Table of Contents
amazon Xiaomi Mi A1 reviews
Hardware
In fact, the Xiaomi Mi A1 is a variant of the Xiaomi Mi 5X that was launched earlier. So you have a familiar design with a beautiful unibody metal frame, two antenna stripes running along the top and bottom. There is a clear difference in the design language between the redmi series and the phone in the Mi series that is more subtle and aesthetically pleasing. As a result, the Xiaomi Mi A1 is sleek and modern.
The lines combined with the aluminum frame give the Xiaomi Mi A1 a superior look and the build quality is excellent. The phone comes with a 3.5mm jack, and unlike the redmi Note 4, it has a USB-C at the bottom. The power and volume buttons on the side are made very solid, good elasticity. Meanwhile, you have an IR Blaster sensor on top for easy electronic home control.
The back of the device is where things get interesting, the Xiaomi Mi A1 has a camera system that sets up two lenses similar to the Mi 6. It is a common lens that combines telephoto lenses with a resolution of 12MP but Xiaomi is using different image sensors.
The placement of the dual camera to the upper left corner along with the antenna strip at the top makes the Xiaomi Mi A1 look quite similar to the OnePlus 5. You will notice the Mi logo and Android One stand out in the rest of the back. In addition, we have one touch sensitive fingerprint sensor on the logo and under the camera cluster. I found its location quite convenient to use.
Move on the front, the first thing you notice is that the bezels at the top and bottom are quite large. In yellow versions, the bezel is white while the black version makes the front more uniform. The bezels on the side are quite narrow, which makes it easy to grab the Mi A1 with one hand to use. Overall, the A1 is the most beautiful Xiaomi phone in this price segment that I’ve ever experienced.
Xiaomi has a long history of using the LCD screen, and the situation is no different with Mi A1. It has a 5.5-inch Full HD display with the best viewing quality in its class. The Xiaomi Mi A1 offers great color and wide viewing angle with high brightness, which is easy to experience under the sun.
By the side of the hardware inside, Xiaomi equips the Qualcomm A1 midrange processor, the Snapdragon 625. Combining the original Android with Google makes everything on the phone really smooth. You will not see any delays, lag in everyday tasks whether it’s switching between applications, opening the camera or playing games.
Battery life
The battery life on Xiaomi Mi A1 is excellent. At first I was worried that the 3080mAh battery would not last all day for as much experience as I had. But in fact, I have one day while still pretty much the battery before charging.
Even on days when I use mobile data continuously, I still have up to 4 hours on screen and overall battery life exceeds 20 hours. To put that into the context of other phones, it is nearly double what they have on Pixel XL under similar conditions. One downside is the lack of a fast charging option. Xiaomi Mi A1 has a 5V / 2A charger, and it takes almost two hours to charge the phone.
where can you get a Xiaomi Mi A1 online
Xiaomi MI A1 (64GB, 4GB RAM) with Android One & Dual Cameras, 5.5″ Dual SIM Unlocked, Global GSM Version, No Warranty (Black): Buy it now
Xiaomi Mi A1 32GB, Factory Unlocked – North America Compatible Global Version (Black): Buy it now
Software
This software is what’s interesting on the Xiaomi Mi A1 compared to most other phones and brands on the market today. Chinese manufacturers have partnered with Google to provide Mi A1 as part of the Android One initiative, meaning that for the first time, we are seeing a Xiaomi phone with the original Android.
Google’s first attempt with the Android One failed miserably due to the combination of many factors. The phones are not prominent in the cheap segment because Google does not know how to make their products stand out. By partnering with Xiaomi, they have resolved the obstacles: Mi A1 is one of the best phones in the budget segment, and Xiaomi is a dominant player in the emerging markets.
For real life experience, I find that it fits what you want to get on a Pixel or Nexus. Just swipe up to access the app drawer, Google Now, all the native apps, and so on. Overall, it’s incredibly weird compared to the previous Xiaomi phones you’ve used. Xiaomi Mi A1 runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat and has security patches dated August 1, 2017. You get all the features built into Nougat, including multitasking, split screen, quick reply notification, application shortcuts, control Do not disturb … Also, you have the ability to scroll down the notification shade by swiping down on the fingerprint sensor. There is also a gesture to quickly start the camera by double pressing the power button.
Overall, that is a novel change for using a Xiaomi phone with the original Android. MIUI certainly has a lot of features to offer the user, but pure purity seeking for a pure experience and perfect hardware by Xiaomi has satisfied the Mi A1.
Upgrade software
Android One devices received direct updates from Google, but that would not be the case with Xiaomi Mi A1. As the phone has dual camera settings, Xiaomi has brought up their own photography app instead of the Google Camera. Xiaomi also comes pre-installed with Mi remote applications, allowing you to use the IR Blaster to control your TV, set-top box …
Camera
The Xiaomi Mi A1 has two 12MP rear-facing cameras: the first is a 1.25-micron and f / 2.2 wide-angle lens, and the telephoto lens f / 2.6 with a pixel size of 1, 1 micron provides 2x optical zoom. The slogan for Mi A1 is the “dual camera Flagship”, with Xiaomi alluding to the fact that the phone has a camera configuration like the Mi 6.
Although Xiaomi is using different image sensors, the image quality you get with the Mi A1 is on par with the Mi 6, at least in daylight conditions.
I feel that under some circumstances, the Xiaomi Mi A1 provides better image quality than Mi 6. The camera application itself should be immediately familiar if you have used a Xiaomi phone in the past. You get Toggles for filters and easy access to various shooting modes, including panorama, tilt change, a square mode for Instagram, and other modes. There is also a switch that allows the watermark, with the result that the image includes a “Shot on Mi A1” watermark in the bottom left corner.
Other options include the ability to switch between primary image sensor and telephoto lens via 2x button, toggles for HDR, flash, portrait mode, switch between images and video mode, front and rear camera. It still has the ability to predict your gender and age when you are using a selfie.
Photographs in portrait mode bring about similar results to Mi 6. The background is blurred and the subject is highlighted. Notice that in this mode, more light is needed to operate stably and focus accurately on the subject. Overall, the camera of Xiaomi Mi A1 does not breakthrough but is fantastic on the price range that it offers.