPS screen and a 3080 mAh battery, it confidently lives for one and a half to two days with average use (several calls, an hour and a half of internet and social networks at 80% brightness, two hours of online music, periodic replies in instant messengers and mail with push notifications) and confidently reaches late at night if you use a lot of maps, take photos and watch YouTube videos in addition to the standard upload.
The screen is good. For their money
For a device for 15 thousand rubles, Xiaomi Mi A1 has a really good, even excellent display. In direct comparison with the iPhone 7 Plus, it is inferior, but not without a fight: with the same resolution, brightness and pixel density, the Chinese state employee has less saturated colors and raised contrast, which makes the image seem flat, less expressive. The viewing angles are excellent, but it could have been calibrated better, the black color gives off a little purple.
The display is covered with a Gorilla Glass 3 panel, but there are some doubts about this - on the very first day a noticeable scratch appeared on the glass, although the smartphone was not put in the same pocket with keys or something like that. It looks like the usual large speck of dust on the table was enough.
Between the white glass of the bezel and the screen, there is a thin black frame around the display, but you can't get away from this - white iPhone 7 it is there too.
Camera is the main test
Weighted verdict in the unexpected xiaomi comparison The Mi A1 and iPhone 7 Plus can be judged by the main comparison - the camera test. Below are examples of images for both devices in equal conditions.
When viewing the captured photos on smartphone screens, I was even a little upset, the iPhone 7 Plus looked like the clear winner. But upon close examination on a single computer monitor, the difference was not so significant. Photos from Xiaomi even look brighter and more contrasting!
You can rate other photo comparisons in our gallery. Photos are signed and presented in full resolution.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Xiaomi Mi A1
The devices take photos in the same 12 megapixel resolution (4000x3000 pixels), matrices with enlarged pixels are used, and pairs of modules consist of one wide-angle lens and one telephoto lens, but the characteristics of individual modules differ. Apple uses fast (f / 1.8 and f / 2.8) lenses with focal lengths of 28 mm and 56 mm, respectively, while Xiaomi has a simpler camera: f / 2.2 at 26 mm and f / 2.6 at 50 mm.
As expected, in bright daylight, both smartphones do fine, but Xiaomi produces slightly oversaturated colors (this can be corrected in the camera settings, but we specifically shot at standard values).
Left Mi A1, right - iPhone 7 Plus. In difficult conditions, the Mi A1 selects the white balance better, this is noticeable in the shots of the highway and night lane, but due to the lower aperture in the dark, the shots lose detail and sharpness.Xiaomi Mi A1 Is a landmark device for the company. For the first time, the Chinese have partnered with Google and released a joint smartphone. Xiaomi in this case is responsible for hardware, and Google for Android and the most fresh updates for 3 years. It sounds cool, but the smartphone has a lot of nuances. I'll tell you about all in the review.
Since the Russian representative office of Xiaomi ("Smart Orange") does not find the strength to answer my requests, I bought the 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 snatched up by 5-6 thousand cheaper in some online store, such as Aliexpress or Gearbest. Go!
Unpacking
We are greeted by excellent, high-quality and pleasant packaging in all respects. If anything, I took all the photos of the box from under the device on the Mi A1 camera, plus added a little color correction. Why not?
Just a nuance! On the back of the cardboard casing we have a plaque 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.
Found inside USB-C cable and a power supply without fast charging support (5V and 2A). No wired headset.
The second difference between the officially sold Xiaomi Mi A1 is that the manual and warranty card are completely in Russian.
Design
The smartphone comes in three colors: completely black, gold and pink. Only the first two colors are sold in Russia. Pink must be obtained independently from the Middle Kingdom. Let it be for now.
I chose black, because the guys in the area will not understand. But seriously, I missed. It is best to buy the gold version as it looks the best. Especially in the back where the peephole dual cameras clearly stands out against the background of the golden back. A certain charm is added by the strips of antennas neatly curving along the body. It all looks like you have an iPhone 7 Plus in your hands. From afar. Strongly from afar.
The black modification looks boring. Mi A1 in this color is simply lost against the background of its countless fellow smartphones. Our hero is especially similar to.
The smartphone lies well in the hand, but one must bear in mind that this is still a 5.5-inch shovel. There are devices that, with the same diagonal, have received a more compact body. For instance, .
| 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 |
There are three backlit touch buttons below the display. If anything, then the Split View (multi-window) mode is called by long holding the left key.
Accordingly, the fingerprint scanner has moved to the back. Personally, I like it when the 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 prints in 10 out of 10 cases.
What is the build quality? I was not very lucky - the back cover in my copy creaks for some reason, and only when you take the smartphone in your hand. Everything else is fine.
By the way, the back cover is easily scratched. 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 fairly common 5.5-inch IPS panel. Good, adequate color reproduction, moderate contrast ratio (1000: 1) and fair viewing angles. Only under extreme deflection does a whitish fog appear on the screen.
Yes, I have seen better IPS panels, but believe me, there is not much to criticize the Xiaomi Mi A1 screen for. All the more so if you keep the price in mind.
Nevertheless, I still found one caveat - this is brightness, which has not enough stock. The display looks dull in the sun. And this despite the fact that the brightness level is declared at 450 nits (industry standard). There are no problems in the room.
And there was no section in the settings where you could adjust the color temperature. 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 white and its behavior is not configurable at all. Those accustomed to customizing MIUI should know about this in advance.
And yes! There is an oleophobic coating and it is wonderful.
Specifications Xiaomi Mi A1
- qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 8 cores and a frequency of 2 GHz (14 nm technical process)
- adreno 506 graphics (operating frequency up to 650 MHz)
- 4 GB LPDDR3 RAM (about 2.1 GB free after reboot)
- 64GB eMMC 5.1 data storage
- micro SD cards up to 128 GB are (slot combined with SIM-cards)
- 5.5-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1080 resolution (403 ppi), 450 nits brightness, 1000: 1 contrast ratio
- front camera 5 MP (matrix Samsung S5K5E8, f / 2, pixel size 1.12 microns)
- main cameras 12 MP (OmniVision 12A10 sensor, matrix size 1 / 2.8 '', wide-angle lens 26 mm, f / 2.2, pixel size 1.25 microns, 4K video recording) + 12 MP (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 (no 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 capabilities:
- 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 via engineering menu), Infrared
- navigation: GPS, Glonass, Beidou
The smartphone lacks NFC, so wireless payments via Android Pay will not work. The latter is especially sad given that main competitor our smartphone has such support.
Performance
The interface works smartly and without any problems. Mostly. However, lags and barely noticeable brakes do happen. And this is on the purest Android, not overloaded with any 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 about it.
The smartphone is generally good at handling modern 3D games. World of Tanks Blitz runs on high graphics settings, but the frame rate does not exceed 22 FPS. At medium settings, everything is much more fun - at least 40 fps.
Cameras
They say that Mi A1 - almost best smartphone in terms of photos among classmates. Let's check now.
Front-camera
If you are lucky with the lighting, then the selfies will turn out to be quite decent quality. If the sun is already getting ready to dive over the horizon, then get ready to take 5-6 photos at a time. Chances are good that most will be blurry.
In general, the quality of the photo "front camera" is average. Even for xiaomi.
Main cameras
Yes, here we have two modules at once. Here are their characteristics:
- 12MP OmniVision 12A10 sensor (1 / 2.8 '' sensor size, 26mm wide-angle lens, f / 2.2, 1.25μm pixel size, 4K video recording)
- 12MP OmniVision 13880 sensor (50mm telephoto lens, f / 2.6 aperture, 1μm dot size)
Photos from the main camera are really interesting. However, to achieve a more or less tolerable result, you need to get confused with the exposure (automation does not always adequately assess the lighting). It is also highly desirable to have good lighting around, otherwise the quality of the photo will rapidly begin to decline.
Pointing, shooting, getting a masterpiece - this is not about the Xiaomi Mi A1 camera.
Sometimes the white balance is so buggy that you get these steampunk shots. By the way, they look quite interesting to themselves. And yes, I didn't edit them at all.
HDR doesn't work very badly. Here are a couple of examples with the feature enabled (left) and without it (right).
It is also highly desirable to have good lighting around, otherwise the quality of the photo will rapidly begin to decline.
Taking 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 some examples from the camera of Mi A1 (left) and iPhone 6 (right). It's always interesting to bump your head against the middling from 2017 and the flagship from 2014.
By the way, we grab all examples of photos from Xiaomi Mi A1 cameras in original resolution.
From the nuances.
The camera cannot recognize QR codes, although any other device from Xiaomi does it with ease. And this is really strange, because the camera application here is from MIUI, not "Google".
The slow shutter release is frustrating.
Even if you shoot in normal mode (not HDR), the camera takes photos slowly. And it is desirable at this moment to hold the smartphone very tightly in your hands, because the picture can float even when there is just a little lack of light (on a cloudy day). For HDR shooting you need “stone hands”.
One of the main advantages of the Xiaomi Mi A1 is unlimited storage for all photos from a smartphone in the cloud from Google, and without any loss in quality.
If you suddenly doubt in what quality images are uploaded to the cloud, then go to the settings of the "Photos" application, then select the "Startup and synchronization" item and set desired parameter in the Photo Size menu. All the frames have loaded in their original quality.
Finally, let's compare the photos from the Mi A1 cameras (left) and (right).
Which one did you like best? Write in the comments.
Optical zoom
The main matrix is \u200b\u200bcovered with a wide-angle lens 26 mm. The second is a 50 mm telephoto lens. Accordingly, when you are too lazy to approach the subject with your feet, you can tap on the “1x” icon in the viewfinder and the image will zoom in exactly twice. In fact, the image simply switches to the second module.
I'll say right away that the camera with a telephoto lens lags behind the main one in quality. Yes, everything looks good on the smartphone screen. The computer is no longer the same.
Interesting fact. If the ambient lighting is not enough, the "optical zoom" will not work - the picture will simply be zoomed in digitally. It is very easy to check this. Close the telephoto lens with your finger and tap on the "1x" icon. If the zoom is working, then there is not enough light and digital zoom has turned on. We go out into the street, do the same procedure and see how switching to the second camera does not work - a finger in the lens interferes.
Bokeh
The smartphone also needs two cameras to blur the background during portrait photography. Automation does this not always successfully, but one out of four to five frames turns out to be passable. You have to try, try.
A couple of unpleasant moments. The quality of a photo with a bokeh effect will always be lower than in ordinary photography... However, for viewing on a smartphone it will do.
Second, if the algorithms "see" a person in the frame, then their skin is automatically smoothed. It becomes porcelain, perfectly flat and you cannot turn off this "beauty".
Video recording
In this regard, the apparatus of stars from the sky is not enough. Absolutely.
There are a lot of problems with video recording: poor detail, complete absence of any stabilization and disgusting sound. For the umpteenth time I come across this on smartphones from Xiaomi. In relatively fresh devices, the same problem with sound is present - it gurgles and nothing is heard at all. I had firmware N2G47H.7.10.14.
If anything, here's a link to instructions on how to get rid of these gurgling sounds (Root needed).
Is Pure Android Good?
Let's go in order. First, let's talk about the negative aspects, what you need to be prepared for.
Unfortunately, the stock system lacks several useful applications... For example, none are installed file manager... You have to look for your option in Play Store, and there, as you know, there is enough garbage with built-in advertising.
Fly out periodically different applications... If this were an isolated case, I would not even mention it, but it consistently happens every two days. Moreover, any third-party utility can take off. The exception is stock programs.
Quite frankly, the design of "naked" Android is not to my liking. It is too simple and not complicated. Yes, minimalism is good, but this is overkill. And yes, this is exclusively my subjective opinion.
MIUI looks better, not to mention its very high functionality and customization.
Here's a simple example. How to enable battery percentage indicator on Xiaomi Mi A1? A non-trivial question for those who have never encountered Android in its original form.
To turn on the percentage indicator, do the following:
- lower the notification curtain
- hold your finger on the gear icon for a few seconds until vibration
- the System UI Tuner item appears in the smartphone settings
- in the "Status bar" section we find "Always show charge percentage" and get the following.
Now about the pros.
The smartphone has no problem with notifications. All notifications from any application arrive on time, which cannot be said about MIUI, where this is a real headache that cannot be completely cured.
What is the definite plus of Android over MIUI is its support. It is promised that all software updates will come straight from Google - this time. Mi A1 will receive them one of the first, almost on a par with its own devices of the series - that's two. And thirdly, the promised support period is 3 years. In general, you buy a smartphone, in which new features will appear over the next three years, and all bugs will be promptly eliminated. Well, isn't it lovely?
I also really liked that the system interface is deployed in landscape orientation... This also applies to the main screen and the entire system in general.
Sound quality
There is only one speaker in the device - at the bottom, to the right of USB-C ports... In terms of volume, it is above average - that's good. But the quality is confident average. It is better not to put complex compositions on the call, well, or not to turn the volume of notifications to the maximum. No wheezing, but somehow, something ... not very much.
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 disadvantages of Mi A1 that they do not like or annoy.
We have collected 7 main disadvantages of the Mi A1 for readers so that you do not have unnecessary disappointments from this wonderful phone.
Useful materials on the topic:
Fast charging
Unfortunately, Xiaomi Mi A1 does not support fast charging technology (). On average, a user will need more than 2 hours to fully charge a smartphone. The device is supplied with a 5 volt / 2 ampere charging adapter.
If you have experience using any other chinese phonefor example OnePlus 5, then charging Mi A1 will seem slow to you. Lack of support Quick Charge upset the Xiaomi fans who are used to fast charging batteries.
Stabilization when shooting 4K video
It's amazing that the Mi A1 records 4K video, but the Xiaomi developers did not bother to support 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 flaw will be corrected with the release new firmware or software update.
RGB LEDs
The Mi A1 smartphone does not have an RGB LED at the top of the smartphone. Only one white light is used for notification LED.
Users are accustomed to using Xiaomi light indication to receive information about a missed call, message, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Facebook or Vkontakte notifications, just by looking at this light. But the Mi A1 is just one white light without any tweaks.
One trifle and users are already reproaching Xiaomi Mi A1 in reviews for the fact that such a function is even in Moto G5 plus or OnePlus 3tT / 5, and it makes using the smartphone more convenient.
Illuminated navigation bar
The navigation bar has an option for key illumination. This is actually great, but many users find it annoying that this feature cannot be disabled by default.
Especially when you use your smartphone at night and the extra backlight only gets in the way. 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 it without backlighting the bottom navigation bar.
Battery capacity
Mi A1 is equipped with a 3080mAh battery. That's less than the battery capacity on the Moto G5S Plus or Lenovo K8 Note, which are the phone's main competitors for price.
For those users who are not yet familiar with Xiaomi devices and prefer to choose new smartphone, focusing only on the numbers in the specification and technical characteristics, such a nuance can be decisive in the choice.
Perhaps the battery of the Mi A1 is more optimized and, despite its lower capacity, is able to hold a charge and work longer, but only the user will have to revise the tests for autonomous work Mi A1 to understand it.
Availability
So far, Xiaomi Mi A1 is available only in one 4/64 GB version 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 memory. Why overpay for unnecessary RAM, if the main thing in this smartphone is quality.
Xiaomi fans would like this good phone could be bought in versions with different technical characteristics and at more affordable prices.
Lack of MIUI
And the lack of MIUI in Mi A1 - most of all repels fans of the Xiaomi graphic shell.
If you are used to the many unique features of MIUI and its chips (for example, creating a dual account, support for various themes, etc.), then it will be unusual for you to switch to full-fledged Android.
However, he showed that the device on the android works much faster. For this alone, you should opt for the Xiaomi Mi A1.
