Mi – Tech Raman

Redmi Note 5 Pro FAQ – Specifications, Features and Everything You Need to Know

Lakshmi Rajan — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 07:29:07 +0000

ALSO WATCH OUR CAMERA REVIEW:

https://youtu.be/cOkFO-h8NkY

Question: What are the different colors Redmi Note 5 Pro is available?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro will be available in four colors – gold, rose gold, blue and black.

Question: What is the display size and resolution?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro has a 5.99-inch fullview IPS display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio.

Question: What display settings available?

Answer: The display setting has auto brightness, reading mode which is the blue filter mode, contrast and colors settings, text size, double tap to wake.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support double tap to wake?

Answer: Yes, there is double tap to wake option in display settings.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro has Blue light filter settings ?

Answer: Yes, there is blue filter in the display settings and is called Reading mode. The settings also allows you to schedule a particular start and end time for blue filter.

Question: What is the price of Redmi Note 5 Pro? Where can I buy?

Redmi Note 5 Pro is available on Flipart and the Indian pricing is : 4GB/64GB – 13,999 6GB/64GB – 16,999

Question: What size SIM cards Redmi Note 5 Pro accepts? Can I add a microSD card?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro has hybrid SIM slot. Yes, you can add a microSD card in place of one SIM.

Question: Does it have Corning Gorilla Glass protection?

Answer: Yes, it does have a protective layer.

Question: What is the processor used in this smartphone?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro runs on a brand new Snapdragon 636 chipset with a choice of 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM.

Question: What is the internal storage of Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with a 32GB and 64GB internal storage option. It has a dedicated memory card for storage expansion up to 128GB.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro has Gyroscope sensor?

Answer: Yes, it has Gyroscope sensor.

Question: Does it support VR?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 Pro supports virtual reality (VR) apps.

Question: Is the buttons back lit?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro has on-screen navigation buttons , the navigation settings allows to change the position of menu and back buttons.

Question: What USB type does Redmi Note 5 Pro use?

Answer: It uses microUSB port

Question: Does it have notification light?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 Pro has pulse notification light.

Question: What are the camera specifications of Redmi Note 5 Pro ?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro has a dual camera setup at the rear with one 12MP camera (F/2.0) and a 5MP camera (F/2.2) and a 20MP selfie camera with a Sony IMX376 sensor.

Question: Does the camera has OIS?

Answer: Yes , it comes with EIS

Question: Can we take 4K videos in Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: As of now the video is capped at 1080p but a software update could see it shoot 4K videos.

Question: What are the connectivity options? Does it support VoLTE?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 Pro supports VoLTE. Other options include Bluetooth, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro have FM app?

Answer: Yes

Question: How to take screnshots in Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro has a triple finger gesture screenshot feature apart from the basic power button and volume down together option.

Question: Can we take long screenshot in Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: Yes, we can take long screenshot.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support USB OTG?

Answer: Yes, it supports OTG and you can connect the USB drive to it.

Question: What is the battery capacity of Redmi Note 5 Pro?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro has a 4000mAh battery

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support fast charging?

Answer: No, it does not support fast charging. It comes with 5V 2A power adapter.

Question: Does it have power saver modes?

Answer: Yes it has a battery saver mode.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro have IR blaster?

Answer: Yes, there is IR port / sensor in Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Question: Is Redmi Note 5 Pro Waterproof?

Answer: No, Redmi Note 5 Pro is not waterproof.

Question: How is the call quality?

Answer: Call quality of Redmi Note 5 Pro is good.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support one hand UI?

Answer: Yes

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro has fingerprint scanner?

Answer: Yes, it does have a fingerprint sensor

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support App lock?

Answer: Yes, the Redmi Note 5 Pro supports app lock.

Question: What OS does Redmi Note 5 Pro run?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 Pro runs on Android Nougat with their MIUI 9 layered on top of it.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support two Whatsapp in the same phone?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 Pro support dual apps (App twin) feature.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support call recording?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 Pro support call recording feature.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro have video call feature in dialer?

Answer: No, there is no video call feature in the Note 5 Pro dialer. Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro support NFC? Answer: No, NFC is not supported.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro has split screen feature?

Answer: Yes it supports multi windows.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro have Dolby Atmos support?

Answer: No, Redmi Note 5 Pro does not have Dolby Atmos but the audio quality is pretty good.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 Pro have heating issue?

Answer: No, heating is within the limits. REDMI NOTE 5 PRO GAMING REVIEW WITH HEATING TEST VIDEO: https://youtu.be/tiSqlXgI-sE]]>

Redmi Note 5 FAQ – Specifications, Features and Everything You Need to Know

Lakshmi Rajan — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 07:09:29 +0000

Question: What are the different colors Redmi Note 5 is available? Answer: Redmi Note 5 will be available in four colors – gold, black, blue and Rose gold.

Question: What is the display size and resolution?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 has a 5.99-inch fullview IPS display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio.

Question: What display settings available?

Answer: The display setting has auto brightness, reading mode which is the blue filter mode, contrast and colors settings, text size, double tap to wake.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support double tap to wake?

Answer: Yes, there is double tap to wake option in display settings.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 has Blue light filter settings ?

Answer: Yes, there is blue filter in the display settings and is called eye comfort. The settings also allows you to schedule a particular start and end time for blue filter.

Question: What is the price of Redmi Note 5? Where can I buy?

Answer:

Question: What size SIM cards Redmi Note 5 accepts? Can I add a microSD card?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 has hybrid SIM slot. Yes, you can add a microSD card in place of one SIM.

Question: Does it have Corning Gorilla Glass protection?

Answer: Yes it does have a protective layer.

Question: What is the processor used in this smartphone?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 runs on Snapdragon 625 chipset with Adreno 506 GPU with a choice of 3GB/4GB RAM.

Question: What is the internal storage of Redmi Note 5?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 comes with a 32GB and 64GB internal storage option. It has a dedicated memory card for storage expansion up to 128GB.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 has Gyroscope sensor?

Answer: Yes, it does not have Gyroscope sensor.

Question: Does it support VR?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 does support virtual reality (VR) apps.

Question: Is the buttons back lit?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 has on-screen navigation buttons , the navigation settings allows to change the position of menu and back buttons.

Question: What USB type does Redmi Note 5 use?

Answer: It uses microUSB port

Question: Does it have notification light?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 has pulse notification light.

Question: What are the camera specifications of Redmi Note 5 Pro ?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 has a single 12MP rear camera with a f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP selfie camera that comes with a LED selfie light at the front.

Question: Does the camera has OIS?

Answer: No.

Question: Can we take 4K videos in Redmi Note 5?

Answer: Yes, it can take 4K videos.

Question: What are the connectivity options? Does it support VoLTE?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 supports VoLTE. Other options include Bluetooth, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 have FM app?

Answer: Yes

Question: How to take screnshots in Redmi Note 5?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 has a triple finger gesture screenshot feature apart from the basic power button and volume down together option.

Question: Can we take long screenshot in Redmi Note 5?

Answer: Yes, we can take long screenshot.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support USB OTG?

Answer: Yes, it supports OTG and you can connect the USB drive to it.

Question: What is the battery capacity of Redmi Note 5?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 has a 4000mAh battery

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support fast charging?

Answer: No, it does not support fast charging. It comes with 5V 2A power adapter.

Question: Does it have power saver modes?

Answer: Yes it has a battery saver mode.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 have IR blaster?

Answer: Yes, there is IR port / sensor in Redmi Note 5.

Question: Is Redmi Note 5 Waterproof?

Answer: No, Redmi Note 5 is not waterproof.

Question: How is the call quality?

Answer: Call quality of Redmi Note 5 is good.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support one hand UI?

Answer: Yes

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 has fingerprint scanner?

Answer: Yes, it does have a fingerprint sensor

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support App lock?

Answer: Yes, the Redmi Note 5 supports app lock.

Question: What OS does Redmi Note 5 run?

Answer: Redmi Note 5 runs on Android Nougat with their MIUI 9 layered on top of it.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support two Whatsapp in the same phone?

Answer: Yes, Redmi Note 5 support dual apps (App twin) feature.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support call recording?

Answer: Yes, Redmi 5A support call recording feature.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 have video call feature in dialer?

Answer: No, there is no video call feature in the Note 5 dialer. Question: Does Redmi Note 5 support NFC? Answer: No, NFC is not supported.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 has split screen feature?

Answer: Yes it supports multi windows.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 have Dolby Atmos support?

Answer: No, Redmi Note 5 Pro does not have Dolby Atmos but the audio quality is pretty good.

Question: Does Redmi Note 5 have heating issue?

Answer: No, heating is within the limits.]]>

Xiaomi Mi A1 FAQ : Everything You Need To Know on the Frequently Asked Questions

Lakshmi Rajan — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 18:47:33 +0000

Question: What are the different colors Mi A1 is available? Answer: It is available only in matte Black color.

Question: What is the display size and resolution?

Answer: Mi A1 has a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display offering a 1920 x 1080 pixels pixels FHD resolution with a 403 pixels per inch (PPI)

Question : What is the weight and thickness of Mi A1?

Answer: Mi A1 weighs 165grams and measures 7.3mm in thickness.

Question: What display settings available?

Answer: The display setting has adaptive brightness, ambient mode along with text size control and cast option.

Question: Does Mi A1 has Blue filter ?

Answer: No. there is no blue filter in the display settings.

Question: What is the price of Mi A1 ? Where can I buy?

Answer: Mi A1 is available on Mi.com/in , Flipkart and many offline stores. It is priced at Rs 14,999 in India.

Question: What size SIM cards Mi A1 accepts? Can I add a microSD card?

Answer: It supports hybrid dual SIMs , nano SIM types. You can use two SIMs or one SIM and one microSD card.

Question: Does it have Corning Gorilla Glass protection?

Answer: Yes, it has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Question: What is the processor used in this smartphone?

Answer: Mi A1 is powered by Snapdragon 625 processor with 4GB of RAM, Adreno 506 GPU.

Question: What is the internal storage of Mi A1?

Answer: 64GB internal storage with an option to expand up to 256GB via microSD card.

Question: Does Mi A1 has Gyroscope sensor?

Answer: Yes, it has Gyroscope sensor.

Question: Does it support VR?

Answer: Yes, Mi A1 supports virtual reality.

Question: Is the buttons back lit?

Answer: Yes, the buttons are backlit

Question: What USB type does it use?

Answer: It uses USB type-C

Question: Does it have notification light?

Answer: Yes, it has notification light.

Question: What are the camera specifications of Mi A1 ?

Answer: Mi A1 has a dual-camera setup at the rear with a pair of 12-megapixel cameras ((26mm, f/2.2; 50mm, f/2.6) and can take 4K videos. It also has 2X optical zoom like OnePlus 5 and has portrait mode. For selfies it has a 5-megapixel front camera capable of 1080 fullHD videos.

Question: Does the camera has OIS?

Answer: No.

Question: Can we take 4K videos in Mi A1?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What are the connectivity options? Does it support VoLTE?

Answer: Yes, Mi A1 supports VoLTE. Other options include Bluetooth, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/

Question: Does Mi A1 has FM app?

Answer: Yes

Question: How to take screnshots in Mi A1?

Answer: Press and hold the power and volume button together to take a screenshot.

Question: Can we take long screenshot in Mi A1?

Answer: No, that feature is not available.

Question: Does it support USB OTG?

Answer: Yes, it supports OTG and you can connect the USB drive to it. But keep in mind it is USB type-C.

Question: What is the battery capacity of Mi A1?

Answer: Mi A1 has a 3080mAh battery

Question: Does it support fast charging?

Answer: No it has normal fast charging. 5V 2A.

Question: Does it have power saver modes?

Answer: No there is no power saver mode.

Question: Does it have IR blaster?

Answer: Yes there is no IR blaster in Mi A1 and comes with Mi Remote app preinstalled.

Question: Is Mi A1 Waterproof?

Answer: No Mi A1 is not waterproof.

Question: How is the call quality?

Answer: Call quality of Mi A1 is good.

Question: Does it support one hand UI?

Answer: No

Question: Does Mi A1 has fingerprint scanner?

Answer: Yes it has fingerprint scanner

Question: Does Mi A1 support App lock?

Answer: No, it does not support.

Question: What OS does it run?

Answer: Mi A1 runs on stock Android Nougat.

Question: Does it support two Whatsapp in the same phone?

Answer: No, it does not.

Question: Does Mi A1 support call recording?

Answer: No it does not support call recording Question: Does Mi A1 support NFC? Answer: No, NFC is not supported.

Question: Does Mi A1 has split screen feature?

Answer: Yes it supports multi windows

Question: Does Mi A1 have Dolby Atmos support?

Answer: No, Mi A1 does not have Dolby Atmos but the audio quality is pretty good.

Question: Does Mi A1 have heating issue?

Answer: In our tests, the Mi A1 shows a 8 degree jump in temperature, which is kind of normal for phones in this segment.]]>

Redmi 4 FAQ : Everything You Need To Know

Lakshmi Rajan — Fri, 19 May 2017 18:12:27 +0000

Question: What are the different colors Redmi 4 is available? Answer: Redmi 4 is available in two color options – Matte black and gold.

Question: What is the display size and resolution?

Answer: The Redmi 4 has a 5-inch IPS LCD display offering a 1280 x 720 pixels HD resolution with a 296 pixels per inch (PPI)

Question: What display settings available?

Answer: The display settings has brightness control, Reding mode, Colors and contrasts which offer three settings – automatic contrast, increased contrast and standard, Text size adjustments that can go from XS to XXL.

Question: What is Reading Mode in Redmi 4?

Answer: Yes, there is bluefilter option and Xiaomi calls it Reading mode. It can be set manually and a start and end time can also be set. Interestingly, it can be applied to all apps or you can choose particular set of apps. Whenever you open those selected apps, the display automatically goes to reading mode and reverts back to normal when you close the app.

Question: What is the price of Redmi 4? Where can I buy?

Answer: Redmi 4 price starts at Rs 6999 for the 2GB variant and then there is a 3GB variant for Rs 8,999 and 4GB variant for Rs 10,999. It is available on Amazon.in, Flipkart and Xiaomi’s own store in India , Mi.com/in.

Question: What size sim cards, Redmi 4 accepts? Does it has dedicated microSD card support?

Answer: It supports hybrid dual-nano SIM (Nano SIM / MicroSIM). So you can use either two SIM’s or can use one SIM and the second SIM slot can be used to house a microSD card up to 128GB.

Question: Does it have Corning Gorilla Glass protection?

Answer: No Redmi 4 does not have Corning Gorilla Glass protection but it does have an unnamed strengthened glass.

Question: What is the processor used in this smartphone?

Answer: Redmi 4 is powered by Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 435 SoC mated to an Adreno 505 GPU, 2GB /3GB / 4GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB/64GB of internal storage with an option to expand via microSD card.

Question: Does Redmi 4 has Gyroscope sensor?

Answer: Yes, it has Gyro sensor.

Question: Is the buttons back lit?

Answer: No, the buttons are not backlit.

Question: What USB type does it use?

Answer: It supports microUSB port not USB-Type C

Question: Does it have notification light?

Answer: Yes, it has notification light.

Question: What are the camera specifications of Redmi 4?

Answer: Redmi 4 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, autofocus and LED flash and a 5-megapixel selfie camera. The rear camera can take 1080p videos.

Question: What are the connectivity options? Does it support VoLTE?

Answer: Yes, Redmi 4 supports VoLTE. Other options include Bluetooth, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi direct, FM etc.

Question: How to take screnshots in Redmi 4?

Answer: Press and hold the power and volume button together or go to quick shortcuts and there is a screenshot option that can be tapped to take a screenshot.

Question: Does it support fast charging?

Answer: No, it does not support fast charging.

Question: Does it support USB OTG?

Answer: Yes, it supports OTG and you can connect the USB drive to it.

Question: Does it have power saver modes?

Answer: Redmi 4 has a battery saver mode.

Question: Does it have IR blaster?

Answer: Yes, it does have an IR blaster and you can use the Redmi 4 as a remote to control your TV and other compatible home appliances.

Question: How is the call quality?

Answer: Call quality of Redmi 4 is very good.

Question: Does it support one hand UI?

Answer: Yes it supports one hand UI. The display can be reduced to 4-inch or 3.5-inch

Question: Does Redmi 4 has fingerprint scanner?

Answer: No, it does not have a fingerprint sensor.

Question: Does Redmi 4 support App lock?

Answer: Yes, it supports app lock and you can use password or pattern lock to secure apps.

Question: What OS does it run?

Answer: Redmi 4 runs on Android Marshmallow based MIUI 8.1 and is expected to get the Nougat update soon.

Question: Does it have Second Space MIUI 8 Feature?

Answer: Yes, it does have Second space feature that allows to have two phones within a phone.

Question: Does it support two whatsapp in the same phone?

Answer: Yes it supports two Whatsapp app. You can enable it via Dual apps settings or Second space settings.

Question: What is Dual apps in Redmi 4?

Answer: Dual App features allows to have two accounts or instances of the same app running at the same time.

Question: Does Redmi 4 support call recording?

Answer: Yes Redmi 4 supports call recording. The setting can be accessed in the call settings. You can record all calls automatically or from selective numbers. Q) What are the full specifications of the Redmi 4? Answer: Here is the full specification list of the Redmi 4.

Dimensions: 139.2 x 70 x 8.7 mm
Weight: 150g
Display: 5-inch 720p IPS LCD, Reading mode
Chipset: Quad-core Snapdragon 435 chipset ,Octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: Adreno 505
RAM: 2GB / 3GB / 4GB
Storage: 2GB / 16GB, 3GB / 32GB, 4GB/64GB , expandable by microSD card slot
Rear camera: 13MP, f/2.2 aperture, LED flash, Full HD video recording
Front camera: 5MP, f/2.2 aperture
Sensors: Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient light sensor, Infrared
Connectivity: LTE, (Hybrid) Dual-SIM, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, microUSB
Battery: 4100mAh non-removable
Others: MIUI8

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Mi Max Review – The King Kong like no other

Lakshmi Rajan — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 12:57:52 +0000

When Samsung launched the Galaxy Note back in 2011, the 5.3-inch display looked massive and many even ridiculed its size as impractical. Six years later, the 5.5-inch display is a comfortable size for many. So what would be the next BIG be? Many companies have tested display sizes beyond 6-inch but not been very successful. Anything above 6-inch is a big challenge, people might take shot at the Smartphone as a tab if proper attention is not paid to design. Xiaomi thinks they have the perfect next big with Mi Max. At 6.44-inch it has a super big screen but is it practical as a phone? I figure it out in this Mi Max review.

Design, Build and Display

Aluminum body
173.1 x 88.3 x 7.5mm
203 gms

On paper, the 6.44-inch can be intimidating, many questions shoot over your head. Will it look awkward? Can we pocket it? Will it be heavy? What about the ergonomics? No. Yes. No. Good. The Mi Max is an oversized version of the popular Redmi Note 3, which is a good design reference to lean upon. Like Note 3 which accommodated a large 4000mAh battery and yet maintained a slim profile and an ergonomic body, the Mi Max too surprises us with a 7.5mm thickness and weighing 203 grams in spite of the big real estate and a 4850mAh battery lurking inside. There is always a concern about pocketability, I mostly drive on my bike and wear jeans and I never felt any discomfort carrying the Max in my jean pocket and pulling it out while sitting on the bike, that should address the basic concern about the device. The design is not particularly compelling but the stress is more upon making it an ergonomic, practical big phone for use. The metal jacket is a neat clothing and the double chamfered edges and rounded corners along with a slim profile makes it easy to use. The imposing big display is the attention grabber and the front has the capacitive buttons at the chin, the 5MP selfie camera, ear piece grille and host of sensors on the top. The bottom houses the pin hole speaker grill, a microUSB port and a microphone. While there is the grill on either side, the right side houses the speaker and the left side is for balancing out the design as well as holds the microphone. Moving to the top, we have the 3.5 mm audio jack, infra red port and a microphone. The bottom of the rear has the Mi branding, at the center of the top half has the fingerprint sensor and at the corner sits the camera and dual-LED flash. The top and bottom has plastic caps and cover the antenna but the color spills over seamlessly between the metal and plastic construction.

6.44-inch IPS LCD display
1920 x 1080 pixels
342 ppi pixel density
74.8% screen-to-body ratio
Gorilla Glass 3
Reading mode
Sunlight display

The the huge display has a fullHD resolution translating to 342 pixel per inch, the screen to body ratio makes the Smartphone handy. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and a big display comes good for media consumption especially reading. There is a reading mode that turns on the blue filter and the display offers good sunlight legibility and the sunlight display adjusts the display according to the ambient light. The color reproduction is good too.

Software and UI

Android OS, v6.0
MIUI 7
Can be updated to MIUI 8 (am running MIUI 8 on my device)

Out of the box as of now, the Mi Max comes with the MIUI 7 running on Android Marshmallow but you can head over to the Xiaomi official forum and download the global beta MIUI 8 ROM and set it up. The MIUI 8 is a charm. It brings back the ‘Me’ in MIUI with all the user friendly features. If you are skeptical about the beta, you can wait till Mi India rolls out the stable version pretty soon. Xiaomi has introduced a Quick ball feature, a combination of five customizable gesture shortcuts that can be moved around the sides of the screen. Personally, I don’t use the feature but for those who think the display is too big for easy access, the Quick ball can come really handy when you start using it. There is also one-handed mode for those who care for it. My best pick of the MIUI 8 is the Dual apps feature, that replicates a mirror of any app and allows you to run two accounts or sign-ins. And there is a Second space, just in case you need your own comfort zone, simply put you get two phone within a phone. The scroll screenshot makes life easier, allowing you to take a screenshot of the entire webpage. There are new additions to the video edit tool, a very versatile calculator, all this put together makes MIUI 8 an enjoyable experience and brings back the original love for MIUI I felt when I first used the Mi 3.

Performance

Snapdragon 650
Hexa-ccore processor
two 1.8Ghz ARM Cortex A72 + four 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A53
Adreno 510 GPU
3GB LPDDR3 RAM
32GB ROM
microSD card support up to 128GB
4850mAh battery
5V/2A charging

The Mi Max comes in two variants – a Snapdragon 650 + 3GB ROM and another a Snapdragon 652 + 4GB but what I got here for review is the 650 and that is what available in India right now to buy. The internals are almost identical to the Redmi Note 3, which in itself is a very good pick at its price. Talking about the performance, the Mi Max is clearly intended for media consumption and browsing. There are set of people who simply love big displays, haven’t we seen people who use tablets as a Smartphone? Well, Mi Max offers a respectable replacement for tablet size but still maintaining the look and feel of a Smartphone. Yes, it is super big but still it is not insanely big and unwieldy as a tablet for everyday use as a phone. https://youtu.be/LOcWotMnm1s So why a big display? what advantage it brings in? Simply put, you get to see more information on your screen. Like you get more cells on your excel sheets, you can view more conversations on the WhatsApp messages and it gives an immersive experience while playing games or watching movies. Talking about gaming, it performed fairly well even handling heavy games like NOVA 3 decently well. You see minor detailing in games graphics better, it’s enriching as a media consumption device. The call quality is pretty good and the single side-firing speaker is decent enough. The 32GB on-board storage also helps in stacking more games and videos in the device plus there is a microSD card support, though opting for a microSD card would require you to sacrifice one SIM, since it uses a hybrid SIM slot. The fingerprint recognition works well and I don’t even remember if at any times it failed to recognize my ID. A big phone can accommodate more battery and Xiaomi has made good use of it with a 4850mAh battery. On my regular days, I don’t even charge the phone full, a 50% charge stands good for a day even at heavy usage with WiFi and data constantly on and syncing. Surprisingly, while the hardware supports quick charge 3.0, there is no supporting adapter thrown in the box. Overall, I had no issues with the Mi Max on performance scale.

Camera

16MP rear camera
f/2.0 aperture
Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF)
5MP front camera
f/2.0 aperture

The Mi Max has a very capable camera for the price it comes at. Images are fairly well detailed and sharp with a nicer color reproduction. The outdoor photos in good sunlight comes naturally well. When getting up close, the focus struggles a bit but switch to the manual mode and play with the focus, it gets bang on. Like almost all the Smartphones, the Mi Max too struggles at low light but the indoor shots under not so optimum light levels are still manageable and presentable. The picture on the right is shot on auto mode while the right has HDR at work. The HDR does a good job at bringing the picture alive. While the camera app does not offer dozens of presets, there are many filters to have some fun with. Apart from HDR, there are panorama and beauty mode for both front and rear.

Conclusion

To be honest, the Mi Max is not for everyone and it is not supposed to be either. While there are half a dozen phones with screen size 6-inch and above, either they have mediocre specs or costlier. The Mi Max gets everything right in terms of hardware and price and is at an enviable position of being unchallenged in this super-big segment offering amazing value for money. That makes Mi Max a clear winner, a KingKong like no other.]]>

Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth Speaker Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 13:53:48 +0000

Specs

Length 168mm x Width 24.5mm x Height 58mm
270 grams
Aluminum alloy casing
dual 36mm drivers
Microphone built-in
85Hz – 20KHz frequency response
Max volume up to 90 db
1500mAh battery
Battery recharge time : 2.5 hours
Playback time : 8 – 8.5 hours

Xiaomi makes awesome phones that delivers more value for money. They also makes some interesting accessories and the barely six year old company has a wide portfolio of products across various categories. They already made their mark in the audio world with their impressive yet affordable headphones both in-ear and over-the ear types and their Bluetooth speaker continues their mettle in sound technology and true to their legacy makes it very affordable too. The pencil-box style speaker is ultra portable and weighs 270 grams, not a big fat. The package also includes a simple carry pouch in soft material which helps to keep the metal surface scratch free when not in use or packing it in your travel bag. Product designers can get quirky with Bluetooth speakers designs and experiment on it, Xiaomi has opted for a clean design. The Speaker is a rectangular block wrapped in aluminum case. Very practical to carry around or snug it in bag. It’s an all pleasing design but for those little bolder, it also comes in trendy shades. The one I have is a metallic golden color. The front speaker grille is bit fascinating, the uneven perforations at both the sides giving it a musical high. There is a subtle Mi logo at the front face. The right side has the power / play button, volume buttons which also combines as track changers and bluetooth pairing button,stacked vertically. Pressing the last button which is the pairing button also gives out a voice prompt indicating the level of battery remaining. When playing music, the power button has a blue glow around it, it turns red when the battery is critically low. On the left side is vertically stacked the Aux in port in case you want to connect a music player with a cable, a mic , microUSB port to charge the speaker and a small Mi logo. The bottom has two tiny footings. Pairing is a cinch, I faced no issue pairing it with various devices including different phone models and laptop. It uses Bluetooth 4.o technology which uses low-energy. The speaker charges via Micro-USB and it houses a 1500mAh battery, it takes around 2.5 hours to fully charge and while Mi has listed a 8 hours of play back time, it lasted a little more than that at 50% volume.The Mi Bluetooth Speaker does offer speakerphone capabilities so you can take calls through the speaker from your smartphone or tablet.

Performance

From the first listen, the Mi Bluetooth Speaker impressed with the full sound. The audio got better after some 30 hours of normal run-in. For a INR 1,999 ( US$ 30) Xiaomi’s bluetooth speaker offers more reasons to be happy. The audio can be cranked up really well without much distortion and can max out 90db, a good output for a room party. The vocals are very clear and I liked the way the classic ‘I just can’t stop loving you‘ crooned and the depth of the opening strings of Bryan Adam’s ‘On a day like today‘ or acoustics of MLTR’s ‘Breaking my heart‘. It balances well the tonal variations, though gets a little cloudy on high ranges. But overall delivers a well rounded, detailed audio especially considering it is from a 30$ device. It outperforms the expectations. I don’t use speaker phones but Mi Bluetooth allows you to attend call in case you would want to. The quality is on par with the most other devices in the segment, I would say decent. Calls were clear on both ends when the speaker was about arm’s length away, though when I called my wife she said it sounded a little away. But the bottom line, for those who use speaker phone, it works. I read that Xiaomi offers microSD card support to the variant sold in China but the model available in India doesn’t have that feature, would have been nicer if it had it. Mi claims it can play for 8 hours at 50 percent volume. When I tested, I found the Xiaomi guys where accurate on their words, I managed a little over 8 hours on a single charge. The speaker auto shuts when there is no music played for 20 minutes, thus helping conserving the battery. https://youtu.be/boq83cnKD48

Verdict

Durability, Style, affordability and good sound – Mi Bluetooth speaker has it all. For under US$ 30, the Mi Bluetooth speaker is a steal. I am quiet happy with its performance and Mi delivers yet another sheer value for money product. ]]>

At $107, Redmi 3 looks like a sure shot winner for Xiaomi

Tech Raman — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 14:41:57 +0000

Xiaomi Mi4 Review – Is it for you?

Lakshmi Rajan — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 11:38:55 +0000

We are not going to bicker over comparison with Apple’s iPhone design because Xiaomi Mi4 stands tall on its own due to a heady mix of fine craftsmanship, powerful hardware and an outstanding UI. Before we dive into our complete take down on the flagship device from the Chinese super star(t up), here is a quick bullets of the specifications.

5″ IPS LCD display
1080 x 1920 pixels, 441 ppi
Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 Chipset
Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400
Adreno 330 GPU
MIUI 6
3GB RAM
16GB / 64GB
13MP rear / 8MP front camera
3080 mAh battery

Design, Build quality and Specs

Xiaomi has taken a giant stride when it comes to design and build quality of Mi4. Not that Mi3 was anything inferior, in fact even now, I quiet liked Mi3 which was more unique-looking. But here with, Mi4, they have stressed upon the build quality which Hugo Barra passionately talked about during one of the interactions. http://youtu.be/yxx_KvAinK4 The stainless steel banding around the sides and a quick glance at the well chiseled out speaker grille, not to forget the skillfully chamfered edges speaks volumes about the brilliant build quality of Mi4. [gallery link="file" columns="5" ids="8552,8553,8554,8555,8556"] While the metallic frame and finish piqued my interest, the rear was unimpressive. The glossy back plate is made of plastic but a good one at that wit diamond-like texture to it, the design is generic. It has a curved, soft edges which is definitely ergonomic and cozies the palm but nothing spectacular in design. The power and volume rockers are on the right and are easier to reach, on the left we find the SIM tray nicely carved on to the metallic side panel and it can be ejected with a pin that is included in the box. The bottom houses the speaker grille and the microUSB port, while on the top sits the 3.5mm audio jack and IR blaster. The Mi logo is seen on the top left, flanked by a sensors, earpiece and the front camera. The back again has the traditional ‘Mi’ logo on the bottom half and the 13MP rear camera with LED flash pecked a little below on the top. Mi4 showcases a 5-inch, 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution (441 ppi) IPS panels made by JDI (a joint venture between Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi). It’s an attractive, bright, vibrant and lively. The outdoor visibility is also very good. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 processor, clocked at 2.5GHz which is a full blown high-end flagship material. Other healthy inclusions are 3GB RAM, Adreno 330 GPU. While Xiaomi has both 16GB and 64GB onboard storage, the company has outed the 16GB variant with the promise of bringing the 64GB pretty soon. Since there is no option for external storage, you might have to take in account the storage factor if you are buying. The phone comes with a 3,080mAh battery, I was told that you can manage to take out the back panel using a suction cup, but even if you manage you will only longingly look at the battery which is non-removable. For a flagship device, it is a big disappointment that there is no LTE. With 4G gaining traction, this is a shame that a crowned jewel should come without it.

Software: MIUI 6 – the magic pill

The Mi4 runs on Android 4.4.4 KitKat with MIUI treatment. For those used to stock Android experience, initial hands-on the the Xiaomi custom interface might be overwhelming. There are a long list of features you don’t normally see on Android. Xiaomi likes to boast themselves to be a software company first and it is quiet evident in the MIUI, which is easily one of the best custom Android skin out there. MIUI 6 has a flat design with shades of the material design that Google espouses and is extremely colorful. One of my favourite part of the MIUI is the themes section. There are thousands of themes to choose from, including country-specific themes and I love the India specific themes. The themes are not just superficial but changes the entire look and feel of the Mi Smartphones from the ground-up. The charm of the MIUI lies in its feature-rich tweaks and tricks. It offers users to customize the phone that is not possible with the stock android. From customizing the long press action of the three capacitive buttons to locking individual apps in the recent app trays, the options galore including block list feature for contacts, guest mode, changing notifications light, customizing lock screen, screen gestures and more. And, then you can also easily switch on the torch right from the lock screen which I quiet like in all the Mi phones. In-built apps like Calculator, Calendar, Compass, Clock, Weather, Recorder and others have gotten a new look too in the version 6 of the UI. The Mi 4 has no dedicated “gloves mode” but instead, it will always register your touches even if you’re gloved. Neat.

Mi 4 Camera

Xiaomi is never shy of the components it sources for their phones. Mi 4 camera set up includes a 13-megapixel , 6- lens from Sony with IMX 214 stacked sensor with a very wide, f/1.8 aperture lens , which focuses in just 0.3 seconds. The front houses a 8MP BSI camera which is a 5-lens Sony set up with Exmor R sensor and offers a 80° wide-angle lens for better selfies. On the software side, the camera mode has a very neat layout, a simple swipe gesture takes you to various live filters (a few cool ones can be found) and list of options that includes HDR mode, Panorama, Burst shoot and refocus. There is also a built-in manual controls that let you adjust exposure and shutter speeds. The shutter is snappy and you will be more than happy with the outcome of the camera. The HDR mode in particular is a pure delight. Even in low-light conditions, the camera takes fairly good pictures, especially if you know to use the manual mode.

Performance

As expected, the Mi 4 delivers top-notch performance expected of a thoroughbred pedigree. Interestingly, when I began the AnTuTu benchmark, the device asked if I wanted to use a high-performance mode or use the current balanced mode. The high-performance mode gave a very respectable score around 44,000. I figured out the high-performance mode and balanced mode has to do with the battery settings. Obviously, if you choose the later in the battery settings, it gives a better battery life. In practical usage, the phone is no slouch. From the usual interface navigation to burning the tracks on the graphics intense Asphalt 8, the mi4 handles everything at ease. To bring the best of the hardware muscle while playing resource-crunching games, shift to performance mode. The call quality is crisp and clear and the speaker volume is pretty good too. The 3080mAh battery is very capable and one of the best out there. For regular users, the battery can go past a day easily.

Mi 4 – For you or not?

Undoubtedly, the Mi4 is yet another top-performer and a value for money. The only dampener is the 16GB internal storage but the good news is for those who want more storage, the 64GB variant is round the corner. An excellent build quality, highly optimized and feature-rich software and superb performance makes Mi 4 yet again a winning horse but unlike last year when Mi 3 took the market by storm with no competitors, this time it faces touch challenges from equally capable models like Honor 6 and Lenovo Vibe X2 and of course, the OnePlus One. ]]>

Xiaomi unveils its new flagship smartphones, the Mi Note & Mi Note Pro

Lakshmi Rajan — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:03:09 +0000

The poster boy of Chinese Smartphones, Xiaomi today announced Mi Note, with bigger display and hardware muscles and sounding a new war bugle to its rivals especially Samsung. At 6.95mm-thick and weighing 161g, the latest dual-SIM 4G device slimmer than iPhone 6 and also comes with a 5.7-inch 1080p display. Encased by curved glass on both sides with a a 2.5D glass on the front and 3D glass on back panels. both the panels are strengthened by curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and with a metal frame binding the sides. The Mi Note is powered by a Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad-core processor along with an Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB RAM. It also allows for high definition 24-bit/192KHz lossless audio playback, and supports APE, FLAC, DSD and WAV lossless formats. The device features a 3,000mAh Quick Charge 2.0 capable battery and comes in a 16GB and 64GB version with no expandable memory slot. It costs about $370 (2,299 Yuan) for the 16GB version, and about $450 (2,799 Yuan) for the 64GB version and will be available from the second quarter of the year. [gallery link="file" columns="4" ids="8357,8356,8355,8354"] Xiaomi also announced a Pro version of the Mi Note which packs more muscle power. While the display size of 5.7-inch is same as Mi Note, the display packs more pixels with a 2560 x 1440 resolution packing a 515 ppi. A Snapdragon 810 64 bit 8-core processor and Adreno 430 GPU pumps up the performance and graphic capabilities further. The Mi Note Pro also supports the fastest CAT 9 LTE download speeds, up to 450Mbps. The Mi Note Pro is priced at about $530 (3,299 Yuan) ]]>

Xiaomi unveils its new flagship smartphones, the Mi Note & Mi Note Pro

Lakshmi Rajan — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:03:09 +0000