Xiaomi Mi Max 2 hands on and first impressions : The 'big' budget phablet arrives

The Mi Max 2 finally has come to the Indian market. This successor to the Mi Max, brings a larger battery, improved camera and more RAM. The device has been launched in just one variant for the Indian market with 64GB storage + 4GB RAM and has been priced at Rs 16,999. It will be available via online as well as offline stores starting 27 July and will be up for grabs during the upcoming Mi festival. Moreover, Xiaomi has teamed up with Jio to offer additional 100GB 4G data.

Design 

Xiaomi's Mi Max 2 has a unibody metal design and a large form factor. It holds a massive 6.44- inch display and so one hand usage wasn't easy.

The front comes with a huge display and just below the display are the backlit capacitive buttons. The bezels are evidently large, the back is clear as the antenna are curled on the edge just like we see on the iPhone. However, apart from that, the device no where resembles the iPhone.

The edges come with power and volume keys, a hybrid SIM slot, dual stereo speakers, USB type C port and audio jack. The dual SIM slot is hybrid, so you will have to choose between extra storage and dual sim mode. The back is now near, minus the antenna lines and also houses the fingerprint scanner along with camera sensor and LED flash. 

 

Display

This device is for those looking for larger viewing real estate and the 6.44 inch fits perfectly between a tablet and a smartphone. This is Xiaomi's new category that caters to those who love being glued to videos. It's the same display we saw in its predecessor and comes with the same 1080p resolution. Though some improvement was expected here, there's nothing much to complain about. In the limited time we used it, the viewing angles were good, the display looked bright and punchy. However, one cannot miss the evident black border around the screen. 

 

Camera

A 12MP rear snapper is fitted on the back while the front gets a 5MP sensor. The stock camera offered tilt shift, panorama, timer, etc . In manual  mode, it will let you play with white balance, exposure time, ISO and focus. The device can also shoot 4K videos.

 

Processor and OS

It packs in the power efficient Snapdragon 625 coupled with 4GB RAM. That means it can handle all those apps. The device runs Android Nougat based mi ui 8.  We found a lot of bloat ware but what we liked is you can delete all of it. It comes with a security app that can clean junk and also scan for viruses. Other features include app lock that allows setting password for every app, dual apps that allows running two apps, and second space, split screen, quick ball for easy access, among others. 

 

Battery

The mi Max 2 packs in a gigantic 5300mAh battery that promises to run for two days. This could pretty much explain the Snapdragon 625 and 1080p display that should help with power efficiency. In addition, there is a battery saver mode.