It was introduced at the end of September 2017 and even before its release it was positioned as a direct competitor to Apple products. The peculiarity of the device is that it works on pure Android, i.e. lack of a proprietary MIUI shell.
The development of the operating system was carried out in close cooperation with Google, so Xiaomi Mi A1 owners are guaranteed to be among the first to receive all system updates and various services from Google. What else is interesting about the flagship and what features it has, read our review.
Brief characteristics
The table shows the main technical parameters; for more detailed information, we suggest reading the entire article.
| Display | diagonal is 5.5 inches, resolution – 1920x1080 pixels, brightness – 450 nits, protective coating – Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Housing material | aluminum |
| operating system | Pure Android 8 |
| Number of SIM cards | Combo slot: micro-SIM and nano-SIM |
| Amount of RAM/built-in memory | 4/64 GB, supports microSDXC memory card up to 127 GB |
| Cameras | Main: dual 12 + 12 megapixels (video recording in 4K format is possible); Front: 5 MP, there is a mode to improve the quality of selfies |
| Battery capacity | 3080 mAh |
| Dimensions and weight | 155.4x75.8x7.3 mm, weight – 165 g |
| CPU |
Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625, 2.0 GHz, number of cores – 8 |
Equipment
The device comes in a Xiaomi branded box, on the back of which its main characteristics are indicated, as well as the IMEI and serial number. On the side there should be a Global Version mark, which indicates the installation of international firmware, which has a high-quality translation into most languages of the world.
The contents of the box are universal: in addition to the Xiaomi Mi A1 itself, the kit includes a charger, a USB Type C cable, instructions and a special clip required to remove the SIM card tray. Among the advantages is that the adapter supports charging in 2A and 5V modes.
Design and ergonomics
Externally, the model is almost impossible to distinguish from Xiaomi Mi5X, which is not surprising, because Mi A1 was assembled on the basis of this smartphone and almost completely inherited its appearance from its “parent”. Mi A1 is made according to the classic design typical for most Xiaomi smartphones - rounded corners of the body, small thickness of the product, a panel with touch buttons located under the screen, and a sensor on the back cover.
The front camera is located above the screen in close proximity to the earpiece, and a notification LED is also located here.
The headset jack is equipped at the bottom of the case, and the power button and volume keys are placed on the right side of the product.
Thanks to the all-metal design of the case, which is complemented by plastic inserts for antennas, reliable protection against mechanical damage is provided, and the likelihood of squeaks is eliminated.
The product is comfortable to hold and operate with one hand, which is achieved due to the narrow screen frames.
Dimensions
Taking into account the screen diagonal of 5.5 inches, the device is quite lightweight - only 165 grams. The length is just over 15 cm, the width and height are 7.5 and 0.73 cm, respectively. Thanks to this, the Mi A1 gives the impression of a quite compact device.
However, carrying it in a trouser pocket is still not very convenient, and in most cases you will have to use both hands to organize comfortable control.
Screen
The display resolution is Full HD, the brightness is 450 nits, so the image quality does not deteriorate even when viewed in direct sunlight.
For comfortable use at night, there is a separate mode that reduces the intensity of blue light and changes the color temperature to warmer tones. This can significantly reduce eye strain and ensure long-term comfortable reading even in complete darkness.
The pixel density is 403 ppi, which guarantees high-level detail and contrast of the picture. Color rendition is distinguished by its naturalness, and the image is distinguished by its brightness and richness of colors. Any picture looks very realistic, which is achieved due to the absence of an air gap between the screen and the touchscreen.
The display uses LTPS technology, which is designed to reduce power consumption.
Watching videos on the Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone is very convenient, since the viewing angles are quite high and even with a strong tilt, no distortion is visible. The only thing that can be noted is the transition from black to gray at a very sharp viewing angle. However, this drawback is common to all IPS matrices, because the crystals in it do not completely block transmitted light.
Performance Options
The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, which belongs to the mid-price category. It is based on 8 Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 2 GHz, and Adreno 506 is used as a graphics accelerator.
Due to the absence of the proprietary MIUI shell, which is more demanding on processor performance, Mi A1 on pure Android runs quickly and does not freeze. All new applications also feature stable operation, and the smartphone confidently “pulls” even heavy toys. However, in the most demanding games you will still have to sacrifice graphics settings, otherwise the system may begin to freeze.
According to the manufacturer, a resource of 4 GB of RAM should be enough for at least another 2 years, including when installing heavy games on the device.
Battery capacity
The battery capacity is 3080 mAh, so in standby mode the device can work for at least 5 days. If it is used to view Internet pages, then one charge should be enough for 6-7 hours of continuous operation.
In video viewing mode at maximum screen brightness, the charge should last for 7-8 hours. The greatest amount of energy is consumed during games, and on average the battery can last for 3-4 hours.
Among the disadvantages, it should be noted the lack of a fast charging function. Full replenishment of battery energy is carried out in 2.5 hours.
Functional dual camera
The clear advantage of the Xiaomi Mi A1 over its competitors is its dual camera with 2x optical zoom. The main module is a 12-megapixel OmniVision OV12A10 camera equipped with a wide-angle lens and f/2.2 aperture. However, there is no optical stabilization, and autofocus is phase detection.
As a result, in good daylight it is possible to obtain high-quality photographs, but when the lighting deteriorates, the quality of the photo decreases noticeably, especially if shooting is carried out in a poorly lit room.
The second module also has a resolution of 12 megapixels with an f/2.6 aperture, so it is more suitable for creating portraits. For these purposes, the device has a special portrait mode, which automatically separates the subject from the background.
But there are practically no complaints about the front camera, because selfies turn out bright and sharp, and thanks to the “enhancement” mode, the program effectively removes even minor imperfections on the skin, including wrinkles, signs of fatigue and bags under the eyes. Among the bonuses of the front photo module is the function of automatic recognition of the gender and age of the subject.
Wireless interfaces
According to these parameters, Mi A1 is equipped to the maximum. There is Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and 4G support.
For terrain orientation, the system supports not only GLONASS and GPS, but also the Chinese powerful analog Beidou, which in terms of the size of the satellite constellation is in no way inferior to the American and Russian systems.
The device finds satellites within 5-10 seconds and does not lose contact with them even with an unstable signal. And the minimal error in determining the location makes the device an excellent replacement for standard GPS navigators.
Xiaomi Mi A1 is a landmark device for the company. For the first time, the Chinese have cooperated with Google and released a joint smartphone. Xiaomi in this case is responsible for the hardware, and Google is responsible for Android and the latest updates for 3 years. It sounds cool, but the smartphone turned out to have a lot of nuances. I'll tell you all about it in the review.
Since the Russian representative office of Xiaomi (“Smart Orange”) does not find the strength to answer my requests, I bought Xiaomi Mi A1 on my own. Moreover, this time I did it not in China, but here in Russia. At the same time, I’ll tell you how the official version of Mi A1 differs from the global one, which you can get for 5-6 thousand cheaper in some online store, such as Aliexpress or Gearbest. Go!
Unboxing
We are greeted with excellent, high-quality and pleasant packaging in all respects. If anything, I took all the photos of the box from under the device using the Mi A1 camera, plus added a little color correction. Why not?
Immediately a nuance! On the back side of the cardboard casing we have a label with the main parameters of the device and information about the manufacturer in Russian. It is this sticker that distinguishes the official version of the smartphone 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 here is that the instructions and warranty card are entirely in Russian.
Design
The smartphone comes in three colors: all-black, gold and pink. In Russia only the first two colors are sold. The pink one must be obtained independently from the Middle Kingdom. Let it be for now.
I chose black because the boys in the area wouldn’t understand. But seriously, I missed. It is better to buy the gold version, because it looks the best. Especially at the back, where the dual camera peephole clearly stands out against the background of the golden back. The antenna strips neatly curving along the body also add some charm. It all looks like you have an iPhone 7 Plus in your hands. From afar. Very far away.
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 fits well in the hand, but you have to keep in mind that this is still a 5.5-inch shovel. There are devices that, with the same diagonal, have 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 |
Below the display there are three backlit touch buttons. If anything, the Split View mode (multi-window) is called by long-holding the left key.
Accordingly, the fingerprint scanner has 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 this too. The main thing is that the scanner is fast and recognizes fingerprints in 10 out of 10 cases.
What about the build quality? I wasn’t very lucky - the back cover of 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 case for only a week, I placed it on a more or less clean surface, but small scratches still appeared.
Display
Here we have a completely ordinary 5.5-inch IPS panel. Good, adequate color rendition, moderate contrast (1000:1) and tolerable viewing angles. Only under extreme deviation does a whitish fog appear on the screen.
Yes, I have seen better IPS panels, but believe me, there is nothing particularly to criticize the Xiaomi Mi A1 screen for. Especially if you keep its price in mind.
However, I did find one nuance - the brightness, which has a little reserve. The display looks dim in the sun. This is despite the fact that the brightness level is stated at 450 nits (industry standard). There are no problems indoors.
There was also 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 run 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 customizable at all. Those accustomed to MIUI customization 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 process technology)
- Adreno 506 graphics (operating frequency up to 650 MHz)
- RAM 4 GB LPDDR3 (after reboot free about 2.1 GB)
- data storage 64 GB eMMC 5.1
- Micro SD cards up to 128 GB available (combined slot with SIM cards)
- 5.5-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1080 resolution (403 ppi density), 450 nits brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio
- 5 MP front camera (Samsung S5K5E8 matrix, f/2, pixel size 1.12 µm)
- 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, telephoto 50 mm, aperture f/2.6, individual pixel size 1 µm), PDAF focusing, dual flash
- battery 3,080 mAh
- OS Android 7.1.2 (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 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 through the engineering menu), IR port
- Navigation: GPS, Glonass, Beidou
The smartphone does not have NFC, so wireless payment via Android Pay will not work. The latter is especially sad considering that our smartphone's main competitor has such support.
Performance
The interface works quickly and without problems. Mostly. However, lags and barely noticeable brakes still 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 improved in the near future. I’ll tell you about the stability of the system a little later. Unfortunately, there is something to be said.
The smartphone generally copes well with modern 3D games. World of Tanks Blitz runs on high graphics settings, but the frame rate does not exceed 22 FPS. On medium settings everything is much more fun - at least 40 fps.
Cameras
They say that Mi A1 is almost the best smartphone in terms of photography among classmates. Let's check it now.
Front-camera
If you are lucky with the lighting, the selfie will turn out to be of quite decent quality. If the sun is already getting ready to dive below the horizon, then get ready to take 5-6 photos at a time. There is a good chance that most will be blurry.
In general, our front camera photo quality is average. Even for Xiaomi.
Main cameras
Yes, here we have two modules at once. Here are their characteristics:
- 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, f/2.6 aperture, 1 micron single point size)
The photos from the main camera come out really interesting. However, to achieve a more or less tolerable result, you need to tinker with the exposure (automation does not always adequately assess lighting). It is also highly desirable to have good lighting around, otherwise the quality of the photo will rapidly begin to decline.
Pointed, shot, got a masterpiece - this is not about the Xiaomi Mi A1 camera.
Sometimes the white balance is so bad that you end up with steampunk shots like this. By the way, they look quite interesting. And yes, I didn't edit them at all.
HDR works quite well. Here are a couple of examples with the function 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 pit the middling product from 2017 against the flagship from 2014.
By the way, we grab all examples of photos from Xiaomi Mi A1 cameras in original resolution.
Of the nuances.
The camera cannot recognize QR codes, although any other device from Xiaomi does this with ease. And this is really strange, because the camera application here is from MIUI, not Google.
Slow shutter release is frustrating.
Even if you shoot in normal mode (not HDR), the device takes pictures slowly. And it is advisable at this moment to hold the smartphone very tightly in your hands, because the picture can float even when there is just a little bit of light (on a cloudy day). To shoot HDR, you generally need “hands of stone.”
One of the main advantages of the Xiaomi Mi A1 is unlimited storage for all photos from a smartphone in the Google cloud, and without loss of quality.
If you suddenly doubt the quality in which pictures are uploaded to the cloud, then go to the settings of the “Photos” application, then select the “Startup and synchronization” item and set the desired option in the “Photo Size” menu. All my frames were uploaded in original quality.
Finally, let’s compare 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 covered with a 26 mm wide-angle lens. The second is a 50 mm telephoto lens. Accordingly, when you are too lazy to approach your subject with your feet, you can tap on the “1x” icon in the viewfinder and the image will be exactly twice as close. In fact, the image simply switches to the second module.
I’ll say right away that the camera with a telephoto lens is inferior in quality to the main one. Yes, everything looks good on the smartphone screen. This is no longer the case on a computer.
Interesting fact. If there is not enough ambient light, then the “optical zoom” will not work - the picture will simply be digitally zoomed in. This is very easy to check. Close the telephoto lens eye with your finger and tap on the “1x” icon. If the zoom works, it means there is not enough lighting and digital zoom has 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 is in the way.
bokeh
A smartphone also needs two cameras to blur the background during portrait photography. Automation does not always do this successfully, but one out of four or five frames turns out to be passable. You need to try, try.
A couple of unpleasant moments. The quality of a photo with bokeh effect will always be lower than that of a regular photo. However, it’s fine for viewing on a smartphone.
Secondly, if the algorithms “see” a person in the frame, they automatically even out his skin. It becomes porcelain, perfectly smooth, and you can’t turn off this “beauty.”
Video recording
In this regard, the apparatus of stars from the sky is not enough. At all.
The video recording has a lot of problems: poor detail, a complete lack of any stabilization and disgusting sound. This is the umpteenth time I’ve encountered this on Xiaomi smartphones. Relatively new devices have the same problem with sound - it gurgles and you can’t hear anything at all. I had the firmware N2G47H.7.10.14.
If anything, here is a link to instructions on how to get rid of these gurgling sounds (Root is required).
Pure Android - is it 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, no file manager is installed. You have to look for your own option in the Play Store, and as you know, there is a lot of garbage with built-in advertising.
Various applications crash periodically. If this were an isolated incident, I wouldn’t even mention it, but this happens consistently every two days. Moreover, any third-party utility can crash. The exception is stock programs.
Frankly speaking, I don't like the design of "naked" Android. It's too simple and uncomplicated. Yes, minimalism is good, but this is too much. And yes, this is purely my subjective opinion.
The MIUI shell 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 the Android OS in its original form.
To enable the percentage indicator, do the following:
- lower the notification shade
- hold your finger on the gear icon for a few seconds until it vibrates
- System UI Tuner appears in the smartphone settings
- in the “Status Bar” section we find “Always show charge percentage” and get the following.
Now about the positives.
The smartphone has no problems with notifications. All notifications from any application arrive on time, which cannot be said about MIUI, where it is a real headache that cannot be completely cured.
What is a clear advantage of Android over MIUI is support. It was promised that all software updates would come directly from Google - that's it. Mi A1 will be one of the first to receive them, almost on par with the series’ own devices - that’s two. And thirdly, the promised support period is 3 years. In general, you are buying 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 rotates to landscape orientation. This 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 the USB-C port. The volume is above average, which is good. But in terms of quality it’s definitely average. It’s better not to put complex songs on a call, or not to turn the notification volume up to maximum. There are no wheezes, but somehow, something... not very good.
Xiaomi products are in constant demand among Russians. Since the end of last year, smartphones of this brand have been officially sold in our country, and before that, the path for the Chinese company was paved by AliExpress and “gray” deliveries. However, Xiaomi smartphones, and their other compatriots, have long been not only “cheap and cheerful”. The Chinese have proven more than once that they are capable of producing devices that are original in style and advanced from a technical point of view, and with the one they recently presented they have challenged the leaders of the international market.
But the Mi A1, which we will study today, is another offer for those buyers who want to save money and at the same time not lose face next to the audience of expensive brands. This means that Xiaomi engineers have revived old habits, for which the company was both scolded in the past (because of its shameless imitation of Apple) and praised (because of how well it can sometimes be done). However, Xiaomi’s technical experience, which allowed it to release such interesting products as both Mi MIX, was not in vain.
⇡ Specifications
| Xiaomi Mi A1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.5 inches, IPS, 1080 × 1920 pixels, 403 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 5.5 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 403 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 5.5 inches, AMOLED, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 401 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 5.5 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 401 ppi; capacitive, multi-touch | |
| Protective glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | No information | No information | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | No information |
| CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 655: eight cores (4 × 2.1 GHz + 4 × 1.7 GHz) Cortex-A53 | MediaTek MT6755M Helio P10: eight cores (4 × 1.8 GHz + 4 × 1.1 GHz) ARM Cortex-A53 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 (eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 2.2 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953: eight cores (8 × 2 GHz) ARM Cortex-A53 | |
| Graphics controller | Adreno 506, 650 MHz | ARM Mali-T830 MP2, 600 MHz | ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 550 MHz | Adreno 506, 650 MHz | Adreno 506, 650 MHz |
| RAM | 4 GB | 3/4 GB | 3/4 GB | 3/4 GB | 3/4 GB |
| Flash memory | 64 GB | 32/64 GB | 16/32/64 GB | 32/64 GB | 32/64 GB |
| Memory card support | Eat | Eat | Eat | Eat | Eat |
| Connectors | USB Type-C, 3.5 mm mini-jack | MicroUSB, 3.5 mm | MicroUSB, 3.5 mm | USB Type-C, 3.5 mm mini-jack | MicroUSB, 3.5 mm |
| SIM cards | 2 × nano-SIM/microSD (universal) | 2 × nano-SIM/microSD (universal) | Two nano-SIMs | 1 × micro-SIM + 1 × nano-SIM/microSD (universal) | |
| Cellular connection 2G | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz CDMA 800, 1900 | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | |
| Cellular 3G | HSDPA 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | DC-HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz | HSDPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz | DC-HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz | |
| Cellular 4G | LTE Cat. 6: ranges 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, 40 | LTE Cat. 4: ranges 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 | LTE Cat. 4: ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41 | LTE Cat. 7 (300/150 Mbps): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41, 66 | LTE Cat. 6, ranges: 1, 3, 5, 7, 38, 39, 40, 41 |
| WiFi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz | 802.11/b/g/n/ 2.4 GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ 2.4/5 GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ 2.4/5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| NFC | No | Eat | No | Eat | No |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS (BeiDou and Galileo are implemented by the chipset, but not declared) | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| Sensors | Illuminance, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), IR | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass) | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), ultrasonic | Light, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), IR sensor | |
| Fingerprint's scanner | Eat | Eat | Eat | Eat | Eat |
| Main camera | 12 MP, ƒ/2.2 + 12 MP, ƒ/2.6, phase detection autofocus, dual LED flash | 12 MP, phase detection autofocus, LED flash; secondary camera - 2 MP | 13 MP, ƒ/2.2, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, Full HD video recording | 12 MP, ƒ/1.7, hybrid autofocus, dual LED flash, 4K video recording | 13 MP, ƒ/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual LED flash |
| Front-camera | 5 MP, no autofocus, no flash | 8 MP, no autofocus, no flash | 4 MP, fixed focus, flash | 5 MP, without autofocus, with flash | |
| Nutrition | Non-removable battery: 11.4 Wh (3080 mAh, 3.7 V) | Non-removable battery: 12.69 Wh (3340 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery: 15.2 Wh (4000 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery: 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery: 15.58 Wh (4100 mAh, 3.8 V) |
| Size | 155.4 × 75.8 × 7.3 mm | 150 × 76.2 × 8.2 mm | 153.6 × 75.8 × 8.1 mm | 156.2 × 76.2 × 5.99 mm | 151 × 76 × 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 165 g | 162 g | 138 g | 145 g | 165 g |
| Water and dust protection | No | No | No | Splash protection | No |
| operating system | Android 7.1 Nougat | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, EMUI shell | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Flyme shell | Android 7.1.1 Nougat | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, native MiUI shell |
| Current price | 17,000 rubles | 12,990 / 15,570 rubles | 9,999 / 10,999 / 11,849 rubles | 25,800 rubles (for 3/64 GB version) | 7,898 / 9,199 / 10,299 rubles |
Design, ergonomics and software
The manufacturer's official website does not skimp on praise for the appearance of the Mi A1. But Xiaomi was inspired by the same muse that is well known to us all, and this time the scale of borrowing from Apple is especially cynical. Mi A1 exactly replicates the iPhone 7 Plus in body proportions, screen size, shape of the front panel and plastic inserts on the metal cover. If it were not for the absence of a home key and a fingerprint scanner located on the back, then at a superficial glance the Xiaomi Mi A1 and its American prototype would not be easily confused with each other. However, you can’t find fault with the quality of workmanship. Savings are only evident in small details: Jony Ive's joint between glass and metal is smoother, and the camera protrusion is framed by a cheap-looking plastic insert. Xiaomi offers black, gold and pink color options.
All physical keys are concentrated on the right side of the body - for right-handed people holding the device in their dominant hand, this is most convenient, although using the smartphone without the help of a second hand is still difficult with this screen size. The biometric sensor is located optimally - not too close to the camera and low enough to be comfortably reached with your index finger, even if you do not have a very large palm. Over several dozen input attempts, the scanner never failed, and there was practically no delay before unlocking.
The body of the Mi A1 is as thin as the iPhone, but the device is a little lighter, despite the fact that there was room inside for a slightly larger battery (3080 mAh - 180 mAh more) and for a mini connector -jack. Another feature of the Mi A1 is an infrared emitter on the top edge, thanks to which the gadget can be used as a remote control for home appliances. But the Mi A1 does not have an NFC antenna, which means there is no possibility of contactless payments using Android Pay.
Includes charger, USB cable, SIM tray clip and paper documentation
Typically, companies that can be considered start-up smartphone manufacturers begin to work closely with Google. However, the partnership with the world-famous Xiaomi has reached such a level that both giants decided to jointly release a smartphone as part of the Android One program. As a result, a beautiful and high-quality camera phone Xiaomi Mi A1 appeared.
Other Android One series smartphones:
Equipment
The box with the smartphone contains: a charger, a USB to USB Type-C cable, instructions, a warranty card and a paper clip for removing the SIM card slot and memory card.
Design and ergonomics
The Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone is identical in appearance to its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi 5x.
The device body is made of metal and contains only two small plastic inserts necessary for stable operation in wireless networks.
At the top of the front side of the smartphone there is a front camera, sensors and a voice speaker.
Below the display are three control buttons: menu, home and back. If desired, the action of each button can be reassigned at your discretion.
The back of the smartphone houses a dual camera, dual LED flash and a fingerprint scanner.
On the top edge there is an IR port for household appliances, as well as a microphone for noise reduction.
As for the bottom edge, there are: a 3.5 mm port for headphones, a USB Type-C port for charging and connecting to a PC, a main microphone and a speaker.
The arrangement of elements on the side faces is quite familiar.
On the right there is a power button and a volume rocker, and on the left there is a tray for SIM cards and a memory card.
It is known that the new product will be available in three colors: black, gold and rose gold.
Display
The smartphone is equipped with a large 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The screen is quite bright and has wide viewing angles.
The touchpad supports up to ten touch points simultaneously.
The screen is covered with 2.5D glass, which means using the smartphone will be as pleasant as using the budget hit of 2017 -.
Performance
The new product received an 8-core Snapdragon 625 processor with a frequency of 2 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal memory. Graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 506 processor.
Performance will be good in most games. For example, the device does not experience any problems with Asphalt 9 and Modern Combat 5.
The only real drawback of this phone is overheating. If Xiaomi had used its own thermal regulation algorithms, the situation would have been better, but here it’s pure Android.
In any case, if you are not an avid gamer, then you will not have problems with the Xiaomi Mi A1. The maximum measured case temperature is 42 degrees, which is quite acceptable for such devices.
The new product has a dedicated 10-watt audio amplifier, which allows you to use even the most serious studio headphones with your smartphone.
In the AnTuTu test, the device scores 63298 points.
Technical characteristics of Xiaomi Mi A1
 | ||
| 63298 | ||
| Xiaomi Tissot | ||
| Announcement date | 2017, September | |
| Network support | GSM/CDMA/HSPA/LTE | |
| - 2G | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2 | |
| - 3G | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | |
| - 4G | LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500 ) | |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, access point | |
| Dimensions | 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm (6.12 x 2.98 x 0.29 inches) | |
| Weight | 165 g (5.82 oz) | |
| Accumulator battery | Non-removable, Li-Ion 3080 mAh | |
| Display | (~70.1% of smartphone surface) | |
| - permission | 1080 x 1920 pixels (~403 ppi) | |
| CPU | Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625 | |
| - CPU frequency | Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 | |
| - graphic arts | Adreno 506 | |
| Memory | 64 GB, 4 GB RAM | |
| USB | 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector | |
| Camera | ||
| - main | Dual 12 MP (26mm, f/2.2; 50mm, f/2.6), phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, dual LED dual-tone flash | |
| - frontal | 5 MP, 1080p | |
| operating system | Android 7.1.2 (Nougat) |
Battery
Xiaomi Mi A1 has a 3080 mAh battery. From a practical point of view, this is quite enough for a full working day, but using a special energy saving mode, the battery life can be slightly increased.
Charging is carried out via a modern USB Type-C port, but there is no support for Quick Charge technology.
Camera
Xiaomi Mi A1 is equipped with three camera modules. The front camera has a resolution of 5 MP, and the dual main ones are 12 MP each. At the same time, the main modules have different focal lengths (26 and 50 mm), which made it possible to equip the camera with 2x optical zoom.
Using portrait mode, which uses two camera modules at once, you can achieve a good software background blur effect (bokeh), which, upon a quick inspection, almost completely repeats the work of SLR cameras.
Examples of photos on Xiaomi Mi A1
Overall, with good lighting, photos are of excellent quality in both normal and portrait modes.
However, this cannot be said when shooting in the dark. Like most other smartphones, the Xiaomi Mi A1 will take longer to focus and the quality of photos will noticeably deteriorate.
Stock Android on Mi smartphone
The main difference between the MI A1 and other Xiaomi smartphones is the absence of the proprietary MIUI shell.
From the basic assembly, only 3 applications will remain: Mi Remote, Mi Store and Feedback. Everything else on the phone is pure Android 7.1.2.
The “Camera” application has also been changed, since it requires support for the operation of the dual main module.
Running a smartphone on pure Android allows you to free up additional funds to use a more powerful processor. As a result, both the system and applications will work faster.
Video – Xiaomi Mi A1 Unboxing and Review
Results
pros
- recognizable interface of pure Android;
- speed of receiving firmware updates;
- good performance.
minuses
- strong noise in photos in low light;
- rather modest battery capacity.
Xiaomi Mi A1 is a premium device from the Android One family, which is perfect for those users who trust the quality of Xiaomi smartphones, but have not been able to get used to the proprietary MIUI shell. Xiaomi Mi A1 will appear in Russia in October 2017 at an estimated price of 17,000 rubles.
Review of Xiaomi Mi A1. Xiaomi is expanding the mobile gadget market at tremendous speed. Every year so many new smartphones appear on store shelves that it is simply impossible to keep track of them.
Another new product that the Chinese manufacturer has pleased its users with is the Xiaomi Mi A1, a pure Android smartphone produced under the Android One brand. Let's take a closer look at this model and figure out how this smartphone stands out among its competitors.
Appearance
Although modern smartphones differ in their specifications, the real dilemma for users is the appearance. Almost all gadgets look the same, especially if they are made in Asian countries, and the Xiaomi Mi A1 partially falls into this category. If you put it next to flagships from other manufacturers, the external similarity will become immediately noticeable, especially when it comes to this year’s models.
The difference lies in the case materials, and in this gadget they were chosen very well. All elements of the device are carefully hidden behind an aluminum shell and covered with high-quality paint.
Thanks to the rounded edges, the Xiaomi Mi A1 fits perfectly in the hand, and you can reach the controls with one hand, despite the diagonal, which is 5.5 inches. The ratio of display size to front surface area is 70%, and this figure is more than enough, especially considering that the screen here is 2.5D.
On the front of the smartphone there is a screen, a speaker, control buttons and a front camera with various sensors.
On the right are the control buttons,
on the left is a hybrid slot for 2 SIM cards, or a SIM card and a flash drive,
and at the bottom there is a conversational microphone, a multimedia speaker, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB Type-C.
On the back, users will find a dual camera, a fingerprint scanner and a flash.
By the way, on the top edge there is an IR port and a second microphone, which is responsible for noise reduction.
The antennas are built into the body and covered with special plugs, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. In general, the Xiaomi Mi A1 turned out to be quite pleasant in appearance, although it does not stand out from other smartphones in anything special.
As for colors, only 3 body colors are planned for now:
- Black
- Golden
- Pink
Characteristics of Xiaomi Mi A1
The new smartphone from Xiaomi received an 8-core Snapdragon 625 processor with four energy-saving Cortex-A53 cores, each operating at a frequency of 2 GHz. It runs on the same processor. In addition to this, there is also an Adreno 506 graphics video accelerator.
There is 4 GB of RAM, which is less than that of competitors’ flagship models, but more than enough to run several “heavy” applications and modern games.
Characteristics table
Screen
By the way, you can play the latest toys on a Full HD display (1080 x 1920 pixels) with a density of 401 ppi, and this means that any game elements will be displayed as accurately and efficiently as possible, and the pixels will not be noticeable even upon careful examination. The matrix here is IPS, viewing angles are very large,
There is practically no inversion or fading of the display at different angles.
The screen itself is made using 2.5D technology and is protected by impact-resistant Gorilla Glass 3. The latest firmware version will allow you to adjust the scaling of elements, screen resolution and much more.
Camera and multimedia
Xiaomi Mi A1 boasts two cameras at once - a dual main one, with different aperture sizes with a matrix resolution of 12 MP, and a front 5-megapixel one.
The main module has the OmniVision OV12A10 index (not Sony), a wide angle and an f/2.2 aperture, and the telephoto lens has an f/2.6 aperture. In this case, the focal length is 26 mm and 50 mm, respectively. The pixel size is 1.25 microns and 1 pop, respectively. The maximum ISO value that the camera sets in night mode is 6400 units, and the maximum shutter speed that can be set in manual (professional) mode is 1/15 of a second.
The maximum video size is 2160p, with a frame rate of 30 FPS, but if you like to create slow motion videos, then you can lower the resolution to 720p and record at 120 FPS. Using third-party applications, you can increase the video bitrate and improve the photo quality. For example, if you use Bacon Camera, you can set the shutter speed to 1/8, but in the native application a maximum of 1/15 is available.
You can also try to improve the quality of the photo using the camera app from OnePlus 5. Of course, you shouldn’t expect anything supernatural, but the HDR mode in it is very good, and the HQ mode will allow you to take more detailed pictures and can set the shutter speed up to 1/2 sec ! Don't believe me? Here is a screenshot from it.
True, you won’t be able to set it manually; the application itself chooses when to set it, and not all functions work in OnePlus Camera, but it’s definitely worth experimenting with.
Example of recording video in 4K
Below are several photos from the camera in different modes. There was no processing. When you click on a photo, full-size 12 MP ones are loaded!
Photos come out great in daylight, and the HDR mode is excellent.
This mode can be called macro, the photo was taken with a telephoto lens, the elephant is actually very small.
This is how you can photograph berries with a wide-angle camera module.
In the last two photos, the lighting source is only a 10-watt LED lamp. It is quite difficult to take pictures without blurring; serial shooting, with which this photo was taken, helps partly. HDR mode works great.
Photo gallery from the Mi A1 camera
All recorded videos and captured photos can be stored either in the built-in storage, which has a capacity of as much as 64 GB, or on a memory card with a maximum size of 128 GB, although in the latter case you will have to sacrifice a second SIM card.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 model also boasts quite good sound, compared to the company's previous smartphones. The manufacturer has finally paid attention to this aspect, and the music in the headphones now sounds more harmonious, since there is no strong frequency imbalance, and the minimum that remains can be easily compensated using the simplest equalizer.
By the way, there is a 3.5 mm jack for headphones, so there is no need to look for and buy an additional wireless headset.
If we talk about data transfer interfaces, the device supports technologies such as Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot and dualband. It also supports all modern methods of data transmission in mobile networks of 2, 3 and 4 generations, and connoisseurs of high-quality navigation will be pleased with the built-in GPS module, which supports GLONASS, BDS and A-GPS.
Unpacking and delivery contents
The equipment is quite standard and minimalistic.
In the box the user will find:
- The smartphone itself
- SIM tray key
- USB Type-C cable
- Charger 5 Volt 2A
- A few pieces of paper (“quick” instructions)
Video
Software and autonomy
Xiaomi Mi A1 is the company's first smartphone that was developed using the AndroidOne program, which means that the device does not contain any unnecessary software from sponsors. Users will receive a completely “pure” Android OS without built-in games, browsers with advertising and much more.
Even the shell used here is classic, not MIUI. This approach allows not only to increase the amount of free memory with a “fresh” OS, but also to extend battery life.
Also, the absence of third-party shells and applications that always clog up RAM affects the speed of operation, and the interface here is extremely responsive. There are no microfreezes or drops in frame rate in games.
But it is MIUI in other models that is considered the face of Xiaomi, and how to perceive the absence of a proprietary shell is up to you, since with its removal the possibilities for customization and individualization of the device have significantly decreased.
