Xiaomi Mi 6 Review: The Best Phone You Can’t Buy (for Now)

Xiaomi Mi 6 review: The best phone you can't buy (for now)

Xiaomi Mi 6 review: The best phone you can't buy (for now)

I love the Mi 6 for what it is -- an amazing device with the same speedy processor as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and a beautiful design that stands out on its own. It also comes with dual-cameras, and takes portrait pictures like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus and now, the OnePlus 5. You get Android goodness with some Apple-like features. And it costs a lot less than your typical flagship phone. What's not to like?

Well, how about the fact that it's still only available in China two months on from its launch. Xiaomi said it would reach other countries "soon", but it couldn't tell me when exactly it's going to start rolling out.

While eager beavers could order a Mi 6 from China, take heed that the LTE may not work in countries such as the US -- you'll have to compare to your carrier's network bands to be sure. And there are no Google Play services in China so until the company releases a global ROM, you'd have to sideload it if you want native apps such as Google Maps.

The lack of global availability means Xiaomi may be missing the boat in most markets that would have loved to grab a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 powered phone on the cheap. The cheapest version of the phone retails for about $365, £280 or AU$485 converted, and that model gets you 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Step it up to the 6GB RAM version with 128GB onboard storage and you'll pay 2,899 Chinese yuan -- about $420, £330 or AU$560.

A premium ceramic version with 18K gold finish and 128GB of storage space sells for just a little more at 2,999 Chinese yuan. That's about $435, £340 or AU$580.

If you're lucky enough to get and use the Mi 6, you'll find an affordable flagship that matches the Galaxy S8 where it counts. Though it's missing some features, including wireless charging. It makes you wonder just how much of a premium you're paying for other high-end flagships such as the Galaxy S8 or the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. If you live outside China, keep reading to see what the Mi 6 will bring you -- but hold out for the international version before committing.

The power and volume buttons are located on the same side -- and the only problem with that is that I can't use it with my car mount -- the clamps press down on the power button, turning it off.

Aloysius Low/CNET

All the bling in the world

The Mi 6's glass and stainless steel frame stand out. The phone comes in the standard shades of black or white, plus a much snazzier blue-and-gold version that's visually stunning.

I particularly loved that color, and it's a great conversation starter as well. I can't tell you how many people looked at it and said, "Wow." That said, the glass rear can be a tad slippery to hold at times.

The Mi 6 has a 5.15-inch screen with a 1080-pixel display that looks good to the naked eye. Pixel density isn't as sharp on paper as the Galaxy S8, but my eyes didn't strain trying to read news stories or social media updates. Colors pop, and while it has a maximum brightness of 600 nits, it goes all the way down to one at night, helping you not strain your eye. The phone won't take a long dunking like the Galaxy S8 or LG G6, but it is splash-proof, so you shouldn't worry too much about small spills.

Like other Xiaomi phones, the Mi 6 runs MIUI, a customized version of Android 7.1.1.

Double the cameras

One of the Mi 6's key features is its dual 12-megapixel camera setup, which is a hot trend these days. While it's not the first time Xiaomi has used it on phones, it's the first time a Xiaomi phone has added portrait mode similar to the one found in the iPhone 7 Plus (Xiaomi even calls it the same thing).

Portrait Mode works the same way as it does on the iPhone 7 Plus: you stand in front of the object and let the phone apply the effect. It's much simpler than the effect on previous Xioami models such as the Redmi Pro, which let you tweak the depth of field after shooting the picture. As for the quality, well, that's trickier. The Mi 6's Portrait Mode feels very finicky; half the time it detects the object properly, the other time you're either too close to apply the effect or the picture winds up being too out of focus.

The dual-cameras of the Mi 6 can take Portrait Mode pictures just like the iPhone. 

Aloysius Low/CNET

But when it does work, the subject remains in focus while blurring everything else. Results are pretty compelling. Check out the picture below for an example.

Portrait mode gets you good looking shots.

Aloysius Low/CNET

Aside from Portrait Mode, the Mi 6 takes great pictures, especially in bright light. It isn't as capable as the Pixel XL or the Samsung Galaxy S8 in low light, but then again, which phone is? The quality of its low-light shots is similar to the iPhone but more saturated, giving images a nice pop, even if they're not 100 percent realistic.

Besides Portrait mode, the Mi 6 also does 2x lossless zoom -- again like the iPhone. Xiaomi's features here are good, but the Mi 6 does lean on the iPhone for a lot of its inspiration, a critique I had of its past phones, too.

HDR shots really pop, though the sky is slightly washed out.

Aloysius Low/CNET

Interestingly, the Mi 6's HDR function now has its own dedicated button you'll have to manually switch on and off. It doesn't seem to turn on HDR automatically the way many other phones do.

Selfies came out looking good, but the 8-megapixel Mi 6's front-facing camera ran into the same problems as a lot of other phones when it comes to bad lighting. You just can't get around terrible backlighting. It also comes with a beauty mode, which made my face look baby smooth (it's really not).  

The selfie camera doesn't do well with backlit backgrounds (like most phones).

Aloysius Low/CNET

Where's the jack?

The Mi 6 joins the list of phones with no dedicated headphone jack. Instead, you'll have to use the USB-C charging port for wired headphones, or use a set of wireless Bluetooth headphones. However, the phone does come with a USB Type-C to 3.5mm audio jack converter in the box. Honestly, I'm not as bothered by the lack of an audio jack, since I prefer using wireless headphones to cut down on loose cables anyhow. You may feel differently, of course.

The phone uses Type-C USB and has no audio jack.

Aloysius Low/CNET

Smooth performance and long battery life

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 836 processor keeps the Mi 6 buttery smooth. You won't notice any lag when switching between apps or playing 3D games such as Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed. You'll love how snappy everything is. Battery life is superb as well. It lasted 17 hours 35 minutes in our lab tests and chugged through a full day of relatively heavy use without dying on me. For reference, the Galaxy S8 lasted an average of 16 hours in our video drain tests, and the S8 Plus went 18 hours.

Hardware specs comparison

	Xiaomi Mi 6	Apple iPhone 7 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S8	OnePlus 5
Display size, resolution	5.15-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels	5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels	5.8-inch; 2,960x1,440 pixels	5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels
Pixel density	428 ppi	401 ppi	570 ppi	401 ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	5.69x2.7x0.28 inches	6.2x 3.1x0.29 inches	5.86x2.68x0.32 inches	6.1x2.92x0.29 inches
(Millimeters)	145x70.5x7.5mm	158.2x77.9x7.3mm	148.9x68.1x8mm	154.2x74.1x7.3mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	5.93 oz,168 grams	6.63 oz; 188 grams	5.5 oz; 155 grams	5.4 oz; 153 grams
Mobile software	Android Nougat 7.1.1	Apple iOS 10	Android 7.0 Nougat	Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Camera	Two 12-megapixel	12-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (wide)	12-megapixel	16-megapixel standard, 20-megapixel telephoto
Front-facing camera	8-megapixel	7-megapixel	8-megapixel	16-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.45GHz+1.9GHz)	Apple A10 chip (64-bit)	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz+1.9GHz) or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 (2.35GHz+1.7GHz)	2.45GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Storage	64GB, 128GB	32GB, 128GB, 256GB	64GB	64GB, 128GB
RAM	4GB, 6GB	N/A	4GB	6GB, 8GB
Expandable storage	None	None	Up to 2TB	None
Battery	3,000mAh (nonremovable)	21 hours talk time on 3G, 16 days standby, 13 hours internet use LTE	3,000mAh	3,300mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Home button	Home button	Back	Home button
Connector	USB-C	Lightning	USB-C	USB-C
Special features	Dual-SIM, fast charging	Water and dust-resistant, portrait mode mode	Water-resistant (IP68), wireless charging, Gigabit LTE-ready	Portrait mode, notifications toggle, dual-SIM, Dash Charging
Price off-contract (USD)	Converts to $365 (64GB), $420 (128GB) or $435 (ceramic,1288GB)	$769 (32GB); $869 (128GB); $969 (256GB)	AT&T: $750; Verizon: $720; T-Mobile: $750; Sprint: $750; U.S. Cellular: $675	$479 (64GB), $539 (128GB)
Price (GBP)	Converts to £280 (64GB), £330 (128GB) or £340 (ceramic,1288GB)	£719 (32GB); £819 (128GB); £919 (256GB)	£689	£449 (64GB), £499 (128GB)
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$485 (64GB), AU$560 (128GB) or AU$580 (ceramic,1288GB)	AU$1269 (32GB); AU$1419 (128GB); AU$1569 (256GB)	TBA	Converts to AU$636 (64GB), AU$715 (128GB)

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Xiaomi Redmi 2 review: Value, but not without cost

Xiaomi Redmi 2 review: Value, but not without cost

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is well-known for its low-cost, high-quality products, but unfortunately, the Redmi 2 fails to live up to expectations. That isn't to say the sub-$120 (roughly £75 or AU$140) smartphone is a bad device, but slight performance issues hamper what would otherwise be a great phone for its price.

First and foremost, the Redmi 2 is a budget phone, so it's not using the fastest processor possible or packing a lot of RAM. This can lead to noticeable sluggishness when more resource-hogging apps such as Facebook Messenger start running in the background. But if you don't use that, the phone can run pretty smoothly.

Performance issues aside, the phone does come packed with features, including the latest version of the company's easy-to-use MIUI, dual-SIM 4G capabilities and an 8-megapixel rear camera that takes surprisingly decent shots in good lighting.

If you're looking for a cheap phone, this is probably a good buy, though if you live in the US, UK or Australia, you'll have to get it from online resellers at a slight premium. Unfortunately, Xiaomi doesn't sell its phones in stores in those countries -- it's still focused on Asian markets such as India, but those in South America, in particular Brazil, may soon get the chance to purchase one when the company moves forward with its expansion plans.

Design

• 4.7-inch, 1,280x720-pixel IPS display (312ppi)
• 5.3 by 2.7 by 0.4 inches (134 by 67.2 by 9.4 mm)
• 4.7 ounces (133 grams)

Like the original Redmi, the Redmi 2's design keeps it simple. What you get is a dull-looking rectangular phone with rounded corners and a plastic rear. It's not much to look at, but it seems Xiaomi has gone with a more basic design to keep costs down.

The Redmi 2 greatly resembles the original phone, down to the position of the rear camera, volume and power buttons (located on the right side). The key difference, however, is that the Redmi 2 is slightly smaller when placed side by side, as you can see in the picture below.

The Redmi 2 (right) is slightly smaller than the Redmi 1S, but the size of the screen is the same. Aloysius Low/CNET

Under the rear cover, you'll find a removable 2,200mAh battery, a microSD card slot and two 4G SIM slots sized for micro-SIMs. The battery's slightly larger in capacity compared to the Redmi (2,000mAh), but a larger battery is necessary since the Redmi 2 runs on 4G LTE (instead of 3G only, like the Redmi).

The 3.5mm audio jack is located along the top edge, while the Micro-USB port if found on the bottom right edge of the phone. Interestingly, the phone's speakers are found next to the rear camera instead of lower down at the bottom like most other phones.

Weighing at 133 grams (4.7 ounces), the phone packs quite a heft in the hands, delivering a solid reassuring feel. The 4.7-inch IPS display is also bright and viewable under bright sunlight, and stays that way when viewed from pretty much any angle. The handset sports a 1,280x720-pixel display. Not an impressive spec, but not too shabby either for its price.

The 4.7-inch display is bright and vibrant. Aloysius Low/CNET

Hardware and software

• 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410
• 8GB of storage
• 1GB of RAM
• Expandable storage
• 2,200mAh nonremovable battery

Powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, the Redmi 2 packs 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard memory. It also microSD card support for up to 32GB of extra storage.

As mentioned, the phone supports 4G, and in particular LTE bands 3, 7 and 8 on the FDD LTE standard. This means the phone will be able to use 4G in markets such as UK and Australia but not in the US.

Software-wise, the phone is powered by Android 4.4 but runs Xiaomi's own MIUI 6.0. The custom skin adds quite a bit of features to the phone, including my favorite feature, which lets you shift apps around by tapping and holding on an app and using another finger to flick to another screen. And while it's not running Lollipop, Xiaomi's MIUI includes plenty of useful thoughtful features last seen on the Mi 4i.

While the UI is similar to iOS, with apps located on the home screen, the drop-down notification menu is more closely related to Android and comes loaded with shortcuts that give you quick access to turning the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and off, and putting the phone in airplane mode, among other things. You can also quickly turn on the flashlight from the lock screen by holding down the button, a feature I'm told was added after suggestions from Xiaomi's customers.

Other features include the ability to select different themes, and an easy mode that changes the UI into something simpler with bigger dial pads and icons. That's perfect for users who aren't as familiar with modern smartphones.

One thing that Android users should take note of is that like most Chinese-designed UIs, the phone doesn't have an app drawer -- as mentioned, apps are all located on the home screen. It's a mixture of Android and iOS, so if you're familiar with either system, it shouldn't take you long to get used to the phone. Check out the screenshots below for a look at the UI.

Xiaomi's phones use MIUI, which is a custom skin on top of Android. In the Redmi 2's case, it's KitKat. Screenshot by Aloysius Low/CNET

MIUI has a very clean and flat look, though like iOS, it stores the apps on the home screen instead of an app drawer. Screenshot by Aloysius Low/CNET

Camera

• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 1080p HD video
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera

The Redmi 2 comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a front 2-megapixel shooter. Interestingly, unlike most budget handsets in the market, the Redmi 2's camera does offer decent performance, and has a speedy shutter to boot. Startup time is a little slow, but that's mostly due to the phone's processing power, which I'll talk a bit more in the following section.

On the rear you'll find an 8-megapixel camera. Aloysius Low/CNET

The Redmi 2's camera also comes with HDR mode, a countdown mode for taking better selfies, panorama and a manual option if you like to tweak things. There aren't any overly complicated features to the camera app -- a good thing, in my opinion.

Besides normal shots, you can take full HD videos with the rear camera, and while the camera does an adequate job of capturing video, I noticed that the automatic exposure can be a tad aggressive, which can white out your video if you're moving from a light source too quickly. It shouldn't be an issue if you're shooting a video in bright light, though.

For the front 2-megapixel camera, the image quality isn't very great; shots will look muddy even though there's bright light. On the bright side, you'll have some fun with the built-in age and gender detection, which displays them onscreen. It's often accurate at times, but you'll get some laughs when it sometimes shows your friend being 20 years older than they actually are.

Check out the test shots below.

Without HDR turned on, the phone's still capable of taking a good outdoor shot, but do note that turning it on will result in some time taken for processing (click to enlarge). Aloysius Low/CNET

With HDR turned on, the image is a lot brighter, and the sky in the background has more detail. (Click to enlarge). Aloysius Low/CNET

Oddly, whenever I tried focusing on the white flower, the phone seemed to think it was too bright and adjusted the aperture, resulting in a dimmer picture. When not focused though, the picture was normal. It's likely Xiaomi can fix this via software. (Click to enlarge). Aloysius Low/CNET

As long as there's lots of light, even indoor shots turn out well with plenty of detail (click to enlarge). Aloysius Low/CNET

Performance

In my day-to-day use of the phone, I initially found the performance sluggish at times. I thought this was originally a problem with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor, but it seems like it's probably due to Facebook Messenger combined with the phone only having 1GB of RAM.

Messenger seems to be quite the resource hog (even on other high-end phones), and the replacement review unit of the Redmi 2 I tested out seemed to exhibit the same issues, so it could be Messenger. Although, having only 1GB of RAM will lead to a poor experience with multitasking -- that's what I usually find on phones with similar specs.

Anecdotally, the Redmi 2 took 37 seconds to boot, but there's a slight 1-second wait for the camera to start when completely closed. There was no noticeable delay for the shutter, though.

The rear cover is removable, and grants access to the dual 4G SIM slots, microSD and a removable 2,200mAh battery. Aloysius Low/CNET

On the benchmarking front though, the Redmi 2 seems to hold its own. It scored an average of 11,290 in the Quadrant benchmark tests, which shows the handset is better than similar specced devices, including the ZTE Grand X Max+, though it loses out to the Moto E (powered by a Snapdragon 200 processor) which scored 13,528 in the same test.

Against the more expensive $180 Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, the Redmi 2 seems able to match scores, which puts the lower-priced phone in a much better light. Lastly, I also ran the test in Performance mode of the phone but there wasn't any noticeable differences in score.

Performance test

	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3	Average
Geekbench 3	1437	1473	1476	1,462
Quadrant	11758	11833	12002	11,864
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited	4382	4411	4334	4,376

Geekbench 3

Xiaomi Redmi 2 1462 Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime 1,439

Note: Longer is better

3DMark - Ice Storm Unlimited

Xiaomi Redmi 2 4,376 Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime 4,557

Note: Longer is better

Battery life

In our CNET Videos Lab test, the phone lasted 11 hours and 24 minutes. If you're wondering how much that translates to in real-life use, based on my personal experience with the phone during the week that I spent reviewing it, that's about a full day. Since the 2,200mAh battery is removable, you can carry a spare with you if you need to go longer. Alternatively, Xiaomi's own power banks are great for keeping you juiced up, too.

Call quality

I didn't encounter any issues with the phone's audio when making calls, and the speaker is decently loud enough that you won't have trouble hearing it. In a more quiet environment such as the office, though, it's better to keep the phone on silent as you'll more than likely tick people off when notifications start chiming in. For 4G data speeds, the phone was tested on the SingTel network in Singapore, where it managed to hit a high of 49.2 Mbps for download speeds in five tests.

Screenshot by Aloysius Low/CNET

Conclusion

If it weren't for the low 1GB of RAM, the Xiaomi Redmi 2 would definitely make a great phone. It's a drawback, but performance is something you have to give up when it comes to most devices in this price category.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime offers similar performance, but the Redmi 2 delivers it for a much cheaper price. Of course, there are other budget phones, such as the $150 Moto E and the myriad other cheap handsets from China available from online retailers. The Redmi 2 seems to offer the best value as it is.

With its low price, the Redmi 2 is a good phone for those who need a cheap 4G dual-SIM device, especially travelers who need a second phone for an upcoming vacation or work trip.

Need a cheap dual 4G SIM phone? You're looking at it. Aloysius Low/CNET

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