Xiaomi Mi 6 Review: Flagship Budget Android Smartphone

Xiaomi, Chinese mobile phone manufacturer which is the world’s number third smartphone brand, has just introduced its flagship phone. Much awaited Xiaomi Mi 6 was finally launched in China on 19 April 2017. The Chinese brand has promised to offer high-quality features at an economic price; the main reason why phone made highlights prior to release.

The most prevalent rumors that made smartphone connoisseurs anxious for this phone were its premium features. In a run of the mill, the smartphone was expected to be equivalent to S8.; Which is something amazing? Off course, every person wants to own a product that offers a great experience in return of very little investment. There is no doubt that rumors were in accordance with reality when hands-on experiences started after phone’s release. The function of the phone might not be as smooth as the premiums offered. It is surely much better than previous versions. Xiaomi has also become a mobile phone manufacturer to bring Snapdragon 835 into China, something which is also a major feature of Xiaomi Mi 6.

GearBest.com Xiaomi Mi 6 Buying Link

Here is what the much speculated and awaited phone of the year is all about. We have started from the first impression to an ultimate user experience.

1. In the Box

The Xiaomi Mi 6 comes up in a simple white box with specs written in blue on it. This two sectioned shell, with a top and bottom, beautifully enclosed the smartphone. The packing is designed to accommodate the phone along with moulds for a charger and charging cable; both show up after picking up the phone, below the case, there is a transparent black back cover that protects the phone, while exposing the rear camera. As far as boxing is considered it proves to be an epitome of simplicity but sadly, there are no headphones. The reason is the absence of headphone jack. We have mentioned the alternate below, we are not sure whether users would like without 3.5mm headphones jack experience or not.

Overall box is a middle size case, which fits the phone and keeps other accessories in compartments underneath; hence it doesn’t occupy much space even.

2. Design and Display

Xiaomi Mi 6 has differentiated its smartphone brand by introducing a unique design. It has got ceramic material to build its phone’s outer something new for the smartphone. Sleek design looks elegant and classy in black, silver, golden and blue outfit. Stainless steel skeleton supported by 18k gold finish has made smartphone slightly tougher than its contemporary phones. Xiaomi Mi 6 features the glass curves on the four sides, a feature that imparts stylish look. The curves are upward on backing, for providing a firm grip on hands. The body is tough and capable of resisting splash but it is not water resistant.

Its ceramic material in the built-in makes it slightly heavier; hence it weighs at 168g/182g.

Let’s come to screen display. Xiaomi Mi 6 features an IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, with 16M colors. 5.15 inches screen provides enough room for using this gadget as an ultimate entertainment option. Users who are addictive games and love to watch online movies, using news portals and go through countless videos on YouTube can enjoy the more refined experience. The credit goes to 1080 x 1920 pixels screen that promises to show content win high definition.

Screen resolution may not be what can be expected from premium, phones further its size is also not up to the mark with market leaders. Still, these features are much more than one can expect from a brand like Xiaomi, which sells its products at economic prices.

Mi6 also features a wavy colorful and animated display which is its unique characteristic. Another major feature is “Eye Protect”; it is a life savor for those who need to concentrate deeply on the screen for properly viewing the content. As light can produce strain on eyes, eye protects mode when on, reduces the blue light and hence provides a vision free from any burden. A good aspect of the eye mode color is that it gives the more natural look and doesn’t have any yellow tint as other smartphones providing the main feature have.

Like other smartphones, Xiaomi Mi 6 also features a fingerprint sensor. It is built on the same place where one for Mi5 used to be. Hence, the new phone has maintained certain features to keep its brand recognition and emerge as a unique service provider in its field.

3. Camera

Gone is the time when users opted for a mobile phone to just make calls. In modern days it has become a device to preserve memories in the form of HD photographs and videos. Now, it appears that smartphones would soon take over the DSLR.

Coming back to Xiaomi Mi 6, we have a look at the camera. Surprisingly, the smartphone has outdone its contemporaries and has stood with the likes of iPhone 7 when it comes to the camera. In the time when dual cameras are a tradition, Xiaomi has come up with its own version of Zoom camera with two prominent features.

First is its lens which is set at default wide angle that allows 4-axis stabilization while taking a photo. The second feature is its telephoto secondary shooter that offers two times greater zoom. So, taking pictures with Xiaomi Mi 6’s camera is going to be an awesome experience due to expected HD and naturally zoomed results. Its dual 12 MP f1l8 specs rear and 8MP front camera also has a phase detection autofocus feature. Apart from this Dual LED flash is also present like other smartphones. A camera also had some secondary features like geo-tagging, face detection and touch focus.

Taking pictures is quite a wonderful experience.  Thanks to the x2 zoom that allows focusing on a relatively far off subject without going near to them.

It is observed that camera produces perfect HD results that often eliminate the need for proper filters; well this is a great feature. Rumors, prior to the release of this smartphone suggested that its camera would match that of Galaxy S8; this is something turning out to be true. But unfortunately recording video with the same camera is not as much fun as taking pictures. The reason is that x2 zoom feature doesn’t work here. Although manufacturers insist on saying that it is not a hardware issue but just an MIUI problem, still it doesn’t seem to be rectifying in near future.

It seems that manufacturers need to work more on synchronization of software with hardware. Afterall, Snapdragon 835 which is a much-boosted feature of Mi6 must have something real to offer in the form of experience.

4. Performance and Software

Before coming to software, let’s see the magnificent hardware of this smartphone. It is interesting to note that many of the hardware features match with premium phones.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Hardware specs

What made the Xiaomi Mi 6 smartphone be much speculated one was its hardware. The company is very first Chinese manufacturer offering Qualcomm MSM8998Snapdragon 835 processor.

Snapdragon 835 Octa Core processor along 2.45GHz CPU makes for a very strong hardware that Xiaomi Mi 6 boasts about. There is no memory card but it has a powerful 6GB RAM with 64 GB ROM and 6GB RAM along with 128GB ROM.

There is no doubt that RAM, Processor, and Camera all three structures that make up for a great smartphone are up to date in Xiaomi Mi 6, but smartphone software which is not quite much commendable. As mention in the case of a camera, there are software limitations that don’t allow taking videos with the same quality as that of the picture.

This doesn’t mean that device is not capable of functioning in a smooth way. Android 7.1.1 Nougat supports different apps in an efficient manner. In this regard, a device is not quite expensive. It proves itself to be worth of buying due to ceramic clad design and high-quality features.

Further, compatibility of this device would reveal upon installation of more specific and challenging apps. If the gadget stands the test of complex apps then it would enter in the row of market leaders.

5. Battery

What people want from a smartphone along with an HD camera? The answer is an efficient battery; one that allows taking these unlimited high-quality pictures supports all the apps, games and internet while running for an endless time.

It features a Li-Po 3350mAh battery which is non-removable. The battery is quite able to run for an entire day. Further, it charges very fast. Still, for a person who spends most of his time on the phone watching videos, making a picture, using countless apps and browsing, battery life is a bit less.

Charger less Battery System

Many of us hate to carry the cables. After the cable less headphone, charger-less batteries are also making their way in. Xiaomi Mi 6 also features a battery that doesn’t need to be connected with a cable- charger. It features a mat charger. After the battery goes down one needs to keep a phone on the mat and it automatically charges up. In the first 20 minutes battery gets charged up to 30%, in next 30% it goes up to 50 %.

The battery of any smartphone also depends upon its design and screen to body ratio. In the case of Xiaomi Mi 6, it is 71.4%, which is a rare quality of any smartphone. Given this quality Xiaomi Mi 6 battery is expected to long more than an average smartphone that continues to run apps, games and other features.

Still, this battery ratio is not more than that of S8 which is the latest design and boosts longer battery.

6. Pros and cons of device

As mentioned above, Xiaomi Mi 6 comes as software Vs hardware device; something which is going to be evident in the Pros and Cons.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Pros

• Eye protect screen ensures a normal use in the light, it provides strain-free clear vision and less interferes with sleep.
• It is splash resistant.
• It features dual speakers that have a stereo effect.
• 12 MP rear camera and 8MP front camera along with LED lights provide X2 optical zoom.
• Design that features 3d curved glass provides a comfortable and easy grip.
• It has snapdragon 835 Octa-core with 2.45 GHZ processor and 653 MHZ GPU.
• Front and back surfaces are very smooth without any extended camera.
• Xiaomi Mi 6 is among the world’s top 10 smartphones.
• The device has also the ability to connect with wifi and hotspot at the same time.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Cons

There can be few issues with design and lack of up gradation. Let’s have a look at them.

• It has a curved glass surface which looks aesthetically appealing but it is brittle and hence capable of leaving stains and fingerprints.
• 3350mAH battery lasts a complete one day; this can’t be a desirable feature for many users.
• The device is not water resistant as it doesn’t fulfill IP68 water resistant standards.
• It is not much economic and hence sells a bit expensive than mid-range phones.
• It boasts ceramic material which makes it bulky and a little heavy for a smartphone/
• Latest screens have 2000 pixels resolution but it features 1080 pixels.
• The screen is 5.15 inches, while contemporary phones have 5.5 inches large screen.
• It doesn’t support a relatively faster quad core 4.
• There are no headphones and only 3.5 mm audio adapter. Users who love to listen to music with headphones are going to miss something

7. Important features

Xiaomi Mi 6 has very strong features that distinguish it from its competitors; some giving the device an edge while other making it lagging behind, as discussed in Pros and Cons. Let’s have a look at few important features of the phone.

• It has featured a ceramic material in its design with 18 k gold finish, something that makes the design heavier.
• There is no 3.5 mm headphone jack on the phone but a USB Type-c port like iPhone.
• It provides a faster battery charging mechanism which is automatic.
• It features MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.265 player and – MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player
• The device has a photo and video editor along with document editor.
• It dual non-protruding camera offers x2 zoom. The rear camera also features an eye scanner and optical image stabilization feature.
• 16 GB and 64 GB storing memory can be expanded up to 256 GB with the help of SD Card.
• Connectivity options in the phone are up to date. Xiaomi Mi 6 is a dual SIM device with Wi-Fi direct and Wi-Fi hotspot, along with 4.1 versions Bluetooth.
• Mi 6 has Snapdragon 835 Octa-core processor 4GB RAM, something that makes it stand distinguished in Chinese Mobile Industry. It is a 4LTE device.
• The camera comes up with face-recognition, touch feature, panorama, and geo-tagging.
• Its dual Wi-Fi feature is likely to increase its price.

Price and Release Information

Xiaomi Mi 6 is one of the much-awaited smartphones, especially in Asian countries like China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where there exists a market. The price is likely to range from $450 to $500. This amount equals almost 3000 to 33000 in Indian Rupee.

The phone has already been launched in China on April 19, 2017; the shipping would more likely start in the month of June.

Astonishingly, the price is much less for what it offers in the form of a snapdragon 835, a feature that no Chinese mobile has seen before. Earlier, people opted chines brands for their fewer prices but compromised on low-quality functions. Now, the use of high quality and updated hardware is providing premium features in lesser price.  Here is a whistle-blower for market leaders who may face their market share going to Xiaomi.

Final Verdict

In term of price Xaiomi stands close the mid-range smartphones but in term of features, it is near to premium phones like iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S8.

Let’s have a look at the similar features. The 12mp dual camera of Mi 6 is said to be more HD than S8, further both phone pack the same Adreno 540 GPU. There is still a difference in features like screen size. Xiaomi MI 6 has 5.15 inches large screen while S8 has 5.5 inches screen.

Further Xiaomi’s curved glass design looks elegant but its view is not such infinite like S8.

Xiaomi is also same like iPhone 6 with regard to lacking a headphone jack. Well, resembling in the feature with iPhone doesn’t make fire uniqueness. When we look at features like a camera that provides eye stabilization and two times more optical view, Xaiomi surely stands distinguished.

Further, the smartphone company has also done a great job by bringing first Chinese brand with QUALCOMM Snapdragon 835. Xiaomi Mi 6 has indeed good some of the fabulous features that world’s famous smartphone brands boast about, its price is also half. If buying decision depends upon buying more while paying less than yes, Xiaomi Mi 6 necessarily has to be your choice as a next phone.

You Can Buy Xiaomi Mi 6 From the Following Given Links

Xiaomi Mi 6 Price Comparision