Xiaomi Mi A3 Review

Xiaomi Mi A3 Review

There is something about the phone that provides a pure and untouched Android experience. Affectionately known as Android One, these phones are Android clean as Google intended. No customization for the interface, no changes to the default apps and basically no changes that you would not otherwise want. The biggest advantage, Android updates quickly. Not surprising that the Xiaomi Mi A1 caught up very well indeed a few years ago, at a time when Nokia was in the midst of a strong comeback with Android One goodness with its full pitch. The Mi A2 was an upgrade in expected terms. Here and now, it is about the Xiaomi Mi A3. The basics remain the same. Which can only be a good thing.

The Mi A3 continues to play largely in the same price bracket as its predecessors. You have to pick up your pick from 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant for Rs 12,999 or 6GB RAM and 128GB storage option for Rs 15,999. But again, competition in this price band is tough. Direct competition as well as whereabouts where a potential buyer might consider doing something else different.

Realme 5 Pro is priced at Rs 13,999 (4 GB + 64 GB), Rs 14,999 (6 GB + 64 GB) and Rs 16,999 (8 GB + 128 GB). The series is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor, 6.3-inch display. (2340 x 1080 resolution), 48-megapixel camera and VOOC fast charging. Then there is Realme X which starts at Rs 16,999 and runs alongside Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 AIE processor, 6.5 inch display (2340 x 1080 resolution) and VOOC fast charging. The thing with Realme phones is that they run heavily customized ColorOS, which is not to everyone's taste. Then there is the slightly older and still very sensible Nokia 8.1 which is now retailing for Rs 15,999 - a hefty Rs 28,000 or a significant price drop from the price tag. It gives you a 6.2-inch display, clean Android 9 Pie and a gorgeous design. There is also the Motorola One Action, which costs Rs 13,999 and has 4GB + 128GB, 6.3-inch FHD + display, three cameras at the back, and Android One.

The design really caught my attention with the Mi A3. It has a new glass design with aluminum in the middle. The glass on either side is Gorilla Glass 5, meaning it should hold up well against scratches. It is hard to pinpoint any one thing, but in general the Mi A3 feels great to hold in hand. It is a big phone but feels quite compact. It weighs 173.8 grams on weight scales but is light enough to hold and use. In a way, it is one of the best looking phones at this price point. What helps is the interesting color choices that Xiaomi has moved forward with to be honest, I like experimenting with colors and names. You have one called More than White. He is followed by Not Blue. And finally, a kind of gray. Well, its up to you! Whatever color you choose, take a look at the back panel at different angles to see how the ambient light reflects it in different colors and patterns.

A significant amount of substance also comes with style. Under the hood is a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 AIE processor. It is an 11-nanometer architecture, and whether you buy it with 4 GB RAM or 6 GB RAM will depend on the variant you buy. If we go purely to numbers, then the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor is definitely an advantage. Faster clock speed, Adreno 610, 10-nanometer process as well as better Adreno 616 graphics compared with faster modems. If we go by that logic, should Realme 5 Pro get Xiaomi Mi A3 out of the water? And that should be? Should we end this review on our own now and save everyone from unnecessary reading trouble? But this is hardly how things pan out in the real world, once you break out of the virtual world of a particular sheet driven by numbers and "science". For most users, the Snapdragon 665 will be more than functional. It basically handles the apps that most users are using on a daily basis on a regular basis, with complete ease. Even with half a dozen apps that take up space in memory, the Mi A3 does not seem slow or powered. Many times, when you tap on the app icon and open the app, you can see a fraction of the second delay, but this is not really a difficulty. I suspect it has more to do with my usage habits. Clean Android 9 Pie has slow and untouched performance for its own contribution, as there are no optimizations and otherwise consuming unnecessary software resources.

Xiaomi has bumped the display resolution to HD +, which is 1560 x 720 pixels for a 6.08-inch Super AMOL real estate. The Snapdragon 665 can operate with a 2520 x 1080 resolution, also known as Full HD +, and perhaps this slightly surprises this spec. The AMOLED panel itself is a major upgrade over the IPS LCD display over its predecessors. But pixel density lower than expected means