Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s News: Flagship Touts to Be Better Than iPhone X for Half the Price
The iPhone X may have found a true rival in the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s. This is at least what the Chinese company claims as they unveiled their latest flagship.
During the device's unveiling, Xiaomi co-founder Lei Jun said that they are comparing it with what is currently being touted as the best smartphone.
This, of course, is no other than Apple's most expensive iPhone yet, the iPhone X. "We just want to show we surpassed the best in many features," the Xiaomi boss said.
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Indeed, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s has a lot going for it. The series is known for its futuristic design and was already shedding bezels before it was cool. The tradition continues in this new model.
Unlike many Android manufacturers resorting to the notch treatment a la iPhone X, the new Xiaomi Mi Mix model kept its signature chin, where the front-facing camera is found.
This makes the bottom bezel thicker than the rest. For those who want to go bezel-less but were not a fan of the iPhone X notch and how distracting it can be, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s certainly makes a good case. However, it should be pointed out that its 5.99-inch display panel is an LCD, which would not be as bright and power-efficient as the one on Apple's mobile offering.
Xiaomi made sure to make selfie-taking with the front snapper on what can be considered as an odd position less awkward or not at all by a literal flip of a phone.
Users can flip the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s upside down and instantly get that same experience that is offered by every other mobile device with selfie snappers on their forehead.
However, the handset did position its dual camera setup — the first in the Mi Mix series — the same way Apple did on the iPhone X, so the smartphones look a bit similar from the back, but it uses ceramic on the rear panel that allows for wireless charging, which is another first.
As for the actual camera features, both lenses are at 12 megapixels with optical image stabilization (OIS), one telephoto and the main one being wide-angle, which the company claims is the "best camera" they ever used on any of their handsets.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s uses the Sony MX363 sensor that comes with an f/1.8 aperture and 1.4-micron pixels for the primary camera for better performance in low-light. Engadget vouches for this having tried the device. The telephoto, which supports portrait mode effects, is a Samsung S5K3M3 sensor with f/2.4 aperture and 1-micron pixels.
With new hardware inspired by the iPhone X's Face ID technology, the new Xiaomi handset has artificial intelligence (AI) features that allow it to capture a landscape or a person's face and tune the resulting image appropriately. In addition, it should excel at "beautifying" to make those shots Instagram-ready.
The rest of the specs and features of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 to 8 GB of random access memory (RAM) plus 64, 128, and 256 GB storage. It also features the Android 8.0 with MIUI 9.5, its very own virtual assistant named XiaoAI, and a 3,400mAh battery to keep the lights on.
The best part about the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s is that it can go toe to toe with the iPhone X even at half the cost. The pricing will go from CNY3,299 ($530) to CNY3,999 ($640) when it goes on sale next month.
