Mi Mix 2 first impressions: Beautiful and bezel-less, but not a budget Xiaomi

Xiaomi has finally launched the successor to the Mi Mix, a concept design it showed off last year, the all-new Mi MIX 2,  just ahead of Diwali. With this device, Xiaomi will be competing with the bezel-less devices including the Pixel 2 XL, iPhone X and Samsung Note 8. 

The company has  launched the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant with a ceramic back and aluminium frame. There is also the special edition with ceramic body and 8GB RAM, which hasn’t been launched here. 

We got to spend some time with the device and here are our first impressions about the Mi MIX 2.

Design

The Mi MIX had made heads turn, owing to the bezel-less design. The Mi MIX 2 follows the design closely, but now comes with a smaller display, and comes with almost minimum bezel-size. Weighing 185 grams, it has a four-sided curved body and an aluminium frame and ceramic back. While there is an all-ceramic special edition too, it hasn’t been launched here. All in all, it is smaller and lighter than the Mi MIX. It is sleek at 7.7mm and quite easy to use with one hand. It’s a very good looking device and felt sturdy in the hands as well.

The ceramic back gives it a stylish look and accommodates a fingerprint scanner and camera sensor. But it is also a fingerprint magnet and needs some frequent cleaning.

Instead of the piezoelectric speaker solution in Mi MIX, the second-generation uses a hidden speaker that only takes up a thin sliver of space between the top edge of the phone and the screen. At the same time, the front camera remains at the chin and Mi MIX 2 continues using the ultrasonic proximity sensor. This allows the device itself with all the components to fade into the background, while the focus is entirely on the screen.

Display

As aforementioned, it comes with a smaller 5.99-inch Full HD display with 403 pixel density and maintains the 18:9 aspect. The viewing angle, in our limited time of usage seemed fine, there was not much detail loss.

Processor

The Mi MIX 2 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 835 clocked at 2.45GHz, which is running on most premium devices available right now. This is a bump up from the 821 we saw in its predecessor. It includes a massive 6GB of RAM. In terms of processing power, this is a massive upgrade, and we expect efficient performance from the device.

Camera

On the back, the Mi Mix 2 comes with a 12MP snapper with dual tone flash. Now, this is unlike the latest smartphones that are seen with dual sensors. However, Xiaomi claims the Sony IMX 386 sensor with 1.25 um pixels will do a good job. The few shots we took indoors looked bright and natural. But, we would be able to comment once we have taken it for a spin. The Mi MIX didn't have a impressive camera, and so a lot is expected from its successor in this department. On the front, it gets a 5MP snapper. Another highlight is the 4-axis OIS that reduces the effect of handshake or motion, so images and videos remain sharp. However, we won’t be able to comment on this now.

OS

We just saw the company launch stock Android-running Mi A1, but its new flagship will run MIUI 8.5.

Battery

Finally, the Mi MIX 2 comes with a 3400mAh battery. Now, this is a downgrade from the 440mAh we saw in the Mi MIX. The Quick Charge 3.0 promises to increase the charging speed by 20 per cent.

Verdict

The Mi MIX 2 is a good-looking device and quite impressive for the limited time we spent with it. But, it is the most expensive Xiaomi device and will go head on with the likes of OnePlus 5 that has been dominating the Rs 30k - 40k price bracket. Though it is a huge improvement over its predecessor, but considering the Mi MiX didn't make it here, it is to be now seen if Indian audiences will be willing to buy an expensive Xiaomi device.

Watch this space for an in-depth review soon.